National news: most popular stories 2018

**Viral baptisms in JCBs, tributes to Billy Graham and Firestarter events for Baptist church growth were among the most read national news stories in The Baptist Times in 2018**

Baptism JCB

1 Baptisms in a JCB in Canada
How do you respond when someone wants to be baptised, but there's no baptistery in sight? Army chaplain and Baptist minister Gary Birch takes up the story

2 ‘No other preacher could compare with him’
Tributes have been pouring in for Billy Graham, Baptist minister and evangelist, who has died aged 99

3 Baptist Union Council: March 2018
A report of Baptist Union Council March 2018, featuring progress on how we train, equip and encourage our future leaders

4 Events for Baptist church growth
A series of 24 hour 'Firestarter' events hosted by Baptist churches experiencing unusual growth have been organised – to see if this accelerated growth can become normal within our Baptist family

5 New safeguarding film for Baptist churches
A new film which aims to highlight excellence in safeguarding for Baptist churches has been released

6 'Creating a fresh momentum for change'
Our figures hide a background of embedded resistance to women’s ministry: the Baptists Together Gender Justice Hub is exploring ways of loosening some of the barriers. Mary Taylor reports from its most recent meeting

7 Baptist anger over Windrush crisis
‘Appalling and deplorable’. Baptists have spoken of their anger over the Windrush deportation crisis

8 'MLK continues to guide and inspire'
A selection of links to events, reflections and resources marking the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr's death

9 Resourcing small Baptist churches
How best to resource, encourage and challenge small churches across Baptists Together?

10 'God was speaking deeply into their lives'
Sandra Crawford was not alone in experiencing a renewal of God's call on her life at the annual Fresh Streams conference

Baptist Times, 28/12/2018

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Baptist Pension Scheme (the “Scheme”)

Wind up of the Closed Defined Benefit Plan (“DB Plan”) of the Scheme. Notice under section 27 of the Trustee Act 1925

Praying for our life together - with Jesus at the centre

A prayer initiative which seeks to place Jesus at the centre of everything we do as Baptists Together and inspire prayer for one another will be launched at this year's Baptist Assembly

Newly formed Digital Priority Round Table needs your help

A ‘Round Table’ group of Baptists is forming to take the digital priority forward - and it is hoped four working groups will now be formed enabling discernment and discussion which will be fed into our Core Leadership Team

Project Violet findings released

Project Violet is a major study into women’s experience of ministry, which has sought to understand more fully the theological, missional, and structural obstacles women ministers face in the Baptist community in England and Wales.

New church planting programme at St Hild

In conjunction with Asbury Seminary, USA and the Centre of Church Multiplication in London, the St Hild Centre for Church Planting is launching a professional doctorate programme in Church Planting in Post-Christendom Europe