A Baptist church-state specialist criticized the latest attempt by Republican lawmakers to weaken a part of tax law called the Johnson Amendment that prohibits tax-exempt charities including churches from taking sides in political campaigns.
Baptists, others faith groups say religious liberty not a license to discriminate
Baptists were among religious leaders and groups signing on to briefs filed with the U.S. Supreme Court Oct. 30 opposing the claims of a Christian baker who for religious reasons refused to create a wedding cake for a same-sex couple.
Oklahoma pastor tapped to lead CBF-related ethics group
Oklahoma pastor Mitch Randall has been named executive director of the Baptist Center for Ethics, directors of the independently run ministry partner of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship announced Oct. 30.
Burmese Baptist pastors sentenced to prison
Two Baptist pastors from Myanmar have received prison sentences for leading journalists to a church reportedly destroyed by military air strikes last year.
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Baptist News Global honors Babs Baugh, with a little help from her friends
Baptists from across the country gathered Oct. 23 in San Antonio, Texas, to thank the Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation for generous support of Baptist institutions and causes including the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and numerous CBF partners.
Faith leaders to Trump: Don’t make TPS the next DACA
Corina Lopez came to the U.S. in 2001 after an earthquake devastated her home country, El Salvador. She thought she would return in three years. “That was my plan, but not God’s will,” Lopez said at a rally to support a program to give legal status to people hindered from returning home because of natural disaster or armed conflict.
Lawsuit accuses prominent church of not reporting abuse
A new lawsuit alleges that one of South Carolina’s largest and most respected Southern Baptist churches failed to report to police evidence of child sex abuse by a volunteer youth worker as required by law.
Baptist leader says America under Trump in ‘dangerously deep moral territory’
An American Baptist leader says the United States is following President Donald Trump into moral bankruptcy by allowing his administration to pile up policies that punish the poor.
EPA chief seeks to roll back Obama-era environmental protections
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt signed papers Oct. 10 to begin a process to repeal the Clean Power Plan, the centerpiece of the previous administration’s initiative to reduce carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants connected to climate change.
Missouri Baptist Convention wins lawsuit against two breakaway entities
After 15 years of litigation, a state judge ruled Sept. 27 that trustees of two Missouri Baptist Convention entities violated their own articles of agreement when they acted unilaterally to choose their own successors instead of those nominated by the MBC.
Church-state experts voice concern about new religious-liberty guidelines
A church-state specialist says Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ 25-page memorandum outlining the scope of religious liberty protections reflects “a decided tilt” toward concerns about the free exercise of religion while giving short shrift to the First Amendment’s establishment clause.
Baptist school in spotlight after soda-throwing incident at NBA game
Students at California Baptist University gathered on campus Oct. 9 to send a counter-message to a racially charged viral video they say is giving the private Christian school controlled by the California Southern Baptist Convention a bad name.