A Cooperative Baptist Fellowship minister said Jan. 9 that Sen. Jeff Sessions’ anti-immigration record makes him unfit to serve as U.S. attorney general. Alyssa Aldape, associate pastor at First Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., joined nationally known clergy including Moral…
Same-sex married couple to lead historic Baptist church
A historic Baptist church in the nation’s capital has called a legally married lesbian couple as co-pastors. Calvary Baptist Church in Washington announced Jan. 9 the hiring of Sally Sarratt and Maria Swearingen as the congregation’s new senior ministers. The couple,…
Advocate says preaching opportunities changing landscape for Baptist women in ministry
A decade-old emphasis encouraging moderate Baptist churches to invite a woman to preach one Sunday in February has contributed to a shift in how people in the pew think about women in ministry, a longtime advocate for pulpit inclusiveness said…
Couple continues legal fight against Glorieta sale
An Arkansas couple who lost a lease on property on which they purchased a vacation home with the sale of Glorieta Conference Center in 2013 say they aren’t giving up on their legal battle to invalidate the deal after losing…
IMB head urges collegians not to let fear get in the way of God’s call
A Southern Baptist Convention official told 2,000 college students at a gathering over Christmas break that indifference and fear about the global refugee crisis is closing doors to share the gospel. David Platt, president of the SBC International Mission Board,…
‘Alliance Day’ marks 30th birthday for Alliance of Baptists
Feb. 12 marks 30 years since simultaneous press conferences in three cities announced formation of a new Baptist organization around principles viewed as under attack in the Southern Baptist Convention from a conservative faction now firmly in control of the…
U.S. Christians divided on U.N. rebuke of Israel
A coalition of Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant churches that works to influence U.S. policy on peace and justice issues in the Middle East applauded the Obama administration for not exercising veto power of a Dec. 23 United Nations Security Council…
Judge says N.J. town discriminates against Muslims
A federal judge has ruled that requiring a mosque to have more parking spaces than churches or synagogues is unconstitutional, citing in part a friend-of-the-court brief filed by a diverse coalition of civil rights and religious groups including the Baptist…
Senators question Trump’s pick to head EPA
Six Democratic senators are asking Donald Trump’s pick to head the Environmental Protection Agency to answer questions about whether his ties to the fossil fuel industry might influence his work before confirmation hearings begin. Members of the Senate Environment and…
Baptist lawmaker seeks to remove the state from marriage debate
A Southern Baptist lawmaker is proposing a truce in the political battle over same-sex marriage by getting the state government out of the business of issuing marriage licenses altogether. Missouri State Rep. T.J. Berry, a member and deacon at First…
Our most-read articles of 2016
Here are most-read opinion and news headlines from 2016, as reported by Google Analytics. Seven things I’m learning about transgender persons In a May 15 article and follow-up, Mark Wingfield shared his perspective as a straight male trying to understand…
Theologian says God not in control
A Baptist theologian who spent a quarter century reformulating the Christian doctrine of providence says most mainline theology about evil, suffering and God’s goodness is wrong. “We’re still living in the 21st century with a vision of God in relationship…