As the Southern Baptist Convention in its recent annual meeting has proved itself unreliably Baptist, it gives me pause to think about how quickly the transmogrification of this Baptist denomination into its ecclesiastical opposite has happened. Baptist folk often have...
I once had a seminary professor who anticipated that many of us someday would have occasion to write book reviews. When that opportunity came, he pleaded, we must never say that a book is a “must” read. My professor seemed…
As we remember the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. during this season, I have a few questions for reflection for the American church. For you to properly interpret my intent, please understand that I ask these questions…
I was in third grade in 1983 when Ronald Reagan, after much hesitancy, signed an act designating the third Monday of each year as a federal holiday honoring the life and contributions of Martin Luther King Jr. I was in…
According to the newspaper in his father’s hometown of Charlotte, N.C., Franklin Graham thinks the 10 Republican congressional leaders who voted to impeach President Trump were like Judas, who betrayed Jesus. “The House Democrats impeached him because they hate him…
Serving homeless people, as well as victims of domestic violence and other forms of trauma, is challenging anywhere. But the difficulty multiplies in New York City, Lesley-Ann Hix Tommey has learned. “In New York, everything is happening on such a…
Central Baptist Theological Seminary inaugurated Pamela Durso as its 11th president in a virtual ceremony Jan. 7. Held on Zoom and Facebook Live platforms, the service included greetings from denominational and theological education organizations, charges from the various Central constituencies,…
My favorite meme of the new year: “I’d like to cancel my subscription to 2021. I’ve experienced the free seven-day trial, and I’m not interested.” As post-holiday COVID-19 deaths surged the first week of January, a sitting president incited a…
Just over four years ago, when Donald Trump was elected president, I was working for a self-styled “moderate” Baptist church in East Tennessee. One of the (mostly) unspoken rules of this and many other moderate Baptist churches like it across…
Supported by a $750,000 multi-year grant from the Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation, Baptist Seminary of Kentucky will launch the Institute for Black Church Studies in Louisville, Ky., this fall. The institute will offer continuing education for Black church leaders and a…
A growing number of American churchgoers weren’t in the mood for sermons on race in 2020, the year that police killings of unarmed African Americans energized the Black Lives Matter movement and sparked widespread social unrest, according to a newly…
If you’re still measuring the success of a congregation’s youth ministry on programs and attendance, you’re missing the boat, according to an extensive national survey by Springtide Research Institute. The new research organization specializes in studying young people ages 13…
“Remember, all journalists are soft targets, and are fair game in the coming revolution! Don’t be afraid to take reporters down by any means necessary!” — unknown user on Parler “Get the firing squads ready.” — LLinWood on Parler “Many…
