Baptist News Global

Wealth inequality and the struggle of Baptist polity

Recently Baptist News Global ran an article about the utility of congregational polity in the 21st century. The article raised a number of interesting and informative points about the future of congregational polity with respect to Millennials. Certainly the future…

New frontiers for LGBTQ-affirming churches

More and more congregations are undertaking intentional, prayerful processes of discernment and action toward becoming inclusive, affirming, and justice-practicing congregations for LGBTQ people (there are about 100 churches now in the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists). While many churches…

Retirement means little to Texan recalled to coaching at 78

Arlen White isn’t much one for slowing down. The 81-year-old Texan has been everything from a bus ministry director and counselor to a disaster relief leader and a county judge since “retiring” as a public school basketball coach in 1986….

Missouri Religious Liberty Amendment dies in committee

A Missouri Baptist Convention-engineered proposal to strengthen religious liberty protections in the state constitution died April 27 when it failed to win a majority vote from the House Committee on Emerging Issues. “I am sorry to report that freedom suffered…

Kerry explains why religion is relevant to U.S. foreign policy

Invoking religion in an unusually direct manner, the secretary of state said understanding the importance of faith is essential in diplomacy and working with religious leaders can help solve problems in foreign countries.

Mohler says Hastert conviction a morality tale

Wednesday’s sentencing of former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert in a hush money case involving sexual abuse serves as a lesson for all, says a Southern Baptist seminary president criticized two weeks ago for introducing a speaker publicly identified…

Bono wants Christian music to get more honest

The U2 musician said that he sees a “lot of dishonesty” in modern Christian music.

Transitions for the week of 04.29.16

Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated weekly. STAFF CHANGES H. B. Jackie Allen Jr., to Grassfield Baptist Church, Chesapeake, Va., as interim pastor. Caleb Bittler, resigning as…

Joyless about ‘Amoris Lætitia’

The Catholic Church, a multi-century institution, moves at glacier speed. Pope Francis’s recent post-synodal apostolic exhortation finally moved the Church into the 20th century. Like his earlier apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium (EG), Francis attempts a joyful evangelical call for a…

A coarsened culture and the community of Jesus

Joshua DuBois, former head of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, identified in 2010 four points of focus at the intersection of the political, spiritual and social realms. Three of those — loss of fatherhood roles, attempts…

Baptist-Muslim scholar swap produces dialogue on Jesus, the Trinity and religious violence

A scholar swap between a Baptist seminary in Georgia and an Islamic university in India uncovered a mirror image of mistrust and confusion between Christians and Muslims in both countries. The professors — Loyd Allen of Mercer University’s McAfee School of…

Christians from U.S., Holy Land, pledge to work together for Mideast peace

Christian churches have a responsibility to work for a lasting peace in the Middle East and advocate for a two-state solution to chronic conflict in the Holy Land, 40 church leaders from various traditions agreed during an April 19-20 summit…

Theologizing with Larkin Poe, 10 years after Reskinned

Ministry leader with tall tales wins GOP bid for Colorado governor

What Willy Rice once knew

What I learned July 5 at church