Baptist News Global

Need good news? Here are 10 reasons to feel optimistic about church

I needed some good news. Working with congregations and clergy these days is often an exercise in encouraging the discouraged. And sometimes, even the encourager gets discouraged. Data, surveys, media and real-life experiences combine to paint a bleak picture for…

Survey paints scary, hopeful picture of U.S. political divide

A large group of Republicans, including those who trust far-right news sources, say violence may be necessary to solve the nation’s political divisions, a new survey shows. Almost one of every three (30%) Republicans agree “true American patriots might have…

Ministry jobs and more

Baptist News Global provides a free listing of ministry-related jobs for Baptist churches, theological institutions and organizations across the United States. Each free posting is for 30 days and is limited to 150 words. Postings may be extended another 30…

CBF Church Benefits creates partnership to offer health insurance benefits

After several years researching solutions for churches to secure health insurance benefits for their staff members, the CBF Church Benefits Board has rolled out a new approach. CBF Church Benefits recently announced a partnership with Balanced Healthcare Solutions that is open…

Georgia Baptists eliminate retiree benefits, citing budget concerns

Cheerful-looking envelopes from the Georgia Baptist Mission Board that dropped in the mailboxes of nearly 200 retirees in mid-September appeared to contain good news. They depicted a senior-adult couple sitting on a park bench. The envelopes presented an assumed message:…

Do you play church in a pretend world or serve people in the real world?

There is the world the church acts like we all live in, and then there’s the world real people live in. These are not the same places. It has taken more than a year of deconstructing my own experiences as…

Baylor, Harvard team up to study faith’s role in human flourishing

Baylor and Harvard university scientists are looking for the factors that contribute to human flourishing around the world. They announced their five-year, $43.4 million study Oct. 29. The project will evaluate 240,000 individuals from 22 nations over an extended period…

The scandal of the persistent ‘color line’ in American Christianity

In addition to Halloween yesterday, many in the Protestant Christian world celebrated Reformation Day, commemorating when Martin Luther posted his “95 Theses” on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, Oct. 31, 1517. This is commonly understood as…