Baptists in Europe continue to be creative, compassionate and relentless in providing humanitarian and pastoral support to Ukrainian refugees three months into Russia’s invasion of its western neighbor. The latest report from the European Baptist Federation says needs continue to…
Hearing from victims’ families changed the death penalty debate in Connecticut
Activists involved in the 2012 abolition of capital punishment in Connecticut say the perspectives of murder victims’ families was the key element in their campaign’s success. Even Michael Lawlor, the state’s criminal justice “czar” at the time, confirmed that those…
Author considers how to mourn what’s lost when the faithful leave church
The rise of Trumpism in U.S. churches and denominations is accelerating Americans’ disconnection from faith communities and leaving many bewildered and grief-stricken, according to the author of a new book about the psychology and hope of religious trauma. Leaving church…
Baptists in Ukraine continue their humanitarian work amid devastation
Baptist church planters and their congregations in Ukraine have been at the forefront of providing physical and spiritual ministry to Ukrainians displaced, surrounded or occupied by invading Russian forces. “A great number of Christian churches and humanitarian organizations from around…
Pennsylvania Baptist church licenses transgender man for ministry
A recent lay ministry licensing ceremony capped a multi-year ordeal for Joel Dugan, a 63-year-old transgender man who overcame the rejection of a Baptist association to live into his calling to serve his church and the LGBTQ community. The feeling…
Buffalo massacre is more evidence of white Christian nationalism, sociologists say
The May 14 grocery store massacre in Buffalo, N.Y., was a demonstration of how white Christian nationalist ideology energizes all kinds of violence, two sociologists said during a webinar hosted by the group Christians Against Christian Nationalism. Samuel Perry and…
Professor writes book to explain his journey from inerrantist to historicist
Like many Christians, Bill Thomason was raised to view the Bible as the inerrant word of God derived from pristine, original manuscripts penned by the individuals actually credited with authoring them. “I grew up in a fundamentalist Baptist church believing…
Accountability to God increases sense of well-being, study finds
Prayer, meditation and corporate worship aren’t the only religious factors that contribute significantly to emotional and mental well-being, a study by Baylor University and other researchers has found. The team of social scientists announced that believers who cultivate accountability to…
Progressives need to stop letting Christian nationalists set the agenda, author asserts
Adopting some of the tactics of the Religious Right may be instrumental in opposing the movement’s assault on democracy and faith freedom, said Katherine Stewart, an investigative journalist and author who tracks Christian nationalism in the U.S. and globally. “They…