Secondary Email Features - Baptist Standard: Recent Episodes
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Texas Baptists’ past, present and future is built on partnership. It hasn’t always been easy, but it has been and still is a great strength.
A panel discussion on the role of women in ministry closed out the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting.
Keynote speakers at Texas Baptists’ annual meeting expounded on various aspects of Jesus’ “kingdom agenda” as revealed in the Gospels.
Jim Lemons uses the illustration of a bumblebee stuck in a jar to illustrate the importance of looking up to God if a person is to be free.
Strategic partnerships and cooperation are key as the Baptist General Convention of Texas looks to the future, Executive Director Julio Guarneri told Texas Baptists.
Ruth and Joe married while he was in seminary. The early years were a struggle, but her mom's marriage advice proved really helpful.
Texas Baptists at their annual meeting authorized the Baptist General Convention of Texas to form a corporation to provide churches access to property and casualty insurance, elected officers and approved a $36.7 million Texas budget for 2025.
How we as Christians are to respond to the election isn’t determined by who won it, but is governed by a greater and higher law.
Myanmar—historically known as Burma—is “a disintegrating nation” where leaders of religious minorities continue to be targeted by the military, a report from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom stated.
Will we rise above political affiliations to embody what it means to be a Christian in a divided society? Prayer is one way we can.
“Women encounter disorienting differences between their Baptist churches on Sunday and their workplaces on Monday.”
Christian Mission to Gaza recently has provided food and clean drinking water to more than 4,000 people in the war-torn country, the former pastor of Gaza Baptist Church reported.
Dallas Baptist University’s Institute for Global Engagement hosted a global gathering to pray for persecuted religious minorities, Oct. 24-25.
More than 300 volunteers from around the United States completed 33 service projects across the Rio Grande Valley as a part of the Serve Tour Brownsville in mid-October.
Abortion is not a single issue—a political soundbite, talking point or policy matter—but a multifold issue we need to address completely.
Inmates in Texas prisons and the correctional officers who work there suffer in unbearable heat each summer due to unregulated temperatures.
Editor Eric Black, Old Testament professor Timothy Pierce, and theology and ethics professor Kimlyn Bender respond to Richard Hays’ new book.
Crossing lines to work together is essential in addressing hunger and poverty, Jeremy Everett told Fellowship Southwest Compassion & Justice Conference participants.
I applaud the work of the Sexual Abuse Task Force and their recommendations. Let’s honor their work by enacting their recommendations.
Howard Payne University won a successful appeal from the Department of Education’s review committee, clarifying ownership and scoring a victory for the Baptist General Convention of Texas and related or affiliated educational institutions.
Baptist ministries in Lebanon that receive Texas Baptist Hunger Offering funds are offering aid to displaced civilians caught in the crossfire between Israel and Hezbollah.
Wade Berry explains the sometimes tense relationship between truth and unity, and issues a warning and challenge.
Carol Crawford Holcomb relates Obadiah Holmes’ 17th-century contribution to Baptist’s advocacy for religious freedom.
Barna and Impact 360 concluded a series of Gen Z reports Sept. 12 with a simulcast highlighting their final research-based conclusions.
Jason Le Shana challenged faith and disability workshop participants to commit to “one next move” toward building a culture of belonging.
“My adopted country gave me a new start, freedom I never had enjoyed before and a bright future for my family. But as a Christian, I’m saddened by the hateful rhetoric that often greets newcomers today.”
Editor Eric Black condemns the false claims against the Haitian community in Springfield, Ohio, for at least three reasons.
The 2024-2025 academic year is underway. It’s not too late to encourage and support teachers. Nor is it too early.
Christians can use different approaches to help refugees adjust to life in the United States, but they all tend to revolve around the subject of availability.
The world’s 280 million immigrants have greater shares of Christians, Muslims and Jews than the general population.
His son said of him, “The greatest gift our dad gave us was a love for the Lord and a good name.” How about you?
“Every Sunday, we want to create something that changes someone,” Wes Hamilton, lead pastor at Hulen Street Church in Fort Worth, told attendees during The Art of Preaching & Teaching Lab.
“What was done before will not be enough to move churches into the future,” Ben Karner writes. Churches will need Holy Spirit inspiration.
When Community Missionary Baptist Church issued an open invitation for high school and college students to be baptized, Senior Pastor Oscar Epps and other leaders at the church’s Cedar Hill campus didn’t know what to expect.
“We lost a tree yesterday, and I can’t help feeling like it’s a metaphor,” Editor Eric Black writes about a momentous day for his family.
Government-fostered misinformation and disinformation are hindering religious liberty in several places globally, according to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.
In our individualistic, democratized society, many wonder how much we have to agree to be united. Wade Berry addresses the question.
A 23-year-old Lamar University graduate student drowned Aug. 10 while attending a Baptist Student Ministry retreat at the Toledo Bend Reservoir.
A global human rights organization called on the United States to enforce sanctions against Azerbaijan for torturing prisoners of war and targeting Armenian Christians.
What would Christians do if all we had left was evangelism? It’s possible we would argue and fight less. I phrase the question with “had left,” because we have far...
At first, Adam Moore was a little skeptical about one of the Olympics outreach strategies in which his mission team was participating.
The Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board mobilized more than 300 short-term volunteers who are hitting the streets of Paris, sharing the gospel during the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.
Ben Karner points to the church at Antioch as an example of leadership development in the church and suggests three guidelines.
Working to advance international religious freedom and combat persecution not only reflects American values, but also advances the nation’s interests, international human rights lawyer H. Knox Thames said.
The leader of a Protestant church in China’s Gyizhou Province received a five-year prison sentence July 24 for charges of fraud and inciting subversion.
First Baptist Church in Waxahachie has a long history of mission action, but it’s been a while since the youth have been on a mission trip.
Haynes Searcy carried a burden of pain and shame from childhood, a secret so dark it led him down troubled paths, even while serving in ministry.
As Christianity in America declines, Christianity in Africa is growing exponentially. African Christians wonder about American Christians.
While on a walk through her neighborhood, Ruth Cook saw a metaphor for how people can be known by how they respond to loss.
“Too many people who claim to be Christian have no idea what it means to be a Christian and have no understanding of the teaching of Christ.”
Former ERLC chair Kevin Smith issued an apology for acting without a “formal vote of the Executive Committee” to remove Brent Leatherwood.
The beleaguered ERLC announced the firing of its president Brent Leatherwood before retracting that announcement hours later.
One hundred middle school through college students served with Bounce in Claremore, Okla., to assist in relief efforts following tornadoes that blew through the community.
The historic sanctuary at First Baptist Church Dallas burned Friday evening, July 19. The cause of the blaze is not yet known.
More than 50,000 Christians have been killed in Nigeria over the past two decades, and “the silence from Western nations on this genocide is appalling,” a new report from International Christian Concern asserts.
