In the preliminaries to the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting, candidates backed by the Conservative Baptist Network June 13 were turned back in every attempt to gain leadership. Whether that trend will continue on the opening day of the SBC…
Invested Faith announces fourth class of fellows
A new nonprofit created to encourage social innovators has named its fourth class of fellows who will receive unrestricted grants of $5,000 and an invitation to tell their stories nationwide. Invested Faith, founded in 2019 by Baptist pastor Amy Butler,…
Social media and right-wing politicians are fueling threat to democracy, panelists warn
The prevalence of social media and support from right-wing politicians have enabled white supremacist, anti-government and other domestic extremist groups to become much greater threats to American security than foreign terrorist movements ever have been, according to a panel of…
In surprise move, Jack Graham endorses Tom Ascol for SBC presidency
In a video released Sunday, June 12, former Southern Baptist Convention President Jack Graham endorsed current presidential candidate Tom Ascol — a move shocking to some convention insiders and a potential game-changer in this week’s contest for leadership. Ascol and…
Weekly churchgoers are now the primary holdouts against same-sex marriage
Support for same-sex marriage in America continues to grow in all sectors except among the most faithful weekly churchgoers, according to Gallup. The latest polling shows a slight, one-point uptick from an already record high last year, from 70% to…
Churches called to help fill the gap as thousands of children orphaned by COVID-19 need aid
The plight of youth orphaned during the COVID-19 pandemic was forgotten in the scramble to understand, treat and prevent the disease from spreading, according to Albert Reyes, president of Buckner International. “COVID was such a new thing in the United…
Preaching on racial justice was much more difficult without in-person worship, pastors say
Addressing racial justice issues from the pulpit in 2020 would have been challenging without the pandemic’s restrictions, but the task became daunting when it was coupled with the suspension of in-person worship. That was an observation of some of the…
Marriage equality advocates preparing to fight again if the same reasoning that may overturn abortion rights is used against them
In the wake of the leaked Supreme Court draft decision that would overturn Roe v. Wade, LGBTQ activists are concerned that same-sex marriage could be next. That’s why on Tuesday, June 7, LGBTQ Victory Institute held a press call to…
Unexpected $4 million gift takes away one criticism of SBC response to sexual abuse
Concerns about using church offering money to fund a response to the problem of sexual abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention seemed to disappear June 8 when $4 million was pledged to the cause. Technically, some of that money still…
Faith leaders and mental health providers need to work together, panelists urge
Taboos around psychological illness linger in part due to the misunderstandings and suspicions faith leaders and mental health providers harbor toward each other’s roles in emotional healing, panelists said during a June 8 webinar. Some psychologists and other counselors have…
In Tbilisi, the Peace Project rises as a home for Christians, Jews and Muslims under one roof
Bishop Malkhaz Songulashvili is all too familiar with the criticisms of interfaith dialogue, especially as his Peace Cathedral in Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia, moves toward completion of a facility designed to host Christian, Jewish and Muslim worship and promote stronger…
Faced with damning sexual abuse investigation, some in SBC seek to discredit the investigators
One week before Southern Baptists gather to respond to a damning independent investigation of sexual abuse problems, the lead story on the denomination’s news site is about “controversy” created by Guidepost Solutions tweeting support for Pride month. Guidepost is the…