Beth Roberts has been named executive vice president and chief operating officer for the CBF Church Benefits Board. This nonprofit ministry affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship provides retirement benefits for ministers and staff members of churches affiliated with CBF,…
In state legislatures, a push against trans teens, for churches as ‘essential’ and seeking to define ‘religious freedom’
Ensuring the absolute right of churches to meet during a global pandemic, amending religious freedom legislation and enacting legislation against transgender youth have emerged as key faith-based actions in state legislatures across the nation this year. All three issues are…
Second Easter during pandemic brings greater sense of hope nationwide
Easter 2021 was filled with tears for many Christian worshipers across America, but this year they often were tears of joy as congregations met in-person for the first time in a year. Even if those services were held outdoors, they…
25 faith-based schools named in LGBTQ discrimination case against Department of Education
Three Baptist universities are among 25 faith-based schools named in a class-action lawsuit filed March 29 against the U.S. Department of Education, with claims of unlawful discrimination against LGBTQ students. The suit, filed in U.S District Court in Eugene, Ore.,…
New data on COVID vaccine efficacy is good news for faith leaders seeking to be influencers
As faith leaders continue to preach the public health benefits of the COVID-19 vaccines, they now have additional support to make the case. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on March 29 reported results of a real-world study…
Arkansas allows medical providers to deny service based on a provider’s own ethics or religious beliefs
Personal conscience now outranks the responsibility to provide medical care to all people equally in Arkansas, according to a bill passed by the state Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Asa Hutchinson March 26. Senate Bill 289, also known…
Prominent Atlanta church announces property deal that will fund a relaunch and a missions and ministry endowment
One of the most iconic Baptist churches in central Atlanta will give up about half its 12-acre property in a plan to relaunch the congregation and serve the community through a missions and ministry endowment. Wieuca Road Baptist Church has…
‘This is a time of moral and social reckoning,’ Boulder pastor tells congregation
“This is again and again a time of moral and social reckoning,” Boulder, Colo., pastor Andrew Daugherty told his congregation the day after the mass murder at a grocery store located about 3 miles from his church. “Who are we…
Meet Sally Gary, the Churches of Christ advocate for gay Christians
In the past year, Sally Gary survived a global pandemic, helped start a church, wrote a book, and came out publicly to her Churches of Christ network as not only affirming the reality of same-sex attraction but also of same-sex…
Here’s the link between COVID vaccine denial and opposition to sensible gun control
If you want to understand why we can’t get even the simplest of gun safety laws passed in this country, look to the stats on COVID-19 vaccinations. New polling out this week — released between the horrific shootings in Atlanta…
Perez and Aho named to new staff roles with CBF
A North Carolina pastor and a Texas mission strategist have been named to new staff positions with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Chris Aho, pastor at Oxford Baptist Church in Oxford, N.C., has been named director of CBF’s Thriving Congregations project…
VA chaplains have learned that mental health providers and clergy need to talk more and trust each other
As Steve Sullivan and psychologists convened small groups of mental health providers and clergy over the past two years, they learned that lack of trust creates barriers to integrated care. Armed with a grant from Bristol Myers Squibb, VA Mental…