Baptist News Global

Australian Baptist association requires agreement on its statement on marriage for all affiliated churches and ministers

A Baptist association in Australia has voted to require not only its member churches but all clergy accredited by the association to affirm a belief in marriage as “a covenant relationship ordained by God as a lifelong faithful union of…

When you count your blessings, what do you count?

“The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings,” according to philosopher Eric Hoffer. I grew up in church singing the beloved hymn by Johnson Oatman Jr., “Count Your Blessings.” What is a blessing? And…

Hardin-Simmons trustees give embattled president three-year contract extension

Less than three weeks after 76% of the faculty at Hardin-Simmons University voted “no confidence” in President Eric Bruntmyer, the West Texas school’s trustees gave him a three-year contract extension. “The board has full confidence in President Bruntmyer and believes…

Blessed to be a blessing, globally

“Blessed to be a blessing.” I’ve heard it a million times. You have, too, if you go to the kind of church that recycles catchy slogans (which is most churches). Sure, it’s a cliche. But I like it. Because it…

Oklahoma elects secretary of education who wants to require training in ‘Christian’ version of American history

The man elected to lead Oklahoma public schools for the next four years believes the state’s teachers all need remedial education from a conservative evangelical school in Michigan in order to teach “true history” that favors “Judeo-Christian values.” Republican candidate…

Antisemitism is rampant in America: Will churches be silent?

Antisemitism, one of the world’s earliest and most enduring conspiracy theories, is again rearing its ugly head. With origins in ancient Greece, antisemitism became a hallmark of Christian-Jewish relations across the centuries. It is with us yet. Writing in the…

It was a tough day for election deniers, Brookings panel says

Americans who embrace democracy and shun conspiracy theories have reason to be cautiously optimistic about the U.S. political system after the 2022 midterm elections, said Norman Eisen, founder and executive chair of the States United Democracy Center. Nov. 8 was…

Yes, global warming remains dangerous, but the evidence shows human action does make a difference, leading climatologist contends

As dire as the global climate crisis is, human action to mitigate disaster actually has made the future less bad than it would have been, according to one of the world’s foremost climate scientists — who also happens to be…

On the origins of Veterans Day

Veterans Day doesn’t lend itself to commercial attention like its twin, Memorial Day, probably because it’s squeezed between two other cash-registering holidays, Halloween and Thanksgiving, and it does not coincide with a car-cultural observance like the Indy 500 auto race….

The blessing of provocation

Theological education has been my life’s work, and it has been a joyful and traumatic pursuit at three schools: Southern Seminary, Central Seminary, and now United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. I would consider myself blessed to have labored…

‘Send these bigots and homophobes and misogynists back under the rocks out from which they crawled’

Churches and individual Christians must become more ardent in their opposition to Christian nationalism in the wake of the midterm elections, according to John Dorhauer, general minister and president of the United Church of Christ. “We must seek to engage…

Surviving this election season and repenting of idolatry

This election season has been a hard spiritual journey, as well as a grimy political slog. Rancor ran rampant, spilling out of campaign rallies and whistlestops, bounding onto our screens. Candidates mongered fear, amplified animosity and spewed indignation. Now, we…

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