We must denounce the attempt on Donald Trump’s life. And I do. But simply denouncing political violence doesn’t go far enough.
“Hispanic Baptist work in Texas is connected to the history of Baptist work in Mexico. Both predate the formation of the BGCT.”
John Litzler compares the America he saw Saturday morning with what happened Saturday evening and encourages the first.
Baptists and other Christians offered prayers and pleas for peace in the aftermath of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a July 13 campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
It’s tough out there for Gen Z. But some graduates of Texas Baptist universities are bucking the negative trends.
Houston is hot, and it’s not just the temperature. People are angry and frustrated. But a group of Texans on Mission and church volunteers are ushering in a refreshing breeze of hope.
An ongoing wave of disasters, along with skyrocketing construction costs post-COVID, have left the insurance industry reeling.
In spite of “constant danger” from coordinated attacks by the Israeli Defense Forces, Christians sheltered in Gaza churches suffered no injuries in recent days, the former pastor of Gaza Baptist Church reported.
Churches have been guilty of teaching half-truths, a real-life Indiana Jones said, but archeology can illuminate some scriptural texts.
Texans on Mission has deployed two mass feeding units to meet needs in the shadow of the vast power outage caused by Hurricane Beryl in recent days.
Tera Kouba shares her Burmese heritage, her call to ministry and the strength of being connected to the BGCT.
Fruitfulness, faithfulness and vision characterize the persecuted church in many parts of the globe, an advocate for international religious freedom told a Houston-area Baptist church.
The first mark of the authentic church is the Holy Spirit fills it. Boldness in communicating the gospel is a proof.
Cintia Aguilar describes a model of ministry that involves her whole family in embodying a communal calling.
Gen Z continues to report limited opportunity and hopelessness, but some Texas Baptist university graduates offer a different take.
When a group from Crosspoint Church in McKinney recently traveled with Proclaim Cuba to minister in that Caribbean country, they took with them water filters provided by Texans on Mission.
Felisi Sorgwe explains the benefits to international churches and the whole BGCT of Texas Baptists’ decades-old intercultural ministry.
“Sin Limites/Without Limits” was the Convención Bautista Hispana de Texas meeting theme as speakers challenged Hispanic Texas Baptists to consider limitless possibilities, because they serve a God of unlimited power.
Ruth Cook encourages cancer survivors through what she learned during her own experience with and surviving cancer.
In spite of giant obstacles, God’s people cannot afford to be paralyzed by fear or retreat to the past, Julio Guarneri told the Convención Bautista Hispana de Texas.
Casey Spinks presents an argument for fetuses as human beings based on the doctrine of Jesus being fully human.
VBS—happening in many churches right now—might benefit our children’s ministry more than we think. If we take a cue from its history.
I became a Southern Baptist by accident—providence, really—but I remain a Southern Baptist by choice and conviction. Not only am I in doctrinal alignment with the SBC, but I am...
Wade Berry expresses the struggle of weighing convictions and connection when there is a disconnect between oneself and one’s denomination.
Dustin Slaton suggests dialogue with five essential elements to address and overcome the distance between NAMB and the BGCT.
Paul Pressler, a retired Texas judge and one of the most influential evangelicals of the past 50 years, has died.
The pending merger of East Texas Baptist University and B.H. Carroll Theological Seminary passed another milepost when a major regional institutional accrediting agency granted its approval.
An East Texas church’s year-end surplus enabled Baptist World Alliance partners to deliver thousands of Bibles to people in a rural area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
A volunteer team from Lawn Baptist Church helped rebuild a tornado-damaged home in Matador.
It's good to know who you are and why and to connect with those who will enable God to work in and through you best.
After extensive debate, messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention approved resolutions about integrity in leadership, religious liberty, support for Israel and in vitro fertilization.
The North American Mission Board will not fund church starts in partnership with the Baptist General Convention of Texas unless Texas Baptists change their statement of faith.
Jack Goodyear agrees with Southern Baptists’ resolution on religious liberty and calls Baptists to continue opposing Christian nationalism.
Messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting overwhelmingly voted to declare a Virginia church that supports women in pastoral roles as out of “friendly cooperation” with the SBC.
The Southern Baptist Convention isn’t doing Jesus’ reputation any favors, but he still uses Southern Baptists to advance his mission, SBC President Bart Barber told participants at the convention’s annual meeting in Indianapolis.
On June 16, Mount Pisgah Missionary Baptist Church—affectionately known to its members as The Rock—will celebrate 160 years of faithful Christian service and ministry.
After a tornado ripped through Sanderson, Pastor Mike Ellis said residents of the small West Texas town did what they typically do. “It was neighbors helping neighbors,” Ellis said.
Baptists aren’t supposed to adopt creeds, are they? Editor Eric Black has questions about a proposed motion to do just that.
Eric Hernandez, apologetics lead and millennial specialist with Texas Baptists’ Center for Church Health, struck up a long-distance friendship with Daniel Nieto at a time when Nieto considered himself an atheist.
A volunteer task force charged with implementing abuse reforms in the Southern Baptist Convention will end its work next week without a single name published on a database of abusers.
Johnny Teague loves growing a garden. One plant in his garden is not like the others and gives him a picture of growing in Christ.
Final recommendations from the Southern Baptist Convention Great Commission Resurgence Evaluation Task Force address areas of statistical reporting to and from Southern Baptist churches.
The chief ethicist for the Southern Baptist Convention wants the federal government to clamp down on in-vitro fertilization, saying it causes harm to children and their mothers.
The sky grew dark with threatening clouds shortly before 6 p.m. May 22, but the eight people gathered for the midweek service at Dyess Grove Baptist Church decided to go ahead as planned.
Kyle Henderson felt a clear calling from God to resign the pastorate of a church he loves to step out by faith and raise his own financial support to help churches to fulfill Christ’s Great Commission by 2033.
The Law Amendment, NAMB, DOJ investigation of the SBC. Yes, there’s all of that. There’s also a lot of good news happening this summer.
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary released more details about the attempted cover-up of a report about a sexual assault on campus that landed a former seminary staffer in federal court, charged with obstruction of justice.
The Bible doesn’t support all the memes, Jay Givens contends in his examination of what the Bible says about the land of Israel.
Four deacons from Cliff Temple Baptist Church in Dallas recently spent two weeks in Ukraine, helping a Christian ministry there convert shipping containers into housing for displaced people.
Tensions are rising over the North American Mission Board’s relationship with Texas Baptists. Messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention will vote on the highly controversial “Law Amendment” at their annual...
After civil war forced a school for refugee children in Sudan to close, the Texas Baptist Eritrean church that founded it has launched another similar school in Uganda.
When The New York Times reported an Appeal to Heaven flag had been sighted last summer at a house owned by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, it wasn’t the first time the symbol had been linked to Christian judges and lawmakers.
