A rough election is turning into a rough Christmas for some. But the holiday blues will come screeching to a halt after a conversation with Abraham Deng. Deng, 35, was one of thousands of “Lost Boys of Sudan” who, as…
War on Christmas redux
While Bill O’Reilly and Fox News get much credit for seasonal claims of a “War on Christmas” waged by the secular left, a progressive blog site says the perennial cultural clash finds roots in a brand of early 20th century…
Appeals court rejects challenge to Glorieta sale
A federal appeals court has turned down an appeal by an Arkansas couple claiming wrongdoing by Southern Baptist Convention officials when they declined to renew their lease at the Glorieta Conference Center and instead sold the campus. Kirk Tompkins, who along with…
Transitions for the week of 12.23.16
Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated weekly. STAFF CHANGES Jeff Davenport, now serving as pastor of First Baptist Church, Hurricane, W.Va. Previously he was pastor of Calvary…
Humanists oppose evangelical gift boxes in public schools
A public-interest law firm specializing in cases involving disputes about religious expression has selected a humanist group attempting to prevent Colorado schoolchildren from being asked to put together Christmas gift boxes sponsored by an evangelical charity as winner of a…
Historic opponents of Christmas, Protestants expect big turnout Dec. 25
From papal fallacy to cherished holiday, Christmas has come a long way in the eyes of American Protestants. Earlier this month, LifeWay Research announced that the vast majority of Protestant pastors say their churches will worship on Christmas morning this…
Virgin Birth debate interrupts regular ‘War on Christmas’ program
The other war on Christmas — not the one over saying “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” — broke into a skirmish after a well-known evangelical preacher suggested he doesn’t have a problem with people who doubt the Virgin Birth. Andy Stanley,…
Prayerful waiting can endure long lines, traffic jams and even Trump, minister says
Alaina Kleinbeck offers a very simple and practical solution for Americans yearning for a speedy end to the next presidential term — before it’s even begun. Just wait. Kleinbeck said she doesn’t mean the twiddling your thumbs or flipping through a…
Sale of Baptist church benefits local charities
Three nonprofits in Pueblo, Colo., received an early Christmas gift from an American Baptist church that closed its doors in April after ministering in the community for nearly 150 years. Leaders of the American Baptist Churches of the Rocky Mountains…
SBC leader taking heat for anti-Trump rhetoric
A Southern Baptist Convention official criticized as going over the top in his criticism of presidential candidate Donald Trump and his evangelical supporters now says it’s time to move beyond election-year differences and celebrate Christmas together as one “denominational family.”…
Missionaries discover different Christmas traditions around the world
Significant challenges emerge as missionaries adjust to life in new countries. Building relationships, perhaps learning new languages and learning cultural traditions are among the challenges. Even Christmas can bring new experiences. Depending on the location, “dreaming of a white Christmas”…
Religious freedom bill gets Christmas upgrade
President Barack Obama signed a bill Dec. 16 updating a law passed in 2008 to promote religious freedom as an interest of United States foreign policy. The Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act passed both houses of Congress in…