Baptist

BOWIE, Md. (BP) -- The Nicaraguan woman was surprised to see the visitors -- Americans, who were kind, bringing soft words, praying for her and her family. They also gave her a Bible, and visited her bedridden son. She watched with a smile as the boy looked up at the visitors, and they gave him a blow-up soccer ball.

It was a transforming moment.

CORBIN, Ky. (BP) -- A series of bad decisions had left James Price's life in shambles.

He had no money, no car, no home and no hope. But a chance encounter with retired businessman Ronnie Neal is changing the trajectory of his life.

The first major program of Central Seminary's new Buttry Center for Peace and Nonviolence brought together about 40 people from seven nations for an intensive training on conflict transformation.

Dan and Sharon Buttry, global consultants for American Baptist Churches USA's International Ministries, recently led a ten-day training for conflict transformation trainers as the first major initiative of the new Buttry Center for Peace & Nonviolence at Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Shawnee, Kan. Word&Way Editor Brian Kaylor interviewed the Buttrys at CBTS shortly before the training conference.

CASPER, Wyo. (BP) -- Lynn Nikkel is retiring from more than 13 years of executive leadership of the Wyoming Southern Baptist Mission Network to pursue church ministry opportunities in Oklahoma.

NASHVILLE (BP) -- Somewhere between exercising, working tirelessly in his yard, rebuilding classic cars, cutting hair and serving multiple roles as a lay leader at his church, 82-year-old Neal Buchanan still finds time to volunteer as a reading tutor at the elementary school near his home.

NASHVILLE (BP) -- As Joe Wright Jr. and his wife Pennie worshiped with a Southern Baptist congregation of 12 members in the Tennessee Delta just a few weeks ago, the pastor's participation was noticeable.

The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship released a profile for its executive coordinator position on Aug. 27, one month after Suzii Paynter announced she will transition out of her current leadership role.

NASHVILLE (BP) -- LifeWay Christian Resources is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the latest Baptist Hymnal this month. It's a milestone Mike Harland, director of LifeWay Worship, finds humbling -- especially considering a physical form of the 2008 hymnal wasn't initially supposed to exist.

WASHINGTON (RNS) — Karen Swallow Prior is an evangelical English professor in rural Virginia who can claim something most others who fit that description can’t: more than 25,000 Twitter followers.