Baptist News Global

Why breaking up is so hard to do for United Methodists: Connectionalism

Why is it so hard for dissident church units to leave the 12-million-member worldwide United Methodist Church? The ties that bind United Methodists together are contained in one arcane word: “connectionalism.” The concept of connectionalism was confirmed May 9 when…

Stop using Jesus to disguise your predatory patriarchy

By now the whole country has heard of the imminent possibility of overturning the legal precedent of Roe v. Wade, which provides the foundational grounds upon which access to abortion care and reproductive justice in this country has been laid….

Oklahoma legislators say life begins at ‘fertilization’

Oklahoma legislators appear to know the exact answer to a question that has vexed doctors and theologians for centuries: When does life begin? According to a controversial bill adopted by the Oklahoma Legislature May 19, life begins at fertilization. “If…

Sadly, I agree that a complementarian seminary shouldn’t offer women degrees in pastoral theology

Twitter was abuzz last week when Scott Aniol took to the platform to dump cold water on a woman who was celebrating her pastoral ministry degrees. Aniol wrote, “Theological seminaries should not be giving women degrees in pastoral ministry. Full…

Baptists in Ukraine continue their humanitarian work amid devastation

Baptist church planters and their congregations in Ukraine have been at the forefront of providing physical and spiritual ministry to Ukrainians displaced, surrounded or occupied by invading Russian forces. “A great number of Christian churches and humanitarian organizations from around…

Intolerable cruelty is killing us

In 2003, the Coen brothers released their romantic comedy Intolerable Cruelty. The movie wasn’t great. In fact, it’s entirely forgettable, which is why I was surprised I remembered it at all. After reading the news lately, though, I’m now convinced…

Louisville police training quoted Bible verse to say officers are God’s agents of wrath

The police department that wrongly shot Breonna Taylor dead in her own apartment in 2020 had trained its officers just three years earlier that they are avengers who carry out “God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.” New reporting by the Louisville,…

Another racist mass shooting and our failure to tend Jesus’ sheep

In worship on May 1, Village Baptist Church read together the words of Jesus when he asks his disciple, “Peter, do you love me?” When Peter responds to Jesus, “Of course, Lord, you know that I love you,” Jesus gives…

Transitions for the week of 5-20-22

Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated bi-weekly. STAFF CHANGES Jennifer Campbell, to First Baptist Church, Washington, D.C., as minister to youth and families. Casey Carlton, to Blackwood…

Learning about change from Henry Ford

Henry Ford’s influence on the automobile industry and, through it, much of modern history is well known. Most people probably could tell you that Ford and his employees perfected the assembly-line method of producing automobiles. It is demonstrably true that…

‘It’s still the economy, stupid’

Think what you will about the raging culture wars, but that’s not the major driver of public opinion today any more than it was when Bill Clinton first ran for president in 1992. That’s when Clinton campaign analyst James Carville…

Hymn stories: ‘Christ is alive! Let Christians sing’

Listen! Can you still hear the echo of our Easter Sunday “alleluias” and “Christ is risen. He is risen indeed”? As we journey through Eastertide, these ecstatic outbursts and responses may be growing fainter. “Christ is Alive! Let Christians Sing”…

Rise of American authoritarianism demands a choice, Perryman says

Shaving Dad goodbye

The Enhanced Games were another MAGA grift

It’s bad interpretation, not the Bible, limiting female pastors