The Church of England’s decision to allow same-sex couples to receive blessings in the church has drawn rebukes from church leaders in Africa. A majority of Church of England synod members, comprising bishops, clergy and laity, voted in favor of…
Coalitions in Florida and Texas seek to halt executions of mentally ill inmates
Death penalty opponents are pleading with two U.S. governors to halt the impending executions of a pair of mentally ill prisoners, including a Florida inmate scheduled for execution Feb. 23. “We pray that Gov. (Ron) DeSantis will consider the full…
Pastors gear up to battle bequest of vouchers for children in private schools
As the governor and top lawmakers in Texas make a fresh push to divert public education money to private schools, a group of faith leaders is advocating against the move, based on their religious beliefs. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who…
Southern Baptist Convention ousts its largest church, Saddleback, for having a woman pastor
The Southern Baptist Convention has removed its largest congregation, Saddleback Church of Lake Forest, Calif., for appointing a woman as a teaching pastor. The SBC Executive Committee, which acts on behalf of the nation’s largest Protestant denomination in-between the convention’s…
Asbury University closes down revival that clogged small Kentucky town
Asbury University has ended the revival that drew tens of thousands of participants and generated global media attention across the past two weeks. The Christian school in Wilmore, Ky., said Feb. 20 it took the action in consultation with law…
SBC selects Guidepost Solutions to develop and administer clergy sexual abuse database
The Southern Baptist Convention has turned to a familiar source to operate its online database of clergy sexual abusers. Faith-Based Solutions, a division of the investigative firm Guidepost Solutions, will build and develop the SBC’s Ministry Check website, members of…
Is the market adversarial to Christian faith? History says yes
Baptists and other Christians must resist economic trends that diminish the moral and spiritual influence of Christianity in an increasingly secular American society, historian Curtis Johnson warned during a webinar presented by the Baptist History and Heritage Society. “We live…
United Methodists score 180,000 pounds of food for hungry people in Super Bowl challenge
Touchdown! Like a full-field kick-off return, United Methodists scored 180,000 pounds of food for hungry people in five states during a Super Bowl food drive challenge. United Methodists in four annual conferences — Great Plains (Kansas and Nebraska), Missouri, Eastern…
Passport produces “Journey to the Cross” devotionals for Lent
The Passport student camping ministry will release “Journey to the Cross,” its annual Lenten devotional series, on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 22. The series will be published on the organization’s devotional website, d365.0rg. The series — which features Scripture, prayer and…
Child sex abuse survivors from Kanakuk, other organizations unite for statute of limitations reform
Survivors of child sexual abuse are attempting to enact laws in Missouri and Texas to change the legal landscape for Christian camps that cater to children and teens. Four witnesses who say they were abused at Kanakuk Kamps, a popular…
Great Rivers Fellowship names Caldwell, McNary as first staff leaders
Great Rivers Fellowship, a new Cooperative Baptist Fellowship regional organization formed by the merger of CBF units in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi, has elected its first staff leaders. Mississippi native Brittany Caldwell, a program coordinator and pastor who most recently…
Beth Allison Barr and Kristin Du Mez: The history of women, patriarchy, inequality and challenging conservative views
Historians, academics and authors Beth Allison Barr and Kristin Kobes Du Mez discussed the challenges and rewards of being Christian women in a male-oriented world and profession during a wide-ranging discussion at Baylor University Feb. 16. Barr, the James Vardaman…