Baptist News Global

Transitions for the week of 5-3-19

Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated weekly. STAFF CHANGES Dennis Barton, to Oakland Baptist Church, Gum Spring, Va., as interim pastor. Claire and Zach Helton, to…

Everybody’s: sometimes the gospel finds us in the ‘world’ before we find it in the Church

My long interest in American religion doubtless began in the 1950s and ’60s at Everybody’s, Fort Worth’s first real discount store. All kinds of people shopped at Everybody’s, but not everyone was treated equally.

Alternative food ministry generous with the eats, but stingy on the stigma

“The coolest thing is that benevolence begets benevolence. They come for food and they get to vote on how to be charitable to others.”

ERLC reboots conference to focus on sexual abuse

Southern Baptist Convention officials on Tuesday announced a reboot of a major conference five months away to focus on the problem of sexual abuse in churches.

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…

Harvard’s Jonathan Walton named dean of Wake Forest School of Divinity

Jonathan Walton, an acclaimed author, social ethicist and religious scholar currently teaching at Harvard, has been named third permanent dean of the Wake Forest University School of Divinity.

Baylor’s decision on LGBTQ inclusion: Will my alma mater become invested or irrelevant?

If Baylor University doesn’t begin to recognize and respond in Christian love to the diversity of its students we not only have failed to measure up to the model of Jesus; we are identifying with the rigid textual literalism he faced 2,000 years ago.

Gushee faults evangelicals for using ‘selective literalism’ to harm gays

A Baptist theologian who supports full acceptance of LGBTQ Christians in the church defended openly gay presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg from attacks by evangelical leader Franklin Graham in a television interview April 25.

SBC’s sexual abuse study should include a probe of its own files on reported abuse

The Southern Baptist Convention purports to be studying the problem of clergy sexual abuse. But if the SBC is sincere about wanting to get a handle on this scandal and to understand its institutional failures, it should authorize an independent commission to delve into its files containing reports of abuse.

How to know if your church will be alive in 10 years

Only 8 percent of American churchgoers attend congregations of more than 1,000 in weekly attendance. Yet the churches attended by 8 percent of Christians are held up as the models for every other church to emulate in order not to die.

Whose ‘principles of faith’ are being manifested on Trump’s watch?

Mercy, justice and humility are the marks of authentic Christianity. I see none of these in the principles of faith by which our president operates. The only thing worse than the failure or refusal of people of faith to see this reality is to remain silent.

New Baptist Covenant adjusts leadership model

Aidsand Wright-Riggins, former executive director of the American Baptist Home Mission Societies, has joined the New Baptist Covenant staff as co-executive director.

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?