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| (From left) Carol Blythe, Carole Collins, Paula Clayton Dempsey and Toya Richards were among those who represented the Alliance at the National Council of Churches' Rally To End Racism in Washington, D.C. Read more in Alliance in Action below. |
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Alliance commits to eradicating 'the entrenched racism that grips our nation'
by Paula Clayton Dempsey
Racism is just as woven into the warp and woof of the American fabric as it was 50 years ago when Martin Luther King Jr. gave his life addressing the impact of its evils in our society.
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Alyssa Aldape, First Baptist Church of the City of Washington, D.C., and a visitor to Calvary Baptist Church from Venezuela. Both churches are Alliance congregational partners. |
Since then the church universal--and the Alliance of Baptists in particular--has given a nod to confessing our complicity in slavery,
all the
while benefiting from white privilege and the imbeddedness of systemic racism in our world and lives. The first statement
generated by the Alliance after its formation is a statement of confession of the sins of slavery and
of condoning slavery committed by our
Baptist forebears.
April 4 the Alliance gathered with the member communions of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. and its partners to unite to end racism.
Keep reading...
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Practicing Congregation
Revisioning the Alliance covenant
by Tim Moore
"What are your thoughts about wedding vows?" is a question I'll ask an engaged couple during a wedding planning meeting. Many have detailed ideas about flowers and bridesmaids' dresses and music but haven't given much thought to the words they would say to publicly commit themselves to each other. Usually I hand them a selection of a dozen traditional and contemporary wedding vows and encourage them to discuss them and select one, modify one or write their own by our next meeting. And why they select what they select becomes part of our next discussion.
Occasionally, I've had the pleasure of celebrating the renewal of wedding vows. Sometimes that's been when a couple is celebrating a 25th or 50th wedding anniversary. Sometimes it's when a troubled marriage has reconciled and they want to mark a new beginning. Depending on the circumstances some want to repeat the words they once said to each other, while others desire new vows to express a deeper appreciation of their covenant to one another.
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Alliance News
Conference to equip clergy, laity to have open, honest conversations about sex
by Lolita Cusic
David took Bathsheba away from her husband Uriah. Delilah seduced Sampson. Abraham slept with another woman -- with his wife Sarah's permission. And King Solomon wrote love poems.
Sex, love and lust are everywhere in the Bible. So why aren't more Christians comfortable talking about sex in the church?
The Alliance of Baptists will be addressing that subject at its JUSTSEX conference to be held Oct. 18-20 at the Scarritt Bennett Center in Nashville, Tenn.
"I believe and the Alliance believes that discussing human sexuality in church can help change the way the world perceives sexuality," said Carole Collins, director of operations and finance for the Alliance.
Keep reading...
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