Jeff Iorg

Many years ago, when I stepped out of pastoral ministry into executive leadership, I was overwhelmed and knew I would not survive without spiritual support. I decided to write a column in the Northwest Baptist Witness asking for people who were already praying for me to form a prayer team. Note the careful qualifier – people who were already praying for me.

The music at Christmas is special for several reasons. First, the familiarity of frequently repeated hymns and songs means dozens of them can be sung from memory. Second, the biblical content is strong – particularly focused on themes like faith, hope and love.

ONTARIO, Calif. (BP) – Massacre. Atrocities. Carnage. Those were some of the words used to describe the results of the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians. Infants were mutilated. Women were raped. Senior adults were beaten. People were murdered, indiscriminately slaughtered in their homes, at work and at public events. Pure evil – on stark display on terrorist-produced social media sites broadcast around the world.

The cure for whatever ails a Baptist church is more baptisms.

In the Bible, there are many examples of anonymous believers bringing people to Jesus. One of the most dramatic stories involved four unnamed men who helped an invalid friend drop in on Jesus.

In the Bible, there are many examples of anonymous believers bringing people to Jesus. One of the most dramatic stories involved four unnamed men who helped an invalid friend drop in on Jesus.

In the Bible, there are many examples of anonymous believers bringing people to Jesus. One of the most dramatic stories involved four unnamed men who helped an invalid friend drop in on Jesus. The Lord was teaching in Capernaum when “so many people gathered together that there was no more room, not even in the doorway, and he was speaking the word to them” (Mark 2:2).

A few years ago, Nigerian Baptist leaders welcomed me at the airport with these words, “Thank you for sending Thomas Jefferson Bowen to bring us the Gospel.”

The Western Elementary School District, which covers parts of Glendale and Phoenix recently ended its contract with Arizona Christian University. The agreement facilitated student-teacher training, which created a pathway to employment for ACU graduates.

A recent Gallup survey had some very bad news for pastors, and by extension, for the church in America. In the survey, only 34 percent rated the honesty and integrity of pastors as very high. Among respondents under age 30, the rate was a much lower 20 percent. These numbers are the lowest since Gallup has been surveying pastoral integrity as part of a larger study of the trust Americans have in various occupations.