DALLAS (BP) – Leaders of 13 Southern Baptist ethnic groups have approved a joint statement on immigration seeking religious liberty protections, compassion without demonization and enforcement options including fines or other penalties in lieu of deportation. Signers of the statement said they share the “federal government’s desire to protect citizens, promote legal immigration and refugee policies, and robustly safeguard the country’s borders.” But “enforcement must be accompanied with compassion that

ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (BP) – The city of Zaporizhzhia is vulnerable to Russian attack, adjacent to cities in the Zaporizhzhia Oblast and a treasured nuclear power plant Russia captured since renewing its assault on Ukraine in February 2022. As recently as Jan. 8, a Russian air strike killed at least 13 and injured another 113 in the industrial city of 700,000. Mayor Rehina Vladyslavivna Kharchenko has formally recognized the strength of

NASHVILLE (BP) – At last month’s SBC Executive Committee meeting, EC President and CEO Jeff Iorg reported that as of Dec. 24, some $13 million had been spent on investigations related to sexual abuse and related legal costs. He further reported that the EC is pursuing a $3 million loan to cover legal costs in the current fiscal year. Additionally, EC members approved a 2025-26 budget that includes a $3 million

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BP) — A bipartisan bill may give ministers who decided long ago to opt out of Social Security benefits the chance to change their minds. The Clergy Act, submitted by Sens. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), would allow for a period in which clergy may revoke their exemption from Social Security coverage. Another version of the bill has been reintroduced by Reps. Vince Fong (R-CA) and Mike Thompson

Former seminary professor Matt Queen has been sentenced to one year of probation, six months of house arrest and a $2,000 fine after being convicted of lying to federal investigators during an investigation into sexual abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention. The investigation into the SBC included Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s handling of a report of alleged sexual assault by a student. Queen pled guilty this past October to making false statements

NASHVILLE (BP) — In a landmark address to SBC Executive Committee members, SBC EC President Jeff Iorg outlined plans for continued sexual abuse prevention and response, presented findings from the SBC’s sexual abuse hotline that clarify the incidence of abuse in Southern Baptist churches and shared steps for responding to calls for greater financial clarity from SBC entities. His comments came Monday evening in the Executive Committee’s first plenary session of its

NASHVILLE (BP) — Southern Baptists wishing to provide direct input on issues addressed by the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission may do so over the next six months through a survey released by the entity. “The ERLC exists to serve pastors and churches as a voice in the public square on issues important to Southern Baptists. We are excited about the opportunities before us with the Trump administration and a new

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump issued an executive order Tuesday, Jan. 28, stating that “the United States … will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another. …” The order, called “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,” seeks to strip federal funding from medical institutions that provide so-called “gender affirming care” to those 18 and younger. Such treatment typically involves puberty