Texans on Mission responded to a tornado and high winds that hit Houston May 16. The Houston storm damage is the latest in a series of disasters the organization has responded to this spring.
When significant sums of money changes hands, partnership necessitates being clear and upfront about expectations.
The BGCT Executive Board voted 70 percent to 30 percent in favor of Executive Committee recommendations on women in ministry in Texas.
As high school seniors make plans to become college freshmen, a campus minister points to advice from Jeremiah for that journey.
Texas Baptists’ Theological Education Council and Institutional Relations Committee endorsed multiple graduate degree programs that will be offered by B.H. Carroll Theological Seminary at East Texas Baptist University.
With the current count standing at six nominees for president of the SBC, here is a bullet-point guide of where they stand on key issues.
Baylor University’s board of regents approved revising the university’s motto, which has been unchanged for more than a century and a half.
Brandon Galbreath shares what his grandmothers taught him about being good and God's goodness demonstrated through Jesus’ crucifixion.
Thanks to the creativity of a Mississippi layman and a gift from California Baptists, Texans on Mission provided an expanded service to Southeast Texas families affected by recent flooding.
Despite what you may have heard, peacemaking is not as simple as winning elections, passing certain laws, changing culture, growing the church, paying our debts, saying “we’re sorry”—just to name...
Marking the upcoming 20th anniversary of three Protestant pastors’ arrest and continued imprisonment in Eritrea, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has urged the Biden administration to call attention to religious freedom violations in the northeast African nation.
Even a church that prioritizes ministry to the marginalized can improve how it makes people with disabilities feel more accepted and included, Pastor Jimmy Dorrell discovered.
Rev. William Lawson, who died May 14 at age 95, holds a special place in Patti Greene’s life as the person who led her to Jesus.
Pastors’ kids have a unique and sometimes negative experience of the church. A pastor’s kid suggests ways to improve care for PKs.
Homes were under water, but the hands of Texans on Mission volunteers kept hope afloat in Rising Star, a small town north of Brownwood.
When damaging storms swept through San Marcos, high winds caused major damage across the city, including to the roof of First Baptist Church.
Some children go without meals, sleep on the floor and have nobody to read to them. Meadowbrook Baptist Church in Waco is working to change that.
The SBC has significant business to consider during its 2024 annual meeting that will affect the connection of many SBC churches.
Chad Selph passed away Dec. 16, 2023, after a three-year battle with cancer. He was our pastor and friend. For me, Lezah, he was my boss. I, Joel, realize the...
Wissam al-Saliby, a Lebanese Baptist with experience advocating for human rights and international religious freedom, is the new president of 21Wilberforce.
Atrocities once condemned are happening again today. Would you be willing to identify with the targets of those atrocities?
Ellis Orozco wraps up a four-part series explaining three principles for how Christians should approach elections and politics in general.
Weeks after firefighters contained the largest wildfire in Texas history, Panhandle churches are ministering to their neighbors as they continue recovery and begin rebuilding.
A May 2 webinar urged sensitivity and compassion in ministering to people with dementia and their caregivers.
A Texans on Mission team recently brought water and the gospel to a village on Rio Itaya, a tributary of the Amazon River in northern Peru.
In a recently published biography, 'Criswell: His Life and Times,’ O.S. Hawkins aims to acquaint a new generation with this man.
We need to listen to protesters, not necessarily to agree, but to love and to learn. But those aren’t the only reasons we need to listen.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom added Azerbaijan to its list of 17 “worst of the worst” violators of freedom of religion or belief in 2023.
After storms rolled across Texas, Oklahoma and other parts of the country in recent days, Texans on Mission disaster relief teams responded.
More than 100 Baptists in Hidalgo State, Mexico, were forced to leave their homes in the villages of Coamila and Rancho Nuevo on April 26.
Covenant Fellowship in Huntsville seeks to engage ex-offenders in ministry to the incarcerated population—for the mutual benefit of both.
God used a West Texas teacher/preacher and an everyday man—who loved his wife and family and worked hard—to bring revival.
The only thing matched by the pomp and festivities of the NFL Draft, held April 25 in Detroit, may be the level at which gambling has become entwined with the league.
A consistent biblical approach to voting requires Christians to know the Bible, but a growing number of Christians don’t.
Protests on U.S. college campuses opposing Israel’s continuing military campaign against Gaza reflect the views of a significant minority of Gen Z voters, a recent online survey revealed.
Zoom in on the photo accompanying this article, the one up by the headline. What do you see? Do you see all of it?
Erik Carter challenged participants at a Baylor University conference to be catalysts for change—so all really do belong.
A Kachin Baptist leader in Myanmar who briefly was released from prison last week after 16 months behind bars was taken into custody again by authorities and continued to be detained a week later.
The historic Bethlehem Baptist Church in Mansfield, with help from Baylor University's Soundings Project, brought youth and police together.
The Woman’s Missionary Union of Texas Pursue Conference kept a Great Commission focus, while setting the stage for coming shifts.
The responsibility to vote includes approaching the privilege with the spirit of Christ and from a Christ-centered perspective.
The 21st century church needs apostolic leaders for chaordic times that blend elements of chaos and order, Randel Everett told participants at the 2024 Christian Leadership Summit at Dallas Baptist University.
God uses Christian leaders who learn to boast in their weakness and in God’s strength, a Fort Worth pastor told participants at the Christian Leadership Summit.
Superman is not your pastor. Even if he was, he’d still disappoint you. Why, then, do we expect pastors to be superheroes?
More than a dozen Christian leaders—including the executive director of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention—sent a letter to U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson April 17 urging Congress to protect religious liberty in Eastern Europe by supporting Ukraine.
Pastoral ministry comes with unique pressures and demands. To endure them well, pastors need intentional communities of comprehensive care.
Alexander Lang listed real stressors and pressures leading some pastors to leave ministry. A key element of endurance wasn't mentioned.
Ron Cook responds to Alexander Lang's blog post "Departure: Why I Left the Church" with encouragement for both pastors and churches.
Three years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, churches have fewer people in the pews but more money in the collection plate and less conflict than they had in 2020.
Lanny Hall remembers his older sister teaching him a hymn giving him lifelong encouragement and a lighthearted phrase when he needed it.
Religious freedom in Afghanistan has deteriorated since the Taliban seized control two years ago, and Afghan women have suffered most, a report from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom stated.
Hurricane Idalia’s strong winds toppled the steeple on Lakeside Baptist Church in Perry, Fla., but the storm did nothing to topple the faith of Lakeside members.
After more than 40 years of service at Wayland Baptist University, including the past eight years as president, Bobby Hall has announced plans to retire effective June 30, 2024.
Buckner International recently gave away its 5 millionth pair of shoes through its Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls program.
Katie Frugé and John Litzler offer counsel to Texas school boards weighing whether to employ or accept volunteer chaplains.
