Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
Dr. Seuss Reminds Us to Care for the Least of These
Perhaps Dr. Seuss's most noteworthy book is "Horton Hears a Who!" (1954). It begins, On the fifteenth of May, in the jungle of Nool, In the heat of the day, in the cool of the pool, He was splashing…enjoying the...
“The Gatekeepers”
I love independent theaters. I also love films that may or may not get press or bring filmmakers lots of money, but present a message that makes you think and stirs up conversation long after the credits roll. For me,...
One for the books …
Longtime Baptist editor R.G. Puckett died May 12, having spent much of his 80 years in the "Baptist battles" that characterized the last 40 years (at least) of Baptist life in the South. And he loved a good fight. Gene...
3 Essentials for Effective Conflict Management
"If you find the perfect church, don't join it; you will just mess it up." It's true. Because we are flawed human beings, we take ourselves with us wherever we go, even to church. Given this reality, there is no way to...
Using Pinterest to Advance the Common Good
Pinterest is one of the latest iterations of social media innovation. Since going live in March 2010, the popularity of this graphics-based, virtual bulletin board has quickly grown - evidenced by its appearance on...
International Humanitarian Law and Syria
The cornerstone principle in International Humanitarian Law (IHL) is the principle of distinction: You can only attack military targets and persons directly participating in the war; you can never attack civilians. The...
European Baptists Model Ecumenism, Community Engagement
I often wake up and think what a privilege it is to work for the European Baptist Federation (EBF). Only very occasionally do I consider the other possibility! The heart of the privilege, for me, is centered on...
Responsible Microfinance: Not Just Loans
Zach Dawes' article on microfinance opened up a number of issues that may have left readers unsure about the place of microfinance among poor communities. Here I would like to provide reassurance and further insight....
Minority Scholars Draw Strength Sharing Their Stories
I love a good story. As children, we grow up with stories. We love to tell stories and hear stories. When I was a little girl, I would love to hear stories from adults. It really didn't matter whether they were telling...
Of course I cried …
Photo by Luci PrazeresIt always happens. I'm a sucker for happy endings, so how could I not weep? This year, as graduation exercises for the Campbell University Divinity School unfolded, it was my turn to carry the...
Pain, Grief Remind Us We Need One Another
The juxtaposition of my life recently has been interesting – from attending a Christian conference discussing orphan ministries and global poverty in a well-to-do suburb of Nashville, Tenn., to being among kids in...
As Dow Rises, Don’t Forget Those Left Behind
The Dow breaks 15,000! Whoopee! Let's break out the bubbly and start the march toward 16,000. I can't help fantasizing about what this will mean for my retirement accounts. You too? But is everybody cheering? Is...
Moral Discernment Necessary to Determine When to Wait, When to Act
Where are the lines of separation in the continuum that moves from impatience to patience to passivity? If patience is a virtue to which Christians aspire, then impatience – on one side – and passivity – on the other...
All Things
A sermon by Howard Batson, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Amarillo, Tx. Romans 8:28-39 It’s an age-old question that no one has ever adequately answered. So I don’t suppose that I’ll be able to answer it either. ...
The Only Thing We Have to Fear…
A sermon by Robert Browning, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Frankfort, Ky. John 14:23-29 Communion Devotion Franklin Roosevelt was elected President during one of the most frightening periods in American history. The...
The Acts of an Easter People: Willing Response
A sermon by Jim Somerville, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Richmond, Va. The Sixth Sunday of Easter Acts 16:9-15 When my brother Ed was here recently we went canoeing on the James River. I was in the front of the...
The Valley of Shadows
A sermon by Randy Hyde, Pastor, Pulaski Heights Baptist Church, Little Rock, Ar. Psalm 23:1-6; Revelation 7:9-17 There are some passages of scripture that are so well known they become indelibly associated with...
Will our grandchildren be embarrassed?
By John Pierce My recollections of the civil rights movement of the ’60s are rather limited. I was sheltered from much of the reality and shaped by a social context that placed blame solely on...
5 Reasons Why I Am Convinced Allah is God
A number of years ago, a dearly beloved relative of mine felt compelled to ask: "Is 'Allah' God?" This question took me by surprise, for I felt as though my evangelical credentials were being put on trial. However, I...
Is Your Church an Institution or a Family?
"My church is just like family to me," the middle-aged man said. "I feel closer to the people in our church than I do to my own brothers and sisters. I just don't know what I'd do without them." A lot of people use...
5 Ways Churches Can Curb Pastoral Abuse
Unfortunately, scandals involving the abuse of authority by leaders in churches seem to be occurring on a more frequent basis. Pastoral abuse of any form – whether it is emotional, psychological, social, physical,...