A couple of months ago I suggested (here) that Jane Addams would be a good choice for the new $10 bill, which will have a woman’s picture on it. This article is about another woman who is also a strong…
Dad’s ‘Heart Shield’ Bible: A Veterans Day reflection
At right is the image of my Dad’s “Heart Shield” Bible, an edition of the New Testament on to which a metal plate has been attached. The engraved cover, now smudged by corrosion, reads “May this keep you safe from…
Why multiethnic? Imagining together
To start out our conversation on multiethnic church, I did some work around clarifying terms of “multicultural’ vs. ‘multiethnic’. Because these terms are often used interchangeably, I wanted to posit our discussion around ethnicity or ethnos as the central theme…
Social Security. Not individual security.
Speaking from a perspective of enlightened self-interest, it’s clear that in a capitalist economy the stronger the lower and middle classes are, the more money those at the top are going to have. And speaking from a perspective of faith,…
Lazy, hazy days of summer
When our son, William and his wife, Mary Kate announced to us their pregnancy we were thrilled to say the least! Our first grandchild! No, wait, there’s two?!? Twins! For months we have been anticipating their arrival and entering into…
The power of negative thinking
In some ways it has been the curse of my life, a genuine burden and even bane of my existence. For as long as I can remember I’ve tended to see problems everywhere I look. To my way of thinking,…
The contested BGAV presidency
Note: I don’t normally write things on this blog that are so narrowly focused (Virginia Baptist life to be exact), but this is incredibly important to me, and it is a prime example of how rural churches and female pastors…
Things forgotten: The unexpected experience of ‘coming home’
Written by Deborah Foulkes, Ph.D. During the summer of 2015, I had the opportunity to travel to Africa for the first time as part of Biblical Seminary’s Global Trauma Recovery Institute program. As the plane touched the Tarmac, I was…
Never give up … Royals style
During a walk with my family yesterday afternoon, my eyes glanced over toward a wooded spot along the trail. It’s a place where my gaze frequently lingered the past few months. Early in the summer, my three-year-old son found a…
7 reasons not to participate in Operation Christmas Child this year
Each and every year around this time, thousands of churches around the country participate in an organization called Operation Christmas Child. If you are unfamiliar with Operation Christmas Child, the gist is this: churches distribute pre-printed shoebox-sized cardboard boxes, which…
Louisville, Claypool and another gospel
A few weeks ago Albert Mohler, president of the Baptist Seminary in Louisville, compared his views with churches like Highland and Crescent Hill Baptist, as well as our many kindred churches across our city.
Why we need pastor-theologians for leading churches in mission
Anyone doing the work of planting churches will meet unpredictable cultural challenges. By definition, you are going into uncharted turf. You will have to listen, encounter new issues, interpret, translate and engage in ways you never would have to in…