Government secrecy had as much to do with the botched execution of Byron Black as the toxic chemical Tennessee used to slowly and painfully take his life, death penalty abolitionist Stacy Rector said. “The state has a law shielding the…
Ministry jobs and more
Baptist News Global provides a free listing of ministry-related jobs for Baptist churches, theological institutions and organizations across the United States. Each free posting is for 30 days and is limited to 150 words. Postings may be extended another 30…
Tennessee governor urged to commute death sentence of intellectually disabled man
Advocates and families of people with intellectual disabilities are pleading with Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee to halt the Aug. 5 execution of an inmate suffering from brain damage, dementia and lifelong cognitive impairment. While federal legal precedent and state statute…
Six Southern states create new accrediting agency
With U.S. President Donald Trump attempting to force academic accrediting agencies to be less “woke” and more responsive to conservatives’ demands, six public universities last week announced formation of their own accrediting agency. This is an attempt to separate from…
Supreme Court ruling on transgender care called partisan and flawed
The U.S. Supreme Court abandoned science, fairness and common sense in its June 18 decision upholding a state’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth, civil rights and legal experts said. The 6-3 ruling in U.S. v. Skrmetti found Tennessee’s…
Tennessee appeals court rules against SBC in anonymous accusation of sexual abuse
First, the Southern Baptist Convention got in trouble for not sharing information about known clergy sexual abusers in its congregations; now it is on trial for spreading undocumented allegations against a Tennessee minister. On Jan. 8, the Tennessee Court of…
SBC says gender dysphoria is ‘irrelevant’ to Tennessee law banning health care for minors
Gender dysphoria is “irrelevant” to claims of transgender youth and the Biden administration that a Tennessee law blocking gender-affirming medical care for minors is unconstitutional, according to the Southern Baptist Convention Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. Fighting transgender medical treatment…
Why did the Tennessee Congressman shout, “Goodbye to Palestine”?
What possessed Republican U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann to shout he would support Israel forever and “Goodbye to Palestine”? In a video shared widely on social media, Rep. Fleischmann is shown shouting, “Goodbye to Palestine,” amid an array of stridently pro-Israel declarations….
Tennessee DA threatens Blount County Pride Festival if Flamy Grant performs
Organizers of Tennessee’s Blount Pride Festival have been warned by a district attorney they could be charged with “criminal conduct” if Christian artist Flamy Grant performs at the festival Saturday, Sept. 2, as planned. The singer’s appearance could violate Tennessee’s…
Tennessee governor commended for ordering review of lethal injection protocols
Faith and civic leaders opposed to capital punishment commended Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee last week for ordering a deeper review of the state’s lethal injection protocols after an independent investigation discovered corrections officials consistently failed to follow proper procedures in…
Four states update their constitutions to prohibit slavery and involuntary servitude
While the prospect of becoming enslaved may seem like an irrelevant question today — slavery was abolished in the United States 157 years ago with the ratification of the 13th Amendment — last week citizens in five states voted on…
Jewish couple sues after United Methodist agency receiving taxpayer funding refuses to help them adopt a disabled child
Among the core beliefs espoused by Holston United Methodist Home for Children in Tennessee are assertions that “it is the birthright of every child to have a family” and that “the best place for a child to be raised is…