By Bob Allen A gay Baptist minister suing for the right to marry his partner in their home state of Kentucky said he was encouraged after attending yesterday’s hearing at a federal courthouse in Cincinnati challenging bans on same-sex marriage…
Baptist leader in Missouri arrested for seeking sex with animal
By Vicki Brown Windermere Baptist Conference Center in Missouri will choose a new executive following the arrest of Jerald “Jerry” Hill on charges of soliciting sex with an animal, its board chair said Aug. 7. According to several news reports,…
In this case, missional means a contemplative sculpture garden
By Jeff Brumley The term “missional” evokes images of churches partnering with existing ministries and nonprofits in the neighborhoods around them. Connecting with God’s work leads other churches to open their facilities to homeless or emergency shelters, feeding programs or…
Weighing in on border crisis, SBC president says Jesus was an immigrant
By Bob Allen The president of the Southern Baptist Convention says Jesus would be sympathetic to the plight of undocumented children flocking to the southern U.S. border, because as a child he also lived as an immigrant. Ronnie Floyd, senior…
West African Baptists take measures as Ebola outbreak worsens
By Eron Henry The Baptist Convention of Sierra Leone has created a Baptist Ebola Task Force “to coordinate the sensitization of Ebola outbreak in its various churches and other public places.” That’s the latest response by Baptists in West Africa…
SBC leader blasts Jimmy Carter’s call for recognition of Hamas
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist Convention leader criticized former President Jimmy Carter’s suggestion that Washington should recognize Hamas as a legitimate political actor as “morally reprehensible” and “an outrage.” Carter, a lifelong Baptist, joined Mary Robinson, a former president…
Kentucky evangelical leaders invite Senate candidates to ‘issues forum’
By Bob Allen Two Southern Baptist leaders in Kentucky and a retired megachurch pastor have joined more than a dozen other groups vying for the venue of a highly anticipated debate between U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and his…
Prison beard case is Supreme Court’s next church-state decision
By Bob Allen Religious liberty advocates say a case headed toward the U.S. Supreme Court Oct. 7 over whether Arkansas prison officials have the right to deny permission for a Muslim inmate to grow a half-inch beard for religious reasons…
Churches widen impact, relevance by working with outside groups
By Jeff Brumley Flanked by two of her three young children, Virginian Brenda Espinet broke into tears Saturday morning before about 35 Floridians, giving thanks for their generosity and admitting a little embarrassment at needing their financial and other assistance….
‘Third-way’ Baptist church faces possible expulsion
By Bob Allen The 175-church Los Angeles Southern Baptist Association is expected to vote this fall on whether to expel a member church for embracing a “third way” besides discrimination against or unqualified endorsement of people who identify as gay….
Ornate sanctuaries no distraction from the Word, Baptist pastors say
By Jeff Brumley You can strip a sanctuary of symbols, remove all vestiges of beauty and deny any value the aesthetic may have in worship. But experts say those elements almost always creep back into the church — one way or…
Hispanic pastors rally to pray at the border
By Leah Allen More than 50 Hispanic ministers and family members gathered in McAllen, Texas, July 26 to pray for those involved in the border crisis, as thousands of undocumented Central American families and unaccompanied minors enter the United States….