When First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Fla., announced all members would have to sign a statement on “biblical sexuality” or be kicked out, the idea sounded novel to most Baptists. Baptists in America are not accustomed to being required to…
Control and abuse: Report sheds new light on the beginnings of L’Arche and the life and legacy of Jean Vanier, its founder
Jean Vanier, the renowned and beloved author, speaker and founder of L’Arche, an international network of residential communities supporting adults with intellectual disabilities, also was a sexual predator of women, according to a report released Jan. 30. The report was…
Failure to love neighbor leads to racism and sexism, Houston pastor tells Baylor conference
The church’s failure to care for all people with the compassion Christ commanded fuels white supremacy and racial injustice, Sean Palmer said during a Baylor University conference on racism and faith. “It’s the failure to love neighbor that has always…
American teenagers prefer to affiliate with congregations that support social justice causes and mental health
A quarter of the world’s teenagers say the church has “definitely” lost its effectiveness as a force against injustice, poverty and environmental challenges, new research shows. But in the United States, Generation Z is more optimistic about organized religion’s role…
There’s ‘no evidence’ Johnny Hunt committed sexual abuse, says Florida church that cleared him and invited him to preach
A Florida church that recently platformed Johnny Hunt — and whose pastor chaired Hunt’s self-appointed “restoration” committee — has told the Southern Baptist Convention Credentials Committee it has no authority over them and has no evidence Hunt is guilty of…
The pandemic gave Jim Cymbala a new window on church
As Pastor Jim Cymbala sat looking through the windows of his condo in Florida that day in March 2020, he knew the world never would be the same. “I went down on March 8, 2020, to get away and planned…
Transitions for the week of 2-17-23
Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated bi-weekly. STAFF CHANGES Carlton Allen, to First Baptist Church, Greenwood, S.C., as interim pastor. Ashley Boschen, concluding her tenure as associate…
In a dusty Mexican border town, Fellowship Southwest offers refuge for those fleeing cartel violence
There are no easy days for migrants stranded in Mexico while seeking asylum in the United States. The challenges they face are treacherous and seemingly limitless, including the constant threat of kidnappings and murder by prowling cartel members, gnawing hunger…
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…
Baylor unveils design for “Monument to the Unknown Enslaved’
Baylor University has released the first detailed renderings of an addition to its Founders Mall that will be called “Monument to the Unknown Enslaved.” The monument is a priority project of the Baptist school’s Commission on Historic Campus Representations, which…
Church of England tries to make a middle way on same-sex unions, but …
The archbishop of Canterbury will not personally follow a new opportunity for Church of England clergy to “bless” same-sex unions, but the archbishop of York says he will. This new option — not what either side in the controversy really…
White evangelicals are three times more likely than Americans in general to support Christian nationalism
New research shows white evangelical Protestants and Republicans are increasingly embracing the ideology of Christian nationalism at much higher rates than the general U.S. population. The survey of more than 6,000 Americans by Public Religion Research Institute and Brookings Institution…