Texas Baptist Men placed disaster relief units on “alert” status in anticipation of possible deployment as part of a multistate disaster response to Hurricane Idalia.
Editor Eric Black calls his readers to see how they are connected to Jerrald Gallion and then to act on their shared humanity.
Pastor Damon Pearce knows the importance of praying for pastors and encourages church members to pray for their pastor.
In April, Pew asked Americans which was the bigger problem facing the country when it comes to matters of race: People overlooking racism when it exists or seeing racism in places where there is none.
God has a path of life for believers in Jesus. Are you on that path of following Jesus or heading down a different one?
The Hill tells the inspirational true story of professional baseball player Rickey Hill, the son of a Southern Baptist pastor.
The Fort Worth City Council and the city’s Housing Finance Corporation on Aug. 22 approved the $11 million purchase of 15 acres previously used as student housing by Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
We may think of borders as necessary for protecting what is ours, but does this view obscure a deeper issue of relationship?
Hunter Brown offers a view of pastoral care from his experience as a youth minister. Spoiler alert: it's all about presence.
Nancy Ellard retired last year and became a Texas Baptist Men disaster relief volunteer. The experience has been "nothing but a joy," she said.
The former president of the Russian Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists—a critic of Russia’s war against Ukraine—recently fled his homeland when authorities pressed criminal charges against him.
Officers of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee have named Jonathan Howe to serve as the group’s interim leader.
The BGCT Executive Director Search Committee has selected a candidate to present to the Executive Board during the Sept. 18-19 meeting.
Five Texas college students engaged in a cross-cultural experience this summer designed to help them understand more clearly God’s calling on their lives.
Willie McLaurin has resigned as interim president and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee, after confessing he lied about his educational background on his resume.
Jesus blessed the peacemakers. Does that mean we're supposed to be peacemakers, and how are we to make peace when peace seems impossible?
The bipartisan Dignity Act is largely consistent with a 2023 SBC resolution and with past statements from evangelical leaders on immigration.
When Texas Baptist Men Builders erected the parsonage for a Utah church in three months, they built more than a construction project. They built deep relationships.
A United Nations report presents evidence the Burmese military and associated militia groups increasingly are committing war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The U.S. Department of Education confirmed Baylor University’s religious exemption from a narrow range of Title IX provisions, particularly regarding LGBTQ students.
Southern Baptist Convention President Bart Barber announced a North Carolina pastor will chair the abuse reform implementation task force and an Arlington pastor will chair the cooperation group formed in response to a motion at the 2023 SBC annual meeting.
A new study published in the latest issue of Politics and Religion, a quarterly journal, shows there’s no evidence white evangelical clergy are less conservative politically than their congregations.
There is growing fear among Protestant churches in the United States. How many churches are afraid, of what, why and what do we do?
Much of modern worship music falls short of Scripture’s vision. A biblical vision of it will strengthen it and bring glory to God.
A Lifeway Research study finds about 7 in 10 U.S. Protestant pastors (69 percent) believe there is a growing sense of fear within their congregations about the future of the nation and world.
The Discipleship Collective is an effort to provide training and resources for church leaders “to equip (Christ’s) people for works of service” (Ephesians 4:12).
Anne Graham Lotz and Rachel-Ruth Lotz Wright—the daughter and granddaughter of the late evangelist Billy Graham—both are Bible teachers who have both endured serious medical conditions.
Pastor and seminary professor Mike Morris cites his support for the Afghan Adjustment Act and calls for its passage.
Aaron Sligar, a former trustee of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, says the seminary’s financial crisis puts the SBC’s relationships with individual churches at risk.
International religious freedom advocates from East Texas departed Aug. 3 bound for Laos to participate in peaceful demonstrations protesting the detention—and possible deportation—of a Chinese human rights lawyer.
Quality education requires more than money, though we need to spend more. Quality education requires supporting the whole enterprise.
Seth Pitman, member of the committee to nominate BGCT Executive Board members, offers another perspective on the women in ministry motion.
Texas Baptist Women in Ministry suggest 10 practical ways to demonstrate support for women in pastoral and other ministry roles.
Messages of condolences and prayer support came forward for Shane Pruitt and his family following the July 25 death of his son.
Belief in God, Satan, angels, heaven and hell is at a 23-year low in America, Gallup said in its latest update.
Some Texas-based advocates for persecuted religious groups fear Lu Siwei—a Chinese human rights lawyer arrested in Laos last week—could be deported to China, where he likely would be imprisoned.
Leadership of Calvary Baptist Church in Waco responds to the women in ministry motion adopted during the 2023 BGCT annual meeting.
Blasphemy laws, along with restrictions on religious clothing and broadly worded legislation criminalizing hate speech, are among the practices of some European Union member states that discriminate against religious minorities, a new report notes.
Let’s talk about pastoral mental health. Perhaps this topic seems out of left field. After all, it’s not May—Mental Health Awareness Month—and the Baptist conversation seems to be about other...
Texas Baptists need to “understand what time it is”—not just the day and hour, but the significance of the moment, Baptist General Convention of Texas President Julio Guarneri told messengers to the convention’s annual meeting in McAllen.
Craig Christina, associate executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, exhorted messengers to the BGCT annual meeting to remember and remain unified by their first love: Jesus.
Pastor and community leader Michael Evans challenged Texas Baptists to “leverage” their diversity to meet the challenge of making disciples of every people group in the state.
Texas Baptists are driven by one mission given to them by one Lord. Women are integral to the success of that mission.
Patti Greene reminds readers of Amos's story, a so-called minor prophet called from agriculture to become God's messenger to Israel.
Messengers to the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting in McAllen introduced two motions related to women in ministry during the July 17 business session.
Travis Collins, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Huntsville, Ala., explains how to respond with grace to criticism and rejection.
In its earliest days, devotion and generosity characterized Christ’s church—the household of God, Ellis Orozco told the opening session of Texas Baptists’ Family Gathering in McAllen.
Jordan Villanueva seeks to clarify language used in recent weeks that communicates Texas Baptists always have had a historic stance on women in ministry.
We expect certain things to happen during the BGCT annual meeting. We should also expect certain things to come from the meeting.
Meredith Stone, executive director of Baptist Women in Ministry, advocates for a motion for active affirmation of women in ministry.
In response to recent gun violence and political and religious division in Fort Worth, Pastor Erik Vance calls for prayer and repentance.
Church music professor Will Bishop has been working on a recent survey project to understand better the worship music used in Southern Baptist churches, especially smaller congregations.
Randy Bradley demonstrates the value he has found in using artificial intelligence as a research tool, giving examples from Google Bard.
Seven Wayland Baptist University students and two faculty members traveled to rural Honduras this summer, where they conducted door-to-door medical visits and participated in children’s ministry activities.
God has given his people a mission to come alongside him to stand against the monstrous forces that oppose “God’s homemaking project,” theologian Miroslav Volf told participants at the Sent 2023 Mission Summit.
