Staff changes, congregational news and more from across the nation.
Angry that the religious right has hijacked the word ‘evangelical’? Let it go, experts say
Thinking of ditching the term “evangelical” to identify yourself as Christian? Get in line. Clergy, scholars, congregational coaches and innumerable laypeople are expressing increasing anger and disgust that the once respected term no longer describes their commitment to Christ and church.
Lawyer who is suing prominent SBC leaders describes ‘Vatican light’ system for enabling abuse
Paul Pressler and Paige Patterson, key figures in a reorientation of the Southern Baptist Convention in the last century, have been named in a lawsuit seeking more than $1 million in damages for a man claiming physical and spiritual harm resulting from a period of Baptist history often called the “Conservative Resurgence.”
More white men choosing guns over God and church, survey finds
Guns and their inherent power restore in some people a sense of control stripped away by the economic consequences of globalism, say the authors of a new study.
Rough week for LGBTQ Christians, as a wedding cake takes center stage
It’s been a rough week for the nation’s LGBTQ Christians thanks to Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. And for some gay and lesbian Christians, it’s been too much.
Transitions for the week of 12.08.17
Staff changes, congregational news and more from across the nation.
Supreme Court appears closely divided in dispute over cake for same-sex wedding
U.S. Supreme Court justices weighed religious freedom against LGBT rights during 60 minutes of oral arguments Dec. 5 about whether the First Amendment bars Colorado from requiring a baker to create a cake for a same-sex wedding.
Is Christian decline in U.S. prompting evangelicals to seek government endorsement? Maybe.
Eighty-three nations have an official, state-endorsed religion or give preferred treatment to one over others, according to a Pew Research Center study, which lists the United States among 106 countries that have no official or preferred faith. But is that changing? It might appear so, as the increasingly rapid descent of organized religion may be fueling some Christians’ drive to codify faith in America.
Baptist ethicist says values voters should care about torture
A Baptist ethicist urged “values voters” who care about morality and believe in the sanctity of human life to hold lawmakers accountable for mistreatment of war on terror detainees during a hearing looking into one state’s role in a controversial CIA torture program used after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Ready to ‘welcome the stranger,’ Baptist church invites Muslim spiritual leader to preach Advent service
Some folks may be stunned to learn that a Baptist church in Charlotte, N.C., has invited a Muslim to preach from its pulpit on the first Sunday in Advent. But the idea seemed a natural one for the congregation, given its 2017 preaching and formational theme titled “Awakening to Immigration.”
State Baptist group says Nashville Statement is ‘without error’
Southern Baptists in Arkansas recently endorsed a controversial statement released by a coalition of evangelical leaders in August that says the Bible does not leave room for people to identify as both Christian and gay.
Transitions for the week of 12.01.17
Staff changes, congregational news and more from across the nation.