Featured
Faith Trumps Football for Mizzou Player
Redshirt senior Jake Trump has been part of a resurgence that has had the Missouri Tigers in two straight bowl games, an improving record, and predictions of being a Top 25 contender.
How Does a Church Make the Poor Visible? This One Immortalized Them in a Fresco
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (RNS) — Poor people have often told pastor Brian Combs that the hardest thing about standing at highway intersections holding up a cardboard sign and begging for money is not hearing the click of automatic doors locking. It’s seeing people avert their eyes.
Religious Coworking Spaces Encourage Faith, Careers
LOS ANGELES (RNS) — “I never designed Epiphany to be a Christian Club,” Melissa Smith says. of the coworking space she began. “We have conversations about God, we pray for one another, but we don’t force our beliefs or perspectives on anybody.”
"Baptist Without an Adjective" Listen to more91. Curtis Freeman
Curtis Freeman, a research professor of theology and Baptist studies & director of the Baptist House of Studies at Duke Divinity School, talks with Word&Way Editor & President Brian Kaylor about the educational program at Duke Divinity. He also discusses the recent five-year dialogue between the Baptist World Alliance and the World Methodist Council, which he co-chaired and from which he helped produce a report…90. Didi Oprenova
Didi Oprenova, a Baptist pastor in Bulgaria, talks with Word&Way Editor & President Brian Kaylor about ministry in her country and the transition there from communism. She also discusses laws proposed last year that would have greatly reduced religious freedom in Bulgaria. This interview occurred in the Bahamas during the 2019 annual gathering of the…89. Devon Dick
Devon Dick, a Baptist pastor in Jamaica, talks with Word&Way Editor & President Brian Kaylor about the biblical case for slavery reparations. He also discusses the heritage of Jamaican Baptists and his local ministry at his church and through a secular newspaper column. This interview occurred in the Bahamas during the 2019 annual gathering of the Baptist World…88. Forrest Harris
Forrest Harris, president of American Baptist College in Nashville, Tenn., talks with Word&Way Editor & President Brian Kaylor about the work and heritage of ABC. He also discusses the school's role in the civil rights movement, and how he came to lead ABC. This interview occurred in the Bahamas during the 2019 annual gathering of the Baptist World…
Baptist
Wedgwood Tragedy 20 Years Later: ‘He Is Faithful’
"We don't want to just be recognized for this incident in our history," Wedgwood associate pastor Jeff Laster said. "We want to be recognized for the other good things we've done
Midwestern Seminary ‘Day of Sharing’ Proclaims Gospel
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (BP) -- Nearly 100 Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Spurgeon College students, faculty and staff partnered with local area churches on Sept. 10 to proclaim the Gospel during an annual outreach event known as the "One Great Day of Sharing."
Lives Are Being Changed at an Old Coke Bottling Plant
ALBANY, Ga. (BP) -- An old Coca-Cola bottling plant donated to Sherwood Baptist Church has become a hub for disaster relief operations and a ministry to at-risk youth.
Nation
US Food Insecurity Drops; Over 14M Households Still Insecure
The good news: Food insecurity in the U.S. declined in 2018 to pre-recession (2007) levels. The bad news: 11.1% of households (14.3 million) remained food insecure -- 13.9% among U.S. households with children.
200 Liberty Students Attend Protest After New Falwell Revelations
(RNS) — In the wake of reports alleging objectionable rhetoric and conduct by Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr., about 200 students at the evangelical Christian school gathered at a protest on campus Friday (Sept. 13).
Papa John’s Founder Announces $1 Million Gift to Simmons College of Kentucky
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- John Schnatter, founder of Papa John’s, announced a $1 million gift to Simmons College of Kentucky today (Sept. 4), declaring, “Supporting Simmons College is a better investment to build a better community.”
World
Disputes Loom as Émigré Church Leader Switches Loyalty to Moscow
PARIS (RNS) — The network of émigré Russian Orthodox parishes in Western Europe appears to be headed for years of complex canonical and legal disputes after their archbishop announced that he would rejoin the Moscow Patriarchate and urged his followers to accompany him.
