By Bob Allen The Obama administration announced a new initiative to fight religious discrimination in communities at a White House forum Dec. 17 about upholding America’s tradition of religious pluralism. Vanita Gupta, head of the Civil Rights Division of the…
Christians and Muslims don’t worship same God, SBC leader says
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist seminary president says not only do Christians and Muslims not worship the same God, neither do Jews who refuse to believe that Jesus is the Son of God. In Dec. 18 article on his…
Baptist leaders help draft call to respond to refugees with compassion
By Bob Allen Southern Baptist Convention leaders helped draft a statement released Dec. 17 calling on evangelical Christians to respond to the Syrian refugee crisis with compassion rather than fear. The statement, approved by about 100 denominational, network and nonprofit…
Seminary heads ask governors to support Syrian refugees
By Bob Allen Three Kansas City seminary presidents joined Dec. 15 in a letter asking governors of Kansas and Missouri to welcome Syrian refugees to their states. President Molly T. Marshall of Central Baptist Theological Seminary joined the presidents of…
BJC part of new ‘Know Your Neighbor’ campaign
By Bob Allen A coalition of 15 civil-rights and faith-based nonprofits including the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, is launching a new project to foster dialogue about America’s religious diversity. The “Know Your Neighbor” initiative, brainchild of Gurwin Singh…
Don’t be so quick to copy megachurches, experts tell smaller congregations
By Jeff Brumley Most any pastor of a congregation located near a megachurch has heard suggestions of how to emulate the worship, technology or hospitality ministry of a fast-growing neighbor. “Yes, I get those,” said Shaun King, senior pastor at…
Baugh Foundation gives $1 million to CBF
By Bob Allen The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship announced Dec. 16 a $1 million gift from the Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation to support projects including long-term support of global mission field personnel. CBF Executive Coordinator Suzii Paynter expressed appreciation…
Two rural churches rile Baptist association by calling women as pastor
By Bob Allen An association of Southern Baptist churches in Kentucky recently removed two churches from its membership roll for non-conformity with the Baptist Faith and Message ban on female pastors. The 45-church Nelson Baptist Association, based in Bardstown, Ky.,…
Faith advocates weigh Paris agreement on climate change
By Brian Kaylor As diplomats from more than 190 nations spent nearly two weeks in Paris hammering out details of an international agreement to reduce climate change, faith leaders also traveled to the talks in hopes of offering a moral…
Chowan University mourns student’s death
By Bob Allen A Baptist-affiliated university in North Carolina recently mourned the loss of a student murdered at an off-campus party Dec. 5. Flags flew at half-staff at Chowan University in Murfreesboro, N.C., for a Dec. 9 memorial service for…
Alumni pair ask Carson-Newman to revoke Title IX waiver
By Bob Allen Two alumni of Carson-Newman University have written an open letter urging the Baptist-affiliated school to revoke its waiver from a federal law banning discrimination. Travis Cooper and Jared Champion, who graduated from the school located in Jefferson…
Mercer student tackles Mid-East travel, anti-Muslim attitudes with fervor
By Jeff Brumley When Macon native and Mercer University student Alayna Williams signed up for a cultural exchange trip to Qatar a few months ago, she and the rest of the family decided not to tell dad. “They didn’t tell…