Liberty University graduates angered by Jerry Falwell Jr.’s continued loyalty to Donald Trump say they will return their diplomas to the evangelical Christian school he oversees as president.
Historically black college to become home to CBF seminary
The Baptist Seminary of Kentucky, a theological education partner of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, will establish offices and begin offering a full master of divinity degree on the campus of Simmons College of Kentucky.
Mississippi Baptist Convention boots CBF church
A Cooperative Baptist Fellowship partner church in Mississippi has been informed it is no longer welcome in the state affiliate of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Some pastors face big challenges preaching on Charlottesville, white supremacy
The pressures to remain silent on difficult topics originate from more than current events like Charlottesville. They also tap into existing concerns about church decline and growth and a desire for ministers be pastoral, not prophetic, in their ministry.
Released from U.S. prison, former pastor deported to face alleged sex crimes in the UK
U.S. immigration officials have deported a former British Baptist minister and convicted sexual predator wanted for additional alleged sex crimes in the United Kingdom. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced Aug. 16 that upon his release from a Virginia prison,…
Baptists join other religious leaders in opposing Johnson Amendment repeal
More than 1,000 Baptist leaders signed an open letter delivered to Congress Aug. 16 opposing all efforts to weaken or repeal a section of the tax code that prevents tax-exempt nonprofit organizations from endorsing or opposing candidates for public office….
Transitions for the week of 08.18.17
Staff changes, congregational news and more from across the nation.
Solar eclipse: Cosmic coincidence or evidence of intelligent design?
A conservative think tank known for attempts to teach alternatives to evolution in public schools is capitalizing on the first total solar eclipse to sweep coast-to-coast in 99 years to advance the hypothesis that life is too complex to have…
Mom of injured activist, clergy weigh in on violent protests in Charlottesville
The daughter of a graduate of Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond was among peaceful protesters injured when a car plowed into a crowd during white nationalist marches over the weekend in Charlottesville, Va.
Churches in Charlottesville, Va., brace for alt-right protesters
A Cooperative Baptist Fellowship partner church in Charlottesville, Va., hosted a community prayer service Aug. 8 in anticipation of an alt-right rally this weekend protesting planned removal of a Confederate monument that has the community bracing for violence. The 50-minute…
Did Robert Jeffress contribute to SBC decline with pro-war, pro-Trump statement?
As Christian denominations continue their downward spiral, some experts say the rapid descent is caused by the increasing politicization of the church and the erosion of church-state separation. A Gallup poll released last month found that the percentage of American…
City says church can’t rent space to community groups
A zoning crackdown in a Silicon Valley neighborhood has a dozen community groups searching for new venues and threatens the future of a 124-year-old American Baptist church that depends on rental income for about a third of its annual budget….
Transitions for the week of 08.11.17
Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated weekly. Correction Ginter Park Baptist Church in Richmond, Va., has not sold its church building to Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond,…
Survey: Evangelicals not so hot on Bill of Rights
Evangelical Christians generally take a dim view of the Bill of Rights and freedom of speech, a newly published survey has found. The Barna Group uncovered those attitudes in a July study titled “What Makes America Great.” The survey asked…