Baptist News Global

Pope begs forgiveness for ‘irreparable harm’ from sex abuse

Pope Francis begged for forgiveness Tuesday for the “irreparable damage” done to children who were raped and molested by priests, opening his visit to Chile by diving head-first into a scandal that has greatly hurt the Catholic Church’s credibility there.

My father, the born-again socialist

In his formative years, my father encountered two religious options. One was forward-looking and optimistic, hoping for better days ahead; the other was nostalgic and pessimistic, resigned to the imminent end of the world. Like most North American Christians, my father was a product of both visions: one influenced his religion, the other his politics.

Out of Africa: White supremacy and the Church’s silence

At this moment in history, how can American Christians, themselves deeply divided over scripture, doctrine, sexuality, abortion, and other culture war accoutrements, foster a common compulsion to speak out against white supremacist fiction before it gains an even stronger implicit or explicit influence?

Looking for clues to thriving faith communities in a post-Christendom church

What characterizes a sort of Western “underground” church doing well within a larger context of the church having been pushed to the margins of society?

China church demolition sparks fears of campaign against Christians

Footage has emerged of the Golden Lampstand Church in Shanxi province being razed by local authorities.

Son of Francis Schaeffer calls out Trump’s evangelical enablers on Twitter

The son of the late theologian and author Francis Schaeffer challenged evangelical supporters of Donald Trump to try to defend the president’s reported foul-mouthed description of Haiti and African nations which he made during a White House meeting with a bipartisan group of senators Jan. 11.

Andy Savage says he will take leave of absence from ministry

Embattled pastor Andy Savage is taking a leave of absence from his ministry at Highpoint Church in Memphis as the result of a sexual encounter 20 years ago in Texas with a 17-year-old high school senior.

Megachurches must ‘come out of the closet’ on LGBTQ issues, say observers

LGBTQ individuals and movements have become increasingly transparent about their identity and causes. Now, it may be time for the nation’s biggest Christian congregations to follow suit. New data shows that none of America’s 100 largest megachurches report having LGBTQ-affirming policies.

Baptist church fighting deportation of member with dire health concerns

A North Carolina Baptist church claims immigration officials entrapped a long-time church member held for deportation after applying for permission to stay in the United States due to a life-threatening medical condition.

If ‘The Post’ was a church, I would join

Churches should see themselves in this movie. The church, like the board of the Post, is tempted to focus on survival. When well-meaning, frightened Christians worry only about the budget, the church ceases to be the church. Institutional Christianity, like a bad newspaper, is organized, conventional and uninteresting.

American exceptionalism and America First

The basic premise of America First contradicts the main assumptions of American exceptionalism. American exceptionalism has always said the United States must model and spread democracy, religious liberty and freedom. America First claims that such views have caused innumerable problems.

5 things I wish my pastors had told me

I could have been told that there were other valid ways to interpret the faith, rather than basically being told “it’s our way or the highway (to hell!).” And perhaps that would have kept me in the fold.

Supreme Court slides into partisanship

Before the fireworks, be careful what you drink

The contemptible case of Clarence Thomas

The permanent paradoxes of Christian thinking about war