Progeny is a gift. In the Hebrew Bible, more than 20 distinct words describe children in various senses, such as “lad,” “boy,” “youngling,” “child,” “offspring” and more. They appear in some form or another more than 1,500 times throughout the…
SBC’s losses exceed membership in other denominations, Burge says
The Southern Baptist Convention has lost more members in the last two decades than many other denominations have in total membership, according to religion data analyst Ryan Burge. “The convention is down nearly 3.6 million members since its peak in…
Duane Rollins, who sued Pressler for sexual abuse, dies
Gareld Duane Rollins, whose allegations of abuse by Houston judge Paul Pressler were ignored for decades by leaders in the Southern Baptist Convention, died May 23, according to Robert Downen, the journalist who reported on his case more than anyone…
SBC annual meeting may be deja vu all over again
Note: For more discussion on the upcoming SBC annual meeting, check out the latest episode of BNG’s podcast “Stuck in the Middle with You.” In less than three weeks, messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting will descend…
Woman preaches at Lakepointe ‘under the fathers of this house’
In a scene reminiscent of a Serena Waterford speech from Margaret Atwood’s dystopian depiction of totalitarian patriarchy in The Handmaid’s Tale, Dallas megachurch pastor Josh Howerton and his fellow elders allowed a woman to preach on Mother’s Day. If you’re…
Why Mohler is wrong about the ERLC
While it greatly pains me to contradict Southern Baptist Theological President Al Mohler, an evangelical and Southern Baptist leader I have held in highest esteem for most of my adult life, I feel compelled to offer a respectful rebuttal to…
SBC clergy sex abuse crisis doesn’t stem from ‘the Sexual Revolution’
Sexual abuse is “the rotten fruit of the Sexual Revolution,” says Jeff Dalrymple, director of the Southern Baptist Convention’s newly created Sexual Abuse Prevention and Response department, which operates under the SBC Executive Committee. In two Baptist Press columns published…
‘As God is my witness,’ Mohler has changed his tune on ERLC
R. Albert Mohler Jr. has declared another holy war in the Southern Baptist Convention, as if the nation’s largest Protestant denomination needed more side skirmishes among its institutional leaders. In a recent wide-ranging and low-impact interview on the “Baptist21” podcast,…
SBC membership shrank by nearly one-fourth in two decades
The Southern Baptist Convention has lost nearly one-fourth of its members in the past two decades. The latest report from the SBC’s Lifeway Christian Resources shows total membership in SBC churches nationwide fell to 12,722,266 in 2024 — a loss…
Why are SBC leaders supporting a group that competes with the Cooperative Program?
In a little over a month, Southern Baptists from across the nation will converge in Dallas for the 2025 Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting. If you put any stock in the latest social media posts, there likely will be several…
Southern Baptist ethnic leaders call for compassion toward immigrants
More than a dozen Southern Baptist ethnic ministries have joined the chorus of other evangelical voices calling for immigration policies that protect religious freedom and show compassion toward migrants. A statement signed by the leaders of 13 ethnic groups aligned…
Judge picks apart Johnny Hunt’s claims against SBC point by point
With academic precision, a federal judge’s 74-page opinion picks apart Johnny Hunt’s lawsuit against the Southern Baptist Convention, SBC Executive Committee and Guidepost Solutions. The full decision was published April 1, the day after Judge William Campbell granted summary judgment…