By Daniel Wallace and Jeff Brumley First Baptist Church of Covington, Texas, averaged slightly more than 50 in attendance when the congregation decided to build a sanctuary that seats 150 worshippers — in a community of 269 people. “We’re either crazy…
Baptists see Fort Hood shootings through lens of Easter
By Ken Camp As ministry leaders at First Baptist Church in Killeen, Texas, prepared for Wednesday evening activities earlier this month, they heard an all-too-familiar report: a shooter had opened fire on soldiers at nearby Fort Hood. “The really sad thing is…
Finding the associate pastor you need
The role of the associate pastor or minister is one that many churches think they cannot afford. In reality, the are a variety of ministry callings that do not involve staffing a full-time pastor or minister. In many cases, the…
N.C. church, first to ordain a woman, calls its first female pastor
By Bob Allen A North Carolina church credited with opening doors for women in ministry by ordaining the first Southern Baptist woman to the gospel ministry 50 years ago lifted its own stained-glass ceiling April 6 by choosing a female…
Want to change your congregation? Find a crisis
Five years ago I spent two weeks in the hospital. I did not enjoy it. It was for a reason that had been creeping up on me for about a month. I had been to my doctor—a general practitioner–twice during…
Moderate Baptists to see second pastoral residency program
By Jeff Brumley Nothing John Jay Alvaro learned in divinity school prepared him for the “weird social dynamics” that goes with leading a church. Biblical languages, hermeneutics and even the occasional preaching class provided no guidance in how to manage…
FutureBaptists: A collaborative missional movement
March 6thand 7th a diverse group of Baptists from North America gathered in Philadelphia for the 50th anniversary of the North American Baptist Fellowship [NABF] of the Baptist World Alliance. Using the title—FutureBaptists: A Collaborative Missional Movement—this gathering was more…
Virginia church may look Anglican, but it’s fully Baptist
By Jeff Brumley Sunday mornings at All Souls Charlottesville are fairly common for an Anglican congregation. The Book of Common Prayer and the Revised Common Lectionary are standard, creeds are spoken together, the Eucharist is the central focus of the liturgy…
Contemplative practices gaining with youth, young adults
By Jeff Brumley Some contemplative spiritual practices may be as old as Christianity itself, but they are increasingly attracting younger generations hungry for alternatives to contemporary, flashy worship. Case in point: portions of an international Taizé pilgrimage hosted by First…
Impacting tomorrow is not a goal for many congregations
Congregations seeking to be vital and vibrant ten years from now are congregations seeking to impact tomorrow. Congregations hoping tomorrow will bring a return of the past are seeking to praise yesterday. Too few congregations are in the former category….
Churches respond to call for disaster relief in Augusta, Ga.
By Jeff Brumley Andy Jones says he has just one answer for church groups still looking for that quick spring or early summer mission: come to Augusta, Ga. As the minister of missions at First Baptist Church there, Jones has…
Enon Tabernacle Rocks!
I thought if I arrived for worship about 20 minutes before the service was scheduled to start I would be there in plenty of time. I was wrong. Even though Enon Tabernacle, which can be found at www.enontab.org, has a…