WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court agreed May 20 to hear a case centering on whether sectarian prayers at the beginning of official government meetings violate the First Amendment — an issue which has roiled county governing and school boards in…
Spiritual formation growing online
By Jeff Brumley Ministers of spiritual formation are turning to the World Wide Web to counter the interference that hectic schedules, frequent traveling, social media and all the other demands of modern life can have on healthy discipleship. Jayne Davis,…
AU head says IRS scrutiny warranted
By Bob Allen An advocate for church/state separation says evangelist Franklin Graham has no right to complain about an IRS audit because of rules against partisan politics by nonprofit organizations that are exempt from paying taxes. Graham wrote a letter…
OPINION: Who are you?
One of the great struggles of life is finding your identity. Discerning who you are and what you are about are key parts of our human development and our maturation. Two films playing currently deal with the issue of identity…
Baptists respond to Texas tornadoes
By Ken Camp Disaster-relief volunteers from Texas Baptist Men offered comfort to injured people, helped clear debris and provided meals to rescue workers after tornadoes ripped through North Central Texas Wednesday evening, May 15. A series of tornadoes touched down…
Sexual-abuse resolution proposed
By Bob Allen A resolution submitted for consideration at next month’s Southern Baptist Convention in Houston claims that failure by influential leaders to confront the sexual abuse of children by clergy is giving the denomination a bad name. Peter Lumpkins,…
SBC leader rejects Boy Scout compromise
By Bob Allen The Southern Baptist Convention’s top official for moral concerns is urging the Boy Scouts of America to reject a proposal next week to drop its ban on youth members who are gay. Richard Land, head of the…
How transparent are churches and denominations?
Many churches have cut back the number of business meetings held each year. Some have scaled back publications — particularly mailed-out print versions. Some large churches with communications staff or a department have eliminated them or severely reduced their resources….
OPINION: Social media for the responsible Christian
We are living in anxious times. As we plunge deeper into a postmodern existence, our anxiety can be felt in declining church attendance, the loss of confidence in government and civic organizations, and the overarching realization that the metanarratives which…
OPINION: Stretch
A few weeks ago church leaders from across the country got together in Alexandria, Va., for the Missio Alliance conference. They met to proclaim a shared sense of call to re-imagine church, how we tell the gospel story, mission and…
ANALYSIS: Will the Kermit Gosnell verdict change the abortion debate?
(RNS) — Even before rogue abortionist Kermit Gosnell was convicted in Philadelphia on May 13 of delivering and then killing late-term infants, abortion opponents were convinced they had a case that could reshape an abortion debate that has remained static…
What now for West, Texas? The challenge comes when public attention goes away
What now for West, Texas? The challenge comes when public attention goes away Marv Knox and Jeff Brumley (ABP) — The outpouring of sympathy and solidarity for West, Texas, has been immense since a fertilizer plant explosion killed 15 —…