How would God structure an economy? This may be an odd question for a Baptist who believes in the separation of church and state, but it’s a question that I can’t help but ask. State religion does not have a…
Survival mode
Survival mode generally does not bring out the best in people. When nearly all of the luxuries of life have been stripped away and all you have left is the choice to survive, those choices are brutal. I’m not a…
Ministers preaching humor for Christians, churches
Laughter, fun are signs of a healthy congregation that celebrates the joy and hope of the Christian story, Baptist pastors say. A few years back, after Erin Conaway preached his first sermon as associate pastor at South Main Baptist Church…
Prayer and action best in wake of terror attacks, ministers say
By Jeff Brumley Paris is attacked and about all most Americans can do is change their Facebook and Twitter profile pictures to French flags. Take that, ISIS. But for many there is a lot of frustration that goes along with…
The Nones, the Dones and class
By Jason Coker Are you tired of hearing about the Pew Research Center’s demographic study outlining the decline of Christianity in America? It was earth-shattering news for the few people who read it, but energized others who were tired of traditional…
New book on James reveals connection between ministry and scholarship
By Jeff Brumley What scholars do in seminaries and minsters do in the field may seem like polar opposite endeavors. Well, Jason Coker says, they aren’t. “I never separate the academics from practical ministry,” said Coker, pastor of Wilton Baptist…
Looking at the stars for the answers
By Jason Coker This past week I was one of many people at the Baptist World Alliance held in beautiful Durban, South Africa. There were many reasons the trip was meaningful, but personally, being there with other Baptists from over…
For these Baptists, VBS transforms congregations and communities
By Jeff Brumley and Olivia Williams Two Waco, Texas, Baptist congregations learned firsthand this summer that vacation Bible school can be a catalyst for bringing down cultural and racial barriers in a community. That lesson puts them in the company of…
Ohio bull-riding leads to 300 baptisms — and prompts questions about church as entertainment
By Jeff Brumley Pastor Lawrence Bishop II generated about 300 baptisms and an internet sensation last week by riding — and getting bucked off — a large bull inside his jam-packed Solid Rock Church in Monroe, Ohio, last week. The stunt by…