Are Baptists Protestants? I pondered this question as I attended the recent assembly of the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe in the beautiful city of Florence in Italy. The European Baptist Federation is not a full member of CPCE because of…
The religious war on freedom
By Bruce Gourley What is the enemy of religion? While evil is often the answer, a poll focused on religious liberty in America and released this month by the Barna Group points in a much different direction. When asked if…
Christian lingo of being missional
Supposedly on blogs and such we can be open and honest and real. Right? Mmmmm….well maybe not entirely, but I will make a leap here none the less. I am kind of tired of the word missional. I am kind…
Don’t overlook the season of Epiphany
In November 2011 I had the privilege of hearing N.T. Wright speak. His lecture title was, “How God Became King.” It’s been over a year since that day and it still sits as one of the more profound moments in…
A hopeful but scary future
By Amy Butler Like a lot of people I know, I am up at night sometimes thinking, wondering and worrying about the viability of the church as we know it. I’m not worried about the gospel. I’m pretty sure the…
Breaking new ground
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has a nominee as third executive coordinator of the organization. Once again, the nominee is from Texas, but . . . this nominee is female and a layperson—Suzii Paynter. Prior coordinators Cecil Sherman and Daniel Vestal…
Social media pastors cast stones on Obama’s faith
As millions watched President Obama take a public oath of office, popular mega church pastors sought to cast some social media stones on our president’s faith. Mark Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, set off a social media…
So help me God?
By Molly T. Marshall The afterglow of the great national celebration of our democracy lingers. Inauguration ceremonies offered a vision of who we are becoming as a people and called us to craft a future more progressive, more inclusive and…
Perspectives on immigration 2: Economic concerns and Christian response
Economic Concerns Christian perspective on the economic impact of immigration can be summarized through two different questions. One, can our nation afford the number of immigrants crossing our borders? Two, can our nation afford not to have the number of…
Our culture of violence requires adaptive change
I owned one gun in my life. It was a single shot 22-gauge rifle. My father gave it to me when I was around 12 years old. I sold it to a friend for his grandson 16 years later. In…
‘Zero Dark Thirty’ as lament
By Darrell Gwaltney When my now adult daughter was in middle school, we would listen to NPR together on the way to school. We heard the first confusing reports on the radio together. I dropped her off at school and…
Lance Armstrong and confession
After years of doping allegations, Lance Armstrong finally came clean… or mostly. After denying that he cheated, the famed cyclist admitted to using blood transfusions and a cocktail of drugs to cheat. Armstrong admitted to lying as millions tuned in…