Baptist News Global

He’s got a Rice business degree; now he’s focused on finding the best use for church buildings

Church property costs $7 to $10 per square foot annually to operate, which can mean $70,000 to $100,000 for a modest 10,000-square-foot property, according to Rick Reinhard, who unexpectedly has become an authority on repurposing church real estate. Reinhard, a…

Rosalynn Carter: ‘There are not enough accolades to describe how wonderful she was’

Pastors often call their church members “saints” when they pass from this life, but that’s no exaggeration for one of the most famous Baptist laywomen of our generation, says a former pastor to Rosalynn Carter. Brandon Patterson is one of…

Tell me about your Christian tattoo

In the evangelical subculture I was raised in, we were taught to cover most of our bodies for the sake of modesty. I was told repeatedly, “Your body is a temple.” So you can imagine my shock when, as a…

Amidst global chaos, ordinary South Africans are emblem of Muslim-Jewish co-existence

The Israel-Hamas war has fractured Muslim/Jewish community relations in the Middle East, Europe and the U.S. But in South Africa, ordinary people take pride in being an outlier, creating a country where for decades and even now, Jews and Muslims…

A generational torch passes at Bubba-Doo’s

Today I sat on the other side of the Bubba-Doo’s restaurant from where I normally do. I suppose more of us are creatures of habit than we care to admit. There’s nothing wrong with the portion that I sat in…

Once again, faith and humanitarian groups decry Texas’ latest approach to ‘border security’

An array of faith and humanitarian groups is imploring the Biden administration to challenge current and pending Texas immigration measures targeting vulnerable migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. The organizations seek federal intervention before Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signs into law…

Remember to give thanks for the things we don’t know to remember

Some readers will remember moments like those I experienced in Mr. Shea’s 10th grade world history class, as we listened via the intercom to the radio describing what we thought could be the last minutes of the world. The Cuban…

The desire for retaliation is a fool’s errand

Ever since the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel by Hamas terrorists, followed by the horrific obliteration bombing of Gaza in response, there is a passage from the Hebrew Bible that has echoed in my mind. It’s what I consider one…

Archives reveal timeless messages from Dallas clergy days after JFK assassination

It’s hard to believe it’s been 60 years since President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on the streets of downtown Dallas. For many who were alive at the time, it has become a distant memory of a national tragedy. And…

Knowing what we see and remembering what we know

Israel’s war against Gaza is now into its second month. Israel has killed more than 13,000 men, women and children with bombs and bullets. We do not know how many others have died from other causes or will die from…

Christian groups lament and repent role religion played in allowing Israel-Hamas war

A coalition of Christian groups released a statement Nov. 18 blaming Israeli and U.S. officials for the rising death toll in the Israel-Hamas war and admitting their own complicity in the weaponization of religion in the conflict. “We confess that…

Two roads diverged in a cold food court

Ninety percent of my dissertation was written in the food court at the mall. I’m an extreme extrovert. Prolonged silence exhausts me. Plus, the irregular noise of an ant walking greatly distracts me. So, crowded restaurants and coffee shops are…

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