A proposed constitutional amendment to bar any Southern Baptist Convention church from giving a woman the title “pastor” gained steam — and opposition — this week with publication of a list of 170 SBC churches said to have women serving…
Former staff at Knoxville church see a familiar pattern in Northern Seminary’s complaints about Shiell’s leadership
When former staff members at First Baptist Church of Knoxville, Tenn., read accounts of how faculty and staff at Northern Seminary said they had been mistreated by President Bill Shiell, they recognized a cautionary tale they wish all congregations and…
Egged on by evangelical influence, Ugandan Parliament passes harsh new anti-gay bill
Eight years after an anti-LGBTQ bill passed by the Ugandan Parliament failed to see the light of day due to a court overruling it, Parliament March 21 passed another anti-gay bill after barely two weeks of consideration. Tagged as the…
Judge’s dismissal of 36 churches’ lawsuit holds implications for other UMC departures
A North Carolina judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by 36 United Methodist churches seeking to leave the denomination without following its required exit process. The dismissal holds broader implications for the slow-moving splintering of the worldwide denomination, which currently…
Barna finds pastors are exhausted and isolated, which could be an opportunity for change
Pastors in the United States continue to feel increasingly exhausted, isolated and uncertain of their place in ministry in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Barna reports in a new study on clergy resilience. Barna said its research “shows that…
One-third of Northern Seminary students express no confidence in trustees
More than 100 students at Northern Seminary have signed a letter stating they have no confidence in the board of trustees to manage the Chicago-area school in light of recent events with former President Bill Shiell. That represents one-third of…
He was wrongly put on Death Row and believes you could be too
When the state of Florida could muster no evidence to convict Ron Wright in a double homicide case, it succeeded by spinning an elaborate narrative about him in court, the 2017 death row exoneree said. “Mine was a ‘wholly circumstantial’…
Paula Faris makes a case for motherhood
Paula Faris wants to make a case for working moms. The former Good Morning America anchor and former co-host of The View was inspired by Lee Strobel’s book The Case for Christ. “I loved how Lee Strobel put Jesus on…
Sociologists find LGBTQ United Methodists, allies stay in UMC out of hope
Sociologists Nancy Malcom and A.J. Ramirez, both United Methodists, hoped they might get at least 50 responses when they first started to research why LGBTQ church members and their allies stayed in a denomination that officially condemns “homosexual practice” as…
First American woman appointed a missionary beat the system by funding herself
In 2013, Reid Trulson was researching the history of missions in the American Baptist Churches USA when he stumbled across the name of a Charlotte H. White, a previously unremembered 19th century missionary. Then serving as executive director of ABCUSA’s…
Jimmy Carter leads by example one last time
Former President Jimmy Carter’s final modeling of Christian faith may have come when he made public his choice to enter hospice care on Feb. 18. Across the nation, professionals who address end-of-life issues every day reported Carter’s decision sparked conversations…
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…