By Amy Butler It happens every year, and on the scale of church conflict it can only be compared to an adjustment of the coffee-hour punch recipe without a full congregational vote of approval. Without fail, every single Lent somebody…
Friendships foster deeper religious life, research shows
By Ken Camp Research proves what most ministers long have suspected: Friendships developed at church positively influence religious behavior and — to a lesser degree — beliefs. Sam Stroope, a doctoral student in sociology at Baylor University, analyzed data from…
Online spiritual resources for observing Lent available
By Robert Dilday Two resources to help observe the season of Lent are available online, one provided by the Birmingham, Ala.-based Passport Inc., the other by a Baptist congregation in Charlottesville, Va. Journey to the Cross, a Lenten devotional series…
Faith leaders ask candidates to avoid sowing religious discord
By Bob Allen The Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty joined Jewish and interfaith leaders in drafting a statement Feb. 21 calling on candidates to refrain from using religion as a political wedge. The document titled “Religion in Political Campaigns…
Lent for Baptists
By Jim Denison If you’re like me, you grew up in a Baptist church where Lent was a foreign word. Like all things Catholic, it was ignored if not rejected. In recent years, I have come to see the error…
Looking for Christian themes in movies? Here are critics’ choices
By Robert Dilday Hollywood’s century-old repertoire of films offers a rich lode of Christian themes, say some observers who see value in mining for them. While the Oscar-nominated Tree of Life may be opaque, it’s “one of the most powerful…
BTSR near $1 million campaign goal
By Robert Dilday Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond is only $100,000 shy of reaching its $1 million matching gifts goal, seminary administrators announced Feb. 14, adding they expected the campaign to be successfully concluded. BTSR president Ron Crawford (left) and…
British Christians say no to nukes
By Bob Allen Baptists and other Christian leaders in the United Kingdom are urging the government to scrap plans to replace its fleet of nuclear-armed submarines. The Baptist Union of Great Britain joined the Methodist Church and the United Reformed…
White to black — or black to white
By Bob Burroughs It is rare to go from white to black or black to white without passing through some shades of gray. Experience and common sense should teach us that sudden and drastic changes in everyday living, daily schedules…