Baptist News Global

Southwestern Seminary seeks fulfillment of $5 million pledge Pattersons attempted to divert from school

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary has filed a $5 million claim against the estate of a recently deceased donor whose planned gift to the Fort Worth, Texas, school allegedly was redirected after interference by Paige and Dorothy Patterson. Elizabeth Griffin of…

On climate change, the political divide has widened as more Americans overall express concern

In addition to the political and generational differences between Americans over climate change, there is a disproportionate impact of pollution, unsafe drinking water and other challenges occurring among people and communities of color. This is the finding a new national…

After talking with Bishop Curry, my goals for this summer are love, church, service and kindness

I love summer. In fact, I love everything about summer. Last summer didn’t seem like normal as we battled the effects of COVID. But this year, as we get ready for the long, hot days, some things come to mind….

Juneteenth and the promise of freedom

June 19, 1865, is the day when the last enslaved persons in Galveston, Texas, received news that they had been emancipated. Juneteenth, as this day has been called, commemorates in the hearts and minds of Black folks the official end…

Advocacy group that fought COVID church closures in California awarded $2.1 million for legal fees

The conservative Christian advocacy group that fought the state of California’s mandates on church closures during the coronavirus pandemic will be reimbursed by the state for more than $2 million in legal fees. Separate settlements were announced between the state…

The Tulsa Race Massacre is personal to me, and remembering is a holy act

1921 is personal to me. It is personal for two reasons. 1921 was the year of my mother’s birth in Muskogee, Okla. Had she lived, she would be 100 years old this coming September. My mom used to say, “If…

Immigration advocates applaud official end of ‘remain in Mexico’ policy

The Biden Administration has officially ended a 2019 immigration policy that forced tens of thousands of Central American refugees to remain in dangerous Mexican cities to await asylum hearings as they seek entry into the United States. President Joe Biden…

Rock the boat, don’t tip the boat over

There is a lot of time to think while sitting in the hospital — at least intermittently between all the doctor’s visits and texting the grandparents and friends about what is going on with the kiddo. The body is amazing…

They grew up in purity culture, then taught it and now want to help others recover from it

Ryan Clark and Nathan Novero grew up in evangelical purity culture and even preached it as youth ministers. Now they are trying to address the sexual dysfunction and trauma inflicted on themselves and others by what seemed at the time…

Clergy mental health is a choice between life and death

I took a leave of absence in 2020, and it saved my life. I serve as pastor of a church in Oklahoma, and it’s been a heck of a year. Even before the pandemic, we navigated painful staff changes and…

Upcoming Supreme Court ruling could influence child care case in Kentucky too

With an important Supreme Court ruling on foster care and religious discrimination coming any day, a Kentucky Baptist child care agency is fighting its own battle to continue denying same-sex couples from becoming foster or adoptive parents. The pending Supreme…

Police and clergy join forces in this Virginia city to train officers in community assets more than deficits

The Danville, Va., Police Department’s new community immersion program connects rookie officers with leaders, including pastors, and residents in the city’s most diverse and economically challenged neighborhoods. Baptist pastor Joshua Hearne helped design the course, and the experience was a…

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