By Bob Allen While other missionary-sending bodies scale back or focus just on short-term assignments, a proposed restructuring of Cooperative Baptist Fellowship global missions recommits to keeping personnel on the field long enough to build the kinds of relationships they…
Former Glorieta homeowners get legal aid
By Bob Allen A federal appeals court has appointed a pro bono attorney to represent an Arkansas couple challenging LifeWay Christian Resource’s 2013 sale of Glorieta Conference Center near Santa Fe, N.M. Judge Carlos Lucero took it upon himself to…
New documentary seeks to inspire ministry to military, veterans
By Jeff Brumley In 2010, Justin Roberts was a newly minted Army chaplain and “very green” when he reported for duty with a crack battalion of the 101st Airborne Division. “I showed up with my helmet cover on backwards,” he…
Blogger concerned about controversial pastor’s SBC ties
By Bob Allen An Alabama Baptist pastor says Southern Baptists should be concerned about a new magazine expose alleging child sex abuse and cover-up in a church formerly led by a pastor with close ties to the denomination’s leaders. Rick…
Pastor defends letter denouncing Syrian refugees
By Bob Allen An Alabama pastor is standing by a letter to the editor in his Baptist state newspaper criticizing Southern Baptist Convention leaders for what he says is coddling Syrian refugees. SBC leaders rushed to Twitter to condemn a…
Addicted to spiritual highs? Try calming the soul, experts say
By Jeff Brumley People who hop from church to church in search of more exciting worship or who seek constantly to feel the intensity of God’s presence in their lives very likely are addicts, Jeanie Miley says. For them, religion…
Book documents molestation in conservative Baptist churches
By Bob Allen As the Oscar-nominated movie Spotlight shares the story of the Boston Globe’s 2001 expose of child molestation and cover up in the Catholic Church, a new book by a Baptist author makes the case that clergy sexual…
Southern Baptist florist to testify before Indiana Senate
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist florist sued after she refused to provide flowers for a same-sex wedding is set to appear today before the Indiana Senate Rules Committee to oppose two bills prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation. Barronelle…
Study: fewer young people see marriage, procreation prerequisites for sex
By Jeff Brumley Church isn’t the only institution Millennials are avoiding or abandoning in droves, new research by The Barna Group has found. The institution of marriage is increasingly shunned by younger Americans who in turn view sexuality as unconnected…
Judge OKs tax break for Ark park
By Bob Allen A federal judge has ruled that Kentucky officials were wrong to deny tax incentives worth $18 million to a Christian ministry building a theme park featuring a life-sized replica of Noah’s Ark. U.S. District Judge Gregory Van…
Advocates call out candidates for silence on mental health
By Bob Allen An American Baptist leader has joined an initiative to get presidential candidates talking about mental health. Curtis Ramsey-Lucas, director of interfaith engagement at the American Association of People with Disabilities, joined leaders of two other advocacy groups…
New study documents shifts in Latin American religious affiliation
By Jeff Brumley Latin America remains a mostly Catholic region and culture but its overall numbers have taken a huge dive during the past four decades or so, a new survey by the Pew Research Center has found. How steep…