By Bob Allen The U.S. Supreme Court ruled June 30 that the Baptist owners of Hobby Lobby cannot be forced by the government to provide employees with health insurance that covers methods of birth control that they believe cause an…
White House aide, BJC alum, honored at CBF
By Bob Allen Presidential assistant Melissa Rogers credited the Baptist heritage of defending religious liberty and the separation of church and state with shaping her work as head of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships June 27…
Session explores churches and zombies in post-Christian age
By Jeff Brumley Curtis Freeman wanted to make a few things clear right from the start of his doomsday-themed breakout session at Friday’s CBF General Assembly in Atlanta. One was that the standing-room-only session would not help determine if zombies…
Glass ceiling for women pastors cracked but not broken, panelists tell CBF
By Jeff Brumley Opportunities to lead churches are increasing for women in Cooperative Baptist life, but not fast enough to stop the loss of qualified female ministers from the Fellowship, a panel of ministers said during the 2014 General Assembly…
CBF begins work on funding plan
By Bob Allen An ad hoc group of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Governing Council has been appointed to work in earnest on the final piece of a massive revisioning adopted in 2012 – funding – outgoing CBF Moderator Bill McConnell…
New Baptist Covenant pitches reconciliation at CBF assembly
By Jeff Brumley The New Baptist Covenant has tapped powerful allies to help push the movement from what one of its leaders described as its “dream phase” into one of bold action. The organization went high profile with that effort…
CBF a ‘denominetwork,’ Paynter says
By Bob Allen The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is a “different way of being a Christian network,” Executive Coordinator Suzii Paynter said in a report to the 2014 CBF General Assembly June 26 in Atlanta. “My elevator word for CBF is…
Baptist Women in Ministry celebrates 50th anniversary of first ordination
By Emily Holladay More than 400 people gathered June 25 to celebrate the work of Baptist Women in Ministry, particularly honoring the 50th anniversary of Addie Davis’ ordination by Watts Street Baptist Church in Durham, N.C. Davis was the first…
CBF missions head calls for ‘new conversation’ about global missions
By Bob Allen The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s new missions head said June 25 the movement must re-imagine its global missions enterprise in ways similar to sweeping leadership and governance changes embraced since a two-year study of ways to better poise…
Shifts in CBF staff will expedite focus on priorities, says top leader
By Bob Allen Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Executive Coordinator Suzii Paynter said June 25 that plans to realign staff around priorities identified in a two-year study of the movement’s effectiveness are falling into place sooner than she expected when she was…
Chaplains have edge in post-Christian age, CBF official says
By Jeff Brumley Like many U.S. religious groups, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship faces a constant challenge to find and offer ministries that are relevant in a post-Christian society. Navy Capt. Gerald F. Hutchinson, Jr. will offer what he sees…
Federal appeals court overturns gay marriage ban
By Bob Allen A federal appeals court ruled June 25 that marriage is a fundamental right that cannot be denied based solely on the sex of the person that a citizen chooses to marry. The U.S. 10th Circuit Court of…