Not long after our move to work at Gardner-Webb University School of Divinity my wife Kheresa read Monique Truong’s Bitter in the Mouth (Random House, 2010), a novel rooted in Truong’s childhood experiences as an “outsider” Vietnamese-American in Boiling Springs, North Carolina, where…
Are Baptists Protestants?
Are Baptists Protestants? I pondered this question as I attended the recent assembly of the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe in the beautiful city of Florence in Italy. The European Baptist Federation is not a full member of CPCE because of…
Breaking new ground
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has a nominee as third executive coordinator of the organization. Once again, the nominee is from Texas, but . . . this nominee is female and a layperson—Suzii Paynter. Prior coordinators Cecil Sherman and Daniel Vestal…
Mid-Atlantic leaders praise nomination of Suzii Paynter as next CBF executive coordinator
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship leaders in the Mid-Atlantic are praising the nomination of Suzii Paynter to be the next executive coordinator of the national CBF as it begins implementing a significant structural reorganization. Since 2001, Paynter, 62, has been director of…
Remembering our ‘rememberable’ baptisms
Many churches celebrate the feast of the Baptism of the Lord on the Sunday following Epiphany (January 6). Since Epiphany falls on Sunday in 2013, this year the Baptism of the Lord is celebrated on January 13. This feast is…
On a peace mission to Israel
In just a few days, I’ll embark on a peace mission on behalf of American Baptists to travel to Israel. This trip will serve as a good-will delegation to Israelis and Palestinians. In light of the recent conflict and violence,…
What do you get when you focus on conflict? More conflict!
I’m sure you have probably heard the old adage that says Baptists are like alley cats. You know what you get when cats fight an alley on Saturday night? More cats. Conflict is similar to this because the more you…
For such a time as this
“Why would anyone want to go into ministry today?” I overheard this question recently, but I did not respond because I was not the person being addressed. As I thought about the question, however, I quickly decided that this may…
The Gospel according to the Ewoks
Disney bought Star Wars for $4 billion! I simply can’t imagine $4 billion. I am confident that is enough to handle Han Solo’s debt to Jabba the Hutt. My first response was to be critical. Lucas had always said he…