RICHMOND, Va. — For the former chaplain at Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women, Lynn Litchfield, the past few weeks have been heartbreaking. Seven years ago, when Teresa Lewis was sentenced to death and sent to FCCW, Litchfield began praying for…
EDITORIAL: When all is said and done, there’s a lot more said than done
Last month, the Barna Research Group called 1,000 American adults to ask them about their faith. Specifically, they asked, “Has anything related to your religious beliefs, practices, or preferences changed in the past five years?” The results, which they claim…
EDITORIAL: The Bible speaks to a crazy world
Televised news reports of the 9/11 memorial services from Ground Zero in New York last Saturday replayed those ghastly images burned forever on our national psyche. The memorial service revealed that our corporate wound hasn’t yet healed. But we knew…
EDITORIAL: Aunt Ida takes aim at e-mail gossip
Dear Jimmy, Well, I guess you are about as surprised as I am that you are getting an e-mail from me. I never in this world figured me for a computer gal, but here I am big as life sendin’…
Former Virginia chaplain leads fight to save woman on death row
JARRATT, Va. — Unless the U.S. Supreme Court or Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell step in to stop it, Teresa Lewis will die on Sept. 23, in the death chamber at Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt, Va. Some will say the…
Ruckersville, Va., church burned, police charge two teens with arson
RUCKERSVILLE, Va. — For more than a century, the sanctuary of Ruckersville Baptist Church, about 20 miles north of Charlottesville, Va., stood as a mute but elegant witness to the presence of Christ. But in the very early hours of…
Pastor celebrates 85 years of life, 66 years of ministry
CASTLEWOOD, Va. — At age 85, most men have been retired for 20 years. But Lester Ferguson has always done things a bit differently. For the past 66 years he has served the Lord in various ministry capacities, although his…
EDITORIAL: New state motto: ‘We’ll do anything for money’
As a conservative politician, Governor Robert McDonnell leans heavily on the Christian right. But it appears that of late his family values are being trounced by his political values. In answer to the dilemma of providing funding to build needed…
Baptists in Southwest Virginia assist those needing medical care
WISE, Va. — More than 1,500 people, all of them needing some kind of medical attention, converged on the remote area medical clinic (RAM) held July 23-25 in Wise. Now in its 11th year, the three-day event has become traditional…