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…
Pastor blends art, preaching to share Good News
By George Henson It’s not preaching or painting for Pastor Randall Worley. It’s both. And his passion for spreading the gospel through oratory and visual expression has inspired Worley to conduct weeklong art camps at Prairie Creek Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, the…
Baptist preacher wins Georgia House seat
By Bob Allen Liberal pundits said it wouldn’t be easy to find a replacement as outspoken as former Tea Party Congressman Paul Broun — who onced termed evolution a lie “straight from the pit of hell” — but voters in the 10th…
Mohler says troubling story of Abraham, Isaac reveals ‘we are saved’
By Bob Allen The story of Abraham offering to sacrifice his son as a burnt offering in Genesis 22 makes sense only if it is literally true, a Southern Baptist seminary president said at a recent preaching conference. “If this…
For youth ministers, a challenge dealing with mental illness in adolescents
By Terry Goodrich and Jeff Brumley Many mental health disorders first surface during adolescence, and college and youth pastors are in a good position to offer help or steer youths elsewhere to find it. But many of those pastors feel…