By Bob Allen The U.S. Supreme Court declined Oct. 6 to settle once and for all whether same-sex marriage is a constitutional right, denying review of seven petitions from five states involving disputes over the legal recognition of same-sex marriage….
Transgender minister, Baptist theologian headline conference promoting LGBT acceptance
By Bob Allen The week after Southern Baptists complete a national conference on “The Gospel, Homosexuality and the Future of Marriage” in Nashville, Tenn., some other Baptists will gather in a church in Washington to explore an alternative view. Allyson…
Circle of life: Denominational innovation may be wave of future
By Jeff Brumley The fact state and national religious bodies are undergoing significant changes — or at least need to change — hardly makes headlines anymore. But the changes already occurring give hints about where the development of religious organizations…
First U.S. Ebola case hits home for Baptist church in Dallas
By Bob Allen Dallas Ebola patient Thomas Eric Duncan was coming to America to get married and start a new life with a woman baptized this summer as a member of Wilshire Baptist Church, the church’s pastor, George Mason, said…
Debate: what (if anything) to do about choir decline
By Jeff Brumley Recent news that the church choir is in rapid decline troubled a number of Baptists, a number of whom took to Facebook recently to post evidence that choral music has – or at least should have – a…
Complex problem of hunger demands collaborative response, say advocates
By Ken Camp Hunger in America represents a complex problem that defies easy solutions and demands collaborative responses, Bob Aiken, chief executive officer of Feeding America, told a gathering of anti-hunger advocates at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Feeding America…
Paynter challenges anti-hunger advocates to ‘live your call’
By Aaron Weaver Anti-hunger advocates must “accept the unfinished business” of their lives as they work together to end hunger in the United States, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Executive Coordinator Suzii Paynter said at a hunger summit Oct. 1. “The inspiration…
Parents sue Second Baptist, Houston, over daughter’s abuse
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist megachurch in Texas is being sued by parents of a teenage girl claiming careless hiring and supervision of a former youth minister in prison for sexual assault of a child. A lawsuit filed Oct….
Not all clergy supporting Tenn. abortion amendment
By Bob Allen Liberal clergy rallied Oct. 1 in Memphis, Tenn., to add a dissenting voice to Roman Catholic, Southern Baptist and other faith leaders seeking passage of an amendment to the Tennessee constitution giving lawmakers more power to curb…
Church factors into American aversion to moving, pastors say
By Jeff Brumley Evidence that American society is becoming less mobile is backed up by some Baptist pastors who see devotion to church and neighborhood trumping the lure of better jobs — across town or the nation — among many parishioners. “I…
Conference affirms sufficiency of Scripture for counseling
By Bob Allen Many Christians who affirm the inerrancy and authority of the Bible don’t think it is sufficient to handle problems in their life, according to speakers at a recent conference on biblical counseling at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary…
NRB head exhorts Christian media to defend marriage
By Bob Allen The new president of the National Religious Broadcasters said Sept. 26 that Christian media can and should do a better job in countering the mainstream media’s message that same-sex marriage is OK. “We have not got to…