Attention to mental health across the country increased over the last year due to the potential effects brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s a touchpoint, though, that has been gathering steam across the Southern Baptist Convention since 2013. At the annual meeting in Houston that year, current SBC Executive Committee President Ronnie Floyd — […]
Baylor’s LGBTQ Stance Not In Line With Sexual Conduct Policy
Baylor University’s Board of Regents approved a resolution May 14 that paves the way for an officially recognized LGBTQ student group on campus, while attempting to reaffirm its commitment to a traditional, biblical perspective on homosexuality and marriage. Describing a “challenging situation,” the resolution said the regents remained committed to “core commitments of our Christian […]
BCM director Smith receives honorary doctorate for service
When Scott Smith received an honorary doctorate May 11 from the university where he has ministered for 36 years, the Baptist Collegiate Ministry director joined some pretty elite company. For starters, Smith became the first BCM minister to have such an honor put upon him at a public university. It’s also only the second time […]
Churches’ embrace of technology likely permanent
Facebook timelines changed forever on Sunday, March 15, 2020. Many, if not most, churches opted to go digital-only that day after witnessing such steps as President Trump declaring COVID-19 a national emergency, and professional and collegiate sports suspending activities. As church leaders looked to make services available for members, Facebook scrambled to keep up with […]
Beth Moore announces departure from SBC, LifeWay
Longtime Bible study leader Beth Moore has publicly announced that she is ending her affiliation with the Southern Baptist Convention and LifeWay Christian Resources, relationships stretching back more than three decades. Moore made the announcement through an interview with Religion News Service on March 9. “I am still a Baptist, but I can no longer […]
NAAF leaders, seminary presidents hold ‘honest and open conversation’
A multi-ethnic group of Southern Baptist leaders described a meeting Jan. 6 as productive and trust-building, saying although they did not agree on all points, they were committed together to fighting racism and to honoring “our common commitment to the inerrant Word of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ.” The meeting was called by […]
Southern Baptist leaders condemn storming of U.S. Capitol
Southern Baptist leaders condemned protesters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, occupying legislative chambers and various lawmakers’ offices. The SBC leaders called for peace — and called Christians to prayer. “Peaceable transitions of power have marked our Republic since the beginning,” SBC President J.D. Greear posted on Twitter. “It is part of honoring […]
Ga. pastor, Stone, to be nominated for SBC president
Mike Stone, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Blackshear, Ga., and immediate past chairman of the SBC Executive Committee, will be nominated for convention president at the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting, per an announcement Jan. 13 by fellow Georgia pastor Kevin Williams. “At this critical moment in our history, Southern Baptists need to be led […]
Southern Baptist leaders condemn storming of U.S. Capitol
Southern Baptist leaders condemned protesters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, occupying legislative chambers and various lawmakers’ offices. The SBC leaders called for peace – and called Christians to prayer. “Peaceable transitions of power have marked our Republic since the beginning,” SBC President J.D. Greear posted on Twitter. “It is part of honoring […]
Americans’ mental health outlook drops, but not for church attendees
A recent Gallup study reveals a connection between regular church attendance and a positive self-evaluation of one’s mental health. The study focused on 76 percent of its respondents classifying their current mental health as excellent or good. Since the poll’s inception in 2001, that answer had stayed in the 81-89 percent range. This year marked […]