ATLANTA (ABP) — A Baptist state newspaper editor has questioned whether the report of a Calvinism study committee implies that some high-profile Southern Baptist leaders believe that infants who die before reaching the so-called “age of accountability” are destined for…
Values Voters place Emergent Church in same danger category as communism, Islam
(RNS) — Christian conservatives who think Satan is using communism and Islam to bring down America can add a new “adversary” to the list: the Emergent Church movement. A portion of the upcoming Values Voter Summit in Washington will stray…
Author advocates celebrating sexual freedom in marriage, urges churches to engage conversation
Shannon Ethridge thinks too many Christians believe: “Sex is the most scandalous, sinful, shameful thing in the world. So, be sure to save it for someone you love.” Many Christians develop that attitude toward sex due not only to what…
Churches’ silence on sexuality leaves vacuum inevitably filled by society, say pastors and ethicists
Christian ethicist David Gushee understands why many church leaders shy away from open discussions about sexuality. Pastors fear offending members. Diversity of age, values and life experiences among members make consensus difficult. “I would fault churches for their silence on…
Churches confront an uncomfortable question: How much should we pay the pastor?
It may be one of the most uncomfortable —and sometimes contentious — questions in congregational life: How much should we pay our senior pastor? Ministers struggle between commitments to a self-sacrificial calling on the one hand and providing for their…
In a trend still below churches’ radar, many ministers saddled with seminary debt
When Congress overwhelmingly approved a measure last month to relieve spiraling student debt, churches probably didn’t realize the problem hits closer to home than expected — many pastors are leaving seminary and divinity school with tens of thousands of dollars…
Swallowed or saved? When small churches merge with large ones
Some see the nation’s burgeoning church merger and multisite movements resulting from larger congregations preying on smaller ones, pressuring them into relinquishing buildings and land in exchange for survival. In some circles, that’s called “steeple-jacking.” But it’s also largely a…
Richmond church launches fourth campus with aid of existing congregation
Bon Air Baptist Church, a congregation with multiple campuses on Richmond’s Southside, has launched a new church on the site of New Covenant Baptist Church in the city’s near West End. Called Bon Air Baptist @ the Village, this church…
Living sacrifice: What does it mean for Christians to sacrifice today?
In biblical times, priests offered animal and grain sacrifices — as thanksgiving or to seek forgiveness for sin. Sacrifice meant death. But in Romans 12:1, the Apostle Paul called on believers to be “living sacrifices.” How does a believer live,…