There has been a slight time change for this week’s BNG webinar with Matt Cook and Bill Wilson of the Center for Healthy Churches. The webinar will begin this Wednesday, Sept. 20, at 1 p.m. Central time. Also, two more…
Number of countries with blasphemy laws grows by 13%
A U.S. agency has added 11 nations to its list of countries willing to use fines, imprisonment or the death penalty to punish those accused of insulting religious beliefs or institutions. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Liberty increased its…
The SBC’s far-far right believes all members of a Cooperation Group should agree with their views
Some Southern Baptist Convention pastors who are urging final adoption of a constitutional amendment prohibiting females from being called “pastor” are upset because the SBC has appointed a cooperation committee where not all members agree exactly with their views. That…
Judge again rules DACA illegal; humanitarian advocates call for congressional response
A U.S. judge in Texas has ruled the Biden Administration’s strategy for preserving DACA — Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals — is illegal. The decision eventually could threaten work and deportation protections enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of young undocumented…
Kansas is latest state to fund anti-abortion groups that encourage women to give birth
Kansas is the latest state to award a government contract to an anti-abortion nonprofit group that encourages women who face unplanned pregnancies to give birth and provides them with resources to make motherhood work. “Alternatives to Abortion” legislation enacted in…
Growth of Christianity in China may have stalled but no one knows for sure
The growth of Christianity in China has remained flat for more than a decade, according to polls conducted in the Communist nation and analyzed by Pew Research Center. “Christianity flourished after China entered an era of economic reforms and ‘opening…
Transitions for the week of 9-15-23
Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated bi-weekly. STAFF CHANGES Jennifer Ager, to Purcellville (Va.) Baptist Church, as children’s director. Carrie Andrus, to South Main Baptist Church, Pasadena,…
SBC Executive Committee eliminates 20% of staff due to budget crisis
The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee eliminated 20% of its staff Sept. 13 but has not indicated what positions or people were affected. An announcement was made through Baptist Press, the in-house news service that is run by Executive Committee…
At AWAB lecture, Susan Shaw lays out 10 lies Christians tell about queer people
“The church has no problem telling lies if it works to advance their political ambitions, and we see now the extent of Christian nationalist desire for a theocracy rooted in white supremacist, patriarchal values which have nothing to do with…
Ministry jobs and more
Baptist News Global provides a free listing of ministry-related jobs for Baptist churches, theological institutions and organizations across the United States. Each free posting is for 30 days and is limited to 150 words. Postings may be extended another 30…
Evangelical leaders condemn DeSantis for politicizing state executions
The presidential aspirations of Gov. Ron DeSantis have exacerbated the challenges facing Florida’s Death Row inmates and the activists trying to help them, said one of the state’s leading opponents of capital punishment. “Florida is a very dark place for…
Fellowship Southwest’s first conference calls for advocacy and action
Identifying needs and strategies for advocacy and action was the focus of Fellowship Southwest’s first Compassion and Justice Conference in Dallas last week. Convened at Life in Deep Ellum, a church and community center on the eastern fringe of downtown…