There is a growing trend among Southern Baptist churches to adopt an elder-based model over the traditional congregational model. In Baptist churches, the concept of elder-led polity refers to a specific form of church governance where elders play a central role in decision-making and…
Who’s an evangelical? New poll finds Southern Baptists separating from Christian nationalists on some points
The question of whether Southern Baptists should be counted among the nation’s conservative evangelicals is not a new one, but it is up for debate again thanks to results from a new Lifeway Research survey on faith and politics. That…
How the abortion debate blew up last week
Abortion, the one issue that for decades united conservative Christian “pro-family” activists and rallied evangelical voters, blew up last week in the days before Americans watched a total eclipse of the sun. First, Donald Trump rattled the anti-abortion movement by…
The war on abortion is now a war on birth control
Inspired by influencers on TikTok, young women are abandoning hormonal birth control and seeking alternative methods of contraception. But not everyone behind the push to “natural” family planning has their best interests at heart. Conservative religious groups and rightwing political…
What happened when Mark Driscoll and Josh Howerton showed up at the Stronger Men’s Conference this weekend
Megachurch pastor Mark Driscoll seethed as Alex Magala, described by two fawning onlookers as “the finest swordsman in all the world,” slowly circled a pole on stage, peeled off his red leather top, slid his tongue up to the tip of…
Here’s how toxic male supremacy keeps on infecting the church, even in a supposed ‘apology’
“So, that’s awesome, man,” megachurch pastor Josh Howerton concluded in what he claimed was an apology to his congregation on Sunday. “Can we move on now? Y’all good with that? We’re gonna do that. That’s what we’re going to do….
America’s changing culture means there’s not much of a rush to the cafeteria for Sunday lunch
The old joke about the Baptists trying to beat the Methodists to the cafeteria for Sunday lunch seems stale these days. You might more easily find a remaining cafeteria in some towns than a plurality of people who actually attend…
Portents in the heavens and signs of the times: An eclipse, Harry Potter and a scholar changing his mind all in the same week
As if it were not enough to have Anne Graham Lotz and Marjorie Taylor Greene warning of God’s judgment on America through a solar eclipse, some in the Religious Right lost their minds over the weekend in two other social…
Even in March Madness, the playing field remains uneven for women
Every March, millions of people locate their yellow highlighters and black pens as they compete against family, friends and coworkers for bragging rights in their March Madness bracket contest. It all started in a Staten Island bar in 1977, where…