Joseph Barrett took time away from his pastoral duties recently to lend a hand when the Ellis County disaster relief chainsaw team responded after a storm toppled trees across a broad swath north of Corsicana.
Ruth Cook encourages ministry leaders by sharing ways she has learned to deal with disappointment and failure in church ministry.
U.S. Baptists have prided ourselves on our mission work. It's time for us to celebrate what Baptists are doing around the world.
The Baptist World Alliance General Council adopted a resolution condemning the historic and ongoing mistreatment of indigenous people around the world.
The Baptist World Alliance launched the Global Baptist Mission Network—a collaborative venture involving 23 inaugural member agencies—at its annual meeting in Stavanger, Norway.
Baptists are “a missionary people” sent by God “to every neighborhood and every nation,” Baptist World Alliance General Secretary Elijah Brown said,
Globally, three Baptists in 10 face the highest levels of vulnerability to hunger, poverty, violent conflict and religious persecution, a vulnerability index produced by BWA revealed.
A unanimous decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in a case protecting employees’ rights to religious accommodations in the workplace drew broad-based support across the religious spectrum.
The accreditation status of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary has been moved to “warning” level by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
This is less an opinion about the issues we face than an echo of that pervasive cry: "We thirst." Do we know what it is we thirst for?
Soot-covered Texas Baptist Men volunteers swirled around Mark Korenek , some with wheelbarrows, moving charred personal items from the fire that burned his Grand Prairie home in January.
When Southern Baptists say “pastor,” they are discussing a job description, gender and church governance. And there’s a difference between how SBC doctrine defines the word and how churches use it.
ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence pose challenges to pastors and churches that require prior commitments and training to overcome.
It’s not about pink dresses, blue button-downs, 18-wheelers or Barbies. For theologian Katie McCoy, dispelling gender dysphoria rests on Scripture undiluted by cultural stereotypes society assigns.
The Baptist General Convention of Texas will gather for the 138th Annual Meeting on July 16-18 at the McAllen Convention Center.
At least 450 Christians have died in a series of attacks on Christian villages in three north central Nigerian states since May.
Russell H. Dilday, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth during its greatest period of growth, died June 21. He was 92.
When 100 mph winds knocked out the power to about 150,000 East Texans and large trees fell across houses, TBM converged on the area to help.
To all women in ministry: I made an unwise decision that affects you, and I am sorry. I did not stand beside you when I should have.
Conflict in the church doesn't have to be a bad thing. If navigated well, it can lead to positive outcomes.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom urged President Biden to raise concerns about religious freedom and human rights during Prime Minister Modi’s state visit.
When Pastor Pan Yongguang prayed for members of his persecuted church, he never dreamed they all would be able to resettle in the United States.
Dennis Wiles, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas, explains the significance of centrism in the early church and today.
The Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting amended the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message statement on pastors in response to a motion offered from the convention floor.
Southern Baptists adopted a resolution calling for “the utmost care and discernment” in the development and use of Artificial Intelligence.
Editor Eric Black calls messengers to the 2023 BGCT annual meeting to make official the BGCT's historic stance on women in ministry.
The day after messengers to the SBC annual meeting affirmed the expulsion of two churches because they have female pastors, they also initially approved a constitutional amendment to limit the office of pastor to men.
Ruth Cook, a public school educator, explains why Christian educators should stay in the public school system, despite the many challenges.
Messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in New Orleans reelected Bart Barber, pastor of First Baptist Church in Farmersville, as SBC president by a more than two-to-one margin.
Rev. S. Michael Greene, pastor of Mount Pisgah Missionary Baptist Church in Richardson proclaimed God wants his people to be like a pyramid, having a strong and sturdy foundation and pointing upward. (Ezra 3:10–13)
More than a month after mob violence began in the Manipur State of northeast India, at least 250 churches have been burned, and casualty reports grow daily.
Ukrainian Baptists may not be beating swords into plowshares yet, but some have started by converting a weapon of war into a pulpit to proclaim the gospel of peace.
Texas Baptists' board voted to declare two congregations outside of harmonious cooperation with the churches of the convention due to their public affirmation of same-sex sexuality.
Cooperation is tested by local autonomy, especially when strong differences are involved. There could be a way past this regular collision.
Joel Gregory recounted how even birds, fish and dogs want to go home—covering hundreds or thousands of miles to get there. (James 4:6-10)
When a dam in Ukraine was destroyed and a deadly train crash in India left vast humanitarian and spiritual needs, TBM responded to both tragedies through existing local partnerships.
To address evangelical's current leadership problems, Wade Berry calls for selecting Christian leaders whose character matches 1 Timothy 3.
Glenn Lackey of Temple, founding co-president of First Blessing ministry, will be nominated for second vice president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas.
Southwestern Seminary’s board accused trustee Aaron Sligar of violating the confidentiality of an executive session of the board and withholding from the full board “substantiated facts about the former president’s spending.”
TBM sent a psychotherapist to a women’s conference in Warsaw, Poland, to lead sessions on emotional healing and overcoming post-traumatic stress.
Author Greg Garrett explores themes of faith, prejudice, violence, love, forgiveness and healing in his latest novel, "Bastille Day."
Amid increasing dire warnings about artificial intelligence, what it takes to discern truth is as necessary and available as it's ever been.
BGCT Associate Executive Director Craig Christina reminds Texas Baptists they are stronger together and calls them to maintain their unity in diversity on women in ministry.
TBM Builders rolled into Panguitch, Utah, in late April to begin a months-long project of helping Valley Christian Fellowship build a parsonage, with Sunday school space in the basement.
Texas Baptists’ Christian Life Commission issued a statement saying it “looks forward to working with our elected legislators on common-sense legislation that curbs gun violence.”
The public policy director for Texas Baptists' Christian Life Commission says it is "too early to take any victory laps" after the end of the regular session of the Texas Legislature.
Casey Spinks challenged his hearers with deep questions about themselves and the world around them, about what is true and how one can know. Casey Spinks desafió a sus oyentes con preguntas profundas sobre sí mismos y el mundo que los rodea, sobre qué es verdad y cómo se puede saber. (Colossians/Colosenses 1:15-23a)
To address evangelical's current leadership problems, Wade Berry calls for selecting Christian leaders whose character matches 1 Timothy 3.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty $7.2 million to operate its Meals-to-You program for a fifth summer.
The Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary will hold a special called meeting May 30 via Zoom to address concerns raised by trustees regarding lack of disclosure.
Gun violence is not the result of any one thing but comes out of a toxic brew of contributing factors, all of which we must and can address.
A bill that would have mandated the display of the Ten Commandments in every Texas public school classroom failed to advance in the Texas House of Representatives.
Believers have an edge in better understanding what is going on in this world and in understanding and interpreting the Bible.
