Johnny Hunt is suing the Southern Baptist Convention, the SBC Executive Committee and Guidepost Solutions for defamation and invasion of privacy for making public the story of his “brief, inappropriate, extramarital encounter with a married woman” in 2010. Hunt is…
UMC agency asks to monitor bishop’s case as suspicion rises
A churchwide agency charged with monitoring the participation of women in the United Methodist Church has asked to observe the judicial process investigating complaints against Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño, who has been suspended from active ministry for a year without…
Polling is shifting on conservatives’ attitudes on immigration
The results of a new survey reveal strong Republican and evangelical support for meaningful immigration reforms and may suggest that harsh anti-immigrant rhetoric does not resonate with most conservative voters, a leading U.S. immigration advocate said. “We found really high…
Denny Burk pushes back against Rick Warren’s new understanding of women in ministry
Yes, women may have preached on the Day of Pentecost, but the “office of pastor” is reserved for men, a leading spokesman for complementarian theology said in response to Rick Warren’s recent explanation about why he changed his mind on…
Akin apologizes for tweet about slavery but is chastised by the SBC’s far-right
A Southern Baptist Convention seminary president apologized March 11 for his “unwise words” in a tweet about Texas Tech University football coach Mark Adams. The apology tweet was graciously received by many in the SBC and beyond, but it was…
80,000 Jews have fled Russia since Putin invaded Ukraine
Jews are urged to flee Russia as the persecution of religious minorities in that country increasingly matches the oppression of Ukrainian faith groups, an exiled rabbi said during a webinar hosted by the U.S. Commission on Religious Liberty. “This new…
Africa’s freelance prophets are breaking free of denominations
Zikode Phiri calls himself a “freelance prophet.” He has just completed a tour of France and Britain for “private prayer” clients — laying on hands, casting out demons, and interpreting dreams for those who have paid for his visa and…
Transitions for the week of 3-17-23
Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated bi-weekly. STAFF CHANGES Joe Abell, to Second Branch Baptist Church, Chesterfield, Va., as interim pastor. Lori Bade, to Broadmoor Baptist Church,…
CeCe Winans believes it
The numbers tell part of the story of CeCe Winans and her stellar career: 15 Grammy awards, 31 Grammy nominations, 29 Dove awards, 15 Stellar Awards, just to name a few. Plus, she’s sold 17 million records worldwide. The Christian…
BSK seeks input on youth and children’s ministries
Baptist Seminary of Kentucky is conducting an online survey to determine how it can best serve congregations seeking ministers for youth and children’s work. In recent decades, churches increasingly have been filling these positions with individuals from within the congregation…
Alliance of Baptists and others urge Congress to divert military funds to social services
The Alliance of Baptists joined more than 60 U.S. faith-based organizations March 14 to plead with Congress to redirect defense spending to bolster funds available for education, housing, health care and other community reinvestment initiatives. The groups sent a letter…
Less talked about: Clergy sexual abuse on the mission field
While Southern Baptists have been focused on alleged mishandling of sexual abuse cases in the United States, there’s another, less-talked-about legacy of sexual abuse perpetuated by Christian missionaries sent from the United States to other countries. As one of the…