George Docherty was a progressive Presbyterian minister serving in the nation’s capital. In 1965, he marched with Martin Luther King Jr. across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., in a civil rights demonstration after Bloody Sunday. Docherty later criticized the Vietnam…
News flash: Not all Baptists are Southern
Southern Baptists make up less than half of all Baptists in the United States. But you’d never guess that from media coverage. Last month, Baptist leaders from dozens of nations gathered in Birmingham, Ala., for the first in-person meeting of…
Is attacking a candidate’s sermon different than attacking a candidate’s speeches?
Attacking a political candidate for something said in a speech is different than attacking a candidate for something preached in a sermon, according to Amanda Tyler, executive director of Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. Tyler and BJC Director of…
Baptist Calvinists defend slavery of Southern Seminary founders
As some Black Southern Baptists urge their denomination’s flagship seminary to remove honors to enslavers, prominent white Calvinists associated with the school are defending not only the founders but even slavery.
If elected, Harris would be fifth Baptist vice president; the first was a slaveholder
If Joe Biden wins the November election, his running mate announced Aug. 11 will become the fifth Baptist vice president. Sen. Kamala Harris attends Third Baptist Church in San Francisco. However, as a Black and Asian American woman, Harris stands…
Experts warn that the church has lost its way — and its influence
Some Christian leaders wonder if the American church retains any meaningful influence in a society when it has been so strongly dominated by other cultural forces. In the book The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience, theologian Ron Sider laments that…
Supreme Court to consider government funding for faith, and BJC weighs in
Church-state issues can be emotionally, and legally, challenging subjects. They can influence the direction a municipality, state and nation can take on matters of faith and government. Now, the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case on church-state…
Churches should act to counter ‘Blue Monday’ blues, ministers say
Over a decade ago, a travel company launched an advertising campaign declaring the third Monday in January to be the most depressing day of the year. Some scoff at the calculations used to pick “Blue Monday,” which would be Jan….
Missionaries discover different Christmas traditions around the world
Significant challenges emerge as missionaries adjust to life in new countries. Building relationships, perhaps learning new languages and learning cultural traditions are among the challenges. Even Christmas can bring new experiences. Depending on the location, “dreaming of a white Christmas”…