Linda Livingstone, president of Baylor University, after quoting song lyrics by Tom Rosenthal about being too busy even to die, declared, "Jesus never commands us to operate at such an all-consuming, breakneck pace."
In a last-ditch move, the Texas Senate Committee on Public Education attached a school voucher program to a substitute version of a House-approved public education funding bill.
Joshua Sharp contends, since all Christians have a functional creed, a clearly stated creed is better than vague or assumed language.
Christian nationalism blurs the distinctions between Christian identity and American identity. Beyond that basic definition, the understanding of what constitutes Christian nationalism becomes less clear.
With SBC leaders focused on whether to exclude churches with women pastors and by what criteria, an important question seems to be neglected.
Public school students are free to pray voluntarily, while teachers can neither encourage nor discourage religious activity, according to guidelines from the U.S. Department of Education.
Bobby Contreras encouraged attendees at the Future Church 2030 Conference to recognize not just the importance of the cultural moment, but important place of the El Paso region in that moment.
Texas Baptists’ Christian Life Commission filed a complaint with the state attorney general’s office regarding advertising linking the purchase of lottery tickets to a chance at a “grocery giveaway.”
Kenneth Wells, senior pastor of Northview Baptist Church in Lewisville, declared, "To love God, you have to know God, and to know him, you have to know Jesus Christ." (Matthew 22:37–40)
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom voiced “extreme disappointment” the State Department failed to designate Nigeria and India as "Countries of Particular Concern."
From her own experience, Cintia Aguilar describes three things churches should do to demonstrate their support for women in ministry.
Debbie Potter, minister of children at Trinity Baptist Church in San Antonio, will be nominated for second vice president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas.
The Baptist Standard won five awards in national competitions, including recognition by both Associated Church Press and the Evangelical Press Association for its website.
Texas Baptists' Associate Executive Director Craig Christina explains why Texas Baptists oppose gambling and advocate against it.
Mike Stone, a Georgia pastor who serves on the steering council of the Conservative Baptist Network, will be nominated for president of the Southern Baptist Convention at the annual meeting in June.
We need to communicate to legislators our positions on their proposed legislation. How we communicate our positions matters immensely.
A fertilizer plant explosion on April 17, 2013, forever changed West, a small Central Texas town. Its impact also is still felt by First Baptist Church in West and its pastor.
Bruce Rudd, pastor of Mt. Sylvan Baptist Church in Mount Sylvan, examined the story of two disciples encountering Jesus as they walked to Emmaus the day Jesus rose from the dead. (Luke 24:1-32)
Texas Baptist pastors Tedrick Woods and Chad Chaddick explain why they visit the Texas Capitol to advocate for their legislative positions.
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary trustees heard a report from a task force calling for “new financial guardrails” to guard against “imprudent” and “unwise” financial activities.
Ronny Marriott, incumbent second vice president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas and pastor of First Baptist Church in Burleson, will be nominated for Texas Baptists’ first vice president.
Joshua Sharp argues even if you are not a pastor or don't have a seminary or Bible college degree some level of familiarity with Greek and Hebrew is incredibly valuable.
The Bible is central to literacy, and literacy is central to missions. The Bible and learning to read are gifts we can and should give away.
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary trustees announced they unanimously elected David S. Dockery as president and O.S. Hawkins as chancellor at their April 19 meeting.
Matt Killough, pastor of First Baptist Church in Sonora, is transparent about times when he struggles with frustrating people and his efforts to navigate those times. (Psalm 39).
The Mariupol Baptist church where Trent Blackley last performed is rubble, the city hard hit by Russian military forces who have killed 8,500 Ukrainian civilians in the war on Ukraine.
Police raided a church in southern Uzbekistan during a worship service and detained 10 worshippers after beating and using electric shock prods on some individuals, Forum 18 reported.
Rev. Regina Claas, a leader in the Baptist World Alliance, describes how some navigate differing views of women in ministry throughout BWA.
Julio Guarneri, incumbent president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas and lead pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in McAllen, will be nominated for a second one-year term as Texas Baptists’ president.
International student ministry is energizing and has the potential to revive us. And it's within your reach.
A new study found a handful of megachurches have cornered the market on worship music in recent years, churning out hit after hit and dominating the worship charts.
Noel Dear, pastor of First Baptist Church in Nacogdoches, explained the significance of olives and their oil for the people of Jesus’ day and society. (Matthew 26:36-46)
Eddie Walker believes camp ministry can be a transformative experience for children and youth. That was the case in his life, and Walker has devoted much of his career to making it meaningful for others.
Patti Greene shares her experience of God calling her to write books and suggests four ways others can hear and discern God's call for them.
On Good Friday, the international community learned a Burmese court sentenced the former president of the Kachin Baptist Convention to six years in prison.
The search committee seeking the next executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas is reopening nominations for the position.
A judge dismissed a former seminary student’s negligence and defamation charges against Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and its former president, Paige Patterson.
Revolution is risky. It cost Jesus, and it will cost us. But there’s no avoiding revolution—the world against God or Christ against sin.
The Christian call to pursue just peace in the midst of violence and injustice demands “kingdom courage,” Baptist World Alliance General Secretary Elijah Brown told a Dallas Baptist University gathering.
Aaron Pardue, senior pastor of Northway Baptist Church in Angleton, desires his church "to be filled with followers." (Mark 1:14-20)
Desiring to help meet needs within the community by being the hands and feet of Christ, 30 college students from First Baptist Church in Irving recently spent the day “Serving Irving.”
Authorities in Thailand fined but did not immediately deport members of a persecuted Chinese church, but the Christians continue to be detained three days after their deportation hearing.
Nathan Patzke adds his voice to those who oppose a list of churches with women pastors purportedly connected to the SBC.
The prospect of new life for the Hispanic South Texas church arrived in a U-Haul truck loaded with pews donated by a predominantly Black North Texas congregation.
More than 1,000 Beach Reach volunteers shared their faith during spring break, engaging in about 9,700 gospel conversations that led to 183 professions of faith in Christ.
Jesus came into this world, not distancing himself from our sin and brokenness, but getting very near it to reconcile us to God.
Don Newbury, retired president of Howard Payne University, reflects on some changes Texas universities have made over the years.
Correspondence reveals leaders at First Baptist Church in Houston knew in 2004 about alleged “morally and spiritually inappropriate” sexual conduct involving Judge Paul Pressler and at least one young man.
Janet Ross, senior adult minister with her husband Reuven Ross at Highland Baptist Church in Waco, told an outdoor gathering of college students she grew up willing to go anywhere God told her to go … except Africa. (Matthew 4:17–5:8)
More than 70 members of Madison Hills Baptist Church in northeast San Antonio spent last Saturday morning providing groceries to neighbors in need, while also inviting them to learn about the Bread of Life.
Texas Baptist Men volunteers will journey to Turkey the first week in April to help build shelters for families who lost their homes in the Feb. 6 earthquake.
