Archives
-
-
Battling Baptists kissing cousins to peace churches
Posted: 8/03/07
Battling Baptists kissing
cousins to peace churchesBy Jennifer Harris
Word &Way
aptists are known for being theologically diverse. And that diversity extends to Baptists’ relationships with their theological cousins, the Quakers, Mennonites and Brethren—the historical peace churches.
“Although a few Baptists have opted for pacifism on occasion, most fit better into the category known as pacificism, by which is meant they regard war as a horrible option for resolving disputes between nations, but still concede its inevitability on occasion. Sometimes, human beings must pay the supreme price to preserve freedom, eliminate oppression and injustice or end other evils,” wrote Glenn Hinson in a 2004 Baptist History and Heritage article, “Baptist attitudes toward war and peace since 1914.”
See Related Articles:
• Have Baptists lost their prophetic voice?
• Battling Baptists kissing cousins to peace churches
• Churches keep peace within by focusing on troops, not on the war08/03/2007 - By John Rutledge
-
Churches keep peace within by focusing on troops—not on the war
Posted: 8/03/07
Churches keep peace within by
focusing on troops—not on the warBy Ken Camp
Managing Editor
Many Christians with deeply held opinions on an increasingly unpopular war find themselves worshipping with fellow believers on the opposite side of the political divide.
Feelings particularly run high in communities near military installations. And some leaders of churches in those areas have adopted an unofficial policy for keeping the peace in their congregations—pray for the troops, and “don’t ask, don’t tell” opinions about the war in Iraq.
See Related Articles:
• Have Baptists lost their prophetic voice?
• Battling Baptists kissing cousins to peace churches
• Churches keep peace within by focusing on troops, not on the war08/03/2007 - By John Rutledge
-
Have Baptists lost their prophetic voice?
Posted: 8/03/07
Have Baptists lost their prophetic voice?
By Robert Marus
Associated Baptist Press
Beginning with the ancient Christians martyred by the Roman Empire and running through Thomas Becket and to Dietrich Bonhoeffer and beyond, church leaders often have spoken truth courageously to the secular powers-that-be — regardless of the consequences.
But, in the months leading up to the increasingly unpopular Iraq war, did the United States’ powerful conservative evangelical community step away from its responsibility to convey hard truths to the government? The answer, it seems, varies depending on one’s views on the war—both past and present.
See Related Articles:
• Have Baptists lost their prophetic voice?
• Battling Baptists kissing cousins to peace churches
• Churches keep peace within by focusing on troops, not on the war“I think (conservative evangelicals) abdicated or relinquished their prophetic role from the beginning” of President Bush’s administration, said Adam Taylor, senior political director for Sojourners/Call to Renewal, a progressive evangelical group that opposed the war from the start.
But Richard Land, the head of the Southern Baptist Convention’s public-policy agency, said he thinks he and other conservative evangelicals who supported the war vocally were fulfilling their roles properly.
08/03/2007 - By John Rutledge
-
Faith changes little over a lifetime, research reveals
Posted: 8/03/07
Faith changes little over a lifetime, research reveals
By Shona Crabtree
Religion News Service
WASHINGTON (RNS)—Michele Dillon and Paul Wink have interviewed scores of septuagenarians about their faith—or lack thereof—and compared their answers to those they gave during their teens and middle age.
What did they discover? People really don’t change much over time—religiosity in early adulthood is comparable to that in late adulthood, with a dip in middle age.
Michele Dillon and Paul Wink interviewed scores of septuagenarians about their faith during an in-depth and long-term study. (RNS photo courtesy of Wellesley College) 08/03/2007 - By John Rutledge
-
Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name
Posted: 8/03/07
Sometimes you want to go where
everybody knows your nameBy John Hall
Texas Baptist Communications
ELTON—When Randy Rather walks into Tidwell Baptist Church near Greenville, he’s knows everyone—their names, their likes and dislikes and their families. And they know nearly everything about Rather, their pastor.
It’s this atmosphere that makes people feel welcome in small-membership churches, according to pastors who serve in them. Small numbers of people create an environment where people can foster deep relationships with the entire congregation.
David Keith, pastor of Carlton Baptist Church in Hamilton Association, visits with members of his congregation. People are drawn to smaller churches for the opportunity to have deep relationships with each person in the congregation, leaders of small-membership churches note. “I think one of the things that draws people is there’s a chance things can be really personal, whether you’re talking about being in a Bible study, choir or worship,” said Dwayne Wheat, pastor of Berea Baptist Church in Big Spring. “There’s an obvious hole when someone’s missing.”
08/03/2007 - By John Rutledge
-
Cartoon
Posted: 8/03/07
“You’re giving me a raise, and you want to start a lay-oriented hospital visitation team? OK, who are you guys, and what did you do with my deacons?”
