News

Israel is working with foreign governments and Orthodox Christian leaders in the Holy Land to make sure that one of their most ancient and mysterious rituals — the Holy Fire ceremony — is not extinguished by the coronavirus outbreak, officials said Friday.

Some church leaders are pushing for religious exemptions to state bans on mass gatherings. — and a couple pastors have even been arrested for defying bans. Amid this nationwide debate, Missouri Governor Mike Parson shifted course on religious exemptions after an April 2 press conference question by Word&Way.

CBF Executive Coordinator Paul Baxley released a statement today (April 2) announcing that the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Governing Board approved his recommendation to transition this year's CBF General Assembly to "a virtual experience."  

As coronavirus started growing in the world’s second-most populous country, India’s government responded March 24 with a nationwide lockdown to prevent the pandemic’s spread in the congested nation — a disruptive response that created even more ministry needs for Baptists there to address.

GuideStone's legal team, led by Chief Legal Officer Harold R. Loftin, has created a Q&A document to provide general information on the March 27 stimulus package law and how it relates to churches and ministers.

Nolan Porter is excited to become the next senior pastor at University Heights Baptist Church in Springfield, Missouri — and he’s also excited to eventually meet the congregants there. On Sunday (March 29), Porter preached in view of a call at UHBC, but with coronavirus forcing the church to move to virtual worship, he preached and chatted with people on their computer screens, and they voted electronically to call him.

As they comply with guidelines for social distancing and sheltering in place during the pandemic, Southern Baptists across the U.S. are finding creative ways to celebrate the Easter season.

As the first cases of coronavirus appear in the Gaza Strip, humanitarian groups are raising alarms about the potential catastrophe that could emerge in one of the poorest and most-densely populated places in the world. A Baptist pastor who used to minister in Gaza is among those offering concerns as the global pandemic reaches a place lacking proper infrastructure or medical facilities.

With churchgoers still holed up in their homes to avoid infection for weeks and even months to come, Christian leaders are starting to ask: Is Communion appropriate for cyberspace?

Central Seminary President Dr. Molly T. Marshall announced her resignation effective March 1, citing "an ethical lapse that betrayed my stewardship of office" in a statement released by the seminary today (March 30).