An effective children's ministry is more than an appendage to a congregation's programming: It's an integral part of a church's mission and vision, children's ministry leaders say. Although it's tempting to evaluate the success of children's ministry only by the…
Bottled water craze may find way into late Jerry Falwell’s legacy
LYNCHBURG—Move over, Perrier. The next designer bottled water may come out of Lynchburg, courtesy of the late Jerry Falwell. Liberty University, the school founded by the fundamentalist Baptist evangelist who died May 15, has announced that it will bottle water…
Vatican’s claim has parallels in Baptist successionism
RICHMOND – The Vatican's recent reaffirmation that the “true church” lies in an unbroken line of succession from Christ and his apostles might resonate in an unlikely place — conservative Baptists who trace the roots of their denomination back to…
Bloggers consolidate efforts to create ‘premier site’ for issues
ARLINGTON, Texas — Reforming bloggers who have challenged the Southern Baptist Convention establishment for the past two years are consolidating their efforts to create a new Internet presence they say will be the “premier site for Southern Baptist news and…
Following Scripture not easy recipe for political choices, ethicists insist
RICHMOND (ABP)—Abortion is the most pressing moral issue of the day, said Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback, a Republican candidate for president, at a recent GOP debate. So much so, the Catholic senator continued, that he doesn't think his party can…
NEW: Virginians named to SBC’s committee on nominations
RICHMOND — Two Virginians have been named to the Southern Baptist Convention's 2007-2008 committee on nominations, Baptist Press has reported. The powerful committee — which nominates people to serve on the convention's boards, commissions and committees — will present its…
Woven together
The drive to weave ties among local churches is housed deep in the Baptist DNA, some observers of denominational life say. It's an instinct almost as visceral as another, often competing, Baptist charactertistic — a fierce independence of thought and…
Mission Board approves funding for resort ministry
The Virginia Baptist Mission Board has authorized funding for a resort and leisure ministries coordinator who will serve in a variety of locations in the state. The action came during the regular spring meeting of the board held in Richmond…
Churches seeking pastors put plenty of hooks in the water
RICHMOND—What's in a name? For churches seeking a new minister, the bottom line is collecting names of candidates—and lots of them. That's not always an easy task, and search committees typically discover it takes a variety of approaches to create…