There was a time when the church was very powerful — in the time when the early Christians rejoiced at being deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that…
OPINION: An epistle of truth for all ages — MLK’s ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’
Today, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I re-read King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” Every so often I need to be reminded of deep truths so eloquently and timelessly expressed. King had traveled to Birmingham to lead a non-violent demonstration…
EDITORIAL: The unoffended Christian
With the fiscal cliff narrowly averted, the nation’s attention was drawn to the gridiron as perennial powerhouse Alabama squared off against the Irish of Notre Dame for the national college football championship. As Bama’s Crimson Tide rolled mercilessly over the…
EDITORIAL: Crèche evangelism?
The night before, Almighty God, creator of the universe, had stepped into actual human existence in that baby boy’s birth. Countless times we have taken our places as spectators in the sanitized stable soon after Jesus was born. The young…
EDITORIAL: Support your Gaza Baptist brothers and sisters
I am old enough to remember the politically conservative mantra of the late 1960s and ’70s: “My country, right or wrong.” I was young enough and naïve enough during those years to believe in the absolute moral integrity of America’s…
EDITORIAL: What’s happening with the Herald?
If cordiality is the standard by which Baptist General Association of Virginia annual meetings are measured, the meeting just ended was one of the best. Newly-elected BGAV president Carl Johnson thanked the messengers at the close of the final session…
LEADERSHIP LINK: 10 things deacons would like to say to their pastors
Rightly understood, the relationship between pastors and deacons is one of partnership in the mission of being (and building) the church. The following are statements I have heard deacons make through the years. 1. I need to be clear about…
EDITORIAL: A process out of date
Since I spoke out in the Oct. 15 issue of the Religious Herald expressing my concerns with the proposed 2013 Baptist General Association of Virginia budget, it is only fitting that I express my appreciation for the budget committee’s willingness…
Oak Grove marks 250th year, one of two oldest BGAV churches — and possibly the oldest
VIRGINIA BEACH — Oak Grove Baptist Church in Virginia Beach, which many maintain is the oldest existing church affiliated with the Baptist General Association of Virginia, celebrated its 250th anniversary Oct. 7. The congregation had prepared for months to ready…