Yonat Shimron and Bob Smietana (RNS) At their recent annual meeting in Nashville, Tennessee, Southern Baptists spoke loud and clear about sexual abuse. Messengers at the 2021 Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting directed the convention’s new president to set up a task force to address reports that Southern Baptist leaders have mistreated abuse victims and mishandled … [Read more...] about As Southern Baptists Begin To Grapple With Sexual Abuse, Looming Challenges Remain
Church
Southern Baptists Become First Religious Denomination to Condemn Uyghur Genocide in China
(Newsweek) Southern Baptists have become the first Christian religious denomination to recognize China's treatment of Uyghur Muslims as genocide, according to a report from Christian Today. In a resolution first published by the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) last week, the group condemned China's actions and called upon the government to "cease its program of genocide … [Read more...] about Southern Baptists Become First Religious Denomination to Condemn Uyghur Genocide in China
TN Pastor Calls Biden ‘Demon-Possessed,’ Threatens to Sue Media Outlets
(ChurchLeaders) Pastor Greg Locke, who’s known for making strong political statements, used yesterday’s sermon to claim that Donald Trump is still America’s “legitimate” president and to warn of child-trafficking tunnels underneath the White House. Locke, pastor of Global Vision Bible Church in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, also says he intends to sue the “pants … [Read more...] about TN Pastor Calls Biden ‘Demon-Possessed,’ Threatens to Sue Media Outlets
Calling Reparations Biblical, Tulsa-Area Church Gives $200K Each to Massacre Survivors
(ChurchLeaders) During its worship service last Sunday, Transformation Church in Bixby, Okla., blessed several community members with financial gifts. The megachurch near Tulsa, which has made large donations in the past, gave away $1 million on the Juneteenth weekend, including $200,000 to each of the three remaining survivors of the Tulsa Race Massacre. Pastor Michael … [Read more...] about Calling Reparations Biblical, Tulsa-Area Church Gives $200K Each to Massacre Survivors
Former Megachurch Pastor and Presidential Adviser Kirbyjon Caldwell Enters Prison
Adelle M. Banks (RNS) Kirbyjon Caldwell, the former United Methodist megachurch pastor and presidential adviser who was found guilty of being involved in a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme, has begun his six-year prison sentence. Caldwell, who had been scheduled to arrive in prison on Tuesday (June 22), is listed on the Bureau of Prisons website as an inmate at the … [Read more...] about Former Megachurch Pastor and Presidential Adviser Kirbyjon Caldwell Enters Prison