Seven years after he was fired as the leader of a Baptist state convention, Will McRaney may finally get his day in court against the Southern Baptist Convention’s North American Mission Board. After years of legal wrangling, a new trial…
Former Bellevue youth pastor ‘credibly accused of abusing adolescents’ at Baptist church in Arkansas
A former youth pastor at one of the Southern Baptist Convention’s flagship churches was arrested last week on one charge of sexual indecency with a child, according to a report in the Memphis Commercial-Appeal. Keenan Hord, 32, worked at a…
Matt Chandler takes indefinite leave of absence after exchanging ‘unwise’ online messages with a woman
One of the most prominent voices for Reformed theology and church planting among Southern Baptists announced Aug. 28 he is taking an indefinite leave of absence from preaching and teaching due to what he called inappropriate online chats with a…
Foundry Network offers third alternative to disaffected UMC churches
A collaboration of former United Methodist large-membership churches has announced creation of an association to provide accountability and resources without the constraints of a denomination. The Foundry Network will launch in September, according to an announcement posted on Facebook by…
White House acts to ‘preserve and fortify’ DACA, but advocates say that’s the bare minimum needed
A new Biden administration rule designed to “preserve and fortify” the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program was welcomed by immigration advocates who quickly added that the Aug. 24 White House action is not enough to permanently safeguard Dreamers. “The…
Rich Villodas wants to build a world that’s good and beautiful and kind
Rich Villlodas describes himself humbly and with certainty: He’s a husband to his wife, Rosie, a father to two beautiful children, a son, a pastor and a follower of Jesus. Through his books and his tenure as pastor of New…
Readers bristle at Desiring God column on beards as signs of God’s intent to separate men from women
It turns out there’s more than a hairs-width of difference between the theology of the TheoBros and most everyone else. The Christian Twitterverse has been aflame the past few days about an article published on the website of the conservative…
In Afghanistan, terror multiplies for LGBTQ persons, women and girls
Life has gone from bad to worse for LGBTQ persons in Afghanistan during the year since the Taliban took control of the nation, attorney and human rights activist Joseph Azam said. He spoke during an Aug. 24 webinar hosted by…
LGBTQ resource center will benefit from anti-gay church’s penalties for illegal performances of Hamilton
Have you heard the one about the church that ripped off the most successful Broadway musical of the moment, rewrote parts of the script and turned it into an altar-call evangelistic event? Turns out that anti-gay church in McAllen, Texas,…
Transitions for the week of 8-26-22
Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated bi-weekly. STAFF CHANGES Adrian Bullock, to Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina, as Triangle area campus minister. Jordan Conley, to Crescent…
Events turn against disaffected forces wanting to leave the UMC
Like the lyrics from Paul Simon’s hit song “Call Me Al,” there have been “incidents and accidents, hints and allegations” swirling about The United Methodist Church in the past two weeks, and they add up to some disappointing developments for…
CBF, Fellowship Southwest and BJC join in appeal to DHS to stop harassing Sikhs seeking religious asylum in U.S.
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Fellowship Southwest, Baptist Joint Committee and 160 other civil rights and faith groups are demanding American border agents be forced to stop confiscating religious items and other personal property from migrants seeking asylum in the United…