By Jeff Brumley A deadly, demoralizing bombing in Beirut on Oct. 19 prompted a Lebanese Baptist leader to issue a worldwide call for prayer – and prayer alone. The blast killed eight people, including a high-ranking government official, and wounded…
Between faith and fear
Many recent conversations I have shared with friends and colleagues have reminded me of an important choice we make as human beings, as followers of Jesus, and as ministers of the gospel. It is a choice that we are confronted…
Why the “nones” are leaving church, but not God
It should make any established American denomination panic: the dramatic increase in number of Americans leaving organized religion. In 2007, the percentage of the religious unaffiliated was around 15% and now that number is around 20% according to a new…
Billy Graham and politics: Woe to us
By Mark Wingfield My maternal grandmother thought Billy Graham was a saint above all others. You simply could not say anything negative about the evangelist in her presence. She held the same regard for Jimmy Carter, because she considered him…
The day I was cursed at in church
In ministry, one day is always different from the next. Sometimes, there are wonderful and rewarding experiences. Other times, there are difficult experiences. I’ll never forget the day I was cursed at in church. Samuel L. Jackson style. I was…
Mumford & Sons sing of grace and life
By Darrell Gwaltney I have been listening to Mumford & Sons’ new album Babel. Its deep biblical allusions and challenging lyrics about relationships and redemption invite repeated listenings. There’s enough in the album to keep my attention for a while….
Scholars discuss faithful citizenship
By Ken Camp Jesus established the principle: “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s,” but some American Christians struggle with how to put the principle into practice. About 10 years ago, theologian Marcus Borg said,…
Resource offers guide for churches
By Robert Dilday Weeks before voters head to the polls in the closely fought presidential election, a resource developed by faith groups and civil liberties leaders offers guidelines to churches hoping to influence the political process without violating legal restrictions….
American churches: A failure to thrive?
By Bill Leonard Kidshealth.org posts this description of a common cross-generational medical disorder: “Although it’s been recognized for more than a century, failure to thrive lacks a precise definition, in part because it describes a condition rather than a specific…
Online community as missions field
By Jeff Brumley Jim Somerville pastors a Baptist congregation in Virginia that, thanks to the Internet, includes people living in Austria, India and Slovakia. And now, he learned recently, some guy in Iowa. “He said ‘I tune in online and…
The life of a cowboy church pastor
By Jeff Brumley As the pastor of Lost Pines Cowboy Church in Elgin, Texas, Greg Long pulls the usual pastoral and preaching responsibilities as ministers in traditional churches. But visiting his flock begins to take on a literal meaning sometimes. “A…
NL play-in ‘win-win’ for Georgia church
By Jeff Brumley The leadership of First Baptist Church in Dalton, Ga., expects no congregational split Friday night, regardless of which side prevails when the local favorite Atlanta Braves take on the St. Louis Cardinals in a do-or-die game that…