Larry Leader’s been a little troubled these recent Sundays. One Sunday morning Larry’s sitting in his pew at the All Alike Baptist Church. He’s been in the same place every Sunday for more than 25 years, the third-pew-from-the-back-on-the-right-hand-side. Larry’s a…
Pastors of racially-mixed congregations believe over time homogeneity will become the exception
ATLANTA (ABP) — Park Avenue Baptist Church in Atlanta is considered by some a hopeful sign that Sunday may soon no longer be the most segregated time in America. A dwindling, all white congregation eight years ago, the church is…
Church van crash kills two youth in Tennessee congregation’s pastor is former Va. Baptist leader
MARYVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — Two people were killed and 12 others injured Sept. 16 when a van carrying youth from Cedar Grove Baptist Church in Maryville, Tenn. — whose pastor is a former Virginia Baptist leader — collided head-on with…
SBC leader envisions ‘unity’ on Calvinism issue
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP) — “The local church is God's plan to attack the gates of hell,” said Frank Page, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee, during a special forum at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. R. Albert Mohler Jr.,…
LEADERSHIP LINK: Survey explores impact of churches
(RNS) — Almost half of churchgoing Americans say their life has not changed a bit due to their time in the pews, a new survey shows. Barna Group, an evangelical company based in California, found that 46 percent reported no…
Churches benefit in tough times from proper preparation in good times
When it comes to finances, bad things sometimes happen to good churches. Natural disasters occur. So do instances of theft and vandalism. Local layoffs or a national economic downturn can affect giving drastically. Good stewardship demands churches prepare for financial…
Grand or grind? Grandparents increasingly assume care for grandchildren
“I want to be a good grandmother (or grandfather) but I want to live my life, too.” The refrain echoes around the country as more grandparents assume responsibility for their grandchildren. One in 10 children lives with a grandparent, according…
Should churches see debt as burden or tool for expanding ministry?
Increasingly, churches provide money-management seminars that offer participants advice on how to get out of debt and stay that way. But should churches themselves follow the same advice and principles as individual consumers? Is church debt ever acceptable? Dave Ramsey…
LEADERSHIP LINK: Larry Leader feels fenced in
Larry Leader has had a rough day at work. He and his construction crew are in the middle of remodeling an old home. Nothing is going smoothly. The old home’s floors aren’t level, its walls aren’t straight and its foundation…
LifeWay’s new Bible study line prompts worries about bias toward Calvinism
CLEVELAND, Ga. (ABP) — A Southern Baptist college president says new curriculum produced by LifeWay Christian Resources is biased toward a theological viewpoint not “representative of the vast majority of Southern Baptists.” Emir Caner, president of Truett-McConnell College in Cleveland,…
Racism should be test of fellowship, says prof
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (ABP) — A Southern Baptist seminary professor says the Southern Baptist Convention should withdraw fellowship from a Mississippi congregation if it doesn’t discipline a minority of members who managed to block an African-American couple from getting married at…
OUT LOUD
“The other thing I tell people — because in New York it’s like a total catastrophe, it’s an epidemic — I always say always have a prenuptial agreement. But I won’t say that because you people don’t get divorced, right?”…