A prince of a guy who loved challenging youth to consider a call to ministry and, on the other hand, someone who was the conscience of many Southern Baptists on poverty and race relations. That’s how friends are remembering Nathan…
Q&A with Gerry Hutchinson on chaplaincy, COVID and banjoes
Military chaplains typically deploy to combat zones with things like crucifixes, Bibles or menorahs. Gerry Hutchinson, a retired Navy captain, always took a banjo. “I played it in multiple services with the Marines in Afghanistan,” he said. “If I got…
Chaplains struggle to provide ‘ministry of presence’ in time of social distancing
“The difficult part is not being face-to-face, not having eye contact, not being able to give hugs and to provide a gentle touch to people, which is something that we do with hand-holding or stroking of someone’s forehead.”
Ministers offer a spiritual word to the stressed on Election Day
Remember 2012, when Obama versus Romney seemed like a contentious presidential election? It was enough for a group of Mennonite ministers, who responded back then by launching the Election Day Communion movement. The idea was to inspire Christians to use…
CBF reaches 1,000th endorsee as chaplain, counselor ranks grow
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship passed a milestone recently when it named its 1000th endorsee — those ministers called to be chaplains or pastoral counselors. And Erin Lysse, the woman selected for the honor, said she felt encouraged by the honor. “There have…
CBF chaplain, congregation serving victims of Orlando massacre
Following the tragic mass shooting June 12 at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., Cooperative Baptists are continuing to pray for and show acts of support to the victims, their families and the LGBTQ community. “As we continue to hear…
Fewer Americans believe suicide guarantees damnation
By Jeff Brumley A new survey shows that most Americans, including large numbers of Christians, hold compassionate views about people who kill themselves. But some Baptist ministers remember times, not all that distant, when that wasn’t the case. Barry Howard,…
Missouri minister launching network for busy, isolated chaplains
By Vicki Brown Chaplains — military, medical and others — often feel isolated in their ministries. James Layman feels called to help change that in the Midwest. A hospital and military chaplain for 29 years, Layman has been laying a…
Memorial Day can evoke painful memories for military chaplains, former Navy officer says
By Jeff Brumley Gerry Hutchinson attended a Memorial Day ceremony with state officials in Georgia last week, leaving him free to enjoy the holiday weekend with family. But Hutchinson, who oversees chaplains and pastoral counselors for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship,…