Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
7 Steps to Increase Your Self-Discipline in Ministry
One of the blessings of vocational ministry is the high degree of control clergy have over their schedules. If you are a minister, before you groan and push back, consider how much control you have. Because it is a...
Servant Leadership “ Is It Inherently Biblical?
Christians of various denominations and theological convictions have embraced wholeheartedly the servant leadership concept. Its popularity can be explained, in part, by the widespread impression that it has been taken...
Learning Lessons from an Immigrant Family’s Pet
At the beginning of the 21st century, I lived in Houston and tended to observe immigrant struggles from the relatively safe and somewhat distant perspective of a privileged American. The fighting in Kosova (the...
The real wonder workers …
I can't remember the last time I went to a circus ... until we recently decided to check out the latest edition of Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey's "Greatest Show on Earth" on its Raleigh stop. Expand...
A much-needed word
By John Pierce Christianity, along with other faith traditions, is often soiled by the abuse of power, harsh legalism, and the accommodation and even advocacy of racism, sexism and other forms of discrimination....
American Baptists Encourage Churches to Visit Prisoners
The American Baptist Churches Home Mission Societies (ABHMS) has taken the bold step of encouraging its 5,300 congregations to live out Jesus' mandate to visit those in U.S. jails and prisons (Matthew 25:36). The...
Southern Baptist Church Plants People to Respond to Baptism
Elevation Church of Charlotte often posts impressive baptism numbers, but some of the North Carolina church’s techniques for persuading people to walk the aisle are sparking questions and criticisms. The church advises...
Church Must Learn About, Offer Moral Leadership on Sex Trafficking
Sex trafficking generates an estimated $32 billion in annual profits and exploits some 21 million people globally – mostly women, children and the poor. Trafficking always creates multiple victims and harms families....
Responding to a Wake Up Call
A sermon by Michael Cheuk, Pastor, University Baptist Church, Charlottesville, Va. February 16, 2014. Matthew 6:26-33; Matthew 16:13-19 As many of you know, I’ve been trying to offer a “State of the UBC” address at one...
One Truth at a Time: Creator of Community
A sermon by Jim Somerville, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Richmond, Va. February 16, 2014 The Sixth Sunday after Epiphany Matthew 5:21-37 “You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not...
Are You Going to Make a Good Choice
A sermon by Bob Browning, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Frankfort, Ky. February 16, 2014 Deuteronomy 30:15-20 “Are you going to make a good choice?” This is a question I heard my daughter ask one of her six-year-old...
Choose LIfe
A sermon by Randy Hyde, Pastor, Pulaski Heights Baptist Church, Little Rock, Ar. February 16, 2014 Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Matthew 5:21-26 I noted last Sunday at the end of the worship service, in response to Carolyn’s...
Why Your Church Benefits When You Build Consensus
I can remember once being told that it is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. It was said tongue-in-cheek, but only slightly. The premise for that maxim is that getting permission can be time-consuming and...
Why Are Evangelicals Vulnerable to So-Called Experts?
Having commented that "experts" seem to be mostly platform and little substance, and that evangelicals have a special fondness for these sorts of pop experts, I was asked to address the question, "Why do you think...
How Japanese Christianity Was Destroyed “ Part 2
Japanese Christians were in a weaker position at the end of the 16th century than most realized, even though 250 churches had been established in the nation between 1549 and 1582. From multiple sources, Japanese...
It’s a small world …
I read a story recently about Disneyland's "It's a Small World" ride being renovated, in part to introduce wider seats because "small world" visitors were getting bigger. I haven't been on that ride in many years and...
Stuff people say to their ministers
By John Pierce In my sermon last Sunday to Macon’s Vineville Baptist Church, titled “This is not Walmart,” we considered the ways engagement in church is (or should be) distinct from all other experiences. The early...
Who Is Virginia’s First Family of Corrections?
If there were such a thing as the First Family of Corrections in the state of Virginia, we surely found it when producing "Through the Door," EthicsDaily.com's new documentary on faith and prisons. The Myers family –...
How Japanese Christianity Was Destroyed “ Part 1
This year marks a singularly grim anniversary in Christian history. In 2014, it is exactly 400 years since the start of the horrific persecution that destroyed the once flourishing church in Japan. When we think of...
African Baptists Condemn Wanton Destruction of Life, Property
Baptists in Africa have expressed deep displeasure at ongoing conflicts on the continent that have led to "wanton destruction of life and property of defenseless and vulnerable citizens." Making special reference to...
Attendance Alone Doesn’t Reflect Your Church’s Vitality
It is becoming a consistent scenario in my work with conflicted churches – anxious congregations overreact to symptomatic issues. In its simplest form, it involves a congregation that notices that weekend Bible study...