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…
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…
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…
OPINION: Somebody’s daughter
I was at my daughter’s school when her teacher asked, “Did you see what your daughter wrote? All the teachers are coming down to read it.” My daughter is 7 years old and in the first grade and anything she…
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Regrets attitudes to women pastors
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is a major support for Baptist women seeking to serve God as chaplains. Under the current climate in the Southern Baptist Convention it is impossible for an ordained Baptist woman to obtain endorsement as a chaplain….
TRENDING: Designer faith, part 1
“If World War II-era warbler Kate Smith sang today, her anthem could be Gods Bless America,” USA Today recently quipped. It’s a remark about America's drift toward “designer faiths,” custom tailored to fit personal preferences. John Chandler Sociologist Robert Bellah…
Burn victim in Jamaica reunites with benefactor
DANVILLE, Va. — It was a brief but glorious reunion at the end of December for two women who share a bond reaching back more than 25 years. “You’re even prettier than I thought you’d be,” Danville resident Ann Wright,…
EDITORIAL: Principles are sometimes hard to hold
For Baptists of old, freedom of religious thought and practice was more than an academic hold-over from previous generations. Being sent to jail for proclaiming your beliefs tends to make it personal. To them it was a right granted by…