IMB Adopts COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate
The International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention announced Wednesday (Sept. 8) it will require “IMB missionaries and their children ages 16 and older to be vaccinated against COVID-19.”
Behind the Pulpit: Joy Martinez-Marshall
Senior Editor Beau Underwood interviews Joy Martinez-Marshall, pastor of First Baptist Church in Lincoln, Nebraska, for the latest installment of our “Behind the Pulpit” series intended to pull back the curtain on the minister’s life.
Amid COVID Surge, Loved Ones Worry for These Unvaccinated Evangelicals
The core issue runs deeper than simply vaccine hesitancy in certain pockets of White evangelicalism. At its root, evangelical vaccine hesitancy likely results from the acceptance of conspiracy theories and the ubiquity of far-right misinformation in certain corners of the evangelical world. Read full piece
The Evangelical Who Got Fired for Promoting Vaccines
Christians are called to be people of truth. Dan Darling lost his job because he refused to “stay neutral” on COVID-19. Read full piece
A Church Camp Didn’t Require Vaccinations or Masks. It’s Now Linked to 180 COVID Cases, CDC Says.
An Illinois church camp for teenagers and an affiliated men’s conference that did not mandate masks or require attendees to be vaccinated or tested for the coronavirus have been linked to at least 180 COVID-19 infections, according to new report from the Centers for Disease
Mississippi Governor: Christians are ‘Less Scared’ of COVID
Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves said Monday (Aug. 30) that he stands by remarks he made at a political fundraising event last week — that he believes Christians are “a little less scared” of COVID-19 because of their belief in eternal life.
Unvaccinated Pastor Who Almost Died of COVID Now Preaches the Importance of Vaccines
Last month, Pastor Danny Reeves was fighting for his life in the ICU at Dallas' Baylor Medical Center. He had COVID-19 and he wasn't vaccinated. Now, the senior pastor at First Baptist Corsicana in North Central Texas regrets not getting the shot earlier, and he plans
They Refused the Vaccine But Still Want Our Empathy. Can We Deny Them?
Those who took the pandemic seriously, and made life-altering decisions all along to protect others, are being asked to dig deeper into the well of compassion to ladle out another cup or two of sympathy. But for many that well is dry.
How a COVID-19 Order in Texas Launched an Unusual Religious Liberty Battle
Gov. Greg Abbott has long cast himself as a defender of religious liberty. Now, he finds himself accused of violating the free exercise rights of a Catholic group. Read full piece
Episcopal Diocese of Maine Mandates Vaccine for Clergy
The bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Maine mandated Monday that all clergy and staff in the diocese be vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of September. It is one of the first COVID-19 vaccine mandates for clergy in the United States.