While many are turning to alcohol and drugs at alarming rates, it’s time for our churches to reconsider their understanding and approach to recovery Matthew T. DuVall serves as director of development for McAfee School of Theology at Mercer University…
To renew the church, let’s redefine ‘Christian community’
The decline of the church in the Western world has been the subject of extensive study and speculation. Often, we focus our attention on the motivations of those who have left Christianity. In this season following Pentecost, however, perhaps we…
SBC membership declines again but not as much, while number of churches still decreasing
The bad news for the Southern Baptist Convention is that membership declined for the 17th consecutive year. The good news is that last year’s 1.8% decrease was less than recent years. Those are among findings from the SBC’s Annual Church…
A eulogy for vacation Bible school
Vacation Bible school, known as VBS by many, has been a staple in the life of American churches for decades. From its beginnings in the late 1800s, the focus has been a ministry to children. VBS has been a source…
If faith were a movie
Next Sunday evening, along with millions of others around the globe, I will watch the Academy Awards. I’ve not missed one in 40 years. Since three of my major interests are theology, writing and movies, I decided to do a…
What not to do if there are queer folks in your church (and there are)
There are queer folks in my church. I worship with them every Sunday. There are queer folks in your church too, whether you know it or not. That’s just how statistics work. More often than not, however, these beloved siblings…
If getting voters to the polls isn’t government’s job, maybe it is the work of the church
Tim O’Hare has taken limited government to a new self-defeating level. The Tarrant County, Texas, county judge (chief executive of the county government) declared last week: “I don’t believe it’s the county government’s responsibility to try to get more people…
AI ‘deep fakes’ are creating a new way of violating women’s privacy on the internet
Most people know of AI as a tool that will write papers, complete assignments or generate streams of content at the click of a button, like ChatGPT. Debates about the pros and cons of AI have been in conversation for…
We face a cultural crisis, not just a political one
As Jeanie and I danced the night away in Atlanta on New Year’s Eve — yes, we actually did that, although I admit I ended up with a twisted knee, a sadly predictable outcome for a man of my rapidly…
It could happen to you: A warning to anyone who produces online content for churches and nonprofits
A few months ago, I received a hotter-than-usual email in my inbox. Rather than a letter from an angry reader, this was the draft of a legal document accusing Baptist News Global of copyright infringement and demanding $30,000 as settlement….
Zimbabwe’s bitter elections create rifts between pastors and congregants
On Aug. 24, Zimbabwe held presidential elections where the military-supported governing party, which has governed for 43 years, won again, dubiously against a 45-year-old pastor. The bitter aftertaste of the election, which the United States government condemned as a “sham,”…
Church gyms keep Zimbabwe female worshippers fit in a country with ailing health care
Ruth Chemubako, 45, likes to jog and do pushups inside the courtyard of a Baptist church at 4:30 a.m. three times a week with a dozen other women. “Our pastor deaconess or pastor leads the body fitness exercises. It’s safe…