By Bob Allen Moderate and conservative Baptists set aside differences in an Oct. 15 letter opposing subpoenas ordering five Houston pastors to turn over sermons as evidence in a lawsuit seeking repeal of the city’s non-discrimination ordinance. Top leaders of…
Name changes challenge churches on Baptist identity
By Jeff Brumley Over the weekend, Virginia Heights Baptist Church in Roanoke, Va., plunged headlong into a continuing, decades-long trend in American Christianity by dropping the denominational reference from its name. So when Nelson Harris showed up for work Monday…
Circle of life: Denominational innovation may be wave of future
By Jeff Brumley The fact state and national religious bodies are undergoing significant changes — or at least need to change — hardly makes headlines anymore. But the changes already occurring give hints about where the development of religious organizations…
Paynter challenges anti-hunger advocates to ‘live your call’
By Aaron Weaver Anti-hunger advocates must “accept the unfinished business” of their lives as they work together to end hunger in the United States, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Executive Coordinator Suzii Paynter said at a hunger summit Oct. 1. “The inspiration…
Baptist couple has edge most missionaries can only envy
By Vicki Brown and Jeff Brumley Growing up in an impoverished, patriarchal society provided excellent training for missionaries Nzunga and Kihomi Mabudiga. The Congo natives have served in Haiti for 17 years with the American Baptist Churches USA’s International Ministries….
CBF of Virginia has bright future, officers say
By Robert Dilday A bright financial picture and new facilities for its staff contributed to an upbeat General Assembly for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Virginia Sept. 19. “We are in the best financial situation this organization has been in…
New partnership pact means more funds for CBF of Virginia
By Bob Allen The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and the CBF of Virginia have a new partnership agreement designed to help the state organization to grow its staff. The move flows out of a recommendation by a blue-ribbon task force in…
New CBF moderator takes up gavel, ‘grateful’ for group’s prayers
By Bob Allen The new moderator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship opened her first meeting as presiding officer of the CBF Governing Board with gratitude for prayers and support during a family medical emergency that forced her to miss this…
Gushee urges CBF to reclaim lost ethical tradition
By Bob Allen One casualty of the Southern Baptist Convention conflict that led to formation of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship in the early 1990s was a robust Baptist witness on issues of social justice, theologian David Gushee told CBF leaders…