The battle between Highland Park United Methodist Church in Dallas and its regional governing body in The United Methodist Church may boil down to whether large and small churches in the denomination can continue to operate by the same governing…
Lawsuit asks, ‘What does it take to be a good United Methodist church?’
Leaders of Highland Park Methodist Church have spent the last week expressing shock that the bishop of their United Methodist conference filed suit against them over changes made to their governing documents four years ago but only recently made public….
Trinity Foundation sees something rotten in Second Baptist Houston ruling
One of the nation’s premier watchdog groups concerning abusive religion says something is rotten about the recent state court ruling that allowed a pastoral takeover of Second Baptist Church of Houston. In an analysis written by Pete Evans, the Trinity…
Why you should care about the Second Baptist Houston lawsuit
A Houston megachurch has been in the news due to member concerns about the ways its bylaws were amended and governance was effectively removed from the congregation and entrusted to a small group handpicked by the senior pastor. While this…
Lawsuit against Second Baptist Houston tossed out
Finding the definition of a “biblical church” became a linchpin in the unsuccessful lawsuit filed by some members of Second Baptist Church of Houston against the leadership of their megachurch. Texas Business Court Judge Grant Dorfman dismissed the entire case…
The church as school for democracy
This is the second in a BNG series of articles on Christianity and democracy that will lead toward the July 4 celebration of America’s 250th birthday. The series has been curated by Carol McEntyre, senior minister at First Baptist Church…
An appeal to the laity
I appreciate Braxton Wade’s BNG piece, “When the Church Confuses Vocation with Calling” and his challenge for churches to open themselves to the Spirit’s unveiling of a pastor who comes clothed in skin or gender not usually recognized as conveying…
How to steal a Baptist church
With his father and brother in the news for taking control of a Houston megachurch, Ed Young of Fellowship Church in Dallas is now hawking a downloadable Church Bylaws Kit for other pastors who desire to become Controlling Executive Officers….
A week later: Myers Park offers lessons for us all
Most all our readers seem to have an opinion about the news story I wrote last week about Myers Park Baptist Church in Charlotte, N.C., abruptly forcing the resignation of their pastor the Sunday before Thanksgiving and one week before…
Understanding the David Platt story
Two weeks ago, I received a press release from a PR firm inquiring about my interest in interviewing pastor and New York Times bestselling author David Platt. The request struck me as unusual, as Platt typically only grants interviews coinciding…
Why is there a growing trend toward elder governance in Southern Baptist churches?
There is a growing trend among Southern Baptist churches to adopt an elder-based model over the traditional congregational model. In Baptist churches, the concept of elder-led polity refers to a specific form of church governance where elders play a central role in decision-making and…
How does a pastor survive a 59% vote of confidence?
Life moved on, and somehow I missed that two weeks ago the deacons of Immanuel Baptist Church in Little Rock, Ark., finally took a vote of confidence in Pastor Steven Smith. According to published reports, 59% of those voting supported…