The limit President Trump has placed on the number of refugees who can enter the U.S. has devastated those who have languished in overseas refugee camps for years. While the travel-ban portion of Trump’s second executive order has been placed…
Four dozen Baptists side with transgender teen in bathroom battle
Nearly 50 clergy members identifying with the Alliance of Baptists, American Baptist Churches USA or Cooperative Baptist Fellowship joined a legal brief filed March 2 supporting a transgender student’s case before the U.S. Supreme Court. In all more than 1,800…
Before execution, ‘Bali 9’ member found redemption, spiritual transformation
It has been more than a year since Tina Bailey’s friend and student was executed by a firing squad in an Indonesian jungle, but that pain is still fresh on her face. “It’s been hard; but being a part of…
Ministers in high demand in China, where Christianity has outpaced Communism
There are already thought to be more Christians in China (100 million) than members of the Communist Party (87 million). In fact, over the next 15 years, China is on course to become the nation with the world’s largest Christian…
Ending isolation saves careers, minister peer groups find
In ministry, going it alone can be downright depressing and, in extreme cases, deadly. Isolation, real or imagined, can lead ministers into burnout, emotional distress, heart disease and sometimes suicide. It prompts the age-old question: who pastors the pastors? Religious…
Leaders report progress on task force addressing sexual misconduct by clergy
A Cooperative Baptist Fellowship task force developing guidelines for responding to a wide range of sexual misconduct by clergy is in place and compiling best practices to be shared with churches and partner ministries, according to an update Jan. 11. Pam…
Working for justice is path to peace in 2017, spiritual leaders say
Scrolling through the list of celebrities who died in 2016 seems to take, depressingly, forever. There also were the personal losses and, for many, a political and cultural landscape that seems upside-down. And those are just the personal and domestic…
Missionaries discover different Christmas traditions around the world
Significant challenges emerge as missionaries adjust to life in new countries. Building relationships, perhaps learning new languages and learning cultural traditions are among the challenges. Even Christmas can bring new experiences. Depending on the location, “dreaming of a white Christmas”…
Cuban Christians and U.S. missions groups not too worried about post-Fidel era
The Nov. 25 death of Fidel Castro raised questions about the future of communism in Cuba. But Christianity’s future has also become a big question. Catholic and Protestant churches in the island nation have come far since Castro’s 1959 revolution….