The committee charged with nominating the next president of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee “has not begun to look at names yet” and says “any speculation or social media posts about who we may nominate is just that, speculation,” according to an update released June 20 by search committee chairman Steve Swofford. The update […]
A task force appointed last year to explore avenues of evangelistic renewal among Southern Baptists has released its final report, including a series of eight recommendations for individuals and groups at all levels of Southern Baptist life. “We are convinced that these suggestions can be heartily embraced by all gospel-loving Southern Baptists,” the report stated, […]
At an annual meeting that saw what chief parliamentarian Barry McCarty called an “extra heavy volume of business” on its opening day, the Southern Baptist Convention elected J.D. Greear as convention president and heard an address by Vice President Mike Pence. Amid the national #MeToo movement, messengers to the June 12-13 SBC annual meeting in […]
In a meeting that began at 1:30 p.m. May 22 and ended just after 3 a.m. May 23, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s trustees appointed Paige Patterson president emeritus effective immediately. They also named as interim president of the seminary Jeffrey Bingham, dean of Southwestern’s School of Theology, pending his acceptance. In addition, trustees adopted a […]
Amid ongoing discussion of statements by Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary President Paige Patterson on domestic violence, Patterson and the executive committee of the seminary trustees have issued a statement affirming “the importance of protecting victims of abuse.” Meanwhile, at least five Southern Baptist Convention entity presidents have made statements on domestic violence since April 29. […]
GQ’s inclusion of the Bible in a list of 21 overrated classic books has drawn expressions of pity for the popular men’s magazine. “Our response as believers should not be defensiveness or outrage,” said Union University Bible professor George Guthrie, “but pity for those who have never glimpsed even the smallest ray of beauty, the […]
EDITOR’S NOTE: March is National Women’s History Month. In 1917, the Southern Baptist Convention received what Georgia’s Christian Index newsjournal called “quite a shock” when a Texas church music leader made a motion at the SBC annual meeting concerning “the eternal question”: Should women be allowed to serve as SBC messengers? Following a protracted — […]
A Louisiana Baptist Convention-hosted website promoting Kenneth Hemphill’s candidacy for Southern Baptist Convention president was not funded by any Cooperative Program money, Hemphill told Baptist Press today (March 19). Nonetheless, the site is being moved to an independent server this week to avoid “any impression that it was inappropriate.” “I’m working for the Cooperative Program […]
David Platt has announced plans to transition out of his role as president of the International Mission Board but will continue to serve until a new president is selected. Platt told trustees, missionaries and staff Feb. 12 that during his nearly four-year tenure at the IMB, he has been “burdened to continue preaching and leading […]
BAPTIST PRESS NOTE: Sunday, Feb. 11, is Racial Reconciliation Sunday in the Southern Baptist Convention. Striving for racial reconciliation was costly for some Southern Baptist pastors in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. It cost Jack Kwok his property, Paul Turner a beating by angry segregationists and Thomas Holmes his pastorate. But Kwok, now executive director […]