The former president of Arkansas Baptist College has filed a lawsuit against the historically black college in Little Rock, claiming breach of contract. Joseph Jones, fired last December after a little more than a year on the job, filed a…
Abuse arrest turns #MeToo spotlight on SBC International Mission Board
With the ink barely dry on a Southern Baptist Convention resolution apologizing for past failures in handling abuse allegations, the SBC International Mission Board is facing charges that it recently allowed a credibly accused sexual predator to slip through the…
SBC official labels LGBTQ-affirming evangelicals as ‘false teachers’
A Southern Baptist Convention official denounced a new resource for LGBTQ Christians as part of “a campaign of biblical subterfuge” arguing that it’s OK for evangelicals to be gay. In an article titled “The Human Rights Campaign releases deceptive evangelical…
With retirement looming for Suzii Paynter, CBF leaders roll out leadership transition plan
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship rolled out a transition plan July 19 to retire and replace Executive Coordinator Suzii Paynter. “CBF is at a great place and poised for even greater impact,” Paynter, 67, said in a news release. “Thinking of…
Pastor-judge files appeal of case dismissal
An Arkansas judge barred from hearing death penalty cases after attending a rally against capital punishment in his other job as a Baptist pastor claims a three-judge panel rushed to judgment when it dismissed his lawsuit and wants a rehearing…
#MeToo fallout continues for Memphis megachurch
Six months after he stood by a staff member accused of past sexual assault of a teenager, the founding pastor of a megachurch in Memphis, Tennessee, has resigned. Lead Pastor Chris Conlee and trustees of Highpoint church released a joint…
Trump’s Supreme Court pick once ruled against figure in SBC ‘conservative resurgence’
Opinions vary about whether the confirmation of President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh would be good news or bad news for religious liberty, but one of a handful of church-state cases he has weighed during his 12 years…
Mercer replaces McAfee dean
Mercer University has replaced the dean of the James and Carolyn McAfee School of Theology after two years on the job. Mercer President William D. Underwood said in an e-mail to McAfee’s board of visitors that Jeffrey Willetts, dean since…
Citing ‘God’s providence,’ Scott Pruitt resigns as head of EPA
With a letter referencing divine providence, Scott Pruitt, a Southern Baptist layman serving as administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, resigned July 5 amid a series of controversies over spending and alleged self-dealing. Pruitt, a member of First Baptist…