The most-read opinion columns published by Baptist News Global in 2020 wrestled with the most powerful and painful issues confronting the United States, its churches and people of faith in a year like no other. Among them were pieces on…
Trump executive order diverts federal funds to private school vouchers under cover of COVID-19
What the Trump Administration Department of Education has been unable to do legally through normal means in four years, it has now attempted to do in the last days of the administration through an executive order related to COVID-19. On…
Most-read news of 2020 covered pandemic, racism, Calvinism, transgender pastor
Baptist News Global readers had a strong appetite this year for topics ranging from church-state battles over the pandemic, the link between Calvinism and racism and the painful experience of transgendered persons in the church. BNG’s most-read articles in 2020…
Pandemic complicates the grief at Middle Church after fire, but leaders see hope
There’s no good time to lose a church building to fire, but the middle of a global pandemic seems like an especially awful time to members of Middle Collegiate Church in New York. “When you get to the block and…
Rick Warren: Churches aren’t being persecuted by COVID restrictions
Christmas week brought more twists and turns to the legal battles in California over coronavirus-forced closures of in-person worship, while the spike in COVID infections, hospitalizations and deaths skyrocketed. In contrast to a few pastors and churches that have made…
Gen Z and growth of the ‘nones’ might have swung presidential election
Republicans unhappy with the outcome of the 2020 presidential election are likely in for continued disappointment as younger generations of religiously unaffiliated Americans become eligible to vote, political scientist Ryan Burge said. This shift is demographically inevitable as members of…
Letter to the Editor: Replace systemic racism with love
Read our latest Letter to the Editor, written by Tom Armistead of DeLand, Fla., in response to Jeff Brumley’s news story about Kerri Fisher’s race equity work at Baylor University.
Letter to the Editor: Let churches decide what’s best for them
Read our latest Letter to the Editor from Bryan Butler of Marysville, Ohio, who responds to Mark Wingfield’s opinion piece on why churches should cancel indoor in-person Christmas Eve services.
Southwestern president says SBC seminary leaders have been ‘misunderstood’ and ‘misconstrued’
Condemnation of the six Southern Baptist Convention seminary presidents for their Nov. 30 statement against Critical Race Theory is the result of misunderstanding and misrepresentations, according to one of the six presidents. Adam Greenway, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary…
On coronavirus beliefs, ‘It’s evangelical Protestants against everyone else’
When asked in October to list their top concerns, white evangelicals listed abortion, fair presidential elections and terrorism. The coronavirus didn’t make the cut, noted Robert P. Jones, CEO and founder of the Public Religion Research Institute. “Looking at their…
Advent reflection: Advent and anticipation
The Holy Spirit appears next at the fringes of the temple, in the world of widows and old men and peasants from Galilee. Luke describes the old man with unusually lavish language, including three rapid-fire references to the Spirit. Now…
SBC leaders cautiously wading into the conflict created by seminary presidents on race
Nearly three weeks after presidents of the six Southern Baptist Convention seminaries issued a controversial statement on systemic racism, other elected leaders within the SBC began to respond to the criticisms — although not with the same clarity with which…