Todd Littleton knows he faces nearly impossible odds at this week’s annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention. Amid a flurry of resolutions decrying critical race theory, he decided to submit his own proposal to recognize structural racism and oppression as societal evils.
Editor-in-Chief Brian Kaylor responds to Paige Patterson claiming during a sermon that a “lynch mob” was out to get him. Kaylor notes that not only is Patterson inaccurately using the metaphor, but Patterson’s words are an injustice to real victims.
Jon Mathieu writes about critical race theory, how it is misconstrued, and why he as a White pastor sees it as a prophetic gift helping him and his church in a quest to be anti-racist.
Robert Wilson-Black remembers Donald W. Dayton, who died last May 2020. Dayton was an important interpreter of Evangelical, Wesleyan, Holiness, and Pentecostal traditions, revealing how they were connected and displaying how their roots were more entangled than historians had previously understood.
Columnist Ken Satterfield reflects on vaccine hesitation and research on how to persuade people to get a coronavirus vaccine. He also connects those lessons to thinking about faith.
Columnist Sarah Blackwell writes about “beneficial mutations” that allow organisms to thrive in a new or changing environment. She proposes two areas where churches need to embrace such mutations.
Beau Underwood writes that he likes asking people “what makes you believe in and follow Jesus?” But he also reflects on that question in his own life since he has the responsibility to work out his own salvation with fear and trembling.
Editor-in-Chief Brian Kaylor reflects on recent violence between Israel and Hamas to argue that a ceasefire will not actually bring peace and justice to the people living in Gaza. Kaylor adds insights learned from Arab and Palestinian Christians.
As this year’s Pentecost celebration approaches for congregations, the Spirit arrives as a yearlong pandemic hopefully draws towards an end. But emerging from the pandemic can be even more complicated and controversial for churches than their first responses to it.
Laura Levens writes that the fiery arguments over women’s ordination, women as pastors, and women’s callings distract from constructive conversations about entrenched racism, Christian Nationalism, and sexual abuse.