By Bob Allen A gay Baptist minister who recently joined a lawsuit challenging Kentucky’s ban on same-sex marriage welcomed Tuesday’s ruling against the law as a step forward “in our continuing struggle to bring about equality.” Senior U.S. District Court…
Seminary cuts ties with embattled SGM
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist Convention seminary has broken off its formal relationship with a church-starting network that has become a lightning rod since a former leader admitted under oath that he failed to report child sex abuse to…
Judge OKs settlement of Baptist home lawsuit
By Bob Allen A federal judge ruled June 30 that a Kentucky Baptist ministry cannot prevent settlement of a long-running legal battle over the establishment of religion simply because it has benefitted from state contracts in the past. U.S. District…
Longest-serving CBF staff member retires
By Bob Allen Clarissa Strickland, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s longest-serving staff member, retired June 30 after 23 years of service. Strickland — legendary in CBF life both as a speaker at retirement banquets for her “Dare She Scrolls” tributes delivered in…
Third Way pastor invited to White House
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist pastor under fire from his denomination for reaching out to gays was invited to a White House reception June 30 celebrating LGBT Pride Month, according to blogs offering both condemnation and praise. Friends of…
Black Baptist group elects president
By Bob Allen A Louisiana pastor was elected the 15th president of the National Baptist Convention of America, International, Inc., at the group’s June 23-27 annual meeting in Memphis, Tenn. Samuel Tolbert, pastor of the Greater St. Mary Missionary Baptist…
Hobby Lobby wins contraceptive case
By Bob Allen The U.S. Supreme Court ruled June 30 that the Baptist owners of Hobby Lobby cannot be forced by the government to provide employees with health insurance that covers methods of birth control that they believe cause an…
White House aide, BJC alum, honored at CBF
By Bob Allen Presidential assistant Melissa Rogers credited the Baptist heritage of defending religious liberty and the separation of church and state with shaping her work as head of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships June 27…
CBF begins work on funding plan
By Bob Allen An ad hoc group of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Governing Council has been appointed to work in earnest on the final piece of a massive revisioning adopted in 2012 – funding – outgoing CBF Moderator Bill McConnell…
CBF a ‘denominetwork,’ Paynter says
By Bob Allen The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is a “different way of being a Christian network,” Executive Coordinator Suzii Paynter said in a report to the 2014 CBF General Assembly June 26 in Atlanta. “My elevator word for CBF is…
CBF missions head calls for ‘new conversation’ about global missions
By Bob Allen The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s new missions head said June 25 the movement must re-imagine its global missions enterprise in ways similar to sweeping leadership and governance changes embraced since a two-year study of ways to better poise…
Shifts in CBF staff will expedite focus on priorities, says top leader
By Bob Allen Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Executive Coordinator Suzii Paynter said June 25 that plans to realign staff around priorities identified in a two-year study of the movement’s effectiveness are falling into place sooner than she expected when she was…