The Southern Baptist Convention appears to be returning to its deeply oppressive and problematic roots. This past week, the new president of the SBC, Willy Rice, in an interview with Fox News, encouraged people to go out and vote. And…
Judge tosses some of Sills case but allows parts to proceed to trial
Parts of Davd Sills’ defamation case against the Southern Baptist Convention and several of its leaders have been dismissed by a federal judge while other parts will head to trial — short of an out-of-court settlement. U.S. District Judge William…
What the SBC’s new survey on worship leaders says and doesn’t say
The Southern Baptist Convention released a large-scale study on worship leaders in SBC churches last week, and while the results may be alarming, they should not be surprising. Anyone who’s been paying attention for the last four decades should recognize…
SBC Executive Committee drops budget by 12%
The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee will reduce its own budget by $660,000 as part of a mandate to increase cooperative funding for the International Mission Board by 1%. The commitment to make the IMB’s portion of the SBC Cooperative…
Abortion foes are battling in vitro fertilization access
President Donald Trump pledged to broaden access to in vitro fertilization, but groups that oppose abortion have halted efforts to expand IVF access for military members while promoting anti-IVF bills in the states. “It is the policy of my administration…
Johnny Hunt will appeal his defamation case being dismissed
Johnny Hunt isn’t done with the Southern Baptist Convention. The former convention president, megachurch pastor and denominational executive is appealing recent court decisions that found his defamation claims lacking. Hunt filed suit in March 2023, alleging former SBC President Bart Barber and…
Reconsidering dissent amid the ‘conservative resurgence’
Dissent is in my bones. I grew up in a First Baptist Church in Northeastern Oklahoma, known for rowdy business meetings. It was common for news of those meetings to spread through the community before closing prayer. Keep in mind,…
Judge tosses Johnny Hunt’s case against SBC
Johnny Hunt’s defamation case against the Southern Baptist Convention and its Executive Committee is dead, with a federal judge throwing out the remainder of the case Aug. 12. Hunt, a former SBC president and former executive vice president of the…
SC church sued for allowing registered sex offender access to children
A Southern Baptist church and school in South Carolina provided a known sex offender unrestrained access to children for several years and silenced a teacher who raised concerns about the situation, according to a federal lawsuit filed Aug. 4. The…
Confidence doesn’t equal competence
As our nation gears up for midterm elections, I am reminded of two important truths: Confidence and charisma do not equal competence Likability does not equal accuracy or integrity Consider the case of Graham Platner. Platner, an outside Democrat picked…
Lindsey Graham spoke at Baptist church a week before his death
One of U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham’s final public appearances was at a Baptist church in his home state of South Carolina. On Saturday, July 4, Graham appeared at First Baptist Church of Columbia, S.C.., for the Southern Baptist congregation’s “Carolina…
What Willy Rice once knew
Newly elected Southern Baptist Convention President Willy Rice has characterized the SBC’s clergy sex abuse crisis as a “hoax” and a “snipe hunt.” Talk like that helped get Rice elected. Apparently, it was the message many Southern Baptists wanted to…