Trustees of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary have released 20 years of audited financial records — more than any Southern Baptist Convention entity has done — documenting a devastating pattern of overspending while enrollment plummeted. The spending spree began with former…
On migrant crisis, the U.S. and UK governments share a controversial tactic in common
The United States practice of paying Mexico millions of dollars to keep asylum-seeking immigrants from crossing the southern border is not unique. The United Kingdom does something similar in partnership with Rwanda. In the U.S., the Biden administration has been…
27% of Americans are still watching religious services online
While church attendance in America has declined slightly over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, how people attend religious services appears to have stabilized, according to Pew Research Center. “As the coronavirus pandemic winds down, about a quarter of Americans…
‘Leaders are formed in the leading,’ Bolsinger advises pastors
Clergy become transformational leaders by experiencing the disappointment, loss and fear congregations exhibit when faced with innovative change, church coach and author Tod Bolsinger said. “Leaders aren’t formed and then get called into leadership. Leaders are formed in the leading,…
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…
One year after Roe was overturned, states have a ‘hodgepodge of laws’
The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade on June 24, 2022, ending half a century of broad abortion access. Since then, the battles have moved to the states, creating a multi-hued map one state official called a “hodgepodge of…
Shurden Lecture takes on the ‘myth of American chosenness’
Modern American Christian nationalists stand apart from their predecessors who at least claimed some degree of respect for religious freedom and other values enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, a religion scholar said. Catherine Brekus, professor of the history of religion…
What happens when Tom Ascol finds Ted Cruz to be too liberal and quotes Leviticus 20:13?
When a prominent Southern Baptist pastor quotes Levitical law prescribing the death penalty for participants in gay sex, should that be interpreted as calling for capital punishment for gay people in America today? Apparently not, according to Florida pastor Tom…
Three billboards outside Nashville, Tennessee
During most trips down the interstate, drivers mindlessly zoom past billboards bombarding them with a blur of messages on their way to wherever they’re going. But every once in a while, travelers are confronted with a message about a different…
Baptist Children’s Homes of North Carolina loses president and board chair in same week
Editor’s note: this report was updated June 2 to add updated information. Baptist Children’s Homes of North Carolina has undergone a shakeup in leadership in recent weeks after one official was accused of killing a neighbor’s dogs and another abruptly…
Faith-based immigration advocates hopeful about new bill in Congress
Faith-based immigration advocates are getting behind a new bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives to strengthen border security, protect migrant children and create pathways for permanent residency for qualified immigrants already in the United States. The Evangelical…
Coalition urges White House not to overlook Black immigrants
A coalition of American civil rights groups is pressing the White House to enact policies to protect undocumented Black migrants from deportation they believe stems from systemic racism. The Southern Poverty Law Center joined the NAACP, the Haitian Bridge Alliance,…