By Tess Schoonhoven Baptist Press MUNFORD, Ala. — A barbecue restaurant, a fast food place or two and a department store are about all the town of Munford has, according to Reese Gill, student pastor at Munford Baptist Church. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Gill and the other 250 or so people who attended Sunday morning worship services at Munford Baptist were accustomed to giving their tithes and offerings in physical
By Aaron Earls Baptist Press NASHVILLE — Most churchgoers say they can address doubts others have about the Bible, but half admit they have problems understanding Scripture on their own. Despite repeatedly affirming confidence in their own abilities to explain and understand the Bible, a recent LifeWay Research study in partnership with Explore the Bible curriculum found 57 percent of Protestant churchgoers say they find it challenging to make sense
By Grace Thornton Baptist Press STRAWBERRY, Ala. — James Carson has watched the church he loves go through a lot in the past two years. When its building went up in flames in August 2018, he saw the smoke from his house across the cow pasture. It was a long process, but they rebuilt. And now he’s watching from home again as his beloved church family at Warrior Creek Baptist
By Leslie Peacock Caldwell IMB News Office RICHMOND — International Mission Board senior leaders are urging Southern Baptists to use extreme caution if they are considering overseas missions travel for the remainder of 2020. As many countries continue to require quarantines or have not yet opened their borders, travelers could face unexpected circumstances, including quarantines upon re-entering the U.S. The future threat and spread of COVID-19 also remains an unknown
Baptist Press FRESNO, Calif. — Many California Southern Baptist pastors will likely find ways to continue to worship while obeying Gov. Gavin Newsom’s July 13 order forbidding indoor worship once again. “I think our churches are committed to doing what needs to be done to keep in contact with their members,” said Terry Barone, communications team leader for the California Southern Baptist Convention. “We would have to say that we’re
By Will Hall Baptist Message executive editor NEW ORLEANS — On July 16, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals gave Will McRaney, former executive director of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware, a procedural victory in his lawsuit against the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention “for intentional interference with business relationships, defamation, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.” The BCMD is an independent state organization of
Baptist Press WASHINGTON (BP) — Churches should partner with government officials to fight the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) while receiving First Amendment protections as they cooperate, the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission said in a new statement. The ERLC issued a document July 10 that provides guidance to church and civic leaders regarding the effort to protect public health, particularly through the process known as contact tracing.
Baptist Press WASHINGTON — Pro-life leaders expressed deep disappointment with the U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal 29 to uphold a Louisiana law designed to protect the lives and health of women by requiring hospital admitting privileges for doctors who perform abortions. In a 5-4 decision, the high court ruled the law — which mandated a physician must have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of a facility where he
By Margaret Colson ASBP executive secretary MARIETTA, Ga. — Meeting virtually for the first time in the organization’s 125-year history, approximately 25 members of the Association of State Baptist Publications (ASBP) elected a president-elect and honored two retiring state Baptist editors in a business meeting convened by 2020–21 ASBP President Jennifer Davis Rash. ASBP members typically would have met in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention
By Aaron Earls LifeWay Christian Resources NASHVILLE — A growing number of Southern Baptist churches are home to a shrinking number of Southern Baptists. Total membership in the Southern Baptist Convention fell almost 2 percent to 14,525,579 from 2018 to 2019, according to the Annual Church Profile compiled by LifeWay Christian Resources in cooperation with Baptist state conventions. The decline of 287,655 members is the largest single year drop in
By Tess Schoonhoven Baptist Press MUNFORD, Ala. — A barbecue restaurant, a fast food place or two and a department store are about all the
By Aaron Earls Baptist Press NASHVILLE — Most churchgoers say they can address doubts others have about the Bible, but half admit they have problems
By Grace Thornton Baptist Press STRAWBERRY, Ala. — James Carson has watched the church he loves go through a lot in the past two years.
By Leslie Peacock Caldwell IMB News Office RICHMOND — International Mission Board senior leaders are urging Southern Baptists to use extreme caution if they are
Baptist Press FRESNO, Calif. — Many California Southern Baptist pastors will likely find ways to continue to worship while obeying Gov. Gavin Newsom’s July 13
By Will Hall Baptist Message executive editor NEW ORLEANS — On July 16, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals gave Will McRaney, former executive
Baptist Press WASHINGTON (BP) — Churches should partner with government officials to fight the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) while receiving First Amendment protections as
Baptist Press WASHINGTON — Pro-life leaders expressed deep disappointment with the U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal 29 to uphold a Louisiana law designed to protect the
By Margaret Colson ASBP executive secretary MARIETTA, Ga. — Meeting virtually for the first time in the organization’s 125-year history, approximately 25 members of the
By Aaron Earls LifeWay Christian Resources NASHVILLE — A growing number of Southern Baptist churches are home to a shrinking number of Southern Baptists. Total
