A 35-year-old Tennessee woman is behind bars for allegedly having sex with a 16-year-old boy she met at church. Courtney Michelle Bingham was arrested on Dec. 4 after allegedly sending nude photos to the teen she met at Bethany Baptist…
Southern Baptist agency warns ‘eugenics is real’ in Supreme Court brief about Down syndrome and abortion
The Southern Baptist Convention’s public-policy arm is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold a state’s right to outlaw abortions involving a fetus with Down syndrome.
Kentucky Baptist leader nominated to head SBC International Mission Board
Paul Chitwood, executive director of the Kentucky Baptist Convention since 2011, has been nominated as 13th president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board.
‘Traditionalist’ blog SBC Today says goodbye
A blog for Southern Baptists opposed to five-point Calvinism is shutting down indefinitely. An Oct. 30 posting on SBC Today, a news and opinion blog promoting what supporters call a “traditional” Southern Baptist view of predestination, announced the online forum…
Paige Patterson talks about his firing, social justice and #MeToo in Janet Mefferd interview
Former Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary President Paige Patterson said in a wide ranging radio interview this week that he believes his termination by trustees was unjust, but at age 76 he isn’t dwelling on the past.
Celebrating 25 years in job, seminary president remembers rocky start
Celebrating Albert Mohler’s 25th anniversary as president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, former Southern Baptist Convention president James Merritt recalled the journey’s rocky start. “When he came here, there were very few exceptions, almost everybody hated Dr. Mohler,” Merritt, lead…
SBC president promises ‘bold steps’ in wake of Roman Catholic sex abuse report
Leading up to a review of how his own denomination mishandles abuse allegations, Southern Baptist Convention President J.D. Greear expressed grief over a grand jury report finding evidence of widespread sexual abuse by Catholic priests in Pennsylvania. “I also recognize…
18 years after child porn conviction, Baptist pastor accused of trying to entice a minor
A former longtime Southern Baptist preacher whose ministry stalled 18 years ago when he went to prison for possessing child pornography is back in jail, this time for allegedly trying to meet a 14-year-old boy for sex.
IMB president announces independent investigation into agency’s handling of alleged abuse
International Mission Board President David Platt pledged Wednesday to commence an independent review of the Southern Baptist Convention agency’s handling of a former missionary now facing criminal charges of sexually abusing a minor. Platt, just back from traveling overseas, declined…
Trump’s Supreme Court pick once ruled against figure in SBC ‘conservative resurgence’
Opinions vary about whether the confirmation of President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh would be good news or bad news for religious liberty, but one of a handful of church-state cases he has weighed during his 12 years…
Citing ‘God’s providence,’ Scott Pruitt resigns as head of EPA
With a letter referencing divine providence, Scott Pruitt, a Southern Baptist layman serving as administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, resigned July 5 amid a series of controversies over spending and alleged self-dealing. Pruitt, a member of First Baptist…
Donors call for investigation into trustee handling of seminary president’s firing
Two dozen major donors to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary have threatened to end their support of the Southern Baptist Convention school unless trustees right “serious wrongs” committed against its former president. Seven individuals and nine couples co-signed a June 29…