The Southern Baptist Convention will create a new, independent nonprofit to address allegations and investigations of sexual abuse in SBC churches, according to the second task force assigned to figure out solutions. Josh Wester, chairman of the SBC’s Abuse Reform…
Mohler says he finds it hard to believe allegations against Pressler are true
Sexual abuse allegations against Paul Pressler are “so horrifying that it’s actually very hard to imagine that they could be real,” said Al Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. Mohler spoke Feb. 16 at Kenwood Baptist…
Even as others knew of allegations against Pressler, Texas House resolution praised him as ‘man of faith’
Nine years after leaders at First Baptist Church of Houston were told about allegations against Paul Pressler for sexually abusing boys and young men, the Texas House of Representatives passed a lengthy resolution of praise for the Houston judge and…
SBC Executive Committee financials missing from online report for third year, while 2022 audit shows trajectory that is ‘not sustainable’
For the third year running, financial reports from the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee are missing from the annual SBC Ministry Reports website. An introductory paragraph to the website says: “The 2024 Ministry Report is the compilation of SBC entity…
Kentucky Supreme Court denies abuse victim’s plea, siding with four SBC entities who were not parties to the case
The Kentucky Supreme Court has sided with four Southern Baptist Convention entities that — among others — sought to deny a sexual abuse victim an extension of the statute of limitations to file a claim against those she believes knew…
Southwestern enrollment stable last year but it’s too early to call that a trend
Enrollment at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary stabilized last year, after a 20-year trend of decline. While one year does not make a trend, the increase of eight students in the seminary’s full-time equivalent headcount as measured by the Southern Baptist…
Politics, faith and mission: A conversation with Russell Moore
Russell Moore is editor in chief of Christianity Today, the flagship publication for American evangelicals, and author of the book Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America. But I’m sure many of you remember him as the former…
ERLC’s guide to political engagement will be too nice for conservatives and too mean for progressives
What should Christians do about political engagement? It’s a question Andrew T. Walker takes seriously in his extended pamphlet, “The Nations Belong to God: A Christian Guide to Political Engagement,” published by the Southern Baptist Convention Ethics and Religious Liberty…
SBC megachurch fires worship pastor over allegations of sexually abusing a minor and ‘predatory manipulation’ with adults
The Austin Stone Community Church, a prominent megachurch with a popular worship band in Austin, Texas, announced the dismissal of its worship pastor, Aaron Ivey, on the grounds of “predatory manipulation, sexual exploitation and abuse of influence” with multiple men…
Of Henry Blackaby and John the Baptist
Mixed emotions nearly kept me from writing this tribute to Henry Blackaby, who died Feb. 10 at age 88. I hadn’t talked to Henry in years, but long ago, when he was at the height of his influence in the…
About that SBC sexual abuse hotline; it just gets worse
The more time goes by, the more concerned I get about the Southern Baptist Convention’s sexual abuse hotline. For anyone who may be trying to make some kind of risk-benefit analysis in deciding whether to call the hotline, the balance…
From 1925 to 2024: Why the SBC’s funding formula is being questioned a century later
To understand the behind-the-scenes conflict happening between the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee and some of the SBC’s agencies and institutions, understand first that the devil is in the details. Or in the dollars. Or in lack of trust, once…