By Jeff Brumley The state legislator and Southern Baptist layman who championed the Stand Your Ground law made infamous in the Trayvon Martin case was relieved when the killer was charged with second-degree murder. “I was redeemed by it because…
Gushee: Covenant best model for sexual relationship
By Bob Allen The co-convener of a conference on sexuality and covenant said April 20 that long-term committed relationships are the best model for Christians struggling to make sense of changing morals about sex. David Gushee “I believe that covenant…
Creatively outrageous congregations
By Bill Wilson I recently heard an interview with George Lois, a leader in the advertising world in the 1950s who helped revolutionize the industry. His innovations transformed advertising and made several of his clients into household names. I found…
Remembering Noah
By Bill Leonard “But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and all the domestic animals that were with him in the ark” (Genesis 8:1). These days, I keep remembering Noah, reflecting on the relevance of his story then…
‘Stand your ground’ a national ethic?
By Zachary Bailes Throughout Easter weekend I kept thinking about Good Friday. In the wake of Trayvon Martin’s death, I wondered if the fear that put Jesus in the tomb was similar to the fear portrayed by “Stand Your Ground” today….
‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ … 50 years later
By Gary Furr Here in Alabama, To Kill a Mockingbirdis one of our great treasures. You can still go to Monroeville, Ala., and see a live re-enactment of the story every year by the local citizenry. You start out in the…
Why did Jesus have to die?
By Amy Butler Atonement just nags at me this time of year. Thanks to New Testament writers and thousands of years of church history, there are many different interpretations of Christ’s death as it relates to our salvation, probably as…
People, church reconnect at The Well
By Jeff Brumley The space Susan Rogers calls her main office is pretty artsy for a Baptist pastor. It’s adorned with the paintings of local artists and furnished with comfy couches, high-top tables and free Wi-Fi. It even has a…
Baptist pastor featured in commercial critical of Alabama’s immigration law
By Bob Allen A Baptist pastor is featured in a new television commercial opposing Alabama’s immigration law unveiled by a group of Alabama clergy April 3. Steve Jones “We believe in reaching out and ministering to our community. Yet, under…
American Baptist leader shows solidarity with Trayvon Martin
By Bob Allen An American Baptist leader says one tragedy of the Trayvon Martin shooting is that racial profiling is nothing new for African-American boys and even men. Aidsand Wright-Riggins Wearing a hoodie in support of the 17-year-old Florida youth…
Attracting a new generation of leaders in ministry
By Lydia Hoyle When I was growing up, Christian ministers were widely held in high esteem. Although a few Elmer Gantrys may have been in the mix, churches and communities generally received their ministers with respect and honor. As a…
The rise of church discipline
By Bill Wilson Have you noticed our tendency to try and control others with rules? We started with Ten Commandments. That led to Jewish scholars noting that the Torah actually contains 613 commandments, which can be divided into 365 “negative…