With a name like Strawberry Mansion, it would be easy to assume one of Philadelphia’s most notorious neighborhoods is full of lavish abodes and Lamborghinis. But Wayne Weathers, a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship church starter and pastor of Vision of Hope Baptist…
Mississippi religious liberty law challenged in court
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit May 9 challenging Mississippi’s religious freedom law, which critics say could be used to discriminate against gays.
Global Women celebrates 15th anniversary with award
A women-to-women missions group will celebrate its 15th birthday by honoring a philanthropist whose family has a long record of generous support for moderate Baptist causes.
Comparing faith decline in U.S. with Europe, Japan misleading, says professor
Christians anxious about the troubles of the American church often look to Europe’s beautiful-but-empty cathedrals as signs of things to come. But a scholar who studies the connection between fertility, immigration rates and religion said American Christianity is at nowhere near the same place as its European counterpart.
Trump lashes out at SBC spokesman
Presidential candidate Donald Trump shot back at Southern Baptist Convention leader Russell Moore after the denomination’s top public policy spokesman criticized the GOP front-runner Sunday morning on network television. Trump lashed out Monday morning on Twitter calling Moore “truly a…
‘Ten Commandments judge’ faces possible second ouster
Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, nicknamed the “Ten Commandments judge” for his refusal to remove a monument from the state judicial building in 2003, has been suspended and faces a possible second ouster from the bench he reclaimed in 2013….
Alice Cooper visit reminded church to treat all visitors as celebrities
A Christian news site published a blog last month about rock star Alice Cooper, the performer known for his outlandish costumes, demonic makeup and huge snakes during performances. “He has been called the godfather of shock-rock, mixing elements of horror…
Russell Moore says Christian nation idea a form of theological liberalism
The Southern Baptist Convention’s top official for public policy and religious liberty concerns says, theologically speaking, America is not a Christian nation. In a Gospel Coalition video posted May 4 in advance of this week’s National Day of Prayer, Russell…
Church shooting suspect gets public defender
A Pennsylvania man charged with manslaughter in an April 24 shooting inside a Southern Baptist church has been assigned a public defender in advance of a preliminary hearing scheduled May 12. Reports from local media say that members of the Montgomery…
Unlikely Baptist missionary transformed as she heals others
At an IHOP restaurant in Tampa, Fla., a waitress finishes her shift and heads home, where she stashes the day’s cash tips in a safe place. Each week she deposits the money in her bank and writes an equivalent check…
Transitions for the week of 05.06.16
Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated weekly. STAFF CHANGES Nick Carter, to American Baptist Seminary of the West, Berkeley, Calif., as interim president, effective May 15. He…
BJC offers timely answers to questions about religious liberty
A new one-page resource advocates a “golden rule” for religious liberty. “Do not ask government to promote your religion if you don’t want government to promote somebody else’s religion; and do not permit government to hinder somebody else’s religion if…