Easter is the high point of the Christian calendar, ending a period starting with Christmastime celebrations of Jesus’ birth through Lent to the resurrection on Easter Sunday. The Lenten season is a time for quiet and thoughtful reflection about Christ’s…
In 90-page report, Baylor commission documents the university’s racist history and recommends changes
Baylor University will retain the name of its slave-holding founder along with the prominent statue dedicated to its namesake, the Baptist-affiliated institution said March 23 in releasing a much-anticipated report detailing with its historic ties to slavery and the Confederacy….
Perez and Aho named to new staff roles with CBF
A North Carolina pastor and a Texas mission strategist have been named to new staff positions with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Chris Aho, pastor at Oxford Baptist Church in Oxford, N.C., has been named director of CBF’s Thriving Congregations project…
Fire from Africa: The influence of ‘reverse missions’ today
While in the 19th and 20th centuries, America was seen as an exporter of Christianity to the rest of the world — in particular Africa — the 21st century is bringing a change some have called “reverse missions.” The United…
Even a majority of white evangelical Protestants now favors discrimination protections for LGBTQ persons
Significant majorities of U.S. religious groups favor nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ Americans, including well more than half of white evangelicals, according to a new report from Public Religion Research Institute. The study was released March 23 as the U.S. Senate…
VA chaplains have learned that mental health providers and clergy need to talk more and trust each other
As Steve Sullivan and psychologists convened small groups of mental health providers and clergy over the past two years, they learned that lack of trust creates barriers to integrated care. Armed with a grant from Bristol Myers Squibb, VA Mental…
Ministry Jobs and more
Baptist News Global provides a free listing of ministry-related jobs for Baptist churches, theological institutions and organizations across the United States. Each free posting is for 30 days and is limited to 150 words. Postings may be extended another 30…
Arkansas church creates innovative program to declare jubilee for those in need
When plans to return to their church building for Advent were canceled by the ongoing pandemic, the congregation of Pulaski Heights Baptist Church turned their attention from inward to outward and ultimately declared Jubilee. Beginning in mid-March, the Little Rock,…
The stars are lining up for Middle Church’s fire rebuilding fundraiser this week
A constellation of stars has been assembled to help guide Middle Collegiate Church in New York City from the ashes of its historic building destroyed by fire Dec. 5. Located in the city’s iconic East Village, the congregation claims numerous…
A vote is ‘a kind of prayer,’ Warnock says in first Senate speech
A vote is “a kind of prayer,” Baptist pastor Raphael Warnock said in his first speech on the Senate floor as a newly elected legislator. The March 17 speech was a blistering call to protect voting rights and a critique…
A surprising discovery: Many Americans are favorable toward online group prayer
New research into the impact of online church programming suggests that virtual prayer gatherings may boost participation and fellowship for Christians active or inactive in congregational life. Online corporate prayer opportunities, when offered, have been found to be especially effective…
With $1 million grant, 25 Alliance of Baptists congregations are working to understand systemic racism and overcome it
Twenty-five churches associated with the Alliance of Baptists are participating in a five-year national scholarly study of how to expose and address systemic racism in their local contexts. The “Churches that THRIVE for Racial Justice” initiative is funded by a…