By Ken Camp Harold Branch, the first African-American officer of the Baptist General Convention of Texas died Jan. 20 in Corpus Christi, Texas, a community he served in various capacities since 1956. He was 92. Branch was pastor of St….
Bodily desecration is disturbing — but why?
NEW YORK (RNS) — The recent outrage over a video allegedly showing U.S. Marines urinating on dead Taliban fighters provided Americans with a disturbing reminder that war can reduce men to revenge-seeking brutality that defies human norms. It’s nothing new:…
Poll: Preachy politicians turn off many voters
NEW YORK (RNS) — If there’s one thing the fractious Republican field agrees on, it’s that personal religious devotion is central to their campaign message. Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney and even Ron Paul stress their faith on the…
Megadeth star takes metal — and seminary — on tour
CLAYTON, Mo. (RNS) — As new students wandered onto the campus of Concordia Seminary last September, they were joined by another group of theological rookies — mostly midcareer types — joining the school’s program that allows students to train for…
Muslim men convicted of advocating death for gays
LONDON (RNS) — In the first case of its kind, a British court has convicted three Muslim men — who claimed they were acting under teachings of their religion — of openly advocating the execution of gays. Jurors in Derby,…
Megadeth star takes thrash metal — and seminary — on tour
CLAYTON, Mo. (RNS) — As new students wandered onto the campus of Concordia Seminary last September, they were joined by another group of theological rookies — mostly midcareer types — joining the school’s program that allows students to train for…
CBF search committee seeks input
By Lance Wallace A 10-member committee seeking a successor to Daniel Vestal as the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship executive coordinator met for the first time in Dallas in early January. The initial meeting focused on members of the group getting acquainted,…
Civil War changed Southern Baptists, historian says
By Bob Allen The American Civil War affected Baptists in the South in profound ways that still reverberate more than 150 years after the first shots were fired on Fort Sumter, says a new book by a Baptist historian. Bruce…
WMU leads in advocating for children victimized by trafficking
By Vicki Brown The sticker in the hotel window reassured the visitor — this business would help protect children from predators while they and their parents are guests. “The Child Safe Zone,” a project of Georgia Woman’s Missionary Union and…
Analysis: Churches, ministries provide refuge to victims of human trafficking
Many Christians see the eradication of human trafficking in the United States as a complex and daunting problem. But that doesn’t mean they are letting the enormity of the challenge scare them away. During the last session of the Texas…
Human trafficking: 21st century slavery
By John Hall Small details in the lives of the troubled students Tyler Shoesmith works with tell more than they would like him to know. It’s the words they use, the clothes they wear — even the age of…
Mexican poverty creates climate for exploitation
Poverty in Mexico fuels the destructive cycle of human exploitation and trafficking that consumes many young lives, experts on both sides of the Rio Grande agree. A volunteer at Cornerstone Children's Ranch in Quemado, less than two miles from the…