James E. Wood Jr., a Baptist statesman and scholar recognized as one of the world’s leading authorities on the subject of church-state relations and religious liberty, died peacefully March 4 at age 96. Born in Portsmouth, Virginia, Wood began his…
Baptist pastors among 8,500 released from prison in Myanmar
Two Baptist pastors from Myanmar arrested for leading journalists to a church reportedly destroyed by military air strikes in 2016 reportedly have been released from prison.
Missing Burmese pastors in police custody
Two Burmese Baptist pastors missing since Christmas Eve are in police custody and face prison if convicted under a law banning “unlawful association” left over from the era of British colonial rule. The Irrawaddy, a website founded in 1990 by…
Religious freedom and human rights
By Molly T. Marshall Baptists claim religious liberty and soul competence among their fragile freedoms, yet some draw the line when these freedoms are claimed in the service of sexual orientation and gender identity. While many wish these issues would…
Baptists open safe house for human trafficking victims
By Vicki Brown Savannah Oswald elbowed her way through the crowds on Black Friday 2014, searching for the cutest clothes she could find for her limited bucks. The then-high school senior cast a practiced eye over the racks and nabbed…
Is religious liberty declining around the world? One panel thinks so.
By Ken Camp Repressive governments, radical Islamists and reluctance by Western leaders to confront human rights abuses combine to create the worst global climate for religious liberty in recent history, say a university president with expertise in constitutional law, a…
Rwandan Baptist to be honored for dedication to peace, reconciliation
By Eron Henry Corneille Gato Munyamasoko, a Rwandan Baptist who has dedicated his life to peace and reconciliation and fighting the stigma associated with HIV and AIDS, will receive the 2015 Baptist World Alliance Congress Quinquennial Human Rights Award, the…
Freeing the web: A human rights and religious freedom agenda
By Elijah Brown There is an opportunity to stand with thousands of human rights activists and persecuted religious minorities in a way that could literally change the world. 4.9 billion people live in countries where either complete or partial restrictions…