Baptist News Global

Church/state mandates then and now: A tenuous freedom

Church/state mandates began early in the American colonies. On July 19, 1651, three Baptists — John Clarke, Obadiah Holmes and John Crandall — traveled from Newport, R.I., to Lynn, Mass., and the home of William Witter, who requested their visit…

Vital life lessons learned on the Camino de Santiago

“Buen Camino.” This is the phrase every pilgrim uses on the Camino de Santiago — a 500-mile spiritual pilgrimage in Spain — when walking past another pilgrim. Considering my walking pace was slower than everyone else’s, I often heard, “Buen…

Christian Zionism: the blind spot in faith-based activism against Christian nationalism

Christian nationalism in the United States seems more alive than ever. Project 2025 threatens to erode the separation of church and state, Donald Trump is hailed as a messiah following his assassination attempt, and at the state level, Ten Commandments…

At Wild Goose Festival, ‘I found my flock’

Attending the 2024 Wild Goose Festival at Van Hoy Farms in Harmony, N.C., was a first for me. Even though I’d heard about the annual gathering of progressive post-evangelicals, I really did not know what to expect. However, as David…

Proposed bill to help welcome asylum seekers hailed by human rights groups

Human rights groups are lining up in support of new legislation designed to help states and cities welcome asylum seekers and refugees into local communities. The Destination Reception Assistance Act, introduced in Congress July 30, seeks to expand the federal…

What comes next for the United Methodist Church?

Not even the sainted hymnist of Methodism, Charles Wesley, could sing better of the United Methodist Church’s future than King George III in the musical Hamilton: What comes next? Regrouping after decades-long conflicts over human sexuality, declining membership, decreased revenues…

SBC leader offers little hope for change on addressing clergy sex abuse

Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee Chair Philip Robertson gives his thoughts on the clergy sex abuse problem within the Southern Baptist Convention in this video. Spoiler: He doesn’t think it’s much of a problem. Robertson attempts to discredit and sow…

Jimmy Carter freed a Ukrainian pastor and brought him to church

Forty-five years before the Biden Administration negotiated a complicated, multinational prisoner exchange for the freedom of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and 11 others, the administration of President Jimmy Carter swapped two convicted spies for five Soviet detainees. “The…

The Supreme Court is afflicted with a deadly empathy deficit

The Supreme Court has upheld a ban on sleeping outdoors in a homelessness case. By a 6-3 vote along partisan lines, the court ruled homeless residents are prohibited from sleeping outdoors. My own sense of the prophetic, especially when indignant,…

Silenced bells: Gaza’s cry amidst devastation

In the aftermath of unimaginable horrors inflicted upon Gaza, the indomitable spirit of its inhabitants shines through like a beacon of hope amidst the desolation. As a Palestinian Christian deeply troubled by the plight of my people, I feel compelled…

Christian conservatives shift attacks from Biden to ‘childless’ Kamala Harris, a ‘Jezebel’

President Joe Biden’s speech announcing he would “pass the torch” to a new generation of leaders and back Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic party’s new nominee has shaken up the presidential race. Christian conservatives have since attacked Harris…

Youth want parents to listen, not offer advice, Gallup survey finds

The best way for parents to comfort anxious, sad or stressed-out youth is simply to let them vent, according to a new survey by Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation. “Generation Z youth report having a deep arsenal of coping…

Except for white evangelicals, Americans have soured on Trump’s leadership

CBF approves $16 million budget, leaders challenge more mission

The Black Church was not meant to save America

Caner sues Truett-McConnell for wrongful firing