In this politically fraught time, communities of faith have a unique opportunity to speak truth into the chaos. This necessarily means addressing the religious nationalism that burst from the shadows into public view on January 6, 2021. Regardless the outcome…
Southern Baptists have voted heavily Republican in last four elections
Southern Baptists have voted consistently Republican in the last four presidential elections, researcher Ryan Burge says. In his analysis of 40 U.S. denominations, “the Southern Baptists and the independent Baptists are clearly the most Republican of the bunch,” he reported…
PC(USA) continues protest against Israel with more divestment
The Presbyterian Church (USA) General Assembly has continued its decade-long protest of Israeli occupation of Palestine by voting to divesting from Israeli bonds. The unanimous consent vote of the 500-member assembly marks a continuation of a protest begun in 2014…
My hybrid church
Let me tell you about my church. My church meets every Friday from noon until around 6:30 p.m. My church has no pews but plenty of folding tables and chairs as well as boxes and bins filled with groceries. My…
A Baptist’s guide to disaffiliation in other Christian traditions
While the Southern Baptist Convention — the nation’s largest non-Catholic denomination — has been in the news lately for removing churches from its fellowship, The United Methodist Church — the nation’s second-largest non-Catholic denomination — keeps making headlines as churches…
On becoming ninnies and brutes
“Without men, women become precious; without women, men become philistines.” In other words, we make ourselves into ninnies and brutes. This footnote by Karl Barth to a section of his Dogmatics has stayed with me for almost half a century….
PC(USA) committee lambasted for choosing a ‘text of terror’ for ordination exam
The committee overseeing ordination exams for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has been called out for its selection of a so-called “text of terror” for this year’s written examination all candidates must complete. The passage from Judges 19 involves gang rape,…
Samford University excludes Presbyterians and Episcopalians
Last fall, Samford University made national headlines for disinviting historian Jon Meacham to speak on campus in response to protests from pro-life activists. Less than one year later, the Baptist university again finds itself in national news, this time for…
Yes, churches survived the first year of the pandemic, but overall giving continues to decline and adaptation is needed
Congregations must reimagine ministries, repurpose facilities and reinvent donor appeals if churches are to survive the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic and the continuing decline of religion in the 21st century. That was the advice offered by two panelists in…