John Jay Alvaro is one of those thoughtful ministers. He frequently pauses when asked tough questions — especially when it’s about matters of faith and culture. And he chooses his words carefully. That’s precisely what he did Tuesday morning when asked…
British Baptists seek middle ground on same-sex marriage
A group of ministers and scholars issued a statement Dec. 5 asking Baptist churches in the United Kingdom to find “the courage to be Baptist” in continuing to associate with fellow Baptists despite differing views on the thorny issue of…
Baptists around the world to celebrate human rights
Baptist churches around the world will focus worship services this weekend on the biblical demand to stand up for human rights. The Baptist World Alliance, an organization of 235 member bodies representing 45 million Baptists around the globe, sponsors Human…
Big-church solutions don’t solve small-church problems, experts say
A few years back, Dennis Atwood was having a heck of a time getting his hands on a discipleship curriculum designed for small or even mid-sized congregations. Most of what he found was tailored to churches much larger than the…
Controversial child welfare measure stripped from health reform bill
A network of Baptist children’s homes in North Carolina is receiving credit for derailing sweeping reform of the child welfare system stripped from a larger bill that funds medical research, speeds up the approval process for drugs and devices at…
Georgia Baptists urge crackdown on illegal immigration
Southern Baptists in Georgia urged government leaders to crack down on illegal immigration in a resolution during the recent annual gathering of the Georgia Baptist Convention. Messengers to the Nov. 14-15 convention gathered in Savannah, Ga., approved a statement recommended…
Time to re-friend social media adversaries, expert says
It’s time to re-friend and unblock those people you unfriended and blocked before and after the election, Mia Moody-Ramirez says. And if you deactivated your Facebook, Twitter or other social media accounts because the anger and fear were boiling over,…
Transitions for the week of 12.2.16
A roundup of staff changes, church news and more.
Imagining Mary and Joseph as asylum seekers in the UK
Baptists in Great Britain joined three other Christian denominations in a new Nativity video imagining the welcome Mary and Joseph would receive as asylum seekers in the United Kingdom. A Very British Nativity uses child actors to portray harsh realities…
One-woman fundraising machine amazes friends and Baylor community
Nov. 29 was Giving Tuesday, when nonprofits, ministries and other groups who thrive on goodwill press the public and their benefactors for much-needed donations. Next time around they may want to consider getting Allison Dickson’s help to boost contributions. The…
U.S. embassy to remain in Tel Aviv, for now
President Barack Obama took action Dec. 1 to keep the U.S. embassy in Israel in Tel Aviv for at least another six months. The Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, a pledge to relocate the embassy to Jerusalem, allows the president…
Chapel speaker terms Calvinism ‘Trojan Horse’
A Southern Baptist seminary president said Nov. 29 that Baptists who adopt Calvinistic theology and practice ought to consider joining another denomination. “I know there are a fair number of you who think you are a Calvinist, but understand there…