About one third of Baptists admit to drinking alcohol, according to a LifeWay Research report released Nov. 27. Earlier this month Baptist Press published an article asking whether consensus might be shifting away from the teetotaling message preached by Southern…
Where do Southern Baptists go when they leave? The answer in one chart
Most of the decline in the Southern Baptist Convention is coming because SBC churches are not holding onto those who were raised in their congregations.
Southern Baptists asked to endorse ban on public display of Confederate battle flag
America’s largest Protestant denomination, still overwhelmingly white and with roots in an early 19th-century dispute over slavery, may be asked this summer to endorse a ban on the public, government-sponsored display of the Confederate battle flag.
Inerrancy, racism and theological education: Responding to Al Mohler
Note: Portions of this reflection are based on a paper I wrote about inerrancy, slavery, and Reformed heritage in the United States for an independent study. I read Al Mohler’s article “The Heresy of Racial Superiority – Confronting the Past,…
The Misuse of Scripture
When our President issued his executive order giving deportation relief to millions of undocumented people in our country, as part of his explanation he quoted Scripture: “You shall not oppress a resident alien; you know the heart of an alien,…
Recovering the “new evangelism”
Fifty years ago, in May 1964, a diverse group of Baptists from across North America gathered in Atlantic City to celebrate the culmination of a five-year evangelism campaign (1959-1964). With the participation of American Baptists, African-American Baptists, Canadian Baptists and…
All denominations should care baptisms are down among Southern Baptists
The first response of many people may be “I don’t care”. That’s fine. You have that right. But you ought to care. More about that later. Keep reading. Why Are Baptisms Down Among Southern Baptist Churches? First, take note of…
When will SBC address clergy sex abuse?
While other major faith groups have recognized the need for clergy accountability mechanisms, Southern Baptists persist in denominational do-nothingness.
Absolute complexity is not allowed here
More than 35 years ago I was working on a graduate degree in the sociology of religion at the Southern Seminary in Louisville. The time came to declare the subject of our thesis. Some of us were sure and others…