By Bob Allen More than 50 evangelical Christian leaders from Texas and across the country wrote an open letter Nov. 12 seeking clemency for a mentally ill inmate scheduled to die by lethal injection Dec. 3 in Texas. Faith leaders…
OK Baptists oppose homosexuality, but not gays
By Bob Allen Southern Baptists in Oklahoma passed resolutions both urging compassion for homosexuals and opposing same-sex marriage at the 2014 Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma meeting Nov. 10-11 at Quail Springs Baptist Church in Oklahoma City. A resolution on…
More Americans exploring, sharing faith online
By Jeff Brumley A Pew Research study released last week found that one out of every five Americans share their faith online on a weekly basis. It seems like a lot more than that to Chris Canary, a minister at…
Kentucky Baptists dismiss gay-friendly church
By Bob Allen The Kentucky Baptist Convention voted Nov. 11 to sever ties with a historic Louisville church which describes itself as welcoming and affirming of homosexuality. Messengers at the 2014 KBC annual meeting in Bowling Green voted overwhelmingly in…
NCC hires two staffers
By Bob Allen The National Council of Churches, an ecumenical partnership of 37 Christian faith groups in the United States, has announced two hirings for key leadership roles. NCC officials announced Nov. 7 the hiring of Aundreia Alexander, head of…
Baptist preacher breaks ranks on gay rights
By Bob Allen A Baptist minister involved in a faith-based LGBT equality education campaign in Mississippi describes his participation as an expression of neighbor love. Stan Wilson, pastor at Northside Baptist Church in Clinton, Miss., said he welcomes the “All…
SBC leader says North Korea partly right about Kenneth Bae
Editor’s note: This story was edited after posting to correct an error. By Bob Allen After the weekend release of a missionary imprisoned two years for allegedly planning a “religious coup d’etat” in North Korea, a Southern Baptist Convention leader…
St. Louis judge strikes down gay-marriage ban
By Bob Allen A Missouri state judge said Nov. 5 that St. Louis officials can begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, finding that the state constitution’s ban on gay marriage violates the equal protection and due process clauses of…
Female minister cited by association for dismissing S.C. church
By Jeff Brumley A South Carolina church affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has been booted from its Southern Baptist association over women in leadership roles. The Independent-Mail in Anderson, S.C., reported that First Baptist Church of Pendleton has been…
With humor and hard work, church changes its ‘culture of giving’
By Jeff Brumley Two years ago, Second Baptist Church in Liberty, Mo. gambled that two cartoon cows would help foster a culture of generosity and transform stewardship in the congregration. It might sound crazy, but it worked, resulting in a…
SBC policy expert says medical pot a ‘Trojan Horse’ for legalization
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist Convention public-policy spokesman described medical marijuana as the “Trojan Horse of the marijuana legalization movement” in an online commentary published Nov. 7 by the SBC Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. Barrett Duke, vice president…
Latest gay marriage ruling, which involved Baptist plaintiff, could hasten Supreme Court decision
By Bob Allen A gay Baptist preacher suing for the right to marry in Kentucky pledged to continue his fight for marriage equality after the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against him and 15 other gay and lesbian…