Last Service for Heartland Baptist Chapel Ida Grove
by John Shaull, BCI Pastor / Church Support Staff Heartland Baptist Chapel in Ida Grove commemorated 24 years of ministry in the Ida Grove Community. Those still involved in ministry at Heartland at the time of its closing were (left to right): Interim Pastor Steve...
Church’s CP part of being in ‘center of God’s will’
by Karen L. Willoughby WOODVILLE, Miss. (BP) -- Faced with unanticipated dangers at home and abroad, Christians can find “true safety” in serving the Lord, pastor Rob Muncy told the Mississippi congregation he leads a week after a June 17 massacre of nine worshippers...
Seven key reasons your church attendance may be declining
By Thom S. Rainer My five-year old grandson asked me how old I was. When I told him I would turn 60 in a few weeks, he responded: “I didn’t realize people got that old.” Indeed, in 60 years, like any of us who have lived a few years, I have seen change, lots of...
Future of missions spotlighted by CP panel
by Karen L. Willoughby and Bonnie Pritchett COLUMBUS, Ohio (BP) -- David Platt of the International Mission Board and Kevin Ezell of the North American Mission Board addressed during a panel discussion the future of Southern Baptist missions and the two organization's...
Ezell to trustees: “This is NAMB Phase II”
by Mike Ebert, NAMB COLUMBUS, Oh. — Meeting a day before the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), North American Mission Board president Kevin Ezell shared updates and a new “NAMB Phase II” vision with members of his entity’s Board of Trustees. “We...
Gay weddings: who must perform them?
by David Roach WASHINGTON (BP) -- Legal opinions vary widely on what the U.S. Supreme Court's mandate of nationwide same-sex marriage will mean for pastors and government officials authorized to perform weddings. Some legal experts say government officials charged...
Pastors discuss vulnerabilities, victories
by Jon D. Wilke, LifeWay Christian Resources COLUMBUS, Ohio (BP) -- More than 200 church leaders gathered for the first Men's Breakfast at the Southern Baptist Convention to hear prominent pastors share personal stories of vulnerability and victory. Co-sponsored by...
Partners stepping up in Nepal crisis
Earthquake survivors in Nepal are trying to survive the disaster’s aftermath and are struggling to find food and shelter. Moved by their plight, state Southern Baptist disaster relief organizations from California and Texas have “adopted” affected districts and are...
Hunger ministry calls for action
by Staff/ERLC COLUMBUS, Ohio (BP) -- Nearly 1 billion people are undernourished, and "chronic hunger is a debilitating problem for many around the world," Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, told messengers to the SBC annual...
Same-Sex Marriage is now the Law of the (U.S.) Land: What Now for Christians?
The Supreme Court has taken action on same-sex marriage, and now the church needs to take its own action. by Ed Stetzer by a vote of five to four the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that same-sex couples may now marry in all 50 states, striking down the bans...
