By Robert Dilday Melissa Cheliras, Baptist campus minister at the University of Richmond, died Feb. 10, following a four-month battle with esophageal cancer. She was 33. Melissa Cheliras Cheliras had been part-time collegiate minister at UR since last summer. She…
Missionaries heading from East to West
By Vicki Brown The traditional view of missions is Western Christians sending missionaries to nations in the East and South, but these days missionary work is more of a two-way street, with missionaries coming from Africa, Asia and Latin America…
Ministry to new immigrants presents challenges, opportunities
By Ken Camp Waves of immigrants entering the United States are changing the face of home missions, noted the director of missions for a metropolitan association of Baptist churches in Texas. “Immigration is changing the face of America. People are…
Baptist agencies don’t recruit nationals for U.S. missionary service
By Vicki Brown Baptist missionary-sending agencies in the United States say they have no plans to recruit missionaries from other countries to reach out to people groups from those nations that have immigrated to America. While the Southern Baptist Convention…
Effective global missions demands multicultural partnerships
By Ken Camp Missions in the 21st century demands multicultural partnership, global missions researcher and author Patrick Johnstone insists. And pastors of some churches filled with first-generation immigrants agree. “Like it or not, we have a multicultural missions force that…
Fulfilling the Great Commission
By Ken Camp Churches composed primarily of first-generation immigrants to the United States often face obstacles — linguistic, financial and cultural — in terms of fitting into an Anglo-dominated society. But they may possess a strategic advantage in fulfilling Christ’s…
Pujols’ foundation committed to St. Louis area
By Vicki Brown Albert Pujols may have left the Cardinals to play for the Los Angeles Angels, but his family foundation that benefits people with Down syndrome and the poor in the Dominican Republic remains committed to St. Louis. “Obviously,…
WMU leads in advocating for children victimized by trafficking
By Vicki Brown The sticker in the hotel window reassured the visitor — this business would help protect children from predators while they and their parents are guests. “The Child Safe Zone,” a project of Georgia Woman’s Missionary Union and…
Analysis: Churches, ministries provide refuge to victims of human trafficking
Many Christians see the eradication of human trafficking in the United States as a complex and daunting problem. But that doesn’t mean they are letting the enormity of the challenge scare them away. During the last session of the Texas…