By Jeff Brumley John Jay Alvaro uses a variety of terms to describe the way he prepares his sermons at Spring Creek Baptist Church in Oklahoma City. And “outline” isn’t one of them. “Manuscript” doesn’t make the list, either. Instead,…
Baptists in Kentucky support cap on payday loans
By Bob Allen Members of the Kentucky Baptist Fellowship rallied Tuesday, Feb. 24, at the state capitol in Frankfort, after a Monday afternoon seminar on the “debt trap” created by payday lending. Speakers at a press conference in the capitol…
Petition to repeal anti-discrimination ordinance in Texas suburb ruled invalid
By Bob Allen A petition to overturn a new anti-discrimination ordinance in Plano, Texas, has been ruled invalid because groups including a Southern Baptist megachurch collecting signatures did not follow proper procedure to have the measure placed on a ballot….
Confusing race with faith sent Christians down painful path
By George Henson Christianity in the West has been infiltrated by values and attitudes of race, challenging efforts to heal racial and social divisions and for Christians to experience authentic connections with Christ, an expert on faith and religion said…
BJC defends Muslim woman’s right to wear hijab to work
By Bob Allen In a closely watched case argued Feb. 25, a Baptist religious-liberty group urged the U.S. Supreme Court to allow a Muslim woman to wear a religious head-covering to work. The Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, a Washington-based…
Baptist board in Texas declares gender assignment ‘immutable’
By Ken Camp Biology, not psychology, determines gender identity, according to the Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board. At its Feb. 23-24 meeting in Dallas, the board approved without any dissenting votes a resolution on transgender issues, declaring the…
Religious groups deny defense of marriage reflects animus against gays
By Bob Allen Religious opposition to same-sex marriage isn’t anti-gay but rather based on religious beliefs and practical experience that children do best when they grow up in a stable home environment with both a mother and a father, faith…
Todd Still named Truett Seminary dean
By Ken Camp New Testament scholar Todd Still has been named dean of Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary, effective June 1. Still, 49, will become the fifth dean of the Waco, Texas, seminary, where he has served on the faculty…
Baptist pastor inspired by Jews, Muslims during Holy Land pilgrimage
By Jeff Brumley It wasn’t Jim Somerville’s first visit to the Holy Land — or even his third or fourth. But the 10-day journey in early February was the first he had made with Muslim and Jewish clergy from Virginia. The…
Baptist theologian says Bible doesn’t condone homosexuality
By Bob Allen Equating gay rights with civil rights is an unfair comparison, theologian and cultural analyst Jim Denison said at a recent conference on the church and homosexuality sponsored by an association of Baptist churches in Texas. Jim Denison,…
Proposed ‘bathroom bill’ raises Baptist ire in N.C.
By Bob Allen Baptists in North Carolina are among religious voices opposing a pending non-discrimination measure in Charlotte, N.C., marked by debate over where transgender persons can go to the bathroom. The Biblical Recorder, news journal for the Baptist State…
Baptist pastor inspired by Jews, Muslims during Holy Land pilgrimate
By Jeff Brumley It wasn’t Jim Somerville’s first visit to the Holy Land — or even his third or fourth. But the 10-day journey in early February was the first he had made with Muslim and Jewish clergy from Virginia….