By BNG staff America’s poor and middle class are giving more to charity even though they’re earning less, while the country’s rich are earning more but giving a smaller portion of their income to charity. That’s the conclusion of a…
The shocking un-truth about church budgets
By Amy Butler This is, hands down, the least favorite time of year for pastors everywhere: church budget planning season. Nobody likes budget planning, from the tedious work it entails to the way in which money necessarily informs the work…
Many ministers saddled with seminary debt
By Robert Dilday 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…
Suzii Paynter on life, Lent and CBF
By Jeff Brumley Since her nomination as executive coordinator in January, Suzii Paynter has been traveling at a breathless pace helping guide the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship into a new organizational and missional era. The pace only increased with her election…
Okla. medical ministry to grow with grant
By Daniel Wallace It is about to become easier for the uninsured in Oklahoma City to receive primary health care. Good Shepherd Ministries, an extension of First Baptist Church of Oklahoma City, recently landed a $7.7 million grant that…
Church sold as members go missional
By Jeff Brumley They tried hiring a consultant, new worship styles, luring nonprofits as renters and seeking other churches for mergers. But each approach fell through for the roughly 50 aging members of Scott Boulevard Baptist Church in Decatur, Ga. The congregation’s next step…
Bring ye all the tithes into the PayPal
By Bill Leonard On the first Sunday of 2013 we picked up our offering envelopes at First Baptist Church, Highland Avenue in Winston-Salem, N.C. Our pastor encouraged us to do so, noting that some boxes never leave the building. Eschewing…
Bring ye all the tithes into the PayPal
By Bill Leonard On the first Sunday of 2013 we picked up our offering envelopes at First Baptist Church, Highland Avenue in Winston-Salem, N.C. Our pastor encouraged us to do so, noting that some boxes never leave the building. Eschewing…
Leap off the fiscal cliff
By Miguel De La Torre Sorry, but I don’t buy all the hype about going over the so-called “fiscal cliff.” Why? Because the Bush-era tax cuts have harmed the poor. They believed that the wealthy should control the economy, for…