A gender struggle was central to the Southern Baptist Convention schism, but interpreters of the controversy largely have failed to deal with this reality, a Baptist professor said during a lecture in Louisville, Ky. “They treated women as an issue…
Thomas Graves, founding president of BTSR
Thomas Henry Graves, founding president of Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, died Aug. 17 at age 75. Trained as a Southern Baptist pastor, he became a leader in the so-called “moderate” movement that broke away to create the Alliance of…
Embracing a queer spirituality would have freed me from years of anguish, self-doubt and self-loathing
I was a junior in college, studying religion and serving as a youth minister when I first encountered the Southern Baptist Convention’s vitriol against women. Although a Southern Baptist church employed me, a not-yet-out queer woman, as a youth minister…
At Juneteenth vigil, Alliance of Baptists called to move from celebration to action
Juneteenth observances must go beyond celebrating the emancipation of enslaved people to calling out modern forms of white supremacy that continue to oppress people of color, speakers said during a June 19 online vigil hosted by the Alliance of Baptists….
Welton Gaddy, Baptist champion of interfaith religious freedom
C. Welton Gaddy, once a rising star among Southern Baptists who left to champion progressive causes and dedicated much of his life to religious liberty for all people, died at his home in Monroe, La., June 7. He was 81….
Alliance of Baptists reports ‘growing pains’ as it focuses on anti-racist mission
The Alliance of Baptists is experiencing financial “growing pains” in response to becoming an anti-racist organization, Co-Director Elijah Zehyoue said. “As we have done this work, we have noticed there have been some changes and we invite you to notice…
Alliance of Baptists and others urge Congress to divert military funds to social services
The Alliance of Baptists joined more than 60 U.S. faith-based organizations March 14 to plead with Congress to redirect defense spending to bolster funds available for education, housing, health care and other community reinvestment initiatives. The groups sent a letter…
Dig deeper when looking for your church’s racist or anti-racist history, Gardner advises
A church may have a racist past even if its archives reveal no evidence of support of slavery, Jim Crow, lynchings, segregation or other racist structures, author and historian Andrew Gardner said during a recent webinar hosted by the Alliance…
Alliance of Baptists steps into anti-racism work
The coming year will be filled with the challenge of intense anti-slavery work for the Alliance of Baptists if its 2022 fall gathering was any indication. The session was held Nov. 10-12 in Montgomery, Ala., where about 150 participants attended…