Denton Lotz, who led the Baptist World Alliance through some of its most challenging years, died April 23 at age 80
Supreme Court to hear three cases pitting conservative religious views against LGBTQ rights
The United States Supreme Court on Monday accepted three cases to decide whether a federal law prohibiting discrimination because of “sex” includes sexual orientation and gender identity, setting the stage for a new round of tension between fundamentalist Christianity and LGBTQ rights.
BWA head urges global prayer for those affected by Sri Lanka bombings
Baptist World Alliance General Secretary Elijah Brown on Monday issued a global call to prayer after a wave of bombings across Sri Lanka killed nearly 300 people on Easter Sunday.
Notre Dame fire fuels fund-raising for burned churches in Louisiana
A crowdfunding campaign to raise $1.8 million to rebuild three historically black Baptist churches in a Louisiana parish hit by arson within two weeks surpassed its goal in seven days, aided – apparently – by non-stop images of the Notre Dame Cathedral fire in France.
Sovereign Grace Churches says no to outside investigation of abuse allegations
An evangelical church-planting network accused of covering up decades of sexual abuse has turned down calls for an independent third-party investigation, citing reasons including autonomy of the local church.
Former Baptist preachers face abuse charges in Vermont, Mississippi and Guam
Two months after a series of investigative newspaper stories reported widespread sexual abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention and while denominational leaders ponder solutions, the numbers of Southern Baptist clergy in the criminal system for alleged sex offenses continues to grow.
Seminary removes stained glass windows celebrating conservative takeover of SBC
Stained-glass windows immortalizing individuals who helped move the Southern Baptist Convention to a more theologically and socially conservative position in the late 20th century have been quietly removed from the chapel of one of the convention’s six seminaries.
Arrest brings closure for African-American Baptist churches hit by arson
The pastor of one of three African-American Baptist churches burned in the same Louisiana parish in 10 days said with a suspect in custody, he believes the congregations will emerge stronger than before.
Protest over conservative speaker prompts call for Baylor to recognize LGBTQ student group
Protests over a speech at Baylor University by a conservative blogger on record as opposing the “LGBT agenda” prompted more than 2,200 current and former students and other supporters to call on the historically Baptist school to formally recognize a gay-straight student alliance denied a charter since its founding in 2011.