By Bob Allen Economic inequality is a “tool of separation” that continues to divide races in America 150 years after slavery, an African-American Baptist leader said in a recent lecture at Campbellsville University. Stephen Thurston, former president of the National…
First Baptist, Nashville votes to sell downtown lot
By Bob Allen The congregation of First Baptist Church in Nashville, Tenn., voted Oct. 26 to sell 1.26 acres of its downtown property for $18 million to a buyer planning to build a Hyatt Regency hotel. A fixture of downtown…
Baptist churches aim to plant seeds of hope in the Delta
By Bob Allen Birthplace of blues legends such as Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker and Howlin Wolf, the Mississippi Delta is better known for hardship and despair than a message of hope, but faith and community leaders in one small…
Black Baptists in U.S. take on Ebola
By Jeff Brumley A coalition of black Baptist organizations announced today its intention to combat the ongoing Ebola outbreak in West Africa. The African-American Baptist Mission Collaboration issued a statement that its constituent members — the Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Mission…
Missouri Baptists oppose recognition of legal out-of-state same-sex marriages
By Bob Allen The Missouri Baptist Convention adopted a resolution Oct. 29 criticizing a decision by the state’s attorney general not to appeal a judge’s ruling that Missouri must recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. Messengers to the 2014…
American Baptist leader to advocate for people with disabilities
By Bob Allen Curtis Ramsey-Lucas, managing director of resource development for American Baptist Home Mission Societies, has been named director of interfaith engagement for an outreach arm of the American Association of People with Disabilities. In an agreement between the…
Love your neighbor: Christ’s command inspires action and advocacy
By Ken Camp Some Christians provide shelter for the homeless or food for hungry people. Others engage in social activism or public policy advocacy. What’s love got to do with it? Everything, many who are involved in those efforts insist….
Baptist-endorsed Army chaplain on front lines of Liberia Ebola battle
By Jeff Brumley Arm bumps instead of handshakes and twice-a-day temperature checks are among the steps taken by U.S. military personnel on the frontlines in the war against Ebola in Libera, says a U.S. Army chaplain endorsed by the Cooperative…
Anti-abuse group archives member stories
By Bob Allen A victims’ advocate says she believes it’s important to talk about a Southern Baptist megachurch’s mishandling of alleged child sex abuse 25 years ago so other churches don’t repeat the same mistakes today. “This is a story…
Baptist takes multisite feature to churches looking for ‘good preaching’
By Jeff Brumley One of the most pressing needs of struggling churches — good preaching — has inspired a Baptist pastor to launch a company providing a streaming sermon service. “This is something I have been thinking about for years,” said Jim…
Emotions mixed for pro-gay ERLC conference attendees
By Bob Allen Pro-LGBT Christians attending this week’s Southern Baptist Convention conference on sexuality said they disagreed with much of what they heard in messages from the platform but were encouraged by the tone and their reception at the Oct….
Baptists seek guidance as same-sex marriage expands
By Jeff Brumley The widening legality of same-sex marriage has ministers and churches across the nation scrambling to respond. And Baptist pastors are right in the thick of what is in some quarters a frantic search for the right theologies…