Baptist News Global

Advice for parents wondering about COVID-19 and child vaccinations

The following Q-and-A with three health care professionals who have experience with pediatrics and parenting was created by Heather Mustain, associate pastor at Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas. Heather is the parent of two young children, and her husband, Chad,…

Louisiana College changes name to boost academic reputation while hosting creationist conference

A Louisiana Baptist institution preparing to host a conference by creationist Ken Ham has announced a new name intended to boost its academic reputation and Christian witness. Louisiana College is set to become Louisiana Christian University, the Baptist institution announced…

It’s the culture, stupid

In the politico world, all eyes were on Virginia last week. Despite obsessing over every pattern in the tea leaves left from the expended campaign strategies and discernible in the exit polls, one striking finding was almost entirely missed by the…

Six days after BNG report, Georgia convention finds new funds for retiree health benefits

Less than a week after a Baptist News Global report about Georgia Baptist retirees unexpectedly losing promised lifetime medical benefits, the head of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board announced a reversal of plans. During an inspirational rally Sunday night, Nov….

Advice for churches after the pandemic: Stop believing capitalism will save you

Several years ago — at a stuffy denominational gathering with bad ballroom catering where the chicken breasts all tasted like PowerPoint presentations — a progressive pastor admitted to me the church where he works wouldn’t be “open and affirming” to…

Manufactured homes and just zoning laws can transform working poor

“It’s been a long, a long time coming. But I know a change is gonna come, oh yes it will.” The refrain from Kathy Manis Findlay’s Oct. 21 op-ed is significant. However, bringing about change will require the Christian community to…

Lifelong calling leads Merritt Johnston to lead BWA Women

Merritt Johnston surrendered her life to ministry as a high school senior, although her options may have seemed limited, growing up in a small-town Baptist church in Texas. “On that day, I had people asking me, ‘Does this mean you…

The U.S. wealth gap presents both a political challenge and a spiritual problem

In November 2012, a YouTube user known as “politizane” created a viral video about wealth inequality in America that animates research conducted by Dan Ariely and Michael L. Norton using a series of graphs produced by Mother Jones magazine. Ariely…

Georgetown College president fired over assault allegations

Georgetown College trustees fired the school’s president, William A. Jones, Nov. 1 following accusations of sexual assault. “On Sunday afternoon, Oct. 31, the college was informed of allegations of a sexual assault of a female college employee, inappropriate behavior with…

Abiding in thin places: Día de los Muertos and lessons from loved ones passed

My longest-standing disagreement with my mother stems from an early childhood memory. I recall waving to my great-grandmother while an adult held me in loving arms. I vividly remember Big Granny smiling and waving back to me as strangers carried…

How the SBC employs the Sodom Strategy to avoid talking about real sexual abuse

Growing up in the Atlanta suburbs during the 1990s, I roamed about with much greater freedom than 9- and 10-year-olds enjoy today. But each time my mother released my sister and me to gallivant unsupervised around the mall or Six…

How the evangelical church messed up and lost its way

The evangelical church in the United States is a mess. I’m not talking about reports of declining membership and lower baptism numbers. Those statistics merely provided warning signs that something was amiss, that things were going in the wrong direction….

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