MOSELEY, Va. — Central Virginia pastor Lee Ellison will be nominated in November as first vice president of the Baptist General Association of Virginia — a position which every year since 2000 has led to the BGAV presidency. Ellison, pastor…
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…
Church’s puppet ministry puts a new face on faith
BERRYVILLE, Va. — Puppets are fun, silly and colorful. They may be associated with children, but puppet ministry leaders will tell you that puppets are for everyone. The Berryville Baptist Rascals, a puppet troupe from Berryville (Va.) Baptist Church, have…
Mid-Atlantic leaders urge fight against food insecurity
RICHMOND — Top leaders in the Mid-Atlantic region have declared Sept. 29 an Interfaith Day of Service, encouraging faith communities and other nonprofit groups to collaborate to fight hunger and food insecurity. Governors Bob McDonnell of Virginia and Martin O’Malley…
Mid-Atlantic leaders urge fight against food insecurity
RICHMOND — Top leaders in the Mid-Atlantic region have declared Sept. 29 an Interfaith Day of Service, encouraging faith communities and other nonprofit groups to collaborate to fight hunger and food insecurity. Governors Bob McDonnell of Virginia and Martin O’Malley…
Mid-Atlantic leaders urge fight against food insecurity
RICHMOND — Top leaders in the Mid-Atlantic region have declared Sept. 29 an Interfaith Day of Service, encouraging faith communities and other nonprofit groups to collaborate to fight hunger and food insecurity. Governors Bob McDonnell of Virginia and Martin O’Malley…
Bluefield College sees banner year in contributions
BLUEFIELD, Va. — Bluefield College celebrated a banner year of giving as contributions to the Baptist-affiliated school hit the $3.3 million mark for the 2011-2012 fiscal year — the highest annual gift total in Bluefield’s history. Total gifts to the…
Life still an adventure for 86-year-old UR chancellor
RICHMOND (ABP) — By all accounts there are few people like Bruce Heilman. Friends and family say he’s a hard-charging 86-year-old, working still as chancellor of the University of Richmond, a passionate husband, father and grandfather, active in Baptist life…
Democrats gather in the heart of Billy Graham country
CHARLOTTE (RNS)—The host city for the Democratic National Convention is not a particularly political place. Charlotte is known for three things: banking, NASCAR and religion. And when it comes to religion, Billy Graham’s spirit looms large. America’s most famous evangelist…
Is work a punishment from God?
(RNS)—On the first Monday of September, America honors working stiffs by taking a paid day off. But does Labor Day celebrate an enterprise that God intended to be a punishment? In a recent New York Times essay on the frenetic…
OUT LOUD
“I’ve never seen more irresponsible personal attacks, mean-spirited slander and flat-out dishonest attack ads, and I don’t expect that tone to change before the election.” Rick Warren The megachurch pastor was explaining to the Orange County Register why he canceled…
Mormons’ relationship with America: It’s complicated
SALT LAKE CITY (RNS)—When it comes to flag-waving, some Mormons may outdo their neighbors to express their outsized patriotism. Love of America, they believe, stretches beyond appreciation and gratitude. It is theological, prescribed in holy writ. When it comes to…