The current president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas has been nominated to serve as its executive director, ending a 14-month search process. Julio Guarneri, lead pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in McAllen, Texas, is the first Hispanic ever…
It’s time for Pastor Barbie
Before there was Barbie, there was Lilli. Lilli originated in 1952 Germany, just a few years after the end of World War II. The doll was introduced as a call girl, a comic-strip character in Bild-Zeitung, the newspaper in Hamburg,…
BWIM will expand its advocacy in light of Texas actions
Baptist Women in Ministry will expand its advocacy efforts in light of actions taken and not taken by the Baptist General Convention of Texas last week, according to Meredith Stone. Stone, BWIM’s executive director, was one of two messengers to…
Given opportunity to affirm women in ministry, BGCT punts
The Baptist General Convention of Texas — once considered a supporter of women in ministry — declined to give full blessing to the idea when presented the opportunity at its annual meeting July 18. Motions affirming women in ministry and…
My obituary for the Baptist General Convention of Texas
Losing something that once was valued and respected is painful. It doesn’t matter if it’s been circling the drain for years. When death finally comes, the grief is real. Such was the case for me recently with the Baptist General…
‘Not that kind of Baptist’
Editor’s note: Woodland Baptist Church in San Antonio, Texas, is one of two churches recently expelled from the Baptist General Convention of Texas after being found out of compliance with the BGCT’s stance on sexuality. What follows here is the…
Picking up the pieces of the SBC
An email pen pal wrote me this weekend to point out the irony of the Southern Baptist Convention’s actions last week against women in church leadership: “Do we realize a 20-year-old boy in college can pastor a Baptist church? But…
Texas Baptists expel two more churches for welcoming LGBTQ Christians
Two more churches have been expelled from the Baptist General Convention of Texas “due to their public affirmation of same-sex sexuality,” the convention announced June 8. This announcement of the results of a closed meeting of the BGCT Executive Board…
BGCT will not change its relationship with Baylor
Despite indications to the contrary six months ago, the Baptist General Convention of Texas will not change its relationship with Baylor University. Last August, Baptist News Global reported the BGCT would “review and consider changes” to its 1990 agreement with…