There has been a concerted effort from conservative politicians, religious groups, celebrities, and even the media to erase LGBT people from the story.
A time for prayer, but what kind?
Sunday night several hundred people gathered in my city to pray. We went to our prayer vigil place — the steps of the governmental plaza in Greensboro, N.C., where we’d gathered before. Some of the candles still held the wax…
CBF chaplain, congregation serving victims of Orlando massacre
Following the tragic mass shooting June 12 at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., Cooperative Baptists are continuing to pray for and show acts of support to the victims, their families and the LGBTQ community. “As we continue to hear…
People of all faiths deal with ‘spiritual abuse’ following Orlando attack
Revenge and judgment are swirling through the culture since a lone gunman killed 49 and injured 53 in an Orlando gay night club early Sunday morning. But Ruth Jensen-Forbell and her mostly LGBTQ church in St. Augustine, Fla., aren’t among…
New frontiers for LGBTQ-affirming churches
More and more congregations are undertaking intentional, prayerful processes of discernment and action toward becoming inclusive, affirming, and justice-practicing congregations for LGBTQ people (there are about 100 churches now in the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists). While many churches…
Civil rights panel blasts new state religious liberty laws
The U.S. Civil Rights Commission has denounced new state “religious liberty” laws backed by Southern Baptist state conventions as a trend to use religion as an excuse to deny people their human rights. The independent, bipartisan agency charged with advising…
Getting political in the pulpit
The responsibility of the church in this current political climate should be clear. There’s no violation of separation of church and state to say from the pulpit that hitting people who disagree with us is wrong. Or excluding people who believe different things than we do should stop. Or accumulating wealth while many struggle to make a living wage cannot continue.
How weighty are stories in congregational faith formation?
By Kenneth J. Meyers The culture generally addresses human dignity and justice issues before the church can get into gear. Such is the matter when in recent years Americans faced the LGBTQ life concerns with resolve. The cultural consideration recognized…
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…