In October 2024, Matt Queen pled guilty to lying to the FBI in a sexual abuse investigation, and now, just a year later, Queen has been hired as associate pastor at a prominent Southern Baptist church. At the time of his crime, Queen…
SBC Cooperative Program giving declines yet again
Giving to the Southern Baptist Convention’s Cooperative Program unified budget has declined in seven of the past 10 years, with receipts for the year just ended being 4.4% less than a decade ago. The SBC Executive Committee released final fiscal…
David Sills won’t press case against Lyell’s estate
Since Jennifer Lyell is dead, David and Mary Sills will not seek legal damages against her estate but they will continue their litigation against the Southern Baptist Convention and 10 other people or entities. Sills, a former professor at Southern…
SBC leaders issue statement on ‘justice’ after Kirk’s murder
Southern Baptist Convention leaders released a “Statement of Lament and a Call for Justice” Sept. 13 in response to the assassination of far-right political advocate Charlie Kirk. Previous examples of SBC leaders issuing public calls for justice have related to…
Two new podcast episodes tell the stories of changing pastoral ministry
Fifty years ago, O.S. Hawkins and George Mason were not estranged in their affiliation with the Southern Baptist Convention. Both men attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, and went on to become well-known pastors in large Baptist churches. But a fork placed…
Legendary Baptist missions leader Keith Parks dies
Keith Parks, who led global missions enterprises for both the Southern Baptist Convention and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, died Aug. 26 in Richardson, Texas, at age 97. Parks committed his long life to telling people all over the world about…
In Texas, is ‘shepherd’ another word for ‘pastor’?
The quest for absolute purity in opposing women carrying the title “pastor” is now dividing the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, the conservative breakaway group formed in 1998. SBTC was formed as an alternative to the Baptist General Convention of…
SBC launches new sexual abuse helpline
After scathing criticism of its current sexual abuse hotline, the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee launched an alternative help line Aug. 18. The announcement came from the SBC Executive Committee’s Office for Abuse Prevention and Response. The new hotline is…
Why I am staying: A call to reform the SBC from within
Change can feel like the hardest thing in the world. It brings forth tension — fear, anxiety, worry and even anger. We often see change as an enemy to fight, something to survive rather than embrace. But some change is…
With two leadership roles open, will SBC embrace a younger generation?
Wanted: Creative leaders who have a spine but are flexible enough to accommodate diverse opinions and changing political tides. Must be Southern Baptist. Only males need apply. With not-unexpected news of the resignation of Brent Leatherwood as president of the…
Leatherwood quits ERLC
The embattled president of the Southern Baptist Convention Ethics and Religious Liberty Committee resigned July 31. Brent Leatherwood tendered his resignation with no apparent future employment lined up. He has been the lightning rod for criticism from the far right…
Fundamentalism and biblical inerrancy lite in the Global Methodist Church
When, on May 1, 2022, the Global Methodist Church announced itself to the world, more than 2,000 churches already had taken advantage of the disaffiliation process to break with the United Methodist Church. At the time of the announcement, I…