Blogs
Latest Blog Articles: John Pierce
I hate Mitch
By John D. Pierce Mitch Simpson has announced his retirement from the pastorate of University Baptist Church in Chapel Hill, N.C. He’ll wrap things up with a March 1 celebration. I knew about Mitch long before I met Mitch. Boy, did I know about him. Upon entering...
Gifts that keep giving
By John D. Pierce A gift subscription to Nurturing Faith Journal is not as tasty as a candy cane or a chocolate Santa — but it lasts a lot longer. And it leaves one feeling well informed and inspired rather than in a sugar stupor. So you simply click here to order...
Remembering Walker Knight
By John D. Pierce He coined the phrase, “Peace, like war, is waged.” He challenged Baptists and others to live out the gospel of justice and inclusion — when it challenged their cultural norms. He founded an independent publication (at great personal cost) in which...
Nothing ‘less than the truth’
By John D. Pierce Walker L. Knight (in The Struggle for the Soul of the SBC) recalls the day after Thanksgiving 1982, when he met near the Atlanta airport with theological educator Larry McSwain and other thoughtful Baptist leaders seeking to counter the rise of...
Israel experience full — Glacier is filling
By John D Pierce The Nurturing Faith Experience: Israel/West Bank, set for May 18-28, has filled to capacity. Thanks to those who so eagerly responded bringing our "small group" to more than 50 persons. Nurturing Faith contributing editor and Bible study writer Tony...
When history asks…
By John D. Pierce Someday history will ask: “When American evangelicals were sacrificing their claimed values and witness to overwhelmingly embrace a religious/political ideology in stark contrast to the life and teachings of Jesus, was anyone speaking out?” I want...
Latest Blog Articles: Tony Cartledge
BWA Affirms Women, Decries Religiously-Motivated Violence
It has been my privilege (not always an easy one!) to serve as chair of the Resolutions Committee for the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) during the 2016-2020 quinquennium. Since we won't do resolutions at the BWA World Congress in Rio de Janeiro next year, that...
Junkanoo and protocol, too
The 2019 Annual Gathering of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) got off to a rousing start Monday with a packed house gathering to enjoy welcome activities offered by the meeting's Bahamian hosts. A string of dignitaries were introduced and recognized by name and title...
Celebrating “HERstory”
The 2019 Baptist International Conference on Theological Education (BICTE) wrapped up July 7 with a panel discussion featuring 11 representative global pastors, counselors, and theologians responding to questions raised by participants in the meeting, which drew about...
23 and Philistine
Bible scholars have long speculated about the origins of the Philistines, who showed up in southern Palestine during the transition from the Late Bronze Age to Iron Age I, somewhere around 1200 BCE. After failing to conquer Egypt in a sea battle that cost the...
Lost in translation
The second day of the Baptist International Conference on Theological Education got underway with a stirring paper by Valérie Duval-Poujol of France on the subject of "Bible Translations and How They Have Affected Women's Engagement in the Church and Society."...
Women, Baptists, and theology
Every five years or so, the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) sponsors a conference with the ungainly acronym of BICTE: the Baptist International Conference on Theological Education. Meeting either before or after the BWA's Annual Gathering, the conference generally...
Latest Blog Articles: Ginger Hughes
What Do They See When They Look At Me?
By: Ginger Hughes There have been times in my life when I found Sunday School or church to be intimidating. Perhaps it’s my introverted ways, but I can remember feeling nervous about walking into a new church or a new Sunday School room filled with people who already...
Clean Out The Closets
By: Ginger Hughes Our entryway closet greets us as we walk in the door. It’s the perfect dropping off spot for coats, shoes, umbrellas, and book bags. As soon as we walk inside, we can hang jackets on the provided hangers, put shoes on the provided shelves, hang...
Choosing the Better Part
By: Ginger Hughes Today there are crayons, construction paper, and glue sticks with no tops stuck to my table from my little one’s “art” project. There’s a half-done puzzle littering our living room floor. There’s a pile of mismatched socks in the laundry room that...
Waiting For Spring
By: Ginger Hughes He squatted down close to the dirt, playing with his elephant, tiger, and tapir, an uncommon mix to be sure. As he played, his eyes drifted to a small, green shoot poking through the dirt. “What’s this, Mama?” he asked while continuing to dig in...
When Being First Means Being Last
By: Ginger Hughes I’ve had the opportunity to observe a lot of people recently as our family enjoyed some fun-filled days at Disney World. Standing in lines for elevators, restaurants, rides, ice cream vendors, and yes...even bathrooms, afford you a lot of time to...
Releasing The Reins
By: Ginger Hughes I watched my son ride horses recently, the reins held firmly in his small hands, his feet dangling on each side of the saddle nowhere close to reaching the stirrups. My dad, his “Papa”, walked alongside him, answering ALL the questions my little guy...