I once had a seminary professor who anticipated that many of us someday would have occasion to write book reviews. When that opportunity came, he pleaded, we must never say that a book is a “must” read. My professor seemed…
On teaching history, the president has a point, but he goes too far
A few weeks ago, the President made headlines at the National Archives Museum when he denounced the teaching of American history classes as a “left-wing cultural revolution … designed to overthrow the American Revolution” and responsible for everything from tearing…
When we forget our history, institutions do the sinning for us
Eighth grade social studies class in North Carolina, in my school years, covered the history, geography and economy of our fair state. Mrs. Spivey was my very fine instructor, and I am confident she would confirm that I was an…
Church building on site of SBC’s birth declared unsafe
By Bob Allen The birthplace of the Southern Baptist Convention in downtown Augusta, Ga., has been condemned for occupancy after a routine inspection, the Augusta Chronicle reported Nov. 23. The city inspection came amid reports that homeless people were sleeping…
What if your city’s history were projected on your church?
By Mark Wingfield In San Antonio, Texas, the façade of the historic San Fernando Cathedral has become the backdrop for a public art installation. A 24-minute video projection with music depicts the history of San Antonio by drawing and redrawing…
Intrigued by its history, developer spares abandoned Dallas church from demolition
By Ken Camp A funny thing happened after real estate developer David Spence bought an abandoned Dallas church building, intending to demolish it and create a parking lot to serve nearby storefront property he was renovating. “I fell in love…
Historians say Southern Baptist women paved way in improving race relations
By Bob Allen Baptist women were decades ahead of the male leaders of their denomination in improving race relations among Baptists in the 20th century, a group of historians said April 21 at a meeting in Nashville, Tenn. While much of…
Like pope, recent Baylor symposium called Armenian massacre ‘genocide’
By Jeff Brumley Pope Francis I is continuing to catch a lot of flak from Turkey for his use of the term “genocide” in describing the Ottoman empire’s slaughter of 1.5 million Armenians in 1915. But the pontiff isn’t alone…
SBC controversy reverberates for second, third generation ‘exiles,’ book says
By Bob Allen Many young ministers growing up in Cooperative Baptist Fellowship churches have no frame of reference for the great “split” they hear seminary professors and pastors recall with a sense of pain and loss, yet they find themselves…