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...
The Progressive National Baptist Convention named Thomas L. Bowen its new general secretary Jan. 22. Bowen follows Kendrick E. Curry, who served as interim in the role after Timothy Tee Boddie. Tyrone S. Pitts is general secretary emeritus. The Progressive…
It’s January 2026, time for fashion magazines and style mavens to let followers know what’s “In” and what’s “Out” this year. When it comes to legal theories, judiciary “fashionistas” say originalism is definitely on its way out. Birthed by Robert…
About the time I was 10 or 11 — old enough for a child to begin to reason out some things — I began to fear the end of the world. Being raised in a Southern evangelical Christian environment, I’d…
“The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” Over the last week, in the wake of Renee Good’s murder by ICE agent Jonathan Ross in Minneapolis, this quote…
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are now aggressively rounding up legally resettled refugees in Minnesota and preparing to widen the search across the country, a national immigration advocate warned. “ICE officers have actually shown up at their doors and, if…
The Trump administration has conceded defeat in its effort to force public school districts to abandon civil rights protections and diversity, equity and inclusion programs that benefit students. The victory came Jan. 21 when the U.S. Department of Education filed…
My daughter, a student-athlete at a Baptist university, called me about a problem with her softball teammate. The head coach made an announcement canceling Monday’s practice due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. A teammate said, “Thank you, Martin…
As we have honored Martin Luther King this past weekend, I am remembering his friendship with Rabbi Abraham Heschel and Heschel’s joining with him in the Civil Rights March in Selma March 21, 1965. Heschel was criticized for leaving his…
Two of BNG’s podcast have released segments addressing ICE actions in Minneapolis-St. Paul and the reactions to that show of force. On “Stuck in the Middle with You,” co-hosts Mark Wingfield and Benjamin Cole seek to discover if there’s anything…
Fresh on the heels of countless pastors responding to the Philip Yancey 8-year affair with “it could have been any of us,” SBC Texas megachurch pastor Jonathan Pokluda asked rhetorically on an Instagram story “Why do I have a desire…
“David Easterwood is a pastor here. He is also the director of the Field Office for ICE in St. Paul. So someone who claims to worship God, teaching people in this church about God, is out there overseeing ICE agents,”…
Donald Trump’s return to the Oval Office brought an unprecedented use of presidential power and significant change to the country and the world. Polling shows he’s under water at the end of his first year, with only 40% of Americans…
