The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments Nov. 10 in a prison abuse case that could affect the religious freedom rights of inmates nationwide. Landor v. Louisiana Department of Corrections stems from prison guards forcibly shaving a Rastafarian man’s hair…
Evans named Gardner-Webb president
Gardner-Webb University has named Nate Evans university president, making permanent the interim position he has held since February. He previously served as vice president for advancement at the Boiling Springs, N.C., school affiliated with North Carolina Baptists. The announcement was…
AWAB praises court’s rejection of Obergefell review
The Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists praised a U.S. Supreme Court decision not to take up a challenge to the landmark 2015 ruling that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. “In a time when the politics of our day bring overwhelmingly…
Trump plans call center in Nashville to deport children
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to escalate the Trump administration’s child deportation campaign with a call center in Nashville, Tenn. “In the notice posted to a government contracting website on Tuesday, ICE officials said there is an ‘immediate need’…
Trump triples down to block food benefits for hungry Americans
After a weekend of rapid-fire developments in the battle over food benefits for hungry families, the Trump administration has tripled down on its demands that SNAP payments not be made during the government shutdown. The brazenness of the administration’s demands…
Virginia group files suit to stop school serving Native Hawaiians
A new lawsuit accusing a private K-12 school in Hawaii of racial discrimination against non-native residents is triggering painful memories of colonialism across the state. “It’s upsetting to a lot of people, and it’s upsetting to me,” said Kealahou Alika,…
Judges strike down book bans in Texas and in military schools
The last five years have seen an unprecedented rise in book bans in public libraries and schools, but two slow-moving court cases have overturned bans in Texas and at schools serving students in military families. In July 2023, Texas’ GOP-dominated…
Women’s equality is a gospel issue, veteran pastor says
The equality of women is a gospel issue, not just a social justice issue, according to veteran pastor Cynthia Hale. She was among the speakers at the Nov. 6-7 annual gathering of Baptist Women in Ministry held at Second Ponce…
ACNA crisis worsens even more
The crisis enveloping the Anglican Church in North America has intensified yet again, with a second woman accusing Archbishop Steve Wood of sexual harassment. The new allegation is part of a revised presentment (formal church complaint) that also includes an…
BWIM research shows 6 markers of congregations that empower women
“More Baptist women than ever before are experiencing God’s call to ministry and having opportunities to live out their callings in ministerial and pastoral roles,” said Meredith Stone, executive director of Baptist Women in Ministry. “However, until every category of…
Vatican signals possible dialogue with new Anglican Communion
The Vatican has signaled it may be open to ecumenical dialogue with the new, conservative breakaway Global Anglican Communion, a move that would upend decades of Catholic-Anglican relations centered on the See of Canterbury, the English church’s historic “first among…
‘Unlearn the lies about women,’ BWIM preacher urges
The Christian church must unlearn some lies to see women as called by God to ministry, according to Barbara Lavarin, who addressed Baptist Women in Ministry Nov. 6. Lavarin, director of supporting women in ministry for BWIM, preached the opening…