For the past two weeks, many of my evenings have been spent watching the various speeches and presentations offered at the Republican and Democratic national conventions. As someone who appreciates a well-crafted public address, I realize that most books I…
OPINION: The value of getting dirty
When you work in a church you never know what a person’s visit might bring, but you always have to be ready for that stranger through whom God has something to say. A few days ago a little man with…
WINN RECOMMENDS
François Fénelon: A Biography, Peter Gorday (Paraclete) Given the election cycle we find ourselves in the midst of, I’m picking three titles that help us engage this political moment from new angles. Fénelon was a bishop in King Louis’ court,…
OPINION: The choice: Purpose or relevance?
Pastors get to have these complex and wonderful conversations with people from all walks of life. I think the words, “Go ahead, I’ll listen” are tattooed on my forehead with ink that’s invisible when I look in the mirror. Everyone…
LEADERSHIP LINK: Larry Leader plans to plan
Larry Leader’s home phone rings. It’s a call from his pastor, Dee Parsons, asking Larry to serve as a member of All Alike Baptist Church’s new long-range planning group. Larry agrees and puts the first meeting on his calendar. Larry…
Contemplative worship consistent with Baptist principles, say adherents
Contemplative worship — with its emphasis on prayer and reading that leads participants into a silent, meditative encounter with God — pushes some Baptists outside their comfort zone. But the increasingly popular approach sits comfortably with historic Baptist values, according to…
Contemplative worship: It’s not just a Catholic thing
Terms like “silence and reflection,” “creating space” and “getting in touch with yourself” were absent from Chad Kerr’s Baptist upbringing in Georgia. But they’ve since become central to his ability to cope with the demands of life as a bank…
HERITAGE: In memory of a wordsmith
Barbara Dunn Jackson appreciated words and the nuances of their meaning. The walls of her home office were lined with many books on etymology. Barbara wrote a column called “A Last Word” for Synergy, which went to women in ministry….
Softball ministry impacts lives of N.C., Va., inmates
The Virginia Saints are a men’s softball team that played six games this summer. But the team is not a member of a traditional church softball league. This group of men from Mount Vernon Baptist Church in Glen Allen, Va.,…
HeraldBeat: Tracking Baptists across the Mid-Atlantic
Transitions ON THE MOVE Allen Jessee, to Highlands Fellowship Church, Abingdon, Va., as lead pastor. He had been serving as maturity pastor at Highlands Fellowship, a multi-site church. He previously served as lead pastor of Community Heights Baptist Church, Cedar…
EDITORIAL: WMUV continues ministry to Native Americans
While the GOP and the Democrats continue their on-going debate about the role of government in easing the plight of the poor, Women’s Missionary Union of Virginia has steadfastly continued ministry to some of our nation’s poorest people. Through the…
VITAL SIGNS: Worth fighting over
As part of our work with congregations which are engaging in the process of imagining their future, we invite them to first look back and connect with their past. One effective tool for doing that is to create a timeline…