The Southern Baptist Convention’s continued embrace of fundamentalism and conservative politics is undermining its ability to “moralize to American culture,” church historian Bill Leonard said during a lecture at Baylor University. “How did a once engaging gospel of grace, repentance,…
Jacksonville church isn’t the only SBC congregation requiring members to affirm statements on sexuality
When First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Fla., announced all members would have to sign a statement on “biblical sexuality” or be kicked out, the idea sounded novel to most Baptists. Baptists in America are not accustomed to being required to…
Biblical orthodoxy 2023: Sign or get ‘churched’
In Giving Glory to God in Appalachia: Worship Practices of Six Baptist Subdenominations, the late Appalachian State University professor Howard Dargan observed: One ceases to be a member of a local Primitive (Baptist) church by being dismissed by letter to…
Members of Florida church required to sign ‘biblical sexuality’ statement or be removed from membership
Members of a Jacksonville, Fla., Baptist church have until March 19 to sign a statement on “biblical sexuality” or be removed from membership. All members of First Baptist Church of Jacksonville are required to sign a form that indicates their…
Southern Baptist megachurch to downsize its campus by 90 percent
First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida, once one of America’s most influential megachurches, determined Sept. 8 to downsize its downtown property footprint by 90 percent in a cost-cutting move the senior pastor described as necessary for the church’s long-term survival.
Florida megachurch undergoing leadership change
In a surprise announcement, Mac Brunson said April 20 he is stepping down after 12 years as senior pastor of the 10,000-member First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Fla. Brunson, 60, said in a statement posted on Facebook that he and…