Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
4 Steps to Help You Craft a Rule for Life
Have you crafted a rule for life? Like a trellis supporting the growth of a plant, it helps determine the direction you go and fosters intentionality for achieving specific goals. Here’s how to do it.
Climate Change Killed Thousands, Cost Billions in 2018
Extreme weather events related to human-caused climate change killed thousands, displaced millions and caused billions in damage in 2018, a Christian Aid report says.
January 11, 2019
United Methodist Colleges, Universities Call on Church for LGBT Inclusion Ahead of Big Denominational Meeting (Tennessean) Trump, Catholic Church Battle Over Chapel in Way of Border Wall (Daily Beast) New Nebraska Bill...
Time’s a wastin’!
The first newspaper comic strip I remember reading was "Barney Google and Snuffy Smith," a mostly lame characterization of a hillbilly family from a place called "Hootin' Holler." One of the oldest strips around, it...
Profiles in Goodwill: Tony Brooks
Tony Brooks is the Baptist General Association of Virginia’s Sunday school / discipleship specialist and field strategist for the southside region.
Do We Even Like Freedom? Why Some Have Lost Their Taste For It
True freedom isn’t as simple as the slogans, patriotic songs and political rhetoric would suggest. You must be willing to defend those who differ from you if you support it. That’s why some have lost their taste for freedom.
Two-Thirds of 2017 Drug Overdose Deaths Due to Opioids
More than two-thirds of all drug-related overdose deaths in 2017 involved opioids, a CDC report says. Illicitly manufactured fentanyl was a leading contributor to the rise in opioid-related deaths.
January 10, 2019
Evangelical Group Wants LGBT People Removed from Anti-Lynching Bill (NBC News) Evangelical Pastor Defends Trump’s Border Plan: ‘Heaven Itself is Gonna Have a Wall’ (Huffington Post) How Cities Make Money by Fining the...
Jimmy R. Allen: ‘Leadership with integrity’
By John D. Pierce When learning of the death of Baptist statesman Jimmy R. Allen so many thoughts swirled through my mind that I decided to reflect for awhile before attempting to put them into words. A Texan who...
Why Immigration Debate Isn’t as Simple as Legal and Illegal
In our current political era, the immigration debate has become maddeningly difficult. Immigration hardliners oversimplify the issue, but following God’s will and practicing The Golden Rule take precedence over flawed laws.
Event to Forge More ‘Gracious’ Path Between Muslims, Christians
Many developments have happened in academia in recent decades, which can help develop a theology of Islam far more gracious than Christians have traditionally held and assumed. One such event will be held in June.
Homelessness in U.S. Increases for Second Straight Year
An estimated 553,000 people were homeless on a single night in 2018, an increase of 0.3 percent from 2017, and the second straight year for a HUD survey to find an increase in unhoused persons.
January 9, 2019
Jimmy R. Allen: 'Leadership with Integrity' (Nurturing Faith) Jimmy Allen, Visionary Denominational Leader, Dies (Baptist News Global) Small-Town Christian Bookstore Owners Keep Faith Despite an Uncertain Future (RNS)...
ON and ON: Pat Terry’s new CD offers upbeat reflections on life’s challenges and joys
By John D. Pierce, Executive Editor, Nurturing Faith Journal Singer/songwriter Pat Terry likes life — here and now. He doesn’t get lost in the escapism some attribute to a firm faith. And he’s not afraid to say so. “I...
Loving Your Spouse Who Was Sexually Abused as a Child
Being married to someone who survived sexual abuse as a child won’t be easy at times. You’ll learn what triggers post-traumatic stress for them. Here are 9 ways you can help your partner.
How U.S. Evangelicals Became Their Own Worst Enemy – Part 2
U.S. evangelicals have rightly gained a reputation for being against things, rather than being for Jesus and the gospel and compassion for the weak and vulnerable people Jesus cared for. They are their own worst enemy.
47 States, DC Improved Work to Reduce Sex Trafficking of Minors
Since 2011, all but three U.S. states have improved initiatives to reduce the sex trafficking of minors, a report says. Ten states earned an ‘A’ in the latest report.
January 8, 2019
Church Sign Sparks Immigration Protest (Post-Star) American Jews and Israeli Jews are Headed for a Messy Breakup (New York Times) Teens Say ‘Bible Ban’ at Pennsylvania High School is Unconstitutional (Newsweek) Beth...
Label me a reductionist
By John D. Pierce Labels serve a descriptive purpose but are rarely fully accurate or adequate. Often they are misapplied, redefined or refused. Some people label themselves with ease as liberal, conservative or...
The Baptist Tent: Room for All
Centrist Baptists have felt abandoned by both fundamentalists and liberals. However, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is a diverse community seeking to do missions and ministry in new and exciting ways, and there’s room for all.
How U.S. Evangelicals Became Their Own Worst Enemy – Part 1
U.S. evangelicals gained a reputation for being guilt-mongers, finger-pointers, even haters. While that reputation may not be wholly deserved, an examination of church history unveils why this reputation is at least partly true.