Americans are moving increasingly to the right politically and economically, a trend that has gained significant momentum in 2023, according to new research by Gallup. “The shift is mostly due to increasing social conservatism among Republicans, at a time when…
This church wanted an examination of its history, not just a coffee table book
The Olin T. Binkley Memorial Baptist Church didn’t want the typical chronicle or hagiography when it asked historian Andrew Gardner to write its congregational history. “And we didn’t want a coffee table book of nice pictures,” said Senior Minister Marcus…
U.S. charitable giving took an unusual downturn last year
Rising inflation and persistent recession fears helped drive down 2022 charitable giving in the U.S. for only the third time in four decades, researchers behind the latest Giving USA study said. Total giving by corporations, foundations, bequests and individuals dropped…
With record levels of loneliness, young men need mentors, research shows
Young men desperately need mentors and safe, understanding communities to help overcome the loneliness they are experiencing at record levels, according to a panel of experts hosted by Springtide Research Institute. “What I’m continuing to hear is they are looking…
High court’s ruling on wedding website designer is fatally flawed, Hollman and Tyler say
The U.S. Supreme Court’s 303 Creative v. Elenis ruling could undermine public accommodation laws historically enacted to end Jim Crow and other discriminatory practices, said Holly Hollman, general counsel for Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. “It’s not surprising that…
Return to radical vision of early Baptists on church-state separation, Tyler and Leonard urge
Baptists must tap into their radical Christians roots to help counter the white Christian nationalism that threatens American democracy and social justice, warned Amanda Tyler and Bill Leonard. The duo spoke during a June 29 breakout session at the Cooperative…
‘We have 8-track churches in a streaming world,’ Otis Moss tells CBF
Using Christian tradition and dogma to oppose women in ministry is like clinging to outdated technology to listen to music, author and pastor Otis Moss III said. “The problem is we have 8-track churches in a streaming world, and we…
BWIM and CBF launch resource for churches studying women in ministry
Baptist Women in Ministry and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship have unveiled a new curriculum to provide congregations with a biblical foundation for embracing and celebrating women in church leadership. The reveal came during the July 29 plenary session at CBF’s…
Religious freedom has been ‘white too long,’ BJC speakers declare
Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty and its new Center for Faith, Justice and Reconciliation are urgently needed to counter the white supremacy menacing religious liberty for all in the United States, scholar and Baptist minister Adam Bond said. They…