Blog Archives

Why is it called Maundy Thursday?

Posted on March 28, 2013 by Alan Rudnick — No Comments ↓

Today is Maundy Thursday — no, not Monday Thursday, which would be an interesting concept: society could work Monday through Thursday, with Fridays off! Some Christians misunderstand that this day is only a “Catholic” celebration. Christians both ancient and modern…

Tagged with: Alan Rudnick, Baptist, Baptists, Christianity, Maundy Thursday for Baptists, prayer, spiritual formation, Spiritual Practice, Spirituality, worship
Posted in Spiritual Formation

Naked church

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Julie Pennington-Russell — No Comments ↓

Dear Church: if you bring good news to your community you won’t need to inform your neighbors. They already know. If you don’t—well, chances are everybody knows but you. Let’s get down to it: a church is either welcome relief…

Tagged with: Baptist, Christianity, Church, community, congregation, God, Jesus, social media
Posted in Blog Posts, Humor, Leadership, Ministry, Technology & Church

When all else fails, you gotta support your kids

Posted on March 21, 2013 by George Bullard — No Comments ↓

Two giants in North American Christian ministry died this week. One was well known across various Christian traditions. The other was not, but was no less a giant. Gordon Cosby of The Church of the Saviour fame died this week.…

Tagged with: Baptist, Baptist Women in Ministry, elevator, George Bullard, Gordon Cosby, Missions, North America, pastor, Quentin Lockwood, Rural-Urban Missions, senior pastor, solo pastor, Susan Lockwood, The Church of the Saviour, urban legend, William Tanner, Women Pastors
Posted in Blog Posts, Leadership, Ministry, Women in Ministry

What kind of Baptist are you?

Posted on March 18, 2013 by George Bullard — No Comments ↓

Do you know the story that periodically makes the rounds about the guy standing on the edge of a bridge ready to jump off to commit suicide? Along comes another person who engages him in conversation trying to get him…

Tagged with: Alliance, Baptist, Baptist World Alliance, Baptists, Bible, big tent, Canada, Christian Churches Together in the USA, Conservatives, Converge, Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, evangelicals, fundamentalists, General Secretary, George Bullard, Holy Spirit, Liberals, mainline Protestants, moderates, National Association of Evangelicals, National Council of Churches, North American Baptist Fellowship, progressives, Sabbath, Seventh Day
Posted in Baptist History, Blog Posts, Organizational Voices

If you do not have love…

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Nell Green — No Comments ↓

With a population of 3,400, you wouldn’t expect Allendale, South Carolina to bring much to the table when it comes to welcoming the stranger. This area has been noted numerous times as the poorest county in the state. They do not like…

Tagged with: 1st Corinthians, Allendale, Baptist, Christ, diversity, ethnicity, Farsi, SC, small congregations, South Carolina
Posted in Blog Posts, Faithful Living, Ministry, Missions

A Baptist who celebrates Lent

Posted on February 15, 2013 by Alan Rudnick — 2 Comments ↓

Huh? A Baptist who celebrates Ash Wednesday and Lent? That’s like an American celebrating Boxing Day. The two just don’t go together. Despite the misnomer, Baptists do celebrate Ash Wednesday and Lent, especially this Baptist. Two of the classic Baptist…

Tagged with: Alan Rudnick, Ash Wednesday, ash wednesday baptist, Baptist, do baptists observe ash wednesday, do baptists observe lent
Posted in Spiritual Formation

Am I Emergent-Baptist?

Posted on January 21, 2013 by John Carter — 4 Comments ↓

I minister on the periphery of Baptist life, trying to start a progressive Baptist church in the heart of the old empire. I’m old enough to remember well the Baptist wars of decades ago, and yet new enough to ministry…

Tagged with: Baptist, Emergence Christianity, Phyllis Tickle, progressive
Posted in Church Starts, Missiology, Religion, Theology

Emergence Christianity, Baptist life, and Flannery O’Connor

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Brandon Hudson — No Comments ↓

A little over a week ago, I walked into the Gibson guitar factory in Memphis, and gathered with six others to begin our tour. The group was fairly evenly divided by gender, with three men and four women. We asked…

Tagged with: Baptist, ecumenical dialogue, Emergence Christianity, emmergence, emmergent, Flannery O'Connor, inclusion, Phyllis Tickle, Revelation
Posted in Missiology, Religion, Theology

What do you get when you focus on conflict? More conflict!

Posted on November 19, 2012 by George Bullard — No Comments ↓

I’m sure you have probably heard the old adage that says Baptists are like alley cats. You know what you get when cats fight an alley on Saturday night? More cats. Conflict is similar to this because the more you…

Tagged with: Baptist, Baptists, certification, chruch planting, Church, churches, conflict, congregation, Congregatons, denomination, denominations, experts, George Bullard, God, health, Henry Kissinger, mediation, Oval Office, Richard Nixon, spiritual formation, staff, strength, training, vibrancy, vitaility, White House
Posted in Church Starts, Leadership, Ministry

The confusion of ‘most’ or ‘many’ — even among Baptists

Posted on November 8, 2012 by George Bullard — 1 Comment ↓

Recently I began reading a book I was sent to review. It is by two people I know well; one of them more than the other. The one I know better is often given to over-statement and over-generalization. I found…

Tagged with: Baptist, Baptist World Alliance, Baptists, book, dialogue, futurist, George Bullard, history, Mars Hill College, North American, North American Baptist Fellowship, presidential election
Posted in Leadership