Although Baptist churches are as different as the people who comprise them and practices will vary from church to church, in most Baptist churches the deacons are responsible for distributing the elements during the Lord’s Supper. Doctrinal considerations The term…
EDITORIAL: Forward to the past?
In a couple of different settings recently I have heard expressed sentiments that run something like the following: “Why shouldn’t we expect institutions and agencies of Baptist state fellowships, conventions or general associations to be self-supporting? Why should we continue…
Leaders judged only by Christ, says seminary president
LYNCHBURG, Va.—“Play to an audience of one,” a seminary president told a leadership conference May 4. Jeff Iorg, president of Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in suburban San Francisco, was keynote speaker at the May 4-5 Leadership Gathering at Eagle…
EDITORIAL: The birds and the bees have escaped
As anyone who has read the Bible, or for that matter, Homer, knows, interest in and concern over sexuality has been around for a long time. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that a [Baptist] Conference on Sexuality and…
WMU of NC to leave Raleigh, relocate in Lillington
RIDGECREST, N.C.—Woman’s Missionary Union of North Carolina will move its headquarters from Raleigh to an office building in Lillington recently donated to the mission organization. The relocation to Lillington—about 40 miles south of Raleigh—will save WMUNC about $70,000, said acting…
CBF of Virginia takes ‘familia’ to four cities
CHESAPEAKE, Va.—The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Virginia kicked off its “Mission on the Move” emphasis April 22, at Centerville Baptist Church in Chesapeake, Va., with a Mission Immersion Experience featuring a Latino buffet dinner served by the church. The event,…
Churches discover benefits, challenges in producing their own Bible study materials for classes
Not too long ago, hardly any church would have dared to plan, write and publish its own Bible study materials. Before computers, desktop publishing and easy access to the Internet, the task would have been so daunting, few churches would…
When does it make sense for a church to produce its own material?
Producing study materials for a church is a huge undertaking that diverts staff time, energy and attention away from other assignments. Making that decision, then, should be done carefully. When does it make sense for a church to produce its…
EDITORIAL: What the church can learn from the Trayvon Martin tragedy
If Trayvon Martin had been my son or nephew, I would have been as angry as his family is. Martin is reported to have had his problems, but to wind up dead at the hands of a neighborhood watch volunteer?…
LEADERSHIP LINK: Getting started as a new deacon—Questions to ask
in a recent Leadership Link on deacon training, I asked readers to share some of their thoughts about basic training for deacons. Cliff Hudgins of the Pittsylvania Baptist Association believes only about 15 percent of newly-elected deacons receive training. As…
Ken Medema concert to benefit Ministering to Ministers
RICHMOND, Va.—On April 29, Ken Medema brings his musical gifts, his skills at improvisation and his passion for social justice to First Baptist Church of Richmond, Va., for a concert benefitting Ministering to Ministers, a Richmond-based ministry to church staff…
EDITORIAL: ObamaCare might go away but the problem won’t
Although it may not be decided fully until June, soon we will have a good idea of how the Supreme Court will rule on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, otherwise called ObamaCare. At this point in its deliberations…