A few weeks ago, I sat with a Baptist leader who described himself as a “moderate Baptist.” He meant it as a compliment, and most people in our circles would receive it that way. After all, “moderate” is one of...
Recently after worship at First Baptist Church, Asheville, N.C., where I’m the interim minister of music, a choir member approached me almost as soon as the pastor had finished the benediction and said, “Doug, I’m scared.” Looking into this diminutive…
In April 2023, Baptist Women in Ministry shared an Open Letter to Baptist Women in response to an increase in actions against Baptist women who minister, lead and serve as pastors, specifically within the Southern Baptist Convention. In a recent…
It is common knowledge that evangelicals in the United States are staunch supporters of the MAGA movement. It’s not a stretch to suggest, had it not been for the evangelical vote, Donald Trump would not have been elected president even…
One of the highest-profile transgender religious leaders in America has filed to run for mayor of her small Colorado town. Paula Stone Williams is a pastoral counselor who previously served as president of the Christian church planting organization Orchard Group…
For generations, people in the Western world have fixated on scarcity. This mindset, rooted in the belief that resources and opportunities are limited, has shaped how Americans build their economy and define success. But as Buckminster Fuller pointed out decades…
Central Seminary has launched the Antioch Center, an initiative for “strengthening congregational vitality by equipping lay leaders, pastors and congregations for faithful, sustainable ministry in a changing world.” The project is made possible by a major grant from the Lilly Endowment,…
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has eliminated seven staff positions, according to a letter from Executive Coordinator Paul Baxley sent to governance leaders last week. It is not yet known if any of those positions were vacant and therefore how many…
My father told me a story about my Granddaddy this past summer that I’d never heard before. My paternal Grandfather was Baptist, like me. A real Baptist. The one who believed in organizational autonomy and the beauty of the Lottie…
We are in the midst of an American civil war. This time, wool uniforms have been replaced by whistles, backpacks and face masks worn by ICE agents, and drafts have been replaced by calls from community organizers and federal recruitment…
Many of us who care and are paying attention to the current reign of evil and terror in America are finding it hard to stay on the path of hope. When we see little children being used as pawns by…
In today’s Lectionary, the Gospel reading is from Matthew 4:12-23, where we read: “When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. … From that time Jesus began to proclaim, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has…
U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett is sharpening her case for the U.S. Senate as the Democratic primary tightens, framing her candidacy as a challenge to long-held assumptions about who can win statewide in Texas. In a recent interview at the U.S….
