By Bill Leonard On Feb. 10, 2015, three Muslim students at UNC-Chapel Hill — a married couple and her sister — were shot by one of the “neighbors” in their apartment complex. The New York Times reported: “The victims’ families…
Understanding one’s life as part of God’s work of redemption
By Amy Butler That day as I stood in front of the gathered congregation, I could feel their dismay — an almost desperate exasperation and lack of hope at the state of their community. It was my first congregational meeting…
We’ll all end up in Rosemary
By Scott Dickison If you ask the Lanier clan of the west side of HW 121 near the border of Immanuel and Candler counties in South Georgia (not sure about the other Lanier clan, who hail from just across the…
Leaving Fred Craddock’s funeral, yearning just to be Christian
By Brett Younger I was early to Fred Craddock’s funeral. Cherry Log Christian Church is less than two hours from Atlanta, but a trip to Appalachia seems farther so I gave myself way too much time. I had been told…
Seminaries and graduates and churches, oh my!
By Molly Marshall Seminaries are in the news these days as the church continues to shift in social location in our communities. Theological education, in my judgment, can be a source of renewal for congregational life, and it may be…
How do we change history?
By Nora O. Lozano On Feb. 28, many CBF Baptists rejoiced for Dr. Pam Durso’s ordination to Christian ministry. Since the initial announcement, I followed the news with great interest because Pam and I share some similar experiences. We both…
When boundaries don’t behave
By Corey Fields I have a childhood memory of driving with my family across state lines and, in bewilderment, asking my mother where the line was. That may have been my first introduction to the arbitrary and human-made nature of…
Be afraid, be very afraid
By Jason Coker A couple of weeks ago my whole family went to a “buy-in-bulk” store on a Saturday (never do this)! We live in a cold weather climate, so all the snow that has been collected in the parking…
The night Dean Smith came to the RA banquet
By Bill Wilson RA — shorthand for Royal Ambassadors. It was a weekly group for grade-school boys that sought to blend scouting-type activities with a call to missions. Lawndale Baptist church in Greensboro, N.C., where I grew up in the…