As the Texas Senate convened its second special session Aug. 15 — primarily to gerrymander five more Republican seats in the U.S. House of Representatives — Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick threatened to remove anyone who doesn’t stand for the invocation….
In Texas, is ‘shepherd’ another word for ‘pastor’?
The quest for absolute purity in opposing women carrying the title “pastor” is now dividing the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, the conservative breakaway group formed in 1998. SBTC was formed as an alternative to the Baptist General Convention of…
Du Mez calls conservatives to speak against Doug Wilson
Even conservative complementarian evangelicals should be speaking out against Doug Wilson, according to historian and author Kristin DuMez. In an Aug. 16 column on her Substack, the professor at Calvin University addressed the issue in light of the latest national…
Pew: Trump’s agenda and performance hugely unpopular
Despite carte blanche from a Republican-led Congress, President Donald Trump’s agenda is hugely unpopular with Americans at large, according to Pew Research. Trump’s approval rating now stands at 38%, with 60% of Americans disapproving of his track record six months…
SBC launches new sexual abuse helpline
After scathing criticism of its current sexual abuse hotline, the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee launched an alternative help line Aug. 18. The announcement came from the SBC Executive Committee’s Office for Abuse Prevention and Response. The new hotline is…
Once the largest Baptist church in Alabama, this congregation is downsizing
Another church that once was among the largest in the Southern Baptist Convention is selling it 19-acre property and downsizing. The property of Dauphin Way Baptist Church in Mobile, Ala., is now listed for sale for $28.5 million. Current pastor…
Texas anti-abortion bill would nullify RFRA
As the Texas Legislature convenes for yet another special session this week, lawmakers will face a surprise item buried on the agenda that would affect religious liberty. Senate Bill 7 (originally Senate Bill 2880 and then Senate Bill 6), which…
Court blocks Trump’s threat to schools over DEI
The president of the United States has the power to make unwise decisions but still must follow procedures to do so, a federal court ruled Aug. 14 in a rebuke to the Trump administration’s efforts to purge public schools of…
Small denomination emerges to support exiled progressive ministers
What might be the nation’s smallest Protestant denomination — if you can call it that — has hired its first part-time director. Open Table Network is now in its third year and has approved ordination credentials for 50 ministers in…
When a former megachurch becomes a satellite congregation
Something struck me as odd when I read the news that Roswell Street Baptist Church in Marietta, Ga., has become a satellite campus of First Baptist Church of Woodstock in far north suburban Atlanta. Back in the day, Roswell Street…
Kim Davis is back — challenging same-sex marriage nationwide
If it chooses to, the U.S. Supreme Court now has a pathway to reconsider its landmark 2015 ruling that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. If it does it, the court will fulfill the dream of conservative evangelicals — including Southern Baptists…
REAP will cease operations
The organization that unsuccessfully sued the U.S. Department of Education to stop religious exemptions to Title IX for LGBTQ students at Christian universities is disbanding. The board of directors of the Religious Exemption Accountability Project announced the closure Aug. 10….