08/03/2007 - By John Rutledge
-
Ministry to orphans still changing lives amid turmoil of Sri Lanka
Posted: 8/03/07
About 200 children left orphans by the 2004 tsunami in Sri Lanka are receiving care through Baptist Child & Family Services’ overseas division, Children’s Emergency Relief International Ministry to orphans still changing
lives amid turmoil of Sri LankaBy Craig Bird
Baptist Child & Family Services
ATTICALOA, Sri Lanka —Out of sight doesn’t mean out of danger for Sri Lanka’s orphans. Even though the world’s interest in the Indian Ocean island country waned rapidly after the December 2004 tsunami, many survivors of that disaster still are caught in the decades-old civil war that pockmarks the northeastern part of the nation.
The tsunami caused 35,000 deaths in Sri Lanka on Dec. 26, 2004, while the civil war is believed to have resulted in 70,000 casualties in 20 years—including 5,000 in the last 20 months.
08/03/2007 - By John Rutledge
-
Texas Tidbits
Posted: 8/03/07
Texas Tidbits
Scholarships awarded to two All-State musicians. The Baptist General Conven-tion of Texas recently awarded its first Texas Baptist All-State Choir and Band college scholarships to two students—Whitney Newman of Frisco and Camille Hurst of Midlothian. Newman will attend Baylor University this fall. At Frisco High School, she was a member of the varsity track, softball, wrestling and cheerleading teams. She also was a four-year member of the All-Region Band and Orchestra and was named first chair French horn player for the Texas All-State Band. Newman also served more than 200 community service hours, including work through First Baptist Church in Frisco. Hurst will attend Hardin-Simmons University this fall. At Midlothian High School, she was involved in the student council, a cappella choir, concert choir and was a National Merit Commended Scholar. She was a first chair member of the All Region Choir and was a member of the All-State Treble Choir. Hurst participated in numerous mission trips, served the homeless at Dallas Life Foundation and ministered through Project PROMISE (People Recognizing Others’ Misfortunes Thus Inspiring Social Equality).
Board nominating committee meeting set. The committee to nominate Executive Board directors for the Baptist General Convention of Texas will meet Aug. 16 at 10 a.m. in the Landes A Conference Room of the Baptist Building, 333 N. Washington, Dallas. Vice Chair, Dan Curry, pastor of South Oaks Baptist Church in Arlington will preside.
08/03/2007 - By John Rutledge
-
TOGETHER: Jesus’ agenda still the answer today
Posted: 8/03/07
TOGETHER:
Jesus’ agenda still the answer todayWhen you go to church on Sunday morning, do you expect to hear from Jesus as to how he sees the world and what he plans to do about it?
On a Sabbath morning long ago, Jesus showed up for church in his hometown. The elders handed him the scroll, and he rolled it out to the place where Isaiah was celebrating Jubilee, rehearsing with his hearers, “that the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations” (61:11). “For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity. In my faithfulness I will reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them” (61:8).
Executive Director
BGCT Executive Board
But Jesus honed in on the opening lines, boldly applying them to himself, and revealed to those who eagerly listened how he understood himself and what he knew he had come to do.
Let’s take time to hear again: “The Spirit of the sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
08/03/2007 - By John Rutledge
-
TV ministries not just for televangelists
Posted: 8/03/07
TV ministries not just for televangelists
By Deborah Potter
Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly
LAS VEGAS (RNS)—Television ministry used to be the province of a few prominent preachers like Pat Robertson and the late Jerry Falwell. But the business—and it is big business—definitely has come of age.
At this year’s National Association of Broadcasters convention, the “technologies for worship” pavilion drew hundreds of religious broadcasters, and they are only part of the picture. Industry leaders say there are 10,000 TV ministries around the country, both big and small.
Participants at the National Association of Broadcasters convention in Las Vegas check out broadcast equipment. Industry officials estimate that some 10,000 churches have television ministries. 08/03/2007 - By John Rutledge
-
Cybercolumn by Berry D. Simpson: Small voice
Posted: 8/06/07
CYBER COLUMN:
Small voiceThe other Sunday morning, I told my adult Bible study class this story from ourrecent family reunion vacation to Northern New Mexico:
We drove into Camp Oro Quay, east of Albuquerque, late Friday night,only to discover one missing suitcase. I’d left Cyndi’s suitcase in Angel Fire earlier that morning. Cyndi was pretty upset about it, but I couldn’t tell whether she was more upset at me for not loading the suitcase, or at herself for not checking to make sure it was loaded, or at the fact it was so late at night and she wasn’t asleep yet and now she had this to worry about.
Berry D. Simpson I knew I’d loaded everything that was outside in the driveway besidemy pickup, but I had no memory of seeing another suitcase anywhere.
When we went to bed, the communal thought was that Cyndi and I woulddrive back up to Angel Fire to get the suitcase Sunday morning afterputting Drew and Katie on the airplane in Albuquerque, then drive back to Midland by way of Clayton and Amarillo. It would add about five hours to our drive home.
So we went to bed. I slept well for the first two-thirds of the night, but about 4, I woke up, fretting about the missing suitcase. I was worried about Cyndi not having a good time with her family while wearing the same clothes over and over. Some people in her family are always leaving things behind: bags, important papers, money, bills, checkbooks, car keys; I knew Cyndi didn’t want to be included in that group. And I didn’t want people to think I was forgetful way, either. Of course, I had my clothes.
08/03/2007 - By John Rutledge
