Baptist News Global

Focus on ‘we’ rather than ‘me’ when praying, professor counsels

Although Rick Landon never has taught English grammar, he has urged students to choose their pronouns carefully. Paying attention to pronouns while praying is one way to start nurturing a closer relationship with God, said Landon, who recently retired as…

When it rains, remember the Disney Rules

Today, we loaded up our little circus and took a drive. The kids had a school holiday, and we planned a little fun out of the house. Didn’t matter that the weather forecast screamed “stay home” or that the clouds…

62 years later, we learned the truth about Uncle Ray, a truth we needed to know

Veterans Day seemed a bit more sacred to me this year. After a contentious election and reshuffling of chief military officials, I thought about our connections to those who serve on the home front or abroad, often in life-altering, terrifying…

Breathe free, huddled masses; we’re sorry for how our nation treated you

The Statue of Liberty, Mother of Exiles, stands a little taller this week. Her fabled torch shines brighter. Once again, she beckons her welcome to “huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” Our presidential election signals a change at our borders….

Free BNG webinar will discuss how to cope with pandemic holidays

How to cope with pandemic holidays will be the topic of Baptist News Global’s next webinar, scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 3. The online seminar is free and open to anyone, but advance registration is required to receive entry credentials via…

‘Freedom songs’ make a reprise during this year of protests

The wave of high-profile police killings of Black Americans during the summer got a lot of people protesting across the country — and it got them singing in the process. “The act of singing, in and of itself, is an…

What will happen in public education with a Biden administration?

With the impending change of administrations in Washington, public education advocates across the country have taken to social media to express their joy in the inevitable departure of Betsy DeVos as secretary of education. As one of the most consistently…

What counseling domestic abuse victims taught me about the election results

One of the difficult and sad responsibilities that falls to counselors such as my wife, Anna, and myself is working with victims of domestic violence. We share that difficult task with law enforcement, with the exception that these cases can…

Bonhoeffer Moment No. 4: ‘Are we still of any use?’

“Are we still of any use?” Dietrich Bonhoeffer asked that question of German Christians near the end of his 1943 essay, “After Ten Years.” We American Christians might ask it of ourselves 77 years later. The nation’s presidential election is…

African bishops demand independence in deciding United Methodist Church’s future

The conflict over acceptance of LGBTQ persons in The United Methodist Church has become a three-way fight — with even more contenders likely waiting to turn the bout into a battle royal between opposing American forces and the rest of…

Americans United proposes 10 ways for Biden administration to reset church-state separation

As a new administration comes to Washington, a fundamental restatement of church-state separation should become a top priority, according to officials with Americans United for Separation of Church and State. “The Trump administration’s misuse of religious freedom to harm others…

More Boomers are retiring, and churches need to be prepared

The rate of Baby Boomer retirements escalated in the last 12 months, a trend that could provide a boost to some American churches and a challenge to others. “As Boomers retire, many of them are going to go from working…

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?