Baptist News Global

N.C. Baptist church joins fight against transgender bathroom bill

More than 50 people were arrested Monday night at the North Carolina state capitol in a protest of the state’s new law curtailing LGBT protections — a protest organized in a town hall meeting last week at Raleigh’s Pullen Memorial Baptist…

When Christians won’t say #BlackLivesMatter

Saying #BlackLivesMatter does not diminish the value of other lives. It acknowledges the ways in which this country has devalued the life of a black person in comparison to the life of another, typically white, person.

The newest opponents of N.C.’s anti-transgender law: faith groups

As calls increase to repeal HB2, dozens of religious leaders are expressing faith-based opposition to a law they say is discriminatory.

Freedom and fear: Preaching as a young woman

What does it mean to affirm women’s leadership in church in 2016? A conversation between high schooler Jillian Mitchell, who preached her first sermon recently, and the pastor, John Jay Alvaro, of her Oklahoma City congregation.

The power of ‘and’

Our culture seems to have shelved “and” in favor of “or.” Liberal or conservative. Prolife or pro-choice. Gun rights or gun control. Let’s be honest. Polarization sells more news (and more politics) than consensus. Elton Trueblood once wrote that the…

For Raleigh church, self-examination was key to surviving identity crisis

When a small group of members at Hayes Barton Baptist Church claimed the Raleigh, N.C., congregation was sliding from its Baptist moorings into the arms of the “emergent church” movement, their agitation threatened the congregation’s stability and forced deep self-examination. Hayes Barton…

Lawyer says Glorieta lawsuit should be revived

A Houston lawyer says a federal appeals court should reinstate an Arkansas couple’s dismissed lawsuit against LifeWay Christian Resources, because the district court did not grant them enough leeway in trying to argue their case without the aid of legal…

Police investigating Baptist church homicide

Gunfire interrupted the 11 a.m. Sunday worship service at a large Southern Baptist church in suburban Philadelphia April 24, leaving one church member dead and investigators trying to decide whether to bring charges against another. Authorities say Robert Braxton, 27,…

The lawyers behind the recent wave of anti-trans bathroom bills

The speed at which they’ve emerged across the country, often with similar or identical language, raises the possibility that these bills are part of a coordinated effort.

The book that revolutionized ‘Christian manhood’: 15 years after ‘Wild at Heart’

Critics said the book promoted an antiquated fairy tale version of gender, but the message resonated with millions and sparked a “Christian manhood” cottage industry.

Prairie burning and new life

On a recent road trip through southern Kansas, I witnessed a spring rite, the burning of the prairie. The billowing smoke and red glow of distant fires are quite the vista — and a sign of renewal. The distinctive smell…

Desert encounter — a new stance for the Church?

To my delight and at times surprise, I’ve recently found myself involved in different conversations of ecumenical and interfaith dialogue. I’ve also witnessed a growth in other ecumenical groups in our area, and continue to learn of colleagues in different…

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