By Bob Allen A victim of a former children’s minister sentenced to 30 years in prison has sued both his perpetrator and the church that hired him. The victim, identified by initials J.G., filed a lawsuit July 22 in U.S….
Does your congregation need a church search committee?
What kind of congregation do you want? That query precedes the probe into the kind of person you want as pastor? For 15 years I trained churches and their “Pastor Search Committees.” In recent months, I have begun to wonder whether…
Air Force personnel cuts highlight importance of church in military life
By Jeff Brumley As if the tempo of military operations and deployments aren’t stressful enough, U.S. Air Force members were jolted by news this week the service will slash nearly 3,500 positions over five years. But that announcement — including that…
Experts seek balance between optimism and pessimism in future of congregations
By Jeff Brumley LifeWay President and CEO Thom Rainer has declared himself an “obnoxious optimist” about the state of American churches despite years of declines and closures in a post-Christian, post-church culture. In a July 11 column in The Christian…
Is the church too busy attending meetings and talking with itself?
All my life I have loved attending denominational celebration events and conventions. I love least the formal meetings. I love most the networking. I love seeing my friends in ministry and meeting new friends in ministry. It is part of…
Third Way pastor invited to White House
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist pastor under fire from his denomination for reaching out to gays was invited to a White House reception June 30 celebrating LGBT Pride Month, according to blogs offering both condemnation and praise. Friends of…
Glass ceiling for women pastors cracked but not broken, panelists tell CBF
By Jeff Brumley Opportunities to lead churches are increasing for women in Cooperative Baptist life, but not fast enough to stop the loss of qualified female ministers from the Fellowship, a panel of ministers said during the 2014 General Assembly…
Age segregation in worship
In the last 30 years, age-segmented worship was an unforeseen effect of the contemporary worship movement within Christianity. What has developed in many (not all) churches are two worship services. A traditional service with older adults and a commentary service…
Are church camps, conference centers going away?
What is your most memorable experience at a church camp or conference center? Write it down quickly before these camps and conference centers disappear. My first remembrance of Ridgecrest Conference Center in western North Carolina is when I was five…
Art gaining in Baptist worship and spirituality
By Vicki Brown The church has used the arts — all forms — to share the story of God’s love and mercy throughout the ages. Poets and authors have written volumes. Painters and sculptors have depicted Bible stories and represented…
Center for Healthy Churches launches second partnership
By Robert Dilday The Center for Healthy Churches has announced a new partnership with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina — the second collaboration for the church consulting group which launched Jan. 1. The partnership will make available to…
Political polarization challenges U.S. churches, Baptist leaders say
By Jeff Brumley There was a time in America when a pastor could raise significant social matters of the day and correlate them to Scripture, all without offending most folks in the pews, Rob Nash recalled. “As late as the…