By Bob Allen Southern Baptist Convention leaders helped draft a statement released Dec. 17 calling on evangelical Christians to respond to the Syrian refugee crisis with compassion rather than fear. The statement, approved by about 100 denominational, network and nonprofit…
Reimagining churches as full-time partners with those in poverty
By Laura Rector I was temporarily homeless this summer after I lost my below market-rate housing in California to a planned development. This transition meant spending about 40 days without a true residence and sleeping in hotels or friends and…
Faith advocates weigh Paris agreement on climate change
By Brian Kaylor As diplomats from more than 190 nations spent nearly two weeks in Paris hammering out details of an international agreement to reduce climate change, faith leaders also traveled to the talks in hopes of offering a moral…
Are we finally witnessing the death of Christianity in America?
Several months ago a Pew Research study sparked what almost seem like shouts of glee from those who were eager to declare the impending death of Christianity in America. According to the report, Millennials are leaving the Church in droves…
Climate translation and Paris COP21
By Scott Stearman In a meeting I attended at the Council on Foreign Relations, David Sandalow made a semi-funny 2-degree joke about climate change. Sandalow is a fellow at Columbia University and a former Undersecretary of Energy. He participated in…
Baptist schools seek waiver from LBGT discrimination ban
By Bob Allen The federal government has granted waivers to more than two dozen religious institutions of higher learning from Title IX, which protects LGBT students from discrimination. Carson-Newman University, affiliated with the Tennessee Baptist Convention, recently received exemption for…
Interfaith leader cites religious liberty threat
By Bob Allen After championing religious freedom for most of his ministry career, former Interfaith Alliance head Welton Gaddy says he does not think the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution would pass if it were being proposed today. Accepting…
Clergy urge welcome for Syrian refugees
By Bob Allen A Cooperative Baptist Fellowship pastor joined faith leaders from across metropolitan Louisville, Ky., in a press conference supporting the resettlement of Syrian refugees in Indiana and Kentucky. Joe Phelps, pastor of Highland Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky.,…
One Baptist pastor’s response to Jerry Falwell, Jr.
By Elizabeth Lott In Sunday’s sermon, I shared the following words with my congregation, St. Charles Avenue Baptist Church: We are living in confusing times. We know of great violence and threats of violence. We are told by the 24-hour news cycle…