In a pathbreaking decision, the Rev. Gina Stewart has been elected as the first woman president of the Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Mission Society, marking the first time a female has been chosen for the highest post of a Black…
New Hampshire governor signs bill establishing worship services as “essential” in future public health emergencies
New Hampshire is the latest state to enact legislation in response to the controversies surrounding COVID-related restrictions on worship services. HB 542 requires the state to treat religious organizations as an “essential service.” Here is an excerpt from the bill, which was…
Death-row inmate sues for pastor’s touch during execution
A Texas death-row inmate has sued state prison officials to allow his pastor to lay hands on him as he dies from a lethal injection.
Letter to the editor: You not only paid the Piper but shot him for good measure
Letter to the Editor August 18, 2021 Dear Editor: This evening I read It’s Time to Pay the Piper, by David Bumgardner and found myself troubled by the way in which these critiques were delivered. Whether I agree or disagree with the…
The GOP waves white flag in the same-sex marriage wars
To mark the beginning of Pride Month this year, Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel did what party leaders do on these types of occasions: She sent out a tweet.
Many Bible Belt preachers silent on shots as COVID-19 surges
Dr. Danny Avula, the head of Virginia’s COVID-19 vaccination effort, suspected he might have a problem getting pastors to publicly advocate for the shots when some members of his own church referred to them as “the mark of the beast,”…
Christian school drops ‘Freedom Matters’ event with COVID-denier Greg Locke
A Tennessee Baptist school has canceled a contract to host an anti-masking, anti-critical race theory event featuring controversial pastor Greg Locke.
Is Evangelicalism Due for a Hundred-Year Schism?
“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment,’” Jesus told the crowd in the Sermon on the Mount.
National Group Deems SBU as School Without Academic Freedom Protections
A national nonprofit group of professors devoted to academic freedom, shared governance, and quality higher education recently argued that Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Missouri, is not an institution where academic freedom can be expected.