I believe in the power of the Gospel. I believe Jesus changes hearts, and that his calling is a daring summons to a truly social justice – to a salvation that changes our minds as well as our souls. But much of the preaching I hear these days makes me cringe.
Women cannot serve as pastors. Really, Southern Baptists, you’re going to go there again?
The Spirit of God keeps blowing where it will. Baptist women are now serving as pastors and associate ministers in all kinds of different settings and situations.
Survey says teetotalers slowly losing ground in Protestant churches
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…