I consider myself fortunate to have come of age in the 1960s and to have been educated at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in the early 1970s. None of us has much control over the time in which we live. Although…
The truth won’t make you comfortable, Cosby says in tribute to Claypool
Americans cannot simply continue to enjoy the Civil Rights achievements of the likes of Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Fannie Lou Hamer and John Lewis without taking up the cause of racial justice themselves, Simmons College of…
Remembering Professor Claypool
This past weekend, Crescent Hill Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky., hosted “Glad Reunion: Celebrating the Ministry and Legacy of John R. Claypool.” Claypool had famously served the church as pastor throughout the turbulent 1960s and became a renowned pulpiteer in…
September symposium will celebrate life and legacy of John Claypool
If you’ve ever heard a sermon preached by a moderate Baptist pastor, you’ve likely heard the influence of John Claypool, whether you knew it or not. Claypool served four well-known Baptist churches as pastor in the second half of the…
The righteous and the wicked: The progressive Baptist quest for a new gospel
For decades, progressive white Baptists have opened leadership roles at the highest level to women and people of color. But Black Baptists have shown a greater willingness to affiliate with the conservative Southern Baptist Convention than with more moderate groups…
Switching denominations: Why some Baptist ministers are leaving
“As denominations have declined and become more rigid and doctrinaire, people have gone looking for opportunities in denominations that seem more compatible”
Louisville, Claypool and another gospel
A few weeks ago Albert Mohler, president of the Baptist Seminary in Louisville, compared his views with churches like Highland and Crescent Hill Baptist, as well as our many kindred churches across our city.
Remembering John Claypool on the 10th anniversary of his death
I have been told that long before I stepped foot on the campus of Mercer University’s McAfee School of Theology the issue of what students ought to call professors was addressed at a staff meeting. At a relatively small school…