Calling himself a “Southern Baptist whistleblower,” a Texas Baptist pastor on June 10 accused Southern Baptist Convention leaders Ronnie Floyd and Mike Stone of lying about their previous closed-door comments regarding sexual abuse concerns in the denomination. Phillip Bethancourt, pastor…
Southwestern Seminary changes name of its undergraduate college
A Southern Baptist seminary in Texas has changed the name of its undergraduate college for the second time since its founding in 2005. The new name, Texas Baptist College, carries a state feel to it, yet neither Southwestern Baptist Theological…
Biden administration signals intent to defend religious exemption for schools
It appears the Biden administration intends to defend the religious exemptions granted to faith-based schools that allow them to bypass federal laws against discrimination toward LGBTQ students while still receiving federal grants. The Washington Post broke the story June 9…
Majority of Americans oppose overturning Roe v. Wade
The composition of the United States Supreme Court may have tilted on abortion, but the majority sentiment of the American public has not changed similarly. As with other key social issues most frequently espoused by religious conservatives — including immigration,LGBTQ…
Leaked letters and charges of covering up sexual abuse set the stage for a potential investigation of the investigators inside SBC
The most powerful coordinating committee at the heart of the Southern Baptist Convention will become the subject of a convention-mandated, third-party investigation if two SBC pastors get their way next week. Ronnie Parrott, pastor of Christ Community Church in Huntersville,…
Get ready: There’s a second wave of church conflict coming
A pastor who works to encourage other pastors recently posted on Facebook that he personally knows 28 pastors who have left the ministry in the past year. That’s one graphic illustration of what the season of our discontent has wrought…
Southwestern Seminary seeks fulfillment of $5 million pledge Pattersons attempted to divert from school
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary has filed a $5 million claim against the estate of a recently deceased donor whose planned gift to the Fort Worth, Texas, school allegedly was redirected after interference by Paige and Dorothy Patterson. Elizabeth Griffin of…
Advocacy group that fought COVID church closures in California awarded $2.1 million for legal fees
The conservative Christian advocacy group that fought the state of California’s mandates on church closures during the coronavirus pandemic will be reimbursed by the state for more than $2 million in legal fees. Separate settlements were announced between the state…
They grew up in purity culture, then taught it and now want to help others recover from it
Ryan Clark and Nathan Novero grew up in evangelical purity culture and even preached it as youth ministers. Now they are trying to address the sexual dysfunction and trauma inflicted on themselves and others by what seemed at the time…