I still remember sitting in the wooden chairs in Sunday school as faithful men and women taught me the word of God, from curriculum that came from the Baptist Sunday School Board, now known as Lifeway Christian Resources. I would…
Haynes is surprised to follow Jesse Jackson but believes God has prepared him
Freddy Haynes is a man on a new mission. Known to many as an influential pastor, activist and author, he’s now taken on a new role as leader of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, which was founded by Civil Rights leader…
Matt Bird flies with the realization his dyslexia is a blessing rather than a curse
One out of 10 people worldwide have dyslexia, according to the British Dyslexia Association. Matt Bird is one of those people. Yet Bird is the founder of PublishU and a coach to people trying to jumpstart their careers as authors….
Phil Wickham seeks to write worship songs that last more than 15 seconds
You may not know Phil Wickham by name. However, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve sung one of his Top Ten chart songs. From “Living Hope” to “This is Amazing Grace,” the many modern-day Christmas songs he’s written place him…
Why potluck and Wednesday night dinners are important
I still remember the smell, the food and the sounds of my childhood and formative years growing up at First Baptist Church in Orlando. The interactions at our Wednesday night dinners were transformative to me as a kid. Although it’s…
Kate Campbell is glad to be back in the room where it happens
Kate Campbell has done something few Baptists have done. She has sung for the Southern Baptist Convention, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and the Baptist World Alliance. Campbell, whose style is a Folk/Gospel mixed with Blues and Country, is the daughter…
SBC expels Oklahoma church over pastor’s racial impersonations
An Oklahoma church has been expelled from the Southern Baptist Convention because the pastor performed in blackface at a church event and impersonated a Native American woman at another. Matoaka Baptist Church in Ocheleta, Okla., was deemed “not in friendly…
Jen Hatmaker and Tyler Merrit find love and are taking their show on the road next week
For authors Jen Hatmaker and Tyler Merritt, finding love after 40 can be challenging. Jen is known to many as a New York Times bestselling author and speaker along with being one of the first influential leaders to come out…
Author of new MLK biography explains the logistical miracle of the March on Washington
Sixty years ago, the March on Washington might not have happened were it not for the influence of a gay activist named Bayard Rustin, according to the author of a new biography of Martin Luther King Jr. “Bayard Rustin was…
Cornel West also is running for president
You might have missed this amid the drama of the Republican primary for the 2024 presidential race, but Cornel West is running for president too. The 70-year-old activist, professor and commentator is not running as a Republican or a Democrat;…
We have to talk about race when it comes to Willie McLaurin
Willie McLaurin is my friend. However, he doesn’t get a pass from me for lying on his resume. I believe he set the influence of Black Southern Baptists back by two decades or more. If you would have asked me…
Luke Russert looks for his father and finds himself
For years, the name Tim Russert was synonymous with thoughtful political commentary. When the Meet the Press anchor died suddenly of a heart attack in June 2008 — just before Father’s Day — viewers on both sides of the political…