Southern Baptist Leaders Decry ‘Stone Cold Racist’ Letter to Dwight McKissic
Southern Baptist Convention officials have strongly condemned a letter sent by a critic of the SBC to the Rev. Dwight McKissic, a Black pastor in Texas who recently announced he was pulling his church out of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.
Funeral Directors Survive ‘Surreal’ Year with Creativity & Faith
There are no signs in front yards hailing the men and women who sometimes wryly call themselves “last responders.” But for funeral directors across the country, like medical professionals, this has been a year like no other.
In Unusual Move, SBU Trustees Deny Tenure or Promotion to Several Faculty Members
Trustees for Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Missouri, recently denied tenure or promotion applications from five faculty members in various departments. The unusual action could raise new concerns for the school already facing an inquiry by its accreditation body.
Can an Employee Object to Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccines on Religious Grounds?
Under new guidelines from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, employers are allowed to adopt mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies. But what happens if an employee refuses to take the shot, citing their religious beliefs?
Iowa Judge: Mask Policy Didn’t Violate Worker’s Religious Rights
An Iowa judge has denied unemployment benefits for a dental technician who cited religious reasons for refusing to wear a face mask intended to help slow the spread of coronavirus.
When it Comes to Building Trust, Belonging Beats Belief, Study Finds
Two scholars found higher levels of belief predicted less trust, while higher levels of belonging predicted more trust. They also found that those who belong to religious groups or attend services have a lower level of misanthropy, or dislike of other people.
Rick Warren Apologizes for Children’s Sunday School Video Loaded with Asian Culture Stereotypes
Saddleback Church pastor Rick Warren has apologized for a children’s Sunday school curriculum video that used Asian culture stereotypes to teach kids about the Bible. The video has been removed.
SBC Report Calls Never-Trumper Russell Moore’s Agency a ‘Significant Distraction’
In a long-awaited report released Monday (Feb. 1), a task force commissioned to study the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission calls the convention’s public policy arm a “significant distraction from the Great Commission work of Southern Baptists.”
McKissic: SBC Welcomes Blacks Only on Front Porch
As Dwight McKissic looks at the Southern Baptist Convention these days as a Black pastor in Texas, he sees a parallel with a scene in the new film One Night in Miami. He talked about issues of racism and the SBC in the latest episode of the Word&Way podcast “Baptist Without An Adjective.”
BWA Calls for Equitable Global Vaccine Distribution
As COVID-19 vaccination efforts ramps up in countries like the United States, United Kingdom, Israel, and Denmark, the Baptist World Alliance on Friday called for equitable distribution of vaccines and the avoidance of “vaccine nationalism.”