By Jeff Brumley For two decades, career pastor and two-time interim Mike Queen dreamed about getting a bunch of guys together to discuss and listen to their favorite music. Now fully retired and living in Wilmington, N.C., Queen finally pulled…
Alabama Baptist church faces ouster for pastor’s gay-friendly views
By Bob Allen A local association of Southern Baptist churches is poised to kick out an Alabama church after a member of the congregation who is an ordained minister received media attention for performing a gay marriage. Representatives of the…
Watchman on the wall: Brent Walker’s 25 years in D.C.
Interview by Robert Dilday Twenty-five years is a long time in national public policy life. How is the religious-liberty landscape different than it was 25 years ago? The religious-liberty landscape is definitely different. In some ways, religious liberty is in…
Court upholds religious accommodation in Obamacare
By Bob Allen A federal appeals court ruled Feb. 11 that accommodations in Obamacare are adequate to protect the religious freedom rights of employers who do not qualify for exemptions allowed for certain religious organizations but object to contraception coverage…
Here am I, send me … anywhere but the ministry
By Blake Tommey If you grew up in a Baptist church during the 20th century, you can probably recite these words by heart: “As we sing our final hymn, you are invited to make a public profession of faith, to…
Arkansas lawmakers ban local anti-discrimination measures
By Bob Allen The Arkansas state senate has passed legislation sponsored by a Southern Baptist lawmaker making it illegal for cities to adopt local ordinances banning discrimination against gays. SB-202, approved by both the House of Representatives and Senate, would…
Dean Smith’s pastor remembers him as courageous
By Norman Jameson Some idols hold up under scrutiny. Dean Smith, known best to the world as the man who built University of North Carolina basketball into a program of consistent national significance, died Feb. 7 three weeks short of…
Pastor/blogger says Southern Baptists should be honest about their racial history
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist pastor and author of a book investigating what went wrong with race and religion in the American South says the Southern Baptist Convention should stop claiming the convention’s founding purpose was missions. Alan Cross,…
Judge denies change of venue for Union University murder trial
By Bob Allen A judge in Jackson, Tenn., has turned down a request to move a former Union University student’s murder trial to another county claiming that pre-trial publicity would make it impossible to seat an impartial jury. As a…
Proposed religious freedom amendment in Texas raises concerns
By Ken Camp Baptists helped craft the Religious Freedom Restoration Act at the national level and secured its passage at the state level in Texas. But some Texas Baptists are leery of language in a proposed RFRA-based state constitutional amendment. The efforts…
Halt drone strikes, say faith leaders
By Bob Allen One of more than 150 religious leaders who drafted a statement opposing the use of lethal drones by the United States military said Feb. 11 it’s an issue that more Baptists should care about. Carol Blythe, past…
Legislator aims to make Bible state book of Tennessee
By Bob Allen A former Southern Baptist pastor turned state lawmaker has introduced legislation to designate the Bible “the official state book” of Tennessee. Rep. Jerry Sexton, a Republican from Bean Station in the Morristown metropolitan area in East Tennessee,…