By Bob Allen As lawmakers fought over religious freedom legislation in Arkansas and Indiana, time ran out in Georgia on a similar measure that divided opinion among the state’s Baptists. The 2015 General Assembly of Georgia adjourned April 2 without…
Baptist pastors: power up, don’t water down, Easter message for Millennials
By Jeff Brumley Easter, it turns out, may be just what the church needs most in luring Millennial and other young Christians into their sanctuaries, some Baptist pastors say. “If there is a Sunday that should resonate with people who…
Judge dismisses Glorieta lawsuit; appeal expected
By Bob Allen A federal judge has dismissed a $12.4 million lawsuit challenging the 2013 sale of Glorieta Conference Center for $1, finding that the homeowners who sued without representation by a lawyer failed to meet the legal standard required…
Baptist school mourns student’s death
UPDATE: Plainview police released a statement April 6 indicating the cause of death was suicide. By Bob Allen Police are investigating the death of a student in a residence hall on the campus of Wayland Baptist University in Plainview, Texas….
BJC releases statement on RFRA legislation in Indiana and Arkansas
By Bob Allen The head of a Baptist group that specializes in religious liberty said today he does not support controversial bills pitting religious conservatives against supporters of gay marriage in Arkansas and Indiana. J. Brent Walker, executive director of…
Baptist ministers oppose tax break for ‘Ark Park’
By Bob Allen Four Kentucky taxpayers — two of them Baptist ministers — say giving tourism tax credits to a Christian ministry building an amusement park featuring a life-sized Noah’s Ark would effectively compel them to subsidize a religious ministry against their…
Community rallies to rescue, nurture elderly immigrant
By Ashleigh Bugg Irene Calderón is 78 years old with a face full of sun-warmed wrinkles and a voice that lilts like music. “Ma-mitaa, cómo esta niñaa” — the words moved up and down when she laughs. The small Peruvian grandmother…
Southern Baptist ethics czar defends Indiana religious liberty bill on MSNBC
By Bob Allen In an interview March 30 on national television, the Southern Baptist Convention’s top expert on public policy denounced corporate boycott threats over Indiana’s new religious freedom law as “a confluence of sexual libertarianism and crony capitalism” attempting…
God wants Christians for ‘officiating crew,’ Evans tells The Gathering
By Marv Knox Standing near the end zone of Baylor University’s McLane Stadium in Waco, Texas, and comparing life to a football game, Dallas pastor Tony Evans insisted Christians must act as a divine “officiating crew” to interpret God’s rules…
End death penalty, say top faith leaders — including Baptists
By Bob Allen Moderate and progressive Baptists joined nearly 400 Catholic and evangelical leaders issuing a Holy Week call to end the use of the death penalty in the United States. “We urge governors, prosecutors, judges and anyone entrusted with power…
No forgiveness for slavery, racism without repentance, CBF pastor says
By Ken Camp Real repentance leading to racial reconciliation demands restitution for victims of oppression and injustice, Wendell Griffen told a Hardin-Simmons University audience March 23. “The work of healing what has been wounded, righting what has been wronged and…
Supreme Court won’t force NYC to allow after-hours worship in public schools
By Bob Allen The United States Supreme Court refused March 30 to hear a case challenging a New York City policy of not allowing churches to worship in public schools. The high court declined without comment to review an April…