Baptist News Global

Pope Francis calls for elimination of death penalty, and that’s only part of what he wants

On Oct. 4, Pope Francis published his third papal encyclical, Fratelli Tutti. Like all titles, Fratelli Tutti is revealing. Not only does it allude to the writings of the Pope’s namesake, St. Francis of Assisi, it also previews the themes…

Ministry jobs and more

Baptist News Global provides a free listing of ministry-related jobs for Baptist churches, theological institutions and organizations across the United States. Each free posting is for 30 days and is limited to 150 words. Postings may be extended another 30…

Is missions giving ‘paying dues’? And what counts as ‘missions’ anyway?

Several years ago, in my previous life as a pastor, a well-meaning member of our Missions Committee looked at the church’s missions budget, noted the large sum of money we were sending to state and national denominational groups and declared…

Details released on CBF’s budget reductions and restructuring

More details released Oct. 13 about the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s 10% reduction in budgeted expenditures for the new fiscal year indicate a loss of 10 staff positions at the Decatur, Ga., offices and additional savings from normal attrition of missions…

Americans insulate themselves in political ‘bubbles,’ even at church

New research reveals just how far Americans have retreated from those with differing political views, a phenomenon one expert describes as a huge challenge for pastors. The Pew Research Center reported that deep disagreements over presidential politics has led significant…

‘America First’ is an affront to the heart of God

As the world comes crashing down around Donald Trump and his administration, those folks who voted for him in 2016 and consider themselves evangelical believers are pivoting to say they are electing the platform, not the person. We are to…

An October prayer

Note: This is not a simulation. This is exactly the state of my prayer life right now. “It feels like a bill has come due and God is collecting.” —White House source to Joe Scarborough, Twitter, 8:38 a.m. October 7,…

‘Pro-life evangelicals’ endorse Biden, Dobson rallies forces for Trump, and ‘MAGA Church’ debuts

More than 5,000 “pro-life evangelicals” have signed an online letter noting their opposition to abortion but the necessity of voting for Joe Biden in this year’s presidential contest. “As pro-life evangelicals, we disagree with Vice President Biden and the Democratic…

MacArthur and Dever a study in contrasts on COVID church precautions

Two conservative pastors, two different approaches to protesting COVID-19 health restrictions on public gatherings, with two very different outcomes. This is the story of John MacArthur and Mark Dever. Throughout the summer, MacArthur, pastor of Grace Community Church in Los…

William Barber: 100 million eligible voters did not participate in the 2016 general election

Churches must help rally marginalized voters to reverse America’s political and moral decline, activist Bishop William J. Barber II said during the Alliance of Baptists’ online fall gathering Oct. 10. “Galvanizing poor and low-income voters isn’t an act of charity,…

Rediscovering the songs of lament would wake us up

On a recent day in Washington, D.C., thousands of evangelicals, almost all of them white, gathered to a rally and to sing praise and worship music. One image that sticks in my head is a group surrounding Michael W. Smith,…

What presidential candidates should learn from Quakers and preschool teachers

As I watched the first round of presidential debates alone in my living room, I was tempted to take shelter behind my couch and occasionally peek over the top. I was distressed by the hostile tones, the snarky comments, the…

The wicked are punished — or not

What Ryan Burge sees in America’s megachurches

We are a nation of immigrants

As worldwide deaths mount, Musk insists DOGE cuts didn’t kill anyone