The Faith and Sports Institute offers coaches, administrators, sports chaplains and athletes the opportunity to explore the integration of faith into the highly competitive environment of sports.
A program that would direct public money to private schools by establishing state-funded education savings accounts could cost Texas about $1 billion by 2028, the state’s Legislative Budget Board projected.
We've been asking why people are leaving the church and how we're going to save our churches. These are the wrong questions.
The Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board elected Wendell Wright as chair of the executive director search committee.
Protestant pastors are less satisfied with their jobs and church assignments and less confident in their spiritual callings, Barna Group research said in its latest study on pastoral resilience.
Everett Berry, professor of theology at Criswell College, explains why certain leadership functions in the church should be limited to men.
Jeff Warren, senior pastor of Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas, explains why he advocates for women leading in ministry.
Adam Pardue, pastor of Highland Baptist Church in Lubbock, examined the story of Jesus feeding the 4,000 emphasizing it is a message of inclusivity. (Mark 8:1-10)
A disgraced former Southern Baptist president is suing the denomination he once led, saying he was defamed by allegations he assaulted another pastor’s wife.
Pro-life advocates and others are awaiting a Texas judge’s ruling on Mifepristone an abortion pill approved by the FDA in 2000.
As prosperous as our country is, it does not protect us from financial uncertainty. That kind of assurance must come from somewhere else. I started learning this lesson about 20 years ago.
Steven Young, pastor of The Cross Baptist Church in Tyler and principal of Winona Elementary School, pointed out that even though Jesus' disciples had seen him perform wonders, they still needed him to teach them how to pray. (Luke 11:1-13)
India’s anti-conversion laws violate international human rights standards and worsen already-poor religious freedom conditions in India, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom stated.
The rising popularity of artificial intelligence like ChatGPT is causing Christians to examine questions beyond the ethical nature of the technology, such as what it fundamentally means to be human.
An open forum discussion at First Baptist Church in Grayson, Ky., on a Wednesday night turned into an opportunity for young and older members to learn more about each other.
Lillian Hinds, retired pastor of Meadow Oaks Baptist Church in Temple, shares how God called her to preach and reaffirmed that call.
Russia’s ongoing war on Ukraine has added more children to an initial count of 100,000 Ukrainian orphans at risk of abduction, sex trafficking, criminal adoption and long-term trauma.
Long-persecuted Iranian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani is among at least three Christian prisoners released in Iran’s national amnesty marking the 44th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
More than a dozen women answer the question: "What communicates to you that you are valued as a woman?" Their answers are instructive.
As a student at UTA, Joseph Ruiz came to faith in Christ through the influence of Baptist Student Ministry. Now, he serves as campus missionary intern to give other students the same opportunity.
Karen Swallow Prior considers the death penalty in light of Andre Thomas—a Texas man with severe mental illness and convicted of murder.
Dustin Slaton, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Round Rock, planned to preach on prayer months before the Asbury Revival started, crediting God’s sovereignty with the timing. (Daniel 9:1-19)
Hand gestures can say so much. Consider baseball, gangs, secret handshakes or sign language. An ancient gesture conveys deep theology.
The Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas and Criswell College have agreed to collaborate on an initiative to provide resources and services for Hispanic church leaders.
The Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty has acquired the Center for Faith, Justice and Reconciliation, a Virginia-based entity that billed itself as “a theological think tank for building beloved community.”
GuideStone trustees affirmed a new strategic plan during their regular meeting Feb. 27-28 in Plano.
David Mahfouz has stepped down as chair of the BGCT's executive director search committee.
We need to see the problems “education freedom” poses and respond to them. Its conflict with religious freedom is one Baptists should oppose.
After years of delay, Southern Baptists passed a series of reforms aimed at addressing abuse in the denomination. But the plan for reforms did not address who would pay for them over the long haul.
Dr. E.K. Bailey, founding pastor of Concord Missionary Baptist Church in Dallas and namesake of the annual E.K. Bailey Preaching Conference, preaches from Mark 2.
A half-dozen Christian families who fled China due to persecution have been adopted by East Texas churches, but another 10 families need resettlement sponsors.
Yamileth Guzman, an immigrant herself, reflects on what she learned about immigration during the recent T.B. Maston Foundation retreat.
Candice and Darrell Powell returned home to East Texas from their Caribbean honeymoon with a calling and a mission from God.
A Texas Baptist Men-led team in Turkey has set up the first of two water filter systems shipped from Texas to the earthquake-ravaged area this past week.
Baylor University regents approved the Baylor Benefit program to assist financially disadvantaged students and heard a positive report related to the university’s Faith and Character Study.
As she watches the Asbury Revival, Ruth Cook remembers the wonder of spiritual revival at Glorieta Baptist Conference Center in the 1970s.
Baptists historically have done more good and more ministry together than apart. We are stronger together, in more ways than one.
Subject to appeal, Saddleback Church, the megachurch long led by Rick Warren, has been ousted from the Southern Baptist Convention for naming a woman to its pastoral team, against SBC teaching.
Jordan Davis, nextgen pastor at First Baptist Church in Plano, described what it was like to end up in the same classroom with someone from his hometown—in another country more than 4,000 miles away. (Acts 8:26-40)
The Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board heard a committee report affirming Texas Baptists’ relationship with Baylor University and a prayer challenge from the BGCT president.
Bethlehem Baptist Church is older than Mansfield, the city where it is located, and continues to grow with its community.
Predominantly white spaces—particularly in evangelical circles—seldom welcome African Americans who focus on racial justice, author Jemar Tisby told a conference at Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary.
At least a dozen Baptists are among the 100-plus Texas faith leaders who have urged clemency for a Death Row inmate whom they believe suffers from severe mental illness.
If your church had a marketing budget—and it does—how should it be spent? We can learn from the He Gets Us Super Bowl ads.
The Bible is not irrelevant to immigrants and immigration. It was penned by, for and about immigrants. Jesus himself was an immigrant.
Byron and Carla Weathersbee experienced every parent’s worst nightmare when their 2-year-old son was diagnosed with cancer.
Doug Diehl, senior pastor of Crossroads Baptist Church in San Antonio, pointed to something his hearers take for granted—the ability to read. (Acts 2:32-41)
Minnehulla Baptist Church in Goliad has a long history and heritage as a "resource to the region" and mission sending congregation.
From Hungarian Baptist Aid search-and-rescue missions to Texas Baptist Men providing generators and other supplies, global Baptists have responded to earthquakes in Turkey and Syria that claimed more than 36,000 lives.
In more than three and a half decades at Macedonia Baptist Church, Pastor Jerry Dailey has aimed to “minister to the hopes and hurts of the community and the congregation.”
Documented violations of religious freedom in Cuba more than doubled from 2021 to 2022, a new report revealed.
Bobby Contreras, chair of the BGCT Executive Board, challenges Texas Baptists to be kind, compassionate and forgiving reconcilers.
