The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is expanding its advocacy work with the addition of two new staff members announced Nov. 30. Jennifer Hawks, associate general counsel for Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty in Washington, D.C., has been named CBF’s director…
‘Pastor Johnny’ wins a bid to unseal Guidepost documents
Of the more than two dozen legal cases currently pending in courts against the Southern Baptist Convention or its entities, one takes particular aim at the work of Guidepost Solutions, the independent researcher that produced the scathing report of mishandled…
Professors defend Thomas Jefferson from Christian nationalism
The evangelical narrative of one of America’s Founding Fathers continues to be so historically inaccurate that a duo of authors has released an updated version of their book defending the real legacy of Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson definitely was not a…
Judge rules discovery may continue in Sillses’ lawsuit against SBC parties
One of the multiple lawsuits currently pending against the Southern Baptist Convention and its various agencies got a green light to continue Nov. 22, despite objections that the case is “frivolous” and legal discovery could cause harm. U.S. District Judge…
Five truths about church committees and their work
It’s that time of year again when faithful church members might receive phone calls or emails with special invitations for the year ahead: “We’d like you to serve on a church committee or ministry team.” The “we” in a traditional…
He’s got a Rice business degree; now he’s focused on finding the best use for church buildings
Church property costs $7 to $10 per square foot annually to operate, which can mean $70,000 to $100,000 for a modest 10,000-square-foot property, according to Rick Reinhard, who unexpectedly has become an authority on repurposing church real estate. Reinhard, a…
Pressler’s former law partner, accused of knowing about abuse, is running for Texas House
Paul Pressler’s former law partner, who has been accused of knowing about the Baptist powerbroker’s alleged abuse of young men and not reporting it, is running for the Texas House of Representatives and aspires to become speaker of the House,…
Yes, Trump has a ‘radical agenda’ if elected again, but where’s the religious talk?
For months, national media have been reporting on Donald Trump’s proposed “radical agenda” if elected to a second term in the White House. What’s conspicuously absent from the volumes of promises Trump has made is much reference to “religion” or…
Three weeks later, four SBC entities are standing by their legal brief against a sexual abuse survivor
Three weeks after the Southern Baptist Convention and three of its entities were discovered to have signed an amicus brief in Kentucky arguing against the rights of sexual abuse survivors seeking justice, nothing has changed on the legal front. Neither…