Human rights organizations have expressed alarm over the disappearances of two Baptist pastors in Myanmar who may have been detained for their role in showing journalists a Catholic church allegedly damaged by government airstrikes targeting ethnic Kachin rebels in the…
Organizations, including faith groups, oppose anti-Muslim rhetoric
The Alliance of Baptists joined nearly 90 national religious, secularist, civil rights and other organizations Jan. 17 in an open letter urging members of Congress to oppose anti-Muslim policies and rhetoric during the transition to the administration of President-elect Donald…
White House staffer named to Holocaust museum board
Melissa Rogers, special assistant to President Obama and executive director of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships and one-time general counsel of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, will be nominated by the outgoing president as…
Richard Land says evangelicals getting unprecedented input into Trump White House
A former Southern Baptist Convention official who sits on President-elect Donald Trump’s evangelical advisory board says even he is surprised by the amount of input the group is having in helping to shape the incoming administration. “I’ve been solicited five…
Baptist lawmaker seeks end to no-fault divorce
A Southern Baptist lawmaker is trying to make it harder for couples in Texas to get a divorce by proposing legislation to eliminate “insupportability” as a grounds for dissolution of marriage. State Rep. Matt Krause (R-Fort Worth) says the prevalence…
Obama declares historic civil rights sites national monuments
In his final days as America’s first African-American president, Barack Obama designated three new national monuments honoring the nation’s civil rights history. In anticipation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 16, the 44th president of the United…
Baptist senator breaks tradition to testify against attorney general nominee
A Baptist senator broke with Senate tradition Jan. 11, becoming what is believed to be the first sitting senator to testify against a colleague at a confirmation hearing for a Cabinet position. Sen. Corey Booker (D-N.J.) said some fellow senators…
Christian radio host says Russell Moore defenders missing the point
A Christian radio commentator says Southern Baptist conservatives who want to withdraw financial support for their denomination’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission neither hate agency head Russell Moore nor are they persecuting him. They are just tired of political posturing…
Leaders report progress on task force addressing sexual misconduct by clergy
A Cooperative Baptist Fellowship task force developing guidelines for responding to a wide range of sexual misconduct by clergy is in place and compiling best practices to be shared with churches and partner ministries, according to an update Jan. 11. Pam…
Congregations urged to stand for people’s rights in face of ‘authoritarian messages’
Fifty Christian leaders from across the nation called on congregations to stick up for the rights of all people in light of “threatening, authoritarian messages” accompanying the recent election of Donald Trump. “If such talk is not opposed, we open…
Despite criticism from conservatives, faith leaders bless new Planned Parenthood facility
While leaders in the Southern Baptist Convention and Republicans in Congress called for defunding Planned Parenthood, more than 20 local faith leaders came together Jan. 10 to pronounce blessings on the organization’s newest health clinic in Washington, D.C. Planned Parenthood…
Senate bill would block Muslim registry
A Baptist senator introduced legislation Jan. 5 to prevent President-elect Donald Trump from creating a federal registry for Muslims entering the United States. U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and eight fellow Democrats introduced the Protect American Families Act to “prohibit…