School boards across America are under attack by conservative parents whose fears of woke liberalism are being stoked by national organizations affiliated with Donald Trump and the Republican Party, as well as Fox News and other conservative media outlets. The…
It’s not just in the U.S. that people believe different truths about basic facts
Debating what is — and isn’t — the truth has become a worldwide phenomenon, new research shows. “In France, the U.S., Italy, Spain and Belgium, half or more think that most people in their country disagree on basic facts more…
SBC says church planters must pledge not to hire women as pastors just like they pledge not to drink alcohol
Faced with pressure from its rightward flank, the Southern Baptist Convention’s North American Mission Board issued a statement Oct. 14 promising that “only qualified men” will “serve as the communicator for teaching and preaching” at church plants endorsed by NAMB….
Largest-ever U.S. congregational survey confirms what church consultants have been telling you
For anyone who hasn’t gotten the message yet: American congregations are changing rapidly, and the old ways aren’t working. The kind of rapid adaptation seen in response to the coronavirus pandemic illustrates the kind of new thinking that will be…
Hartford Seminary is now a university with an interreligious peacemaking focus
One of the nation’s oldest seminaries has changed its name and removed the word “seminary” in the process. Hartford Seminary, established in 1833 by a group of Congregational ministers to train ministerial leadership for churches, now is known as Hartford…
This Bucket Challenge offers DIY cleanup relief for disaster victims
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has turned to the bucket to counter the pandemic limits placed on disaster response ministry, said Daynette Snead-Perez, CBF’s U.S. disaster response manager. A “1,000 Bucket Challenge” seeks individuals and churches to fill 1,000 5-gallon buckets…
Faced with a health scare and a pandemic, Max Lucado is thinking about how to maximize the moment
It has been 36 years since Max Lucado debuted his first book, and even he is amazed how far he’s come since 1985. Just a few years prior to that, he was an associate pastor tasked with writing the church’s…
Ronnie Floyd resigns SBC Executive Committee leadership with two weeks’ notice
After 28 months on the job, the embattled president of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee announced his resignation Oct. 14 saying he cannot abide by the recent decision to waive attorney-client privilege for a sexual abuse investigation. Ronnie Floyd,…
United Methodists’ ‘reluctant pro-choice’ stance puts clergy and laity at odds with new Texas abortion law
The current struggle over Texas’ strict anti-abortion law perplexes many United Methodists who thought the issue of reproductive choice had been decided. Now they’re finding themselves back where clergy coalitions were in the 1960s and ’70s, seeking to support women…
Judge says New York must offer option of religious exemptions to vaccine mandate even if exemptions aren’t granted
New York employers do not have to grant religious exemptions to the state’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate, but the option to seek a religious exemption must be offered, a federal judge indicated Oct. 12. U.S. District Judge David N. Hurd issued…
Transitions for the week of 10-15-21
Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated bi-weekly. STAFF CHANGES Mike Anderson, to Springwood Baptist Church, Buchanan, Va., as interim pastor. Lonnie Brawley, concluding his tenure as pastor…
CBF state organizations in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi to merge
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship state organizations in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi have voted to merge into a single regional organization in a process facilitated by CBF leaders. “Our coordinating councils have all unanimously approved this and in each of our separate…