Summer Reads 2022
In this issue of A Public Witness, we both join with six other people to each suggest two books for your consideration. We hope you’ll find at least one good book to help in your own formation this summer.
Will SBC Denounce Jan. 6 — or Affirm False 2020 Election Claims?
Last year, leaders at the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting pulled a resolution that would have had messengers declare they “denounce the Capitol insurrection.” This year, messengers might elect a new leader who amplified false claims about the 2020 election.
#ChurchToo Revelations Growing, Years After Movement Began
Survivors of sexual assault in church settings and their advocates have been calling on churches for years to admit the extent of abuse in their midst and to implement reforms. In recent weeks #ChurchToo has seen an especially intense set of revelations across denominations and
Tom Ascol, Would-Be SBC President, Worries Churches have Lost Hold of the Bible
Tom Ascol has long argued Southern Baptist churches are filled with people who believe they are Christians but really aren't — a belief shaped by growing up with an abusive father who was also a church deacon.
How Christian Nationalism Paved the Way for Jan. 6
After Trump lost the election in November, a report from the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty and the Freedom From Religion Foundation concluded that Christian nationalism, also referred to as white Christian nationalism, was used to “bolster, justify and intensify the January 6 attack
Campaigning for SBC President on Trumpian Media
In this issue of A Public Witness, we recount the politics animating the SBC, hop on the virtual bus to follow Tom Ascol’s campaign, and then consider what his victory could mean well beyond Southern Baptist life.
Calls for SBC To Cut Ties With Guidepost Solutions Greet Firm’s Pride Month Tweet
Randy Davis, president and executive director of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, called on the SBC to “break all ties” with the investigative firm Guidepost Solutions, which produced the long-awaited sexual abuse report, after the company posted on Twitter its support for LGBTQ+ Pride month.
Review: The Pastor’s Bookshelf
Robert D. Cornwall reviews The Pastor’s Bookshelf: Why Reading Matters for Ministry by Austin Carty. When it comes to reading, Carty wants clergy to know that only reading ministry-related books is not a sufficiently healthy diet and suggests they read a wide variety of books
Learning about Abortion at VBS
In this issue of A Public Witness, we sign up for a quick history of VBS before heading to Zoomerang to experience a unique VBS for today’s culture wars. Finally, we pack up for the day by reflecting on what this means for churches.
Judge Orders Church Led by CBN Spokesman Brad Jurkovich To Turn Over Financial Records
A group of church members at First Baptist Church in Bossier, Louisiana, has sued the church, claiming the pastor diverted money from missions to a conservative Baptist group. The pastor says Satan is trying to destroy the church.