Marc Burnett Sr., pastor of First Baptist Church in Covington, presented an expository sermon on Ephesians 4:1-6 outlining the life a person called by God should exhibit.
Beth Ann McCormick suggest four ways the church can acknowledge trauma in ways that honor both God and the people he loves.
A massive killer earthquake in Turkey and Syria left a Baptist church in Aleppo severely damaged, the Baptist World Alliance reported.
David Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Austin is a vibrant and growing congregation worshipping in a landmark sanctuary.
In spite of continued missile attacks, widespread dislocation and the threat of a major Russian assault in coming weeks, Ukrainian Pastor Igor Bandura insisted, “God is good.”
Two churches have been reported to the Southern Baptist Convention’s credentials committee on the grounds the churches are out of step with the SBC stance on sexual abuse.
Second Baptist Church in Gdańsk, Poland, has helped meet the needs of more than 100 refugees from Ukraine in the past 11 months.
The basic facts of Tyre Nichols' death are a sufficient call to Christ-followers to embody the character of Christ in this world in this time.
A call for accountability from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom and announced sanctions punishing the Burmese army marked the two-year anniversary of a military coup in Myanmar.
Mount Pisgah Missionary Baptist Church in Richardson is a historic Black Texas Baptist church with an ongoing impact on its community.
Chad Edgington—senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Olney and a graduate of Howard Payne University—exhorted his hearers to consider their monetary giving, not in terms of meeting needs, but in relation to their walk with Christ. (2 Corinthians 8:1-7)
The swift criminal indictment of five police officers and the release of camera footage after the death of Tyre Nichols are positive steps, Pastor Bartholomew Orr said after meeting with local and federal officials.
Four years after the lawsuit was filed, a court date finally is set for the civil case involving former Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary President Paige Patterson’s handling of a sexual abuse complaint.
More than five dozen Christians remain in Thailand, where they fear deportation to China unless they are granted refugee status by the United Nations or humanitarian parole by the United States.
Abby Manes shares her story of becoming a foster parent and describes what that calling looks like, including the challenges and joys.
We tell ourselves and those visiting our churches that we welcome people in our buildings. Too often, our words and actions say otherwise.
First Baptist Church in Stephenville gathered for worship on Jan. 22, four days after the façade on the exterior of one of its buildings collapsed, injuring two construction workers.
Michael Evans, mayor of Mansfield and senior pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church there, developed a heart for public service when he was 8 years old.
Hispanic churches in the United States face unique challenges but are finding success in building community within their congregations and reaching those outside their walls.
Saying the church’s “evangelism has fallen short of our calling,” Pastor Tony Evans urged attendees at Texas Baptists’ Statewide Evangelism Conference to go and make disciples.
Corey Cornutt, lead pastor of First Baptist Church in Grandview, opened with the image of a housecat, which is genetically built for more than living in a house. (Mark 1:35-39)
Churches want to be sensitive to special needs but don't always know how. Ashley Myers offers some suggestions from her own experience.
Thousands assembled for the anti-abortion March for Life on the National Mall, where throngs celebrated the fall of Roe v. Wade while voicing concern as the abortion debate moves to the states.
As some in the SBC seek to exclude women pastors—of any kind—some Texas Baptists wonder anew where the BGCT stands on women in ministry.
"The cost of doing nothing" to combat sexual abuse far outweighs "the cost of doing something," Southern Baptist Convention President Bart Barber said in a video on social media.
A conference focused on deconstruction—examining core beliefs and often rejecting the conservative politics, sexism and racial divides for which evangelicalism has become known.
Joshua Fuentes, senior pastor of Crestview Baptist Church in San Antonio, described fig trees as easy, low-maintenance fruit trees to grow. (Luke 21:25-37)
Bobby Smith, founding director of Chaplaincy Relations with the Baptist General Convention of Texas, died Oct. 18.
For all of its merits, religious freedom may have a significant drawback. Those who cherish the freedom shouldn't overlook the problem.
David Dockery insisted Southwestern Seminary is "not in a crisis," but he told trustees financial challenges "could quickly escalate to a crisis if we do not aggressively move to address them."
Jim Heiligman, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Bryan, summarized his church’s intentional rekindling of its relationship with Christ over a six-week period. (Luke 15:1-10)
Recovery often leads affected communities to feel stronger, more united and more content than they were before disaster occurred.
An August trip to the Amazon involving participants from the United States included Pastor Bruce Rudd of Mt. Sylvan Baptist Church in Tyler.
Jesus' feeding of the multitude offers a lesson in love, Bread for the World President Eugene Cho told participants at the Together at the Table Hunger and Poverty Summit at Baylor University.
Together at the Table Hunger and Poverty Summit speakers focused on lessons learned about food insecurity and nutrition from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Do those who believe in and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ have hope to offer in the here and now? We do.
Especially in uncertain and hurting times, we search for something to cling to and bring us into a place of safety and security.
Luis Juárez contended perseverance is the necessary attitude for getting through life’s crises. / Luis Juárez sostuvo que la perseverancia es la actitud necesaria para superar las crisis de la vida. (2 Timothy/Timoteo 2:1-7)
Food insecurity is a widespread problem that demands evidence-based, on-the-ground solutions, panelists told a Christian community development conference.
White Christians concerned about racial equality often have difficulty moving beyond introspection to anti-racist action, a sociologist told a Christian community development conference.
Trump said some things. That's not new. Editor Eric Black's reaction to Trump's Sept. 30 post is new, at least for him.
Rev. Jade Evans, guest preacher at David Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Austin, opened with the story, recounted in Mark 9:14-27, of a man taking his demon-possessed son to Jesus. (Matthew 13:54-58)
Joshua Sharp asks, "Where do we draw lines" between the letter and the spirit of God's Law based on what Scripture contains?
By working collaboratively, two Dallas-area nonprofit organizations with Texas Baptist connections will bring free groceries and other services to a South Dallas food desert.
The dance floor is chaotic and threatening indeed. We are anxious about personal, social and institutional survival in multiple directions and levels—and for good reason. But not everything is chaotic and threatening.
In a season in which "democracy itself is being challenged," American Christians can learn from Jesus' admonition to render to Caesar and to God that which belongs to each, the leader of the Baptist Joint Committee told a Dallas church.
Former Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary President Adam W. Greenway announced he will not move to a new position with the International Mission Board.
In an abrupt change of plans, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary trustees announced David Dockery will serve as the school's interim president and O.S. Hawkins as senior adviser and ambassador-at-large following the departure of Adam Greenway as president.
Jason Paredes, lead pastor of Fielder Church in Arlington, declared, "All the blessings of God are found in obedience … in obeying God."(Exodus 9:1-12)
Rafael Rondón, el pastor de campus de Pioneer de Fielder Church in Arlington, consideró el problema de "la parálisis del análisis". (Éxodo 9:1-12)