Diane Ravitch wants you to think about this scenario: Imagine your community with two or three fire departments with different resources and you have to choose which one to call when your house catches fire. Or imagine your community with…
’Tis the season for a different kind of Advent resource kit
A new Advent resource blends the season’s traditional themes of light and hope with social justice causes — all tied up with the goal of promoting faith and community during the pandemic. The project’s creators, Baptist minister Mary Elizabeth Hanchey…
Southwest Baptist University president resigns in struggle with Missouri Baptist Convention
Missouri Baptists continue to find themselves at the epicenter of the struggle between fundamentalism and non-fundamentalism that has dominated the Southern Baptist Convention publicly since 1979. The latest casualty is Eric Turner, who abruptly resigned as president of Southwest Baptist…
Transitions for the week of 10-23-20
Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated bi-weekly. STAFF CHANGES Bryan Breland, to West Hampton Baptist Church, Hampton, Va., as interim pastor. Terrance Brown, to Oneida (N.Y.) Baptist…
Even Diana Butler Bass finds it hard to focus these days
Peace has been elusive for Diana Butler Bass in a hostile presidential election season, a disturbing Supreme Court confirmation process and the general mean spiritedness of social media. It’s not that the author of books like Grateful, Broken We Kneel…
At 18,000 words, new survey report covers the waterfront on faith, culture and politics
If you just can’t get enough of surveys and polls during this election season, the research firm PRRI has good news for you: They’ve just completed an omnibus survey of the American electorate with more data than you can possibly…
Bishops issue rare letter urging United Methodists to vote
While still uncertain of their own institutional future, United Methodist leaders recently called on clergy and church members to vote in the 2020 U.S. presidential election in order to “protect democracy.” Although some in pew and pulpit complain that their…
Nationwide, twice as many people are hungry during pandemic
Experts predicted food insecurity would skyrocket as the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the nation’s economy. According to those who regularly minister to the poor and hungry, those predictions have turned out to be accurate. “It’s bigger than anything we’ve ever seen,”…
Who are these ‘evangelicals’ pollsters keep talking about?
Why white evangelical Christians support President Donald Trump in such large numbers is not the most interesting question to ask, according to Frank Newport, editor-in-chief of the Gallup Poll. A more interesting question is to ask whether white evangelical Christians…
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…
I was trolled by the Right, and here’s what I learned
I knew Campus Reform was going to write about my Baptist News piece on white Christians and climate change. Campus Reform is a conservative news site that uses students as reporters to target progressive professors, and a young writer had…
You might have missed this, but the Supreme Court just opened a new term
Lost amid a contentious presidential election, COVID-19 and Senate confirmation hearings for a Supreme Court justice, the high court opened its new term Oct. 6 by hearing oral arguments in a case about the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Due to…