Who could have imagined that a category 5 tornado that nearly leveled an entire Kansas town would become a stewardship opportunity for Virginia Baptists? The tornado that destroyed 95 percent of Greensburg, Kan., on May 4, 2007, with winds of…
EDITORIAL: Expecting treasure at the annual meeting
I have been surprised and even occasionally shocked to hear the reasons some give for not attending the annual meeting of the Baptist General Association of Virginia. Some cite family responsibilities that tether them to home as the reason they…
Blue Ridge marks 150 years of ministry
Messengers to the Blue Ridge Baptist Association celebrated a century-and-a-half of ministry as they gathered Oct. 23 at Fairystone Baptist Church. Many came dressed in period attire as they looked back in time to celebrate their most significant accomplishments. Guest…
EDITORIAL: The gifts of the Spirit
As you have seen, the theme of this issue is the “Holy Spirit.” I first began to think seriously about the Holy Spirit during my childhood. The female relatives on my mother's side became Pentecostals after Mom left home to…
Continuing the dream
With appropriate academic fanfare, Ronald W. Crawford, 56, was inaugurated as president of the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond on Oct. 22. A crowd of about 300, which included BTSR faculty, administrators, members of the board of trustees, guests and…
EDITORIAL: The financial fine line
Churches all across the Old Dominion are facing some difficult decisions. As the impact of an economy in full recession begins to affect financial decisions, churches are understandably cautious. In many cases, churches already feeling the financial pinch are facing…
Virginia Intermont College moves toward its religious roots
BRISTOL — Robert Rainwater, dean of religious life at Virginia Intermont College, will never forget May of 2007. On the 16th day of that month he fell 14 feet from a ladder while doing home repairs and fractured his back….
EDITORIAL: A little child shall lead them
When I attended the Catalyst Conference in Atlanta with more than a hundred other Virginia Baptists, I expected a blessing. The impressive speaker lineup and the nationally-known leadership lecturers and authors promised sure-fire challenges and insightful messages. What I wasn't…
Pastors, church leaders at Catalyst confab
ATLANTA — Just over a hundred Virginia Baptists were among the more than 12,000 people converging on The Arena in suburban Atlanta's Gwinnett Center for the ninth annual Catalyst Conference, hosted by Andy Stanley, pastor of North Point Community Church…