WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention has released its 2026 Public Policy Agenda, highlighting its federal legislative and policy priorities
After hiking in 90-degree weather in flip-flops and a skirt to reach a village, Julia Spelter and another International Mission Board missionary were exhausted and dripping in sweat as they sat drinking tea in the dim room of a local nurse. The Malagasy nurse had the overwhelming task of serving several rural villages by herself in Madagascar.
(Baptist Press) By Scott Barkley, Baptist Press NASHVILLE (BP) – Trustees for the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission selected seven from their group today (Aug.
With his wife, Meredith, the ERLC leadership team, and the executive committee of the ERLC trustee board looking on, ERLC President Brent Leatherwood brings the
Dallas’ Omni Hotel is lit up to welcome Southern Baptists to the city. Photo by Roy Burroughs By Baptist Press staff DALLAS (BP) – More
Adam Wyatt, chair of the SBC Executive Committee’s Committee on Convention Finances and Stewardship Development, speaks as messengers approve the 2025-26 Cooperative Program allocation budget
Julia Ketner, retired executive director for Arkansas WMU, was the 25th recipient of the Dellanna West O’Brien award for women’s leadership development, which recognizes Baptist women who demonstrate the ability to foster leadership in women, display the potential to be leaders in their community and world and excel in missions discipleship.
SBC Executive Committee President Jeff Iorg speaks during the June 10 afternoon session of the 2025 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in Dallas, Texas, leading
In a crowd of thousands at the 2025 SBC Annual Meeting in Dallas, a sacred moment unfolds—messengers surround Jude and Bridget Davis in prayer, two
“Cooperation and the Cooperative Program are not bygone relics of a dying era. We stand today in awe of what God has done through Southern
Honoring Christ in the pastorate requires faithful preaching and holy living, attendees were told during the final sessions of the SBC Pastors’ Conference in Dallas June 9.
Baptist Press By Scott Barkley, chief national correspondent for Baptist Press NASHVILLE (BP) — The newly proposed business and financial plan going before Southern Baptists
The North American Mission Board is working with Dallas-area churches and Baptist associations, along with Southern Baptist seminaries, to host Crossover outreach events that will
A preliminary schedule for this year’s SBC Annual Meeting in Dallas June 10-11 was released Tuesday (March 25) by the Southern Baptist Convention’s Committee on Order of Business.
Southern Baptist messengers will have an opportunity to hear from the six men seeking to become the next president of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) next week before election at the 2024 Annual Meeting in Indianapolis.
The resolutions to be presented at the 2024 SBC Annual Meeting are available in a preliminary form. This marks the earliest release date in recent history.
Jeff Iorg will become the eighth leader of the SBC Executive Committee. Iorg received a unanimous vote from 60 EC members at a special-called EC meeting today (March 21).
The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee will consider Gateway Seminary President Jeff Iorg for EC president and CEO in a special called meeting from noon-3 p.m. March 21 in Dallas.
A special-called meeting will take place March 21 for SBC Executive Committee members to consider the nomination of Jeff Iorg as the next EC president and CEO.
This article was written by Leslie Peacock Caldwell, managing editor at the IMB. The call to reach all nations, people, languages and tribes with the
Baptist Press article by Scott Barkley, national correspondent for Baptist Press. DALLAS (BP) — The Ministry Check website will soon be the central hub for
Caring Well Sunday, Sept. 24, is on the SBC Calendar this year for the first time, giving churches an opportunity to acknowledge the emotional toll of sexual abuse and commit to ensuring congregations are safe places.
Southern Baptists have adopted a groundbreaking resolution on artificial intelligence that will serve as a guide to church leaders as well as their government lobbyists.
Messengers voted to amend the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, the statement of faith of the Southern Baptist Convention, to clarify the role of pastor Wednesday, June 14, at the 2023 SBC Annual Meeting in New Orleans.
2023-2024 SBC officers are (left to right) Recording Secretary Nathan Finn, Second Vice President Kason Branch, President Bart Barber, First Vice President Jay Adkins and
A young mother saw a group of Southern Baptists who were sharing the gospel in New Orleans, so she yelled to them. “I need to be saved.”
As I write this article, I am attending the 2023 Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana. While the final gavel
Editor’s note: This article was written by Timothy Cockes, staff writer for the Baptist Press. NEW ORLEANS, La. (BP) – Texas pastor Bart Barber was
Editor’s note: This article was written by Nathan A. Finn, SBC Recording Secretary and originally was published at baptistpress.com. Each year, the Book of Reports
Editor’s note: This article was written by the staff at Baptist Press and was originally published at baptistpress.com. NASHVILLE (BP) — The 2023 Book of
Baptist Press file photo By AARON EARLS, Lifeway Christian Resources BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — For the second straight year, baptisms and giving increased among Southern Baptist
David Sons, Executive Committee chairman, leads the group’s special-called meeting in Dallas on May 1. Members declined to call Texas pastor Jared Wellman as the
Send Relief local partners began distributing water, food and other emergency supplies within hours of the disaster. More than 36,000 people have been reported dead
KAHRAMANMARAS, Turkey (BP) — A pair of earthquakes and a series of aftershocks have devastated portions of Turkey and Syria. According to the BBC, more than
AZTEC, N.M. (BP) – “It is so simple,” says Pastor Mike Napier. “It’s prayer and evangelism. That’s all that it is. Everything that is happening
By Brandon Elrod, who writes for the North American Mission Board. NAMB photo. ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Southern Baptists and the North American Mission Board (NAMB) had a
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published by Baptist Press and written by Willie McLaurin. October is Pastor Appreciation Month. This is a month set aside to
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published by Baptist Press and written by Brandon Porter. NEW YORK (BP) – SBC President Bart Barber was a guest of
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published by Baptist Press and written by Mike Ebert. CHICAGO—Southern Baptists gave a record $68.9 million to the Annie
The team tasked with finding the next person to serve as president of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee is looking at “11 quality candidates,” search team chairman Adron Robinson told SBC EC members.
Members of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee voted Tuesday (Sept. 20) to propose a change in the timeline for submitting and publishing resolutions to be voted on by messengers at SBC annual meetings.
In his Monday night (Sept. 19) plenary session address to the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, Willie McLaurin urged Southern Baptists to continue to cooperate in carrying out their shared mission.
SBC President Bart Barber preaches at Executive Committee meeting on Sept. 19 in Nashville. (Baptist Press photo by Brandon Porter) Article written by Diana Chandler,
The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission board of trustees named Brent Leatherwood the new president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s public policy entity in a unanimous vote Tuesday (Sept. 13).
SBC President Bart Barber recently announced the theme for the 2023 Annual Meeting. Pointing to 2 Corinthians 4:5, he said it will be “Serving the Lord; Serving others.”
The group tasked with recommending the next president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission is currently working through the process with an active candidate, its chairman told Baptist Press July 26. Todd Howard, pastor of Watson Chapel Baptist Church in Pine Bluff, Ark., said the search team will present its report at the ERLC trustee board’s annual meeting in September.
Yesterday was an historic day for the Southern Baptist Convention.
In one of two runoff elections at the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting, Bart Barber, pastor of First Baptist Church of Farmersville, Texas, was elected SBC president June 14 in a runoff with Florida pastor Tom Ascol.
Southern Baptists publicly lamented the harm their “actions and inactions have caused to survivors of sexual abuse” in a resolution adopted by messengers to the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim, Calif., on June 15.
Outgoing Southern Baptist Convention President Ed Litton, former SBC president Fred Luter and noted author and pastor Tony Evans announced an initiative June 15 to build racial unity nationwide, conducted by the local church.
Missionaries heading to global areas where security is a concern were shown behind a screen. More than 90% of IMB missionary teams actively engage unreached people groups, many in hard-to-reach places where safety and security are daily considerations.
Southern Baptists responded with an overwhelming majority in favor of adopting the two recommendations presented by the Sexual Abuse Task Force presented June 14 at the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting.
Texas pastor Bart Barber won a run-off election for president of the Southern Baptist Convention Tuesday (June 14) evening at the Anaheim Convention Center in California.
International Mission Board President Paul Chitwood began IMB’s report to the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting with recent good news from the mission field.
Ted Traylor, pastor of Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola, Fla., intends to nominate Georgia pastor Frank Cox for the office of SBC president Tuesday (June 14) during the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting.
Seven new SBC Executive Committee officers were elected during the group’s June 13 meeting, including new EC Chairman Jared Wellman, lead pastor of Tate Springs Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas.
Mark Clifton opened the 2022 SBC Pastors’ Conference by reminding shepherds of local congregations that there are no unimportant churches and no unimportant places.
Daniel Dickard, senior pastor of Friendly Avenue Baptist Church in Greensboro, N.C., was elected president of the 2023 SBC Pastors’ Conference Monday afternoon (June 13).
Amid the busy event schedule of the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting, nearly 2,000 attendees gathered for the International Mission Board dinner.
Thirty-four churches engaged their communities through various outreach events Saturday, June 11, through Crossover, which partnered with Send Relief to host a Serve Tour experience that took place ahead of the 2022 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting.
Send Relief announced its intent June 8 to give $3 million to fund the proposed Sexual Abuse Task Force (SATF) recommendations for sexual abuse reform, and an additional $1 million to establish a survivor care fund to provide trauma care for survivors and trauma training for pastors.
As Southern Baptists prepare to travel to Anaheim for the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting, the three known presidential candidates have submitted First-Person style essays to Baptist Press.
Former National Football League player Benjamin Watson and his wife have collaborated for the third time with the Southern Baptist Convention’s ethics entity to provide an ultrasound machine for the benefit of women in crisis pregnancies.
Former Southern Baptist Convention President J.D. Greear says he’s encouraged by the SBC’s bottom-up structure putting power in the hands of lay members.
A hotline has been established to allow those affected by sexual abuse within Southern Baptist churches. The number is 202-864-5578.
The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention has dispatched ministers to South Texas to minister to the community and assist with relief in the wake of an elementary school shooting earlier Tuesday.
Months of work by the Sexual Abuse Task Force and Guidepost Solutions concerning the alleged mishandling of sexual abuse claims by the SBC Executive Committee (EC) resulted in a 288-page report released publicly Sunday (May 22).
Since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine, Moldova, a small and impoverished nation bordering Ukraine, has received an estimated one refugee for every 25 Moldovans. Most refugees are being housed and cared for by churches in the Moldovan Baptist Union.
“It’s awesome that we were able to welcome more kids with special needs than ever before!”
Four miles from the Tops Friendly Markets mass shooting May 14, North Buffalo Community Church Pastor William Smith is comforting a crying community.
Southern Baptist congregations saw a rebound in the number of baptisms and an increase of $304 million in overall giving in 2021, both hopeful signs congregations are recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nearly 40 percent of Generation Z believe Jesus was a human and sinned like other people when He lived on earth, the American Bible Society reveals in State of the Bible 2022.
Charlie Houck loves serving as lead pastor at Mesa Church in San Diego.
hough he’s a busy senior professor of missions at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Robin Hadaway will be somewhat of a hometown presidential candidate when the SBC Annual Meeting takes place in Anaheim this summer.
Whether it’s from a video posted on social media or a microphone at the SBC Annual Meeting, you don’t have to listen to Bart Barber long before you know he cares about Southern Baptist polity.
For more than 30 years Tom Ascol has been known as a leader with deep theological convictions through his work at Grace Baptist Church and Founders Ministries.
As pastors think about their greatest needs, some of those go beyond their ministries and are instead connected to their personal lives. Many pastors worry about their time management skills and how they can balance all the responsibilities they have at church and at home.
The new app, provided through a partnership of the SBC Executive Committee and the Acts 2 Network, makes the programs more accessible for those not attending the 2022 events June 12-15 in Anaheim, said Jonathan Howe, SBC EC vice president for communications.
Southern Baptist Convention Pastors’ Conference president Matt Henslee announced his intention to nominate Texas pastor Bart Barber for the office of SBC president at the upcoming SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim, June 14-15, 2022.
MinistrySafe provides training to thousands of ministries, training more than 50,000 child-serving staff members, live and online, every month.
Southern Baptists have given more than $5.5 million to date. Disaster Relief teams from several state conventions have mobilized. Churches and small groups voiced prayers.
For the more than 1,500 Baptist churches in Romania, the decision to sacrifice their resources for the safety of neighbors was automatic…
The North Carolina coach has experienced the highs and lows of being a missionary in his own backyard, this year while leading the Tar Heels into a new era following the retirement of Roy Williams.
Try to make a judgment on Cleveland Road Baptist Church from its exterior.
Disciple-making is the primary call of every pastor, and most recognize this as a skill they should continue to develop as church leaders.
Honoring Armstrong’s life means honoring the missions heritage of Southern Baptists and the contributions of Southern Baptist women.
As hearts and buildings are broken, International Mission Board missionaries are providing a digital lifeline for Ukrainians through a Facebook ad developed by missionaries and global partners.
Voddie Baucham, dean of theology at African Christian University in Lusaka, Zambia, will be nominated for Southern Baptist Convention Pastors’ Conference president at the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim…
Daniel Dickard, pastor of Friendly Avenue Baptist Church in Greensboro, N.C., will be nominated for president of the 2023 SBC Pastors’ Conference.
Founders Ministries President Tom Ascol announced his intention to run for SBC president Tuesday (March 22) in a story published at the Daily Wire, a conservative news site conceived and founded by political commentators Ben Shapiro and Jeremy Boreing.
Former International Mission Board missionary Wade Akins has announced he intends to nominate fellow former IMB missionary Robin Hadaway for SBC president at the upcoming 2022 SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim, Calif.
Despite a variety of challenges resulting from the ongoing war, a Christian radio station broadcasting to Slavic nations has continued its Gospel ministry, this time from Romania
A Disaster Assistance & Response Team (DART) of Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) and volunteers returned from Poland last week to survey ways volunteers from the United States might engage and serve Ukrainian refugees fleeing the invasion of their homeland.
At least 97 million more people have fallen into extreme poverty globally since the COVID-19 pandemic began two years ago, World Relief said in a study released March 15 on the second anniversary of the declaration of the pandemic.
A new Mandarin translation of the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, the official statement of beliefs of the Southern Baptist Convention, is now available in traditional and simplified scripts at sbc.net.
The announcement comes a day after current SBC President Ed Litton of Saraland, Ala., announced he will not seek a second term.
Citing a growing desire to develop a strategy to “bridge our divides and bring about a Gospel-driven unity and reconciliation” and the need to lead as a “pastor rather than from the office of president,” SBC president Ed Litton announced Tuesday (Mar. 1) that he would not seek a second term as SBC president at the upcoming SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim, Calif.
The typical parental approach to the topic of sexuality is to avoid the subject as much as possible, drop one big “talk” sometime in their kids’ tween years, and then avoid it again for as long as possible.
“We need a miracle from God,” Yaroslav Pyzh, president of the Ukrainian Baptist Theological Seminary in Lviv, Ukraine, said from his western Ukraine home in a Zoom interview with Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s news staff on the evening of Feb. 26.
On Thursday, Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine and launched attacks on cities and airports throughout the country, including near the capital, Kyiv.
The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee has created a search team to begin the entity’s search for the new president and CEO
“We are called to serve well. We are called to steward well. We are called to submit to the lordship of the Lord Jesus Christ,” McLaurin said in the Feb. 21 plenary, drawing resounding applause and standing ovations.
“This investigation and the findings of it are not the ending of where we stand regarding sexual abuse,” said Mike Keahbone, pastor of First Baptist Church in Lawton, Okla. “It’s the very beginning. As an Executive Committee, with one heart [and] regardless of how the votes went in the past, we are united to stand against sexual abuse wholeheartedly.
Lottie Elizabeth Sandusky charmed everyone she met in her mere 13 months of earthly life…
The selection process for a new president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission is progressing, trustees of the Southern Baptist Convention entity were told Thursday (Feb. 17).
New Send Network church planting missionaries can take advantage of increased support through the North American Mission Board (NAMB), anchored by a slate of customized benefits from GuideStone Financial Resources
Recently, I was blessed to hear Bill Elliff speak on the subjects of prayer, revival and spiritual awakening…
The congregations at Sligo Baptist and New Bethel Baptist, rural churches with similar footprints, had never heard of each other before the December tornadoes swept through western Kentucky.
The Ministry Report serves to aid the Southern Baptist Executive Committee in planning, evaluating and implementing the Cooperative Program Allocation Budget that will be presented for adoption by messengers at the June 2022 SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim, Calif.
The start of 2022 indicates a continuation of recent giving trends in the SBC as giving through the national Cooperative Program Allocation Budget has soared to more than 12 percent above budget for the fiscal year.
In 1897, Annie Armstrong, recording secretary of the Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU), met with Nannie Helen Burroughs, an up-and-coming leader in the National Baptist Convention (NBC)…
The North American Mission Board (NAMB) announced Thursday, Jan. 27, that more than 50,000 people had, through the Who’s Your One evangelism campaign, represented their commitment to pray for and share the Gospel with at least one person by placing their “one” on the Who’s Your One map.
Baptists in Western Ukraine have made plans to shelter fellow believers in the case of a Russian invasion at Ukraine’s eastern border, a Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary graduate who now leads a Baptist seminary in Ukraine told Baptist Press.
Willie McLaurin will be the interim president and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee. The EC officers made the announcement Tuesday (Feb. 1)
NASHVILLE (BP) – Officers of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee will meet with EC vice presidents by the end of January, with a recommendation for one of them to serve as interim president coming at the Executive Committee’s February meeting, EC Chairman Rolland Slade told Baptist Press.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s oral arguments Wednesday (Dec. 1) left pro-life advocates hopeful the justices are poised to uphold a state ban on abortion after 15 weeks’ gestation and possibly to overturn long-standing decisions in support of legalized abortion nationwide.
Parents of kids with disabilities have both similar and unique needs in comparison to other parents. Brothers and sisters in Christ want to help each other but may struggle to know the best path
The Southern Baptist Convention Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission is focusing on pro-life work as oral arguments are scheduled for Dec. 1 at the Supreme Court in the case of Dobbs vs. Mississippi. Leaders from the ERLC talked with Jonathan Howe, vice president for communications of the SBC Executive Committee, during a special edition of the SBC This Week podcast released Monday
When Georges Boujakly arrived in Canada on New Year’s Eve 1969, his homeland of Lebanon was at war, the 19-year-old knew little English, and he had $30 to his name.
Sept. 26 marked the first time the IMB specifically celebrated the achievements and contributions of Hispanic churches and missionaries in taking the Gospel to every nation, tribe, people and language.
Those of us whose families God has grown through adoption know that while our story is good, we did not become a family without brokenness and difficulty.
For 176 years, Southern Baptists have sent missionaries to proclaim the gospel of hope among the nations through the IMB.
An amendment to the Texas constitution prohibiting the state government from imposing limits on religious worship services passed with 62 percent of the vote Tuesday (Nov. 2).
As a new budget year gets underway, Southern Baptists continue to exhibit financial faithfulness and generosity resulting in a strong start to the 2022 fiscal year. Gifts through the National Cooperative Program Allocation Budget topped $16.7 million, exceeding budget expectations by more than 5.8 percent.
The U.S. Supreme Court signaled Monday (Nov. 1) its dissatisfaction with a lower court’s ruling on a state abortion mandate and ordered it to reconsider that decision in light of the justices’ unanimous opinion in support of religious freedom earlier this year.
At this stage, the high court is not considering the constitutionality of the Texas law but whether it may remain in effect while the case is being adjudicated and whether the U.S. government may challenge it in federal court.
A dozen states are challenging the Biden administration’s funding of organizations that perform or promote abortions in one front in an ongoing policy struggle.
NASHVILLE (BP) – Trustees of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee met in a closed session on Thursday (Oct. 28). It was the first meeting for the group since the resignations of key EC staff members and a letter from long-time attorneys, Guenther, Jordan & Price, withdrawing from providing legal counsel for the group.
The only demolition, however, came to perceptions about evangelism and discipleship – spiritual strongholds that whispered a tiny church in a county of less than 20,000 people couldn’t make a difference. The key tool was prayer. The first call, however, went to a plumber.
WAKE FOREST, N.C. (BP) – Nathan Rostampour expresses a heart for house churches. Among fellow Farsi speakers in his native Iran where he accepted Christ in secret, any outward display of salvation can be deadly.
Government leaders voted in favor of the settlement in exchange for the church dropping its lawsuit that claimed the county’s measures amounted to discrimination.
In serving SBC churches, the statement began, NAMB seeks to “fulfill its mission in fidelity” to The Baptist Faith and Message. As part of that commitment, NAMB will endorse or fund church planters whose practices remain consistent with the BF&M.
The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee in Nashville, lists a trio of claims for Stone’s legal action: defamation – libel, false light invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Officers of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee are planning for a special called meeting of the members. A letter from 25 EC trustees calling for the meeting was sent to EC Chairman Rolland Slade on Oct. 13.
Greg Addison, executive vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, is stepping down. Addison notified Ronnie Floyd, SBC EC president and CEO, of his intention to step down on Oct. 15, according to an email sent to EC trustees and staff on Wednesday (Oct. 20).
Ronnie Floyd, president and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee, announced his resignation Thursday night (Oct. 14) in a letter to Southern Baptists released by email.
“[God’s] hand has been and is all over your life and your preaching and your ministry,” Dew said to Luter. “You are not just the pastor of Franklin Avenue, you are the pastor of New Orleans, and brother, we are grateful for you.”
Pastors from Texas, Oklahoma and Washington join a CPA in making up the five-member Committee on Cooperation that will act as a liaison between the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, the Sexual Abuse Task Force and Guidepost Solutions during the ongoing investigation over the possible mishandling of reports of sexual abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention.
Proud, officially announced to the role on Monday (Oct. 11), has been in his current position as director of missions for the Orange County Southern Baptist Association in southern California since August 2011. His first day as Colorado Baptists’ executive director will be Dec. 1.
Supporters of abortion rights succeeded in the executive branch Monday (Oct. 4), when the Biden administration announced the repeal of a Trump-era rule that prohibited family planning funds for Planned Parenthood and other organizations that perform or promote abortions.
Trustees met for more than three and a half hours via Zoom before the group voted in favor of a motion to waive privilege by a margin of 44-31. Three members abstained from the vote. Six members of the committee resigned between today’s meeting and the meeting on Sept. 28.
A group from the ERLC, including Elizabeth Graham, ERLC vice president of operations and life initiatives, personally delivered the ultrasound machine to Hope House today to begin training their staff for this life-saving work.
Attendees at the Shrink the Divide racial reconciliation gathering at Redemption Church in Mobile, Ala., Sunday night (Oct. 3) took their seats, perhaps beside those who appeared most familiar. Then they were asked to change.
After a pandemic-influenced decline in 2020, Southern Baptists rallied to give $66.5 million to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering® (AAEO) in 2021, the highest amount ever given to the offering that supports missions in North America.
A five-hour meeting by Executive Committee members Tuesday (Sept. 28) included debate over three different motions and amendments toward negotiating a contract with the Sexual Abuse Task Force and Guidepost Solutions. The end result brought another agreement to extend discussions another seven days in order to pursue a potential agreement through what came to be called the Michigan model.
Brewton had served as the Carolyn King Ragan Professor of Church Music and Worship since 2002 and was head of the Department of Biblical Worship. He taught students at Boyce College and Southern Seminary for almost 20 years.
In a ceremonial bill signing at Great Hills Baptist Church, a Southern Baptist congregation in Austin, Abbott called the moment “a celebration,” the Texas Tribune reported. He was at the church for the annual Texas Faith, Family & Freedom Forum, hosted by policy group Texas Values.
A marathon afternoon session that stretched past three hours Tuesday (Sept. 21) ended with Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee members approving a motion to fund a contractual agreement with Guidepost Solutions for investigating claims of mishandling sexual abuse accusations.Â
Debate over the long-term effects of waiving attorney-client privilege and remaining in step with the entitys fiduciary responsibility led the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee to call for an executive (or closed) session Monday afternoon (Sept. 20).
“My heart is heavy about this gathering,” he said. “I think all of us feel the weight of it, and we need to find a way forward for the glory of God together.”
FORT WORTH (BP) – In a conversation during chapel at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary Tuesday (Sept. 14), Southern Baptist Convention President Ed Litton addressed topics ranging from God’s work through suffering, racial reconciliation, the crisis facing the SBC Executive Committee and the accusations of plagiarism that have dogged him since early in his presidency.
The ERLC trustees endorsed without opposition a profile presented by the presidential search committee that consists of eight criteria a candidate must meet to fulfill the role of the commission’s next head. The action occurred during the trustees’ annual meeting, which will conclude Wednesday (Sept. 15) at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville.
The GMB has appointed Mark Dooley as interim executive director. Dooley has been an active figure in convention life for decades and has served as the BCM/D’s state director of evangelism and Church Services team leader since 2019. He began serving as the interim executive director Wednesday (Sept. 15).
Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, reacted to the announcement saying: “We encourage vaccination but oppose mandated vaccination. We are watching the situation closely and fully expect multiple legal challenges to be filed against the President’s announced mandate to private employers.”
Twenty years after spending weeks in what could only be called a war zone, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers are reflecting on their experience working in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 and how it affected their lives.
The high court granted a stay of execution on the same night John Ramirez was scheduled to receive the death penalty for a 2004 murder in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Messengers approved the formation of the task force at the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting in June just five days after the Executive Committee had announced Guidepost would conduct a similar review at its own request. The Executive Committee-commissioned review was subsequently put on hold pending the actions of the task force.
A week before Hurricane Ida hit southeastern Louisiana, William Bekemeier had just endured a heart attack. After he rode out the storm and felt the shock of a tree landing on his family’s house, he didn’t have the strength or stamina to clear the tree from his yard
Bethlehem Church, with Sunday attendance of about 4,000 on its three campuses, is routinely one of Georgia’s top baptizing churches with 200 or more yearly since 2018.
Southern Baptist Convention President Ed Litton and North American Mission Board Send Relief President Bryant Wright visited Louisiana Baptist churches, Sept. 6, who are hosting disaster relief teams in areas hit hard by Hurricane Ida.
Through the IMB Summer Sojourners program, four U.S. university students braved COVID-19 and unrest in Columbia to spend the summer serving with the Touch of Life Foundation in Bucaramanga, which ministers to Venezuelan refugees.
The Florida Baptist Convention has begun the process of sending more than 1,200 tarps to pastors and churches in the affected area near the large city of Les Cayes, about 150 miles west of capital city of Port-Au-Prince.
In a 5-4 split, the high court rejected a last-ditch effort by abortion providers and advocates to halt enforcement of the Texas Heartbeat Act (S.B. 8), which can prohibit abortions as early as five to six weeks into pregnancy.
Churches in several communities in Terrebonne, Lafourche, St. John the Baptist and Jefferson parishes were damaged, including churches on the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain and spanning more than 150 miles inland to Denham Springs. Ida killed at least eight people in the state.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal to block enforcement of the measure in response to a last-ditch request by abortion-rights organizations meant the law became the first heartbeat ban to take effect in the United States.
As New Orleans’ power company, Entergy, faces what it described as “catastrophic transmission damage” and the city faces what might be weeks without power, Dew pledged the seminary’s support to displaced students, staff, and faculty as they face displacement for the next couple of weeks.
Southern Baptist seminaries and affiliated colleges are taking a position of following COVID-19 recommendations while allowing room for individual choices as a surge in cases continues, driven largely by the highly contagious Delta variant.
Members of First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs voted 69-35 on Aug. 22 to demolish the 100-year-old building that had been preserved as a memorial.
International Mission Board missionaries saw 18,380 churches planted, 144,322 new believers and 86,587 baptisms in 2020. This could not have happened without the prayers and financial support of Southern Baptist churches.
Parents and ballplayers know some things simply go with being a part of California Little League’s District 66.
Over the last two months, it’s been The Question directed at Ed Litton. “How are you going to unify the Southern Baptist Convention?”
The full Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans reversed a federal judge and its own three-person panel in a
Gov. Chris Sununu signed into law on Aug. 10 a bill that in essence defines churches and other religious organizations as providers of “essential services.”
As Taliban insurgents take control in Afghanistan, Christians around the world and believers in the beleaguered nation are pleading for prayer.
The ERLC applauds the Indiana court’s decision to reaffirm the Archdiocese of Indianapolis’ constitutional rights and its prerogative to operate according to its deeply held religious beliefs, and the bearing that has on all other religious persons and institutions.
[Dana] Moore is the pastor of Second Baptist Church Corpus Christi and has been ministering to John Henry Ramirez in prison for several years as a part of Second Baptists’ chaplaincy ministry.
Calls from Southern Baptist leaders and others for immediate assistance, warnings of devastating consequences for Christians and prayer requests followed the rapid takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban.
A massive earthquake that struck Haiti Saturday morning (Aug. 14) and has left more than 1,200 dead has spurred Southern Baptists to coordinate relief efforts.
For a quarter century, Stewart served in multiple capacities at NOBTS until his retirement in July 2003.
The CALLED website features a library of video and blog post resources contributed by a variety of prominent evangelical leaders aimed at helping individuals process their own calls to ministry.
Leading a declining church through change and revitalization takes a sense of humor and lots of patience says Charles “Buddy” Parrish, pastor of First Baptist Church Sweetwater.
An Aug. 3 press release from Judicial Watch and The Center for Medical Progress uncovered public records from the National Institutes of Health (a part of HHS) related to “government-sponsored fetal experimentation” that focused on minimizing the amount of time aborted fetal organs go without blood flow.
The Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) decried the July 30 action by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and called for its reversal.
NASHVILLE (BP) – Southern Baptists continue to fight against human trafficking worldwide as the issue is acknowledged by the United Nations on World Day Against Trafficking in Persons today, July 30.
Williams said the SBC cannot change its past but must move forward with a united goal.
Speakers focused on the meeting’s theme, “Pressing On Toward the Goal,” and the central verse of Phil. 3:12-14.
The ERLC and five other organizations joined in a brief filed by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) regarding a case involving Mississippi’s ban on abortions of unborn children whose gestational age is more than 15 weeks.
Conflict in terms of race relations boils down to a pivotal question, Pastor Tony Evans of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship told those gathered at his church on Wednesday, July 21.
NASHVILLE (BP) – SBC President Ed Litton released a video Tuesday (July 20) following the first meeting of a task force he named to oversee an independent review of the SBC Executive Committee.
ST. LOUIS (BP) – Southern Baptist leaders commended the latest court victory for a student faith group that was removed from a state university campus for requiring its leaders to be Christians.
WASHINGTON (BP)—The congressional effort to continue to prohibit taxpayer funds from paying for abortions suffered multiple setbacks Thursday (July 15).
NASHVILLE (BP) — An expressed love of missions, education and the Gospel flow from the life experiences of Florida’s Archalena Coats and Louisiana’s Carolyn Fountain, the first two Black women to serve on the SBC Executive Committee.
NASHVILLE (BP) – John Blackmon’s father-in-law couldn’t hear the message, but its boldness and life-changing capability rang through loud and clear two weeks before he died.
As Southern Baptists from across the country gathered for the annual meeting last week, many were intentional about sharing the love of Jesus with the staff at the Music City Center.
If the SBC Executive Committee’s meeting Monday (June 14) is any indication, the convention’s annual meeting this year could involve drama.
U.S. Protestant churches endured a difficult 2020, including starting the year with fewer congregations.
Like most other things in 2020, church planting looked different. But thanks to a strong network of support and a cadre of resilient church planters, Southern Baptists planted 588 new churches, an increase of 36 over the previous year.
Amaziah Church between Hickory Flat and Myrtle, averages 75-80 people in attendance and, like all churches, has been impacted by the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. But that hasn’t stopped the members from sacrificially supporting the work of the Lord at home and around the world.
