By Bob Allen Pro-LGBT Christians attending this week’s Southern Baptist Convention conference on sexuality said they disagreed with much of what they heard in messages from the platform but were encouraged by the tone and their reception at the Oct….
Speakers say holiness, not heterosexuality, goal of outreach to gays
By Bob Allen The goal of ministry to gays and lesbians isn’t to make them heterosexual, three speakers said Oct. 28 at a Southern Baptist Convention-sponsored conference on the gospel and homosexuality. It’s to make them holy. Rosaria Champagne Butterfield,…
ERLC conference drawing diverse crowd
By Bob Allen While speakers at this week’s conference on “The Gospel, Homosexuality and the Future of Marriage” sponsored by the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission will likely present a united “message of both truth and grace” on…
Broad Baptist coalition asks Houston mayor to withdraw subpoenas for sermons
By Bob Allen Moderate and conservative Baptists set aside differences in an Oct. 15 letter opposing subpoenas ordering five Houston pastors to turn over sermons as evidence in a lawsuit seeking repeal of the city’s non-discrimination ordinance. Top leaders of…
Pouring cold water on the ice-bucket challenge
By Bob Allen Abortion opponents are encouraging conservative Christians to chill out before taking the Ice Bucket Challenge plunge. As of Friday, Aug, 22, the ALS Association has received $53.3 million in donations — compared to $2.2 million during the…
Pastor, ethicist urge Southern Baptists to marry younger
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist pastor and an expert on moral policy issues made national headlines recently by suggesting that parents who encourage their adult children to delay marriage for educational and financial reasons unwittingly send a message that…
SBC public policy arm launches think tank
By Bob Allen The new head of the Southern Baptist Convention’s public policy arm announced Aug. 11 the re-launch of a Research Institute to employ the denomination’s top scholars in engaging complex issues of the day. Russell Moore, president of…
Rubio talks values at speech co-sponsored by ERLC
By Bob Allen U.S. senator and potential 2016 GOP presidential candidate Marco Rubio criticized what he termed growing intolerance for supporters of traditional marriage at a July 23 conference co-sponsored by the Southern Baptist Convention Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission….
ERLC pays tribute to Hobby Lobby owners
By Bob Allen Southern Baptists will honor the Christian owners of Hobby Lobby next week in Baltimore for refusing to pay for employee insurance coverage for birth control methods as required by Obamacare. Russell Moore, president of the Ethics and…