Demographic shifts, rising political polarization and heated debates over sexuality and race pose existential threats to the American church because they cannot be tackled individually, according to veteran religion writer Bob Smietana. “It’s not that one thing after another is…
SBC presidential candidate wants ERLC leader fired for joining 75 other pro-life leaders in urging compassion for women who have abortions
A pastor campaigning to become president of the Southern Baptist Convention has called for the interim leader of an SBC ethics agency to be fired because he signed onto a letter urging compassion for women who have abortions. Tom Ascol,…
How Dave Ramsey responded to a story about being a bully by bullying the reporter who wrote it
Veteran religion reporter Bob Smietana of Religion News Service set out to get comments on allegations of employee dissatisfaction at Christian financial guru Dave Ramsey’s company. What he got in return was a sarcastic email from the company, copied to…
After shakeup, Religion News Service hires veteran journalist as editor-in-chief
Bob Smietana, a veteran religion reporter who left The Tennessean in 2013 for LifeWay Christian Resources, has been named editor-in-chief of Religion News Service. The hiring, announced Aug. 16, comes four months after the independent non-profit news service fired former…
Baptist leaders combat mental illness, suicide
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS) — Frank Page, former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, was getting ready to work in the yard in the fall of 2009 when the phone rang. His daughter was on the line. Daddy, I love you,…
Baptist leaders, with personal experiences, tackle the stigma of mental illness and suicide
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS) — Frank Page, former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, was getting ready to work in the yard in the fall of 2009 when the phone rang. His daughter was on the line. Daddy, I love you,…
Modern hymn writers revive a lost musical art, with success
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS) — Most songwriters in Nashville want to get their songs on the radio. Keith and Kristyn Getty hope their songs end up in dusty old hymnbooks. The Gettys, originally from Belfast, Ireland, hope to revive the art…
Modern hymn writers revive a lost musical art, with surprising success
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS) — Most songwriters in Nashville want to get their songs on the radio. Keith and Kristyn Getty hope their songs end up in dusty old hymnbooks. The Gettys, originally from Belfast, Ireland, hope to revive the art…
Mormons and Baptists compete for converts
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS)—Jake Pulsipher’s first day as a working missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began at 6:30 a.m. with prayer and exercise, followed by breakfast and study. Then he put on a black suit, white…