It may now seem surprising to many United Methodists, and even more Baptists, that for most of our histories in the United States, all Methodists and Baptists were regularly designated as evangelical denominations. The most important reason is that both...
As a minister and a father, I’m accustomed to hearing people complain, especially my kids. Such phrases as, “I don’t want to go to bed,” or “This sandwich is yucky,” or “My sister is bothering me,” are repeated on a…
By Brian Kaylor On Good Friday, Christians around the world remember the day a government punished a convicted criminal with the death penalty. For many Christians — including some Baptists — Jesus’ death inspires them to oppose the death penalty…
By Bob Allen The “least of these” in Matthew 25 refers not to the poor but rather the Christian baker and florist persecuted because of their Christian faith, says a Southern Baptist Bible scholar. Denny Burk, professor of biblical studies…
By Bob Allen The International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention has dropped a controversial ban on missionaries who use a “private prayer language” that a decade ago helped stimulate the growth of blogs as a medium for dissent…
By Molly T. Marshall I have recently learned that there are eagle voyeurs in our midst. Normal people otherwise, they are absolutely fanatics when it comes to following the progress of these raptors. Through the wonders of “eagle cams,” which…
Just as we had finished imposing ashes on the foreheads of worshipers, my friend and fellow pastor David Bennett turned to me and said, “Alan, remember you are dust and to dust you shall return.” And with those words, David…
By Executive Director J. Brent Walker When the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear the same-sex marriage cases, the justices did not invite briefs on religious liberty. In its writ of certiorari granting review, the Court framed the issues to…
