The first time I ever went to a Busch Gardens theme park, I was made to sit through a timeshare pitch. I still wasn’t old enough to sample the swill of the park’s namesake, so I admit to you I…
The church as school for democracy
This is the second in a BNG series of articles on Christianity and democracy that will lead toward the July 4 celebration of America’s 250th birthday. The series has been curated by Carol McEntyre, senior minister at First Baptist Church…
Those who would ‘own the libs’ need to own this president’s actions
We’ve been told over and over that many of those who laugh at Donald Trump’s outrageous behavior and overlook his perpetual lying and callous cruelty do so because they love how angry it makes “liberals” like me. They will do…
Praying for my Southern Baptist siblings about women in ministry
Baptists are a big part of my life story. If you are scratching your head about why this third generation, Methodist-all-her-life pastor would say such a thing, keep reading. Baptists are a big part of my story because I live…
Speak on behalf of SBC women who have no voice
Every summer when the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting rolls around, my husband and I find ourselves once again discussing why we’ve chosen to stay affiliated with such a troubled and troubling organization. Why are we still here? Both of…
What Pope Leo’s encyclical demands of Louisiana
On May 25, Pope Leo XIV released his first encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas,” warning about the growing influence of artificial intelligence. He informs us that AI requires an increasing use of “energy and water, significantly influencing carbon dioxide emissions, and place(s)…
The way we were
“Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past,” says Deuteronomy 32:7. Once upon a time, people who called themselves Southern Baptist had a firm conviction that they were autonomous churches cooperating with other churches of what we called…
Spiritual formation is how churches learn whom to hear
A name appears on the teaching schedule. The person is not a stranger. They have sung in worship, served on committees, brought food to grieving families, asked good questions in Bible study and stayed after to stack chairs. People like…
Full gospel Christianity
The Christian faith includes both personal and public ramifications. However, most churches in America overemphasize personal faith and underemphasize public faith. For example, all churches care deeply about individual moral behavior, which is obviously important. But Scripture teaches us God…
You are the plan
During one of my TikTok scrolls, a video came across my feed of a man in all yellow running onto a baseball tarp. It was pouring rain; clearly the kind of situation few people would run toward. I watched as…
What the church got wrong about queer people
The ACLU is tracking 530 anti-LGBTQ bills in state legislatures this year. Five hundred and thirty. In Kansas, a new law immediately invalidated the driver’s licenses of transgender people and authorized anyone, anyone, to sue someone they suspect of being transgender for using the…
Colorizing the SBC’s one-paint-can resolution on euthanasia
Cancer has reduced my father’s robust frame to skin-covered bones. His bombastic voice has deflated to a chirping whisper. But his 84-year-old blue eyes still sparkled when he abruptly made a comment that, to fully appreciate, requires decades of context….