There were areas of improvement, too, including an $82-million increase in giving from 2017 to 2018, and a rise in new churches in four states.
LifeWay Christian Stores to close nationwide in 2019
The Southern Baptist Convention-owned bookstore chain LifeWay Christian Resources will close all 170 of its brick-and-mortar stores in 2019, officials announced March 20. LifeWay Christian Resources announced in January it would close some stores in a cost-cutting move while moving…
Woman in SBC leadership post says #MeToo
A vice president at LifeWay Christian Resources joined the #MeToo and #ChurchToo moments roiling the Southern Baptist Convention with a statement March 11 claiming she was sexually abused by a seminary professor who resigned last year due to an undisclosed “personnel matter.”
LifeWay to close stores in shift to digital strategy
A number of LifeWay Christian Stores face closure, LifeWay Christian Resources president Thom Ranier said in a e-mail to employees Jan. 15.
Federal judge dismisses second lawsuit challenging Glorieta sale
A federal judge in New Mexico recently rejected an Arkansas couple’s second attempt to void the 2013 sale of Glorieta Conference Center by LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Popular evangelical author signals support for marriage equality, then retracts comments
Eugene Peterson’s initial response and his reversal a day later both generated criticism from fans of his many books, including his idiomatic translation of the Bible called “The Message.”
With 1 ‘none’ and a slew of Christians, Congress fails to reflect society
Church consultants and researchers for years have warned churches that they need to reflect the communities around them. Thom Rainer, president of LifeWay Christian Resources, said he discovered that while conducting research for his book Autopsy of a Deceased Church….
Couple continues legal fight against Glorieta sale
An Arkansas couple who lost a lease on property on which they purchased a vacation home with the sale of Glorieta Conference Center in 2013 say they aren’t giving up on their legal battle to invalidate the deal after losing…
Appeals court rejects challenge to Glorieta sale
A federal appeals court has turned down an appeal by an Arkansas couple claiming wrongdoing by Southern Baptist Convention officials when they declined to renew their lease at the Glorieta Conference Center and instead sold the campus. Kirk Tompkins, who along with…