A Houston megachurch has been in the news due to member concerns about the ways its bylaws were amended and governance was effectively removed from the congregation and entrusted to a small group handpicked by the senior pastor. While this...
By Terry Goodrich Volunteer lay leaders serve as political opinion leaders within churches, with considerable power to deepen — or bridge — gaps between religion and politics, according to a new study by Baylor University researchers. The study — “Sunday…
By Jeff Brumley Mercer University’s McAfee School of Theology hopes a new weekly cable television series featuring its students, graduates and faculty will inspire some viewers to hear and heed their callings into ministry. “I believe most people are looking…
By Robert Dilday John Lepper, the Kentucky Baptist Fellowship’s first and only coordinator, has announced plans to retire June 30 after 16 years as head of the state affiliate of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. “I have high hopes for the…
By David Gushee Follow David: @dpgushee Close observers of our U.S. federal government agree that due to the very strange rhythms of national politics, comprehensive immigration reform — defined as a bill that includes some path to legal status for undocumented…
By Michael Parnell Back in the 1960s, I loved to stay up on Saturday nights to watch Shock Theater, the late night airings of classic monster/horror movies. There were the Hammer Films productions, which usually centered on Dracula. But my…
How shall we handle it when the forces of modern tolerance finally shed their sheep’s clothing and begin baring their teeth? In the last several months this question has moved from the realm of the theoretical to become intensely practical….
By Robert Dilday In 1714, a small group of Baptists in Virginia asked their spiritual colleagues in Britain to send “messengers” to strengthen the fledgling religious movement in the colony. The result was the first documented Baptist congregation in Virginia….
By Ken Camp Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary President Paige Patterson has acknowledged the seminary recently allowed a Palestinian Muslim to enroll in the school’s Ph.D. program in archaeology. A Muslim’s enrollment in the Fort Worth, Texas, seminary marks a significant…
By Jeff Brumley The presidents of two North Carolina universities with Baptist affiliations have announced their impending retirements. Wingate University’s Jerry E. McGee announced in April he would retire in May 2015. He is Wingate’s 13th and longest serving president with…
By Ken Camp Texas Baptist Men disaster relief responded to varied needs after the Double Diamond wildfire burned about 2,600 acres in the state’s Panhandle and destroyed 225 homes around Fritch, Texas. At its high point, the fire forced more…
By John Chandler According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there are over 4,000 public and private institutions in the American college and university system. They awarded nearly three million degrees last year to more than 17 million enrolled…
By Chuck Queen There is a growing number of Christians today who are interpreting texts like John 14:6 (“I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me”) inclusively, rather than exclusively….
