There were areas of improvement, too, including an $82-million increase in giving from 2017 to 2018, and a rise in new churches in four states.
SBTC’s ouster of church ‘unbliblical,’ its sex-offender pastor says
The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention acted contrary to scripture by withdrawing fellowship from a church pastored by a registered sex offender, that minister has said. Erbey Valdez, 47, the pastor of New Spirit Baptist Church in San Antonio, expressed…
Texas Baptist group ousts church led by registered sex offender
Leaders of a Texas branch of the Southern Baptist Convention recently voted to withdraw fellowship from a San Antonio church pastored by a registered sex offender.
Proposed Texas bill would shield churches that report sexual abuse from lawsuits
Nearly two months after newspapers reported hundreds of allegations of sexual misconduct by ministers and volunteers in churches aligned with the Southern Baptist Convention, a Texas lawmaker is sponsoring legislation to make it harder for sexual predators to move from church to church without detection.
Second Baptist state convention in Texas celebrates 20 years
The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, formed in 1998 by churches opposed to moderate leadership of the SBC-affiliated Baptist General Convention of Texas, celebrated the milestone at the group’s recent annual meeting in Houston.
Baptist-backed ‘bathroom bill’ advances in Texas
The Texas state senate voted July 25 to advance a controversial “bathroom bill” backed by social conservative groups including the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.
Second Baptist state convention sued for alleged child abuse at agency
A second Southern Baptist state convention in a month has been slapped with an ascending liability lawsuit over alleged child sex abuse involving an affiliated ministry. A lawsuit filed April 5 in Tarrant County, Texas, seeks to hold the Southern…
Pastor seeks higher standard for reporting sexual abuse
A Southern Baptist pastor/blogger has submitted a resolution for consideration at the upcoming meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention calling on leaders to get tough on churches that tolerate or conceal sexual abuse. Bart Barber, senior pastor of First Baptist…
Broad Baptist coalition asks Houston mayor to withdraw subpoenas for sermons
By Bob Allen Moderate and conservative Baptists set aside differences in an Oct. 15 letter opposing subpoenas ordering five Houston pastors to turn over sermons as evidence in a lawsuit seeking repeal of the city’s non-discrimination ordinance. Top leaders of…