MAUI COUNTY, Hawaii — More than 30 people have been declared dead as the result of wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui which took place Aug. 9. According to media reports, the wildfires killed at least 36 people and injured dozens more. Thousands of people have evacuated the island, and the National Guard has been enlisted to provide support to local authorities. The U.S. Coast Guard has reportedly rescued

NASHVILLE — In an April phone call with James Merritt, Bryant Wright got right to the heart. He was concerned over the current state of the Southern Baptist Convention, particularly the discourse over women’s roles in ministry. Merritt, with similar concerns, had already talked about it with other Southern Baptist leaders. There was a need for clarity and consistency, two words Merritt would use two months later on the floor

EDITOR’S NOTE FROM THE BAPTIST PAPER — Stories like the one you are about to read are always diffi­cult to develop, not because the information is hard to explain but because the tone and presentation will be interpreted based on the reader and his or her involvement, prior understanding and sympathies toward the topic and/or group. The details are technically straightforward, but some will read it as a promotion or

NASHVILLE —Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee Interim president and CEO Willie McLaurin doesn’t believe any pastor, ministry leader or church member should have to go it alone. McLaurin, appearing on “Baptist Press This Week” with Brandon Porter, the SBC EC associate vice president for convention news, discussed ways churches can work together and ways local, state and national entities can partner with churches. He has helped support these partnerships in

NASHVILLE — A growing percentage of Protestant pastors report experiencing increased feelings of loneliness and isolation, while simultaneously feeling a decreased sense of support from people close to them, according to research by Barna. According to the 2022 survey of more than 500 pastors done by the Barna Group, 47 percent of pastors reported they “sometimes” felt lonely or isolated in the past three months, while 18 percent said they