Baptist News Global

Think U.S. politics is crazy? Check out church history

It is hard to deny that the United States is experiencing a time of political upheaval unlike anything we have known in our lifetimes: two men laying claim to the presidency, an insurrection at the Capitol, a history-making second impeachment,…

Americans more likely to say pandemic has strengthened their faith

A majority of Americans (68%) say the COVID-19 pandemic has had little effect on their religious faith, and just 4% say it has weakened their belief. But the 28% who report the coronavirus outbreak has strengthened faith far outstrip populations…

Addiction and silent judgment: Cassie’s story

The thing about judgment is that it is often silent. But the person being judged knows exactly what is happening when it is happening. It’s that smirk, frown, snarky comment or (from my personal experience as a Baptist missionary kid)…

Artist brings Enneagram to life through series of 30 paintings

Much has been written about the popularity of the Enneagram, an ancient personality typing system. For Michelle B. Noah, a Dallas-based artist, the Enneagram has been more than a tool for self-understanding: It has served as a muse for her…

‘While there is still time’: American churches, violence and conspiracy theories

In his classic book Night, the late Boston University professor Elie Wiesel described how the first warnings of what became the Holocaust found their way into his family’s village of Sighet, Transylvania, in 1942. The messenger was an “outsider” called…

When you call the vice president ‘Jezebel,’ you are acknowledging her power

Elephantine is an island opposite the city of Aswan in Egypt. In the late 1800s, 175 Jewish manuscripts found there began illegally appearing for purchase into Western collections. They are the oldest Jewish papyri found to date, going back to…

Pastors Buck and Swofford, get the biblical story of Jezebel straight!

On Jan. 22, Tom Buck, pastor of First Baptist Church of Lindale, Texas, equated Vice President Kamala Harris with the biblical Jezebel. It was a strategic insult designed to terrorize and imbrute Harris. He joined Steve Swofford, pastor of First…

Virginia now one vote away from ending death penalty

Religious groups campaigning to abolish the death penalty in Virginia got a glimpse of the promised land Feb. 3 when state senators approved a bill that will end capital punishment in the Commonwealth if the House follows suit on Feb….

6 ways to support your ministers through this pandemic

I run an organization that partners with churches and ministers around the United States. In that capacity, I meet with groups of clergy, take calls and emails from clergy friends, and sit in ministry network Zoom meetings. I have noticed…

Transitions for the week of 2-5-21

Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated bi-weekly. STAFF CHANGES Moe Bomer, to First Baptist Church, Midland, Texas, as business administrator. Mark Copeland, to First Baptist Church, Plymouth,…

6 things you should know about the COVID vaccine

New things can create anxiety and, as a result, there is false information about the COVID-19 vaccine that is attempting to take root and prevent people from receiving protection from what we know is a deadly disease. Writing as a…

Public health officials find churches are ideal sites for COVID vaccine clinics

While much has been written during the COVID-19 pandemic about the “when and how” of churches opening their doors for worship, a new thread in the story is beginning to take shape: churches hosting vaccination clinics. Depending on the state…

Trump’s war on ‘woke’ targets federal grants and foreign relations

Reflections on In the Twilight of the Christian West

Why rural families need support now

Why do we keep sounding the alarm?