Religious liberty, the freedom to practice one’s faith without intimidation or persecution, is a cornerstone of democratic societies around the world. Our Baptists ancestors were among the many who contended for this liberty for people of all faiths or no…
Let’s reclaim the real Baptist identity
I have the honor of serving a progressive congregation in one of the most beautiful cities of the Southeast. Our church is steeped in history with strong liturgical worship, and we pride ourselves on being welcoming and affirming, while also…
What’s a Baptist to think of the coronation of Charles III?
There are about 2,600 Baptist churches scattered throughout the United Kingdom. The majority (2,000) are in England, where Baptist forebear Thomas Helwys established the first Baptist church on British soil. Another 300 are in Wales, 200 in Scotland, and the…
19th century Baptist influence in Northeast India continues
The Christianity introduced to Northeast India by Baptist missionaries in the 19th century inspired advances in education, communication and ethnic cohesion but also left descendants coping with fundamentalism and patriarchy that persist today, experts on faith in the region said…
New book on Kentucky’s oldest Baptist association finds the more things change, the more they stay the same
A recent book about the first Baptists in Kentucky reveals present-day Baptists face many of the challenges that vexed their 18th and 19th century ancestors, Aaron Coyle-Carr said during an online discussion presented by Baptist History and Heritage Society. “The…
Doom-scrolling, sourdough starter and three kinds of kin
During a late-night doom-scrolling session on my phone, those all-knowing algorithms of social media converged and hacked up a hairball-like collection of my recent online search results. Cosmic Creepers, our jumpy black cat, a master of regurgitating all things grossly…
An important conversation about ordaining and unordaining
Our motto here at BNG is to inspire you, dear readers, with change-making conversations. We’ve hit a nerve with one of those conversations this week, which tells me it is extremely important that we talk about this. The “this” is…
What a Baptist learned from the Methodists at Duke Divinity School and why I left both denominations behind
I was one of a handful of Baptist students at Duke Divinity School in the mid to late 1980s. Rocked in a Baptist cradle, baptized in a Baptist church and educated at a Baptist university (Wake Forest), I wanted to…
In Ukraine, Baptists speak most often of ‘prayers’ and ‘gratitude’ amid the horrors of war
Reading through Facebook posts and updates from the Ukrainian Baptists, the two words most commonly used are “prayers” and “gratitude.” There are abundant reasons for our brothers and sisters to cry out in need to God and to give thanks….