Baptist News Global

Mary, Our Mother (for Baptists): Mary, did you know?

This is the second in a four-part series BNG will publish every Monday during Advent. A few years ago, I preached on the Sunday after Christmas, low attendance Sunday, a regular occurrence for an associate pastor (and a woman) like…

World Food Program warns of ‘unprecedented global food crisis’

“We are facing an unprecedented global food crisis, and all signs suggest we have not yet seen the worst. For the last three years hunger numbers have repeatedly hit new peaks. Let me be clear: Things can and will get…

Salvation as deliverance and blessing: Moving from Thanksgiving through Advent to Christmas

It was the Old Testament theologian Claus Westermann who startled me years ago by talking about the two ways God saves in the Bible: salvation as deliverance and salvation as blessing. Most theologians and preachers focus on salvation as deliverance,…

Pew reports on how faith communities were treated during first year of COVID worldwide

Religious groups in nearly 25% of the world’s countries were subjected to government force to prevent in-person gatherings during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, and even more endured social hostilities and conspiracy theories blaming them for the spread…

The present crisis for church staff

Churches in America have been living amid rapid change for several decades now, accelerated like a dive on a roller coaster by COVID. Previously, much of our attention has focused on institutional change and challenges, the big picture of congregations…

What have we learned about Matt Chandler’s sin and restoration? Not much

Among the many reasons people are leaving institutional churches, there is one that runs deeper than them all. John MacArthur says it’s because “they deconstruct the Bible to give room for their pet sins and tolerances.” The Gospel Coalition says it’s…

Six Scriptures undergirding my attitude toward other faiths

Recently, I wrote an opinion piece outlining six lessons I have learned on my interfaith journey. I concluded by stating it was really the way Jesus treated those who were different, the “outsiders,” that prompted my acceptance and celebration of…

Even if U.S. government fails immigrants, faith groups say they’ll keep working

Faith groups will continue to show welcome and compassion to immigrants and asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border whether or not Congress and the White House implement common sense, humane immigration policies, said Dylan Corbett, executive director of Hope Border…

Why does Al Mohler claim the Respect for Marriage Act opposes the ‘moral order’ and religious freedom despite specific provisions protecting religion?

Al Mohler does not like the Respect for Marriage Act. In fact, he believes it is an offense to the “moral order” of creation. The Respect for Marriage Act is a federal bill that passed the Senate this week and currently…

What happens when one church controls a majority of the City Council?

In Redding, Calif., members of a single evangelical megachurch now control a majority of seats on the City Council. While this is a highly unusual situation for a city of nearly 100,000 people, Bethel Church is a highly unusual congregation…

What The Atlanta Opera and theater companies might teach the church about post-COVID adaptation

“The show must go on” was the mantra of many performance organizations forced to become even more creative during the COVID pandemic. Operas moved outside, and bassoonists took their bows online. Churches followed suit and pivoted to streaming worship services…

Georgia Baptist Mission Board to vacate property and move into a local church

One of the largest state conventions affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention has reduced its staff to such a level that it’s moving to office space in a local church. Thomas Hammond, executive director of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board,…

Supreme Court slides into partisanship

Before the fireworks, be careful what you drink

The contemptible case of Clarence Thomas

The permanent paradoxes of Christian thinking about war