‘Sermongate’ Prompts a Quandary: Should Pastors Borrow Words From One Another?
The new leader of the Southern Baptist Convention has delivered sermons containing passages from those of his predecessor, causing a furor. Read full piece
America’s Evangelical Church is being Torn Apart by Culture Wars
Rightwing Southern Baptists believe they must ‘save’ white Christian America by embracing Trumpism. A more moderate faction just won control – by the tightest of margins Read full piece
New SBC President Ed Litton Apologizes for Using J.D. Greear Sermon Quotes Without Credit
The newly elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention has apologized for giving a sermon where he used material from his predecessor without revealing where it came from.
Can a Tender-Hearted President Solve the Southern Baptