By Baptist Press WASHINGTON — The Obama administration has issued an order May 13 instructing all public schools to permit transgender students to use the restrooms and locker rooms of their gender identity instead of their biological sex. The across-the-board directive met quick protests from Southern Baptist leaders. Ronnie Floyd, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, described the federal guidance as “an outrageous attack on our Creator Himself, human sexuality

By Tom Strode Baptist Press WASHINGTON (BP) — Donald Trump’s striking victory in Indiana Tuesday (May 3) apparently settled the race for the Republican presidential nomination, but it did little to resolve the divisiveness among conservatives and evangelical Christians over his controversial candidacy. The brash billionaire triumphed easily in the latest primary over both of his rivals for the GOP nomination, leaving him seemingly with no opponents and an open

By Bob Smietana LifeWay News NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Most Protestant pastors believe Jesus will return in the future. But few agree about the details of the apocalypse. A third of America’s Protestant pastors expect Christians to be raptured—or taken up in the sky to meet Jesus—as the end times begin. About half think a false messiah known as the Antichrist will appear sometime in the future. A surprising number think

Baptist Press JACKSON — At least nine U.S. cities and five states have banned non-essential travel by government employees to North Carolina, Mississippi, or both, claiming religious liberty bills adopted there discriminate against homosexual and transgendered persons. A Mississippi pastor told Baptist Press he’s proud of his state legislature’s courage and confused by the seeming hypocrisy of some critics. Pastors in Vermont and Washington — two states to enact bans

SBC Editors’ Network YouTube Video BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A YouTube video promoting J.D. Greear for president of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has raised concern. The question is the participation of three SBC entity presidents who appear to be endorsing Greear’s election. The “It’s Tricky” video is a parody of the late 80s rap song with the same name by Run-DMC. The concern emerged when Greear — pastor of The

By Bob Smietana Lifeway News Office NASHVILLE — A growing number of Americans believe religious liberty is on the decline and that the nation’s Christians face growing intolerance. They also say American Christians complain too much. Those are among the findings of a new study of views about religious liberty from LifeWay Research. Researchers surveyed 1,000 Americans in September 2013 and September 2015 and then compared the results. Two-thirds (63

By Baptist Press NASHVILLE (BP) — LifeWay Christian Resources celebrated its 125th anniversary, then held a groundbreaking ceremony and prayer service today (April 6) on property in downtown Nashville where it intends to build its new headquarters. LifeWay announced plans in February to build a nine-story 250,000-square-foot office building in a mixed use development located just blocks from the campus LifeWay sold last November.