Ten lessons learned in writing this series on LGBT issues. My series on LGBT issues and the Church is now over. A version of these essays, together with prefatory material and introductory comments by Brian McLaren, Phyllis Tickle and Matthew…
Baptists weigh role (if any) of apologetics in postmodern culture
By Jeff Brumley As many as 2,000 evangelicals are expected to attend a conference on apologetics this weekend in Charlotte, N.C., where the theme will be “defending a never changing faith in an ever changing world.” Topics at the Southern…
White evangelicals feel heat of religious decline, surveys show
By Jeff Brumley Two new polls show that religious conservatives — mainly white evangelicals — are complaining louder as they lose ground in the so-called culture wars. They also describe a widening gap between the faithful and religiously unaffiliated Americans. What’s it…
‘Nones’ increasingly uninterested in ministers at time of death, funerals
By Jeff Brumley There was a time when even the unchurched came to church for at least one occasion — their deaths. It was an era when nearly everyone, even those who rejected religion, had some connection to faith, however distant….
Uncivil conduct among Christians fuels church decline, says Baptist pastor and author
By Jeff Brumley Given the bitter, high-profile way Christians slug it out on social, political and theological issues these days, it’s no mystery why young people are leaving the church or avoiding it in the first place, Baptist minister and…
Shallow congregations only take off their shoes and socks
Since they only plan to wade into the shallow end of the pool, or a few feet into the river, lake or ocean, the typical congregational participant only needs to remove their shoes and socks. And we are not talking…
Do you solemnly swear — on this Kindle?
By Jeff Brumley It’s hardly news anymore to see someone in church using a smartphone or tablet, instead of a printed Bible, to follow along in Scripture. Many pastors have embraced the paper-for-digital swap themselves, often using iPads or tablets…
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship: An alternative Christian model in a polarized era
By David Gushee Follow David: @dpgushee Though I am serving this year as theologian-in-residence for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, this reflection on the annual CBF General Assembly this past week represents my independent, unvetted opinion. I write on the day…
Slender Man stabbings expose ‘prisoners of the moment,’ Baptist educator says
By Jeff Brumley Baptist educator Brian Foreman believes many Americans are living in the moment — only, not in a good way. Rather than being in the present in the spiritual sense, they are narrowly focused on events in a manner…