By Bob Allen In a Nov. 29 letter to the editor of the Louisville Courier-Journal, the chairman of the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights commended a church recently kicked out of the Kentucky Baptist Convention over homosexuality. George Stinson, chairman of the…
Americans with fewest resources giving greater percentage to charity, study finds
By BNG staff America’s poor and middle class are giving more to charity even though they’re earning less, while the country’s rich are earning more but giving a smaller portion of their income to charity. That’s the conclusion of a…
5 communication mistakes your church is probably making
After a combined 15 years as an administrative assistant, communication manager, educator, communication specialist or communication consultant (or any other title sent my way), I’ve had time to reflect on what we’re doing wrong when it comes to effective communication….
Engaging ‘nones’ is challenging but possible, say church leaders
By Jeff Brumley American “nones”— people who claim no religious affiliation — come with a variety of stories. Some were raised without any religious education at all. Most of them have few opinions on faith and wouldn’t know the Bible…
Black pastor says racial profiling exists in the SBC
By Bob Allen A black Southern Baptist pastor says he believes the kind of racial profiling which some believe played a role in the shooting of Ferguson, Mo., teenager Michael Brown is alive and well in the Southern Baptist Convention….
FBC Decatur, Ga., elects openly gay deacon
By Bob Allen A flagship Cooperative Baptist Fellowship congregation in Atlanta voted Nov. 23 to approve a slate of deacons including an openly gay man in a committed, same-sex relationship. The vote followed a three-week sermon series on the Bible…
Baptists’ mission work order changes from carpentry to caring
If you’ve ever heard of the Roma, it’s likely the romanticized version of brightly clad gypsies drifting carefree in caravans across Europe, setting up camp, stealing the local chickens and dancing until sunrise. In reality present-day Roma — also known…
CBF pastor hopes Darren Wilson decision will prompt dialogue
By Bob Allen A Cooperative Baptist Fellowship pastor in St. Louis said any hope for improving race relations lies not in agreement about a non-indictment in the Michael Brown shooting death but in relationships that will grow between people with…
Thabiti Anyabwile says Ferguson grand jury gives marching orders for change
By Bob Allen An African-American leader in the “young, restless and reformed” Calvinist movement in the Southern Baptist Convention called on President Obama to exercise strong leadership in light of a Nov. 24 grand jury decision in Ferguson, Mo., to…
Board drops plans for Bible course in Oklahoma public schools
By Bob Allen An Oklahoma school district has dropped plans for a pilot project by Hobby Lobby President Steve Green aimed at adding Bible study to the curriculum of public high schools nationwide, a church-state watchdog group reported Nov. 25….
Video ministry documents courageous teen’s inspiring cancer fight
By George Henson Christian video ministry I Am Second’s recent premiere of its first 45-minute documentary was unlike many of its previous projects. The film did not feature a celebrity’s Christian testimony. Rather, it told a “story of hope” involving a 13-year-old…
Nearly one-fourth of American families turn to church food pantries for help
By Bob Allen Nearly one-quarter of Americans say they have received help from a church-run food pantry in the past, according to a survey by LifeWay Research. In an online survey of 1,158 adults in September, 22 percent said they are…