By Jeff Brumley Baptist and other Christians are reaching out to the victims of the many African-American church fires reported during the past couple of weeks, ministers say. And it doesn’t matter whether or not arson has been identified as…
Tectonic shift: Pam Durso on 30 years of progress for Baptist women ministers
By Bob Allen After being around for 30 years, it’s easy to forget that a decade ago BWIM was considering whether it should continue to exist. What is the state of your movement today, and what did it take to…
Been there, done that: Some Baptist ministers have already officiated at same-sex marriages
By Jeff Brumley Same-sex weddings are the stuff headlines are made of these days — especially when Baptist ministers are embracing the ceremonies ruled legal in every state by the Supreme Court last Friday. The Courier-Journal of Louisville, Ky., recently featured Jason…
BJC says same-sex marriage ruling unlikely to affect tax-exemption
By Bob Allen A Baptist group specializing in church/state issues says the threat of churches and other religious organizations losing their tax-exempt status if they oppose same-sex marriage “have been highly exaggerated” in a two-page handout released in light of…
Don McGregor, editor, ABP founder, dead at 91
By Bob Allen Don McGregor, a founder of Associated Baptist Press (today known as Baptist News Global) who served as the independent new service’s first executive director, died June 30 in Mesquite, Texas. He was 91. As editor of the…
Millennials not OK with conventional science vs. religion debates, experts say
By Brian Kaylor Ninety years ago, the “Scopes Monkey Trial” in Dayton, Tenn., pitted reason against faith and defined the Bible as an opposing perspective to science. A national media circus erupted as substitute high school teacher John Scopes faced…
Oklahoma Supreme Court orders removal of Ten Commandments from Capitol lawn
By Bob Allen The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled June 30 that a Ten Commandments monument on the Capitol grounds must come down in a lawsuit brought by the ACLU on behalf of an ordained Baptist minister and other citizens. Bruce…
Kentucky Baptist Fellowship names coordinator
By Bob Allen Rhonda Abbott Blevins, associate pastor of Tellico Village Community Church in Loudon, Tenn., and a consultant with Pinnacle Leadership Associates, has been named coordinator of the Kentucky Baptist Fellowship. Blevins, a graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary…
On their own: The challenges, blessings of being sole pastors of small churches
By Jeff Brumley Being the sole pastor of small church isn’t for the faint of heart, Baptist ministers say. Sermon preparation, visiting the sick and balancing the budget can be even more nerve-racking when being performed by a minister serving…
Gay Baptist minister followed long path to marriage equality
By Bob Allen A Baptist minister and his same-sex partner jailed for trespassing two years ago after refusing to leave a county clerk’s office after being denied a marriage license returned to the scene of the crime Monday afternoon armed…
Baptist groups react to gay marriage ruling
By Bob Allen Amid both praise and condemnation for last week’s Supreme Court decision legalizing gay marriage, leaders of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship staked out a position of neutrality on a topic deemed best left up to the local church….
Finding an antidote to toxic churches and toxic leadership
By Brian Kaylor In Greek mythology, the mighty warrior Hercules created poisonous arrows after slaying the many-headed Hydra. The word for these deadly arrows — toxikon — eventually gave life to the modern English word “toxic.” Author and leadership coach Bob Dale…