By Jeff Brumley and Ken Camp It’s hardly unusual to hear evangelicals and other Protestants praying for persecuted Eastern Christians these days, especially those fleeing terrorists forces in Syria and Iraq. But that wasn’t always the case. and if there…
Worried about ISIS and Ebola? Pray the news, experts say
By Jeff Brumley These days, the news is full of disease, violence and death. It’s hardly possible to go a day, or even an hour, without exposure to images of beheadings, airstrikes, nations invading nations, downed or missing airliners and…
White evangelicals feel heat of religious decline, surveys show
By Jeff Brumley Two new polls show that religious conservatives — mainly white evangelicals — are complaining louder as they lose ground in the so-called culture wars. They also describe a widening gap between the faithful and religiously unaffiliated Americans. What’s it…
‘Nones’ increasingly uninterested in ministers at time of death, funerals
By Jeff Brumley There was a time when even the unchurched came to church for at least one occasion — their deaths. It was an era when nearly everyone, even those who rejected religion, had some connection to faith, however distant….
Study: Youth experiment less with alcohol, drugs when plugged into church
By Jeff Brumley and Terry Goodrich Young people are less likely to try alcohol and drugs if they attend religious services regularly and self-identify as religious, a new Baylor University study has found. The study suggests that youth who feel…
At 88, Baptist educator Bruce Heilman is still taking on life
With Marines still battling the Japanese for control of other parts of Iwo Jima in early 1945, a two-engine Navy transport plane, loaded with people and equipment, begins its takeoff roll along the single airstrip on the volcanic Pacific island….
Uncivil conduct among Christians fuels church decline, says Baptist pastor and author
By Jeff Brumley Given the bitter, high-profile way Christians slug it out on social, political and theological issues these days, it’s no mystery why young people are leaving the church or avoiding it in the first place, Baptist minister and…
Seeking God through worship — and jazz
By Jeff Brumley For centuries, Baptist and other churches have sought encounters with the divine through music. The quest has led to everything from organs and hymns to guitars, drum sets and praise bands. Now there are those hoping the…
Baptist film critics: Christian films and audiences must evolve
By Jeff Brumley Organizers hope a first-ever gathering of Hollywood and Christian leaders in Los Angeles tomorrow will spark ideas for movies and television shows that will positively influence society. But a Baptist pastor and film critic says there’s an…