“Sadly, the constituency for human rights and religious freedom issues is growing smaller and smaller in Washington and in this Congress. These issues have become second-class citizens in this Congress and in this town.” Rep. Frank Wolf The Republican congressman…
Pairing ministers and churches has never been easy, say observers
More an art than a science, matching a minister's skills with a church's needs has tested the limits of generations of pastoral search committees. And for Baptists — fiercely committed to local church autonomy and resistant to outside influences —…
OUT LOUD
“In our era of creeping moral relativism, one of the best contributions of Christians in American culture has been that some of us still believe in objective truth and real right and wrong. But that rigorous moral code was all…
Richmond churches offer showers, laundry to neighbors still in dark
RICHMOND, Va. — Two churches in the Richmond, Va., area are offering showers, laundry facilities and ice to thousands in the city still without electricity in the wake of Hurricane Irene. First Baptist Church of Richmond and Bon Air Baptist…
NORTH CAROLINA BRIEFS
N.C. Men preparing response. North Carolina Baptist Men is preparing to respond to a possible landfall by Hurricane Irene on the state’s coast. “We are planning for a response, mobilizing and preparing our equipment and volunteers to be available in…
VIRGINIA BRIEFS
Chaplain service releases new DVD. The Chaplain Service Prison Ministry of Virginia has released a new DVD describing the agency’s ministry to 32,000 adult prisoners in 31 state prisons and three juvenile correctional centers across Virginia. The DVD includes comments…
OUT LOUD
“I’d love to say that we atheists did it all ourselves; I’d love to be able to say that our dazzling wit and slashing rhetorical attacks are persuading people to abandon organized religion in droves. But the truth is that…
Baptist relief agencies begin Mid-Atlantic cleanup in wake of Irene
RICHMOND, Va. — As Hurricane Irene continued its destructive track north Aug. 28, Baptist relief agencies in the Mid-Atlantic began deploying volunteers in the region, which was left with rising water and little electricity in the wake of the storm….
Churches near quake’s epicenter left with cracked walls, broken glass
MINERAL, Va. — The rare East Coast earthquake Aug. 23 left two Baptist churches near the epicenter with cracked walls and broken glass, but no major damage, said spokespersons at each congregation. Mineral Baptist Church and Louisa Baptist Church —…
Sims to assist with FX initiative
RICHMOND, Va. — Gannon Sims has been named coordinator assistant for Fresh Expressions, a church revitalization movement coordinated by the Virginia Baptist Mission Board. Gannon Sims Sims will work closely with Chris Backert, Fresh Expressions coordinator in the U.S., and…
BTSR announces new staff members
RICHMOND, Va. — Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond named a new vice president of advancement and a director of community life in early August. Tim Heilman Timothy Heilman assumed the vice president’s position on Aug. 1, becoming the seminary chief…
VIRGINIA BRIEFS
Bluefield launches social network. New Bluefield College students are getting to know one another, even before they step foot on the BC campus, thanks to a new social network called BC Bound. Designed by the college’s admissions office, BC Bound…