By Blake Hark The world has been captivated by the case of death-row inmate Troy Davis, and rightfully so. His innocence claims were staggering, and the fact that the state of Georgia went forward with his execution despite such doubts…
Telling a better Baptist story
By Chris Hughes There is power in stories, especially in ministry. Stories define us and help us navigate our way through times of change. Having hope for the future of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship means we remember our story and…
Whom shall we kill?
By Zachary Bailes Troy Davis has been denied clemency by the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles. Our country witnesses, once again, a flawed system at work. From the pope to Jimmy Carter, leaders are calling for a stay…
When ministry causes you to question your call
By Mary Kate Christian There is one question that every seminarian, at one time or another, surely must wrestle with: “Do I want to hold a ministry position while I’m in school?” To some it might sound like a silly…
Jena, five years later
By Alan Bean Reed Walters, the prosecutor at the center of a national controversy five years ago over incidents in a small town Louisiana schoolyard, doesn’t think he did a very good job explaining his prosecution of what became known…
Who will you invite to church this Sunday?
By Barry Howard A young professional said: “I got out of the habit of going to church while I was in college. I usually slept in on Sunday mornings. I’ll get started back when I get my life together.” A…
Taking a leap of faith
By Elizabeth Evans Hagan “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. By faith, Abel.… By faith, Noah.… By faith, Abraham.… By faith, Isaac.… By faith, Jacob.… By faith, Joseph.” And the list…
A [Baptist] means of conversation
By Zihna Gordon When I was 16 my family moved to a new town and a new denomination. The national leadership of the United Church of Christ had just informed local congregations that by their polity, the issue of whether…
Remembering 9/11 … 1973
By Leroy Seat Recent days have been full of newspaper articles and radio and TV programs about the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks against the United States. Much less was written about another 9/11 that occurred 28 years…
How has America changed since 9/11?
By Ellis Washington We all remember where we were and what we were doing when 9/11 went from being just another date to a phrase that needs no explanation. From across the street or across the globe, we watched it…
The lifeboat of laughter
By Susan Sparks The day after 9/11, I was working for the Red Cross taking inbound calls for missing persons in the fallen towers. Somewhere mid-morning I received a call from a woman whose husband was missing. Her call was…
A day that haunts; a faith that hopes
By Barry Howard A pastoral prayer for Sept. 11, 2011: On this 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, we gather to remember an atrocious day, a day that we wish we could forget. We confess our…