By Bob Allen Americans United for Separation of Church and State enumerated five of the year’s worst legislative ideas — so far — in a new online tool tracking “religious freedom” bills in state legislatures and Congress that AU believes are intended…
Inspired by Obama, Baptist pastor offers ‘state of the church’
By Jeff Brumley Merianna Neely Harrelson was watching President Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday night when it struck her: someone should do a state-of-the-church address. Then Harrelson, pastor at Emmanuel Baptist Fellowship in Lexington, S.C., thought that someone…
IMB layoffs hit home office
By Bob Allen A number of jobs at the headquarters of the Southern Baptist Convention International Mission Board in Richmond, Va., will be eliminated in a restructuring of stateside operations announced Jan. 14. According to multiple sources, changes include outsourcing…
Baptist church votes to OK gay marriage
By Bob Allen A Cooperative Baptist Fellowship congregation in Tennessee voted Jan. 10 to marry same-sex couples. First Baptist Church in Memphis capped a three-month discernment process by adopting a policy extending “privileges afforded to any follower of Christ” without…
Sewing ministry serves as hub for income, clothing and faith for Kenyans
By Chelsea White The whir of the manual sewing machines fills a small room at the Baptist Children’s Center in Nairobi, Kenya. A weaving loom methodically glides back and forth as if following the beat of a metronome. Students in…
Leader of Southern Baptist women’s auxiliary stepping down
By Bob Allen Wanda Lee announced a one-year transition to retirement as executive director of Woman’s Missionary Union, auxiliary to the Southern Baptist Convention, at the close of a WMU executive board meeting Jan. 11 at Shocco Springs, Ala. Lee,…
Baptist school gets record gift
By Bob Allen An anonymous donor has donated $10 million to California Baptist University, the largest gift in the California Baptist Convention-affiliated school’s 68-year history. Cal Baptist President Ronald Ellis announced the gift during the January meeting of the school’s…
Increasingly, churches are unwilling to adapt, new survey indicates
By Jeff Brumley A new study reports that American churches are increasingly less willing to make changes to worship, programs and ministries needed to best reflect and meet the needs of the communities around them. Oak Grove United Methodist Church…
2nd Baptist organization gets grant to aid pastors’ financial skills
By BNG staff A day after one Baptist organization announced it had received a $1 million grant to increase financial literacy among ministers, a second has received the same amount for the same purpose. The $1 million given to the…
Hong Kong church enables BWA to launch evangelism award
By Eron Henry The Baptist World Alliance has launched a major evangelism award, made possible by Kowloon International Baptist Church in Hong Kong. The award highlights the work of evangelism among Baptists around the world and aims to inspire churches…
Baptists team up to combat domestic human trafficking
Brian Kaylor Although sometimes portrayed as a problem found in other nations, human trafficking also occurs in large numbers in the United States. The FBI includes St. Louis as one of the top 20 trafficking cities in the U.S., and…
Lilly grant will assist CBF pastors enhance financial skills
By BNG staff The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has received a $1 million grant as part of Lilly Endowment’s National Initiative to Address Economic Challenges Facing Pastoral Leaders. The grant will allow the CBF to develop financial literacy programs for congregations…