Archaeologists Uncover Mosaic Floor From 5th Century Church Near Sea of Galilee
JERUSALEM (RNS) — A fire that destroyed an ancient Holy Land church near the Sea of Galilee around 700 CE appears to have preserved the church’s beautiful mosaic floor, which includes depictions of baskets, loaves and fish as well as inscriptions.
After Dorian, Baptist Leader and Bahamas Native Sees Devastation, Resilience
(RNS) — The president of the historically black Progressive National Baptist Convention traveled to the Bahamas island of Grand Bahama this week to assess the damage from Hurricane Dorian and came away with stories of damage and determination.
Faith & Culture
Religious Coworking Spaces Encourage Faith, Careers
LOS ANGELES (RNS) — “I never designed Epiphany to be a Christian Club,” Melissa Smith says. of the coworking space she began. “We have conversations about God, we pray for one another, but we don’t force our beliefs or perspectives on anybody.”
Arizona Artists Win Suit Over Same-Sex Wedding Invitations
PHOENIX (AP) — The free speech rights of two Christian artists who make wedding invitations were violated by an anti-discrimination ordinance in Phoenix that makes it illegal to refuse service to same-sex couples for religious reasons, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled Monday.
West Louisville Forum Examines Racism, Media Bias
Leaders of Baptist and other media outlets talked about issues of racism and media bias during an Aug. 7 forum held by Simmons College of Kentucky, a historically black Baptist school in Louisville.
Media & Entertainment
Faith Trumps Football for Mizzou Player
Redshirt senior Jake Trump has been part of a resurgence that has had the Missouri Tigers in two straight bowl games, an improving record, and predictions of being a Top 25 contender.
How Does a Church Make the Poor Visible? This One Immortalized Them in a Fresco
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (RNS) — Poor people have often told pastor Brian Combs that the hardest thing about standing at highway intersections holding up a cardboard sign and begging for money is not hearing the click of automatic doors locking. It’s seeing people avert their eyes.
Be Careful, Little Ears, What You Hear
You never know what a child will pick up listening to conversations and media. But lately, other little ears have been in the news, courtesy of handy home and mobile devices.
Editorials
Desalinizing Our Politics
We really are living in a more profane age. And it’s not just the four-letter words or the using of God’s name in vain. The Bible clearly teaches us that our words matter.
Forgetting Our Past & Our Future
Last week, Alabama Republican Governor Kay Ivey apologized for performing in blackface 52 years ago while a college student at a BSU party, an incident she couldn't recall. If, like Ivey, we can’t remember what our Baptist churches and institutions
Calling a Thing a Thing
As Christians, we are to be people of the Truth. We are to people who speak truthfully, who bear truthful witness about neighbors. And part of that requires us to be willing to call a thing a thing, to call
Other Opinions
What Netflix Got Wrong: The Fellowship’s Mission Is Love, Not Power
(RNS) — Netflix's docudrama "The Family" puts forward a false thesis based on a brief anecdotal experience of one of the filmmakers, shares communicator A. Larry Ross, spinning conspiracy theories about political power and international intrigue to fit a biased and pejorative agenda.
Kingdom Work Over Partisan Politics
Like health or saving for retirement, a key component of any type of successful ministry boils down to a basic understanding, sometimes forgotten: Humans can be educated and encouraged to accept Christ, but we cannot be forced into that decision.
Commentary
Living with Discernment
The world offers many ideas about God and faith. Denominations, like any human institution, tend to be self-congratulatory and dogmatic, but Jesus offers a radical understanding of God, salvation, and real life.
Living Out God’s Love
Jesus loved us in the most graphic way, dying on a cross. The Apostle John wants his readers to live out God's grace, to offer the world the life only God's love can make possible.
Living in the Light
Our lesson is aptly titled “Living in the Light.” Now there is a title that challenges God's church in our world! John is timely as he calls us to live the Christ life and show the world a better way.