Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated bi-weekly. STAFF CHANGES David Braneky, to Grace Baptist Church, Blue Bell, Pa., as pastor. He comes from the pastorate of the…
MacArthur says Trump called to support his defiance of COVID orders
John MacArthur, the California pastor who continues to defy a public health order limiting public gatherings due to the coronavirus threat, says he has received encouragement from President Donald Trump and can’t imagine why any thinking Christian could vote for…
Pandemic summer makes the finances of running a camp even harder
If owning and managing a camp or conference center was hard before March 15, consider the difficulty created after COVID-related cancellations began pouring in. Baptists saw the first crack in the viability of running retreat and conference centers seven years…
Baptist camps tally their losses as COVID-19 summer comes to a close
In Central Florida this summer, the sounds at Lake Yale Baptist Conference Center resembled more a Quaker retreat than a rambunctious camp for teens yelling at the tops of their lungs. There was no frolicking in the lake or singing…
Pastor writes historical fiction about Galveston’s ‘Great Storm’ of 1900
The Great Storm that destroyed Galveston, Texas, in 1900 offers relevant lessons to a nation and world struggling through the coronavirus pandemic, according to minister and lifelong Houston resident Greg Funderburk. He is the author of The Mourning Wave: A…
BNG to present free webinar on pandemic mental health
Baptist News Global will host a webinar Sept. 14 at 6 p.m. Central Time to address the mental and emotional impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. The event follows recent BNG news reports about the effect the COVID-19 outbreak is having…
Standoff continues between John MacArthur and Los Angeles County
A California judge has declined again to grant Los Angeles County a temporary restraining order against John MacArthur and his Grace Community Church for defying a county public health order related to the coronavirus pandemic. However, despite the court also…
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…
Your friendly neighbor epidemiologist has an important message for you
Your friendly neighbor epidemiologist wants you to know that when it comes to understanding COVID-19, faith and science do not have to be in conflict. “Friendly neighbor epidemiologist” is the title Emily Smith has given to a Facebook page and…
Here’s another thing they don’t teach pastors in seminary
The coronavirus is challenging the creativity of preachers as the pandemic continues to keep many churches in virtual spaces. Months of speaking into camera lenses, laptop screens or empty sanctuaries week after week leaves some clergy feeling deprived of a…
How you view police killings, racism and monuments influenced by faith and party
Religious beliefs combined with racial identity continue to fuel dramatic differences in the way Americans view police killings of unarmed Black men, the prevalence of “reverse racism” and thinking of the Confederate flag and monuments to Confederate leaders as about…
Baptist universities making big changes to reopen this week
As students of all ages stream back to school — whether virtually or in person — Baptist universities are among the institutions implementing new strategies due to COVID-19. Mercer University in Macon, Ga., invested about $750,000 to create an on-campus…