Last week, the well-known evangelical author Eugene Peterson appeared to embrace so-called same-sex “marriage,” and then, he backtracked. There’s a lot to talk about. Last week Eugene Peterson, the author of “The Message” as well as several other pastoral books, said in an interview with Jonathan Merritt of Religion News Service that he didn’t consider homosexuality wrong and would, if asked, officiate a same-sex “marriage.” “I know a lot of people who are gay and lesbian,” Peterson … [Read more...]
Fight against trafficking gains House support
WASHINGTON (BP) – A deeply divided U.S. House of Representatives has found at least one issue it can agree on across the board – combating human trafficking. The House has approved more than a dozen anti-trafficking bills in recent weeks, with only three votes total against the proposals. Leading a trio of three measures passed July 12 was the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Act, comprehensive legislation authorizing more than $500 million for four years … [Read more...]
Pastor compensation studied by financial planner
GRAPEVINE, Texas (BP) – It happens often in Southern Baptist life: A church offers a prospective pastor a salary it thinks is reasonable, and the pastor – not wanting to appear greedy – begrudgingly accepts. But down the road, when tax season arrives or when retirement approaches, the pastor realizes he should have spoken up. It is a financial disconnect that Christian Messemer, a certified financial planner and a Ph.D. candidate at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, hopes to … [Read more...]
Despite glazing over the Almighty’s providence, ‘Dunkirk’ a must-see
JEFFERSON CITY – Who knew the story of a colossal military failure could turn into such an inspiration? And yet that is what you get with the wonderfully tense movie directed by Christopher Nolan, “Dunkirk.” It’s a very straightforward – and true – story. In the opening days of World War II (and long before the U.S. entered the fray), more than 400,000 British soldiers were trapped at Dunkirk, a small city on the French side of the English Channel. Though only 35 miles of water separated … [Read more...]
Poll: Americans have mixed feelings about sexual liberty, religious liberty
NASHVILLE (LifeWay) —Americans love to fight about sex and religion. From shacking up and same-sex marriage to birth control and bathrooms, Americans disagree about what is right and wrong with sex—often based on faith. Those disputes can end up in court, in highly divisive and controversial cases. Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear the case of a Colorado baker who refused to make a cake for a same-sex wedding. When faith and sexuality clash, which side should … [Read more...]
Parents fight for baby Gard’s life
LONDON (BP) – The heart-wrenching case of a British infant with a genetic disease has triggered an international discussion about who should make end-of-life decisions for children. The parents of 11-month-old Charlie Gard, Chris Gard and Connie Yates, have exhausted all their appeals in a court battle seeking to allow the terminally ill child to receive an experimental treatment. London's Great Ormond Street Hospital announced July 7 it would reconsider its decision to turn off life … [Read more...]
Pressing the ‘Reset’ button in life
Murray, David. Reset. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2017. 206 pages. $14.99. When I ask people how they are doing, they are just as likely to respond with some variation of “Staying busy,” as the typical “Fine.” Digging deeper into those conversations often results in an admission of stress, anxiety, or exhaustion. So many of us live life at an unrealistic pace. We go faster and work harder until life becomes a blur of obligations and responsibilities, with little to no joy or peace. Living … [Read more...]
‘Chaplain of Bourbon Street’ dies at 89
NEW ORLEANS (BP) – Famed New Orleans evangelist Bob Harrington, known by many as “the Chaplain of Bourbon Street,” passed away of kidney failure on July 4 in Stigler, Okla., where he had lived the last seven years with family. He was 89. Harrington became a well-known evangelist during the 1960s and 1970s following his conversion to Christianity at age 30 in his hometown of Sweet Water, Ala. He was a popular guest on national television shows including Phil Donahue, Merv Griffin and The … [Read more...]
Gospel conversation critical, Ezell tells NAMB trustees
PHOENIX (BP) – North American Mission Board president Kevin Ezell told the entity’s trustees that in order to see the kind of turnaround in baptisms that Southern Baptists desire, it will take millions of Southern Baptists having tens of millions of gospel conversations. Without decreasing NAMB’s emphasis on church planting through its Send Network or compassion ministry through Send Relief, Ezell said NAMB will “put every ounce of energy we possibly can to help our convention see the … [Read more...]
Spurgeon collection launched online
KANSAS CITY (BP) – A website expected to hold the largest digitized collection on the internet of writings by famed British pastor Charles H. Spurgeon is now available. Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, in partnership with B&H Academic, launched the website on June 21. Also known as "The Spurgeon Archive," Midwestern Seminary's original Spurgeon Center website has been combined with www.spurgeon.org, which was founded and donated by Phil Johnson, the executive director of … [Read more...]
Hobby Lobby to forfeit Bible artifacts, pay $3M
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (BP) – Hobby Lobby Stores will forfeit thousands of improperly acquired ancient biblical artifacts and pay a $3 million fine in a civil settlement the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced July 5. The settlement closed a federal investigation of the store's 2010 purchase and subsequent importation of more than 5,500 artifacts from dealers who did not disclose the items' Iraqi origin. Hobby Lobby paid $1.6 million for the artifacts, including Assyrian and Babylonian … [Read more...]
The good of Southern Baptist polity: SBC messengers condemn Alt-right white supremacy
By now most of you have probably heard about the confusion which occurred with relation to the Alt-right resolution at this year’s Southern Baptist Convention in Phoenix. Allow me to share the non-media, unbiased version of what happened. An African American Baptist pastor from Austin, Texas, asked from the floor to have his resolution condemning the alt-right movement accepted and presented to the whole convention for approval. The Alt-right movement is a loosely organized group of people, … [Read more...]
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