NASHVILLE — Brent Leatherwood remains president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. ERLC executive board members say board Chairman Kevin Smith acted alone in an announcement of Leatherwood’s removal on July 22 and violated the entity’s bylaws. A early morning release from the ERLC executive committee says: “As members of the ERLC’s Executive Committee, we formally retract the press release which was sent yesterday. “There was not an authorized meeting,

DALLAS — The historic sanctuary at First Baptist Church Dallas burned Friday evening, July 19. The cause of the blaze is not yet known. The Victorian-style, red brick sanctuary building was erected 1890 and is a recognized Texas Historic Landmark. According to media reports, Dallas Fire and Rescue received a call at 6:05 p.m., Friday evening regarding a building on fire in Downtown Dallas. Firefighters responded and within 15 minutes

MOBILE, Ala. — In the days following the July 13 assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump, an application of Scripture related to the situation (see image below) is making the rounds on social media and drawing growing concern from ministry leaders in the process. Derek Allen, pastor of First Baptist Church Tillman’s Corner in the Mobile area, addressed the concern July 17. “I don’t want to be unnecessarily cruel,

BRENTWOOD — Most churchgoers believe Christians have a good reputation with Americans in general, but they worry those feelings are starting to sour. A Lifeway Research study finds 53 percent of U.S. Protestant churchgoers say most Americans have a positive perception of Christians. Two in five (40 percent) disagree, and eight percent aren’t sure. More consensus exists on the direction public sentiment is headed. Around seven in 10 (69 percent)

FRANKLIN — Tennessee Baptist Mission Board president and executive director Randy C. Davis and Brent Leatherwood, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, were quick to respond in the aftermath of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, July 13. Trump, who was injured in the attempt, was rushed off the stage quickly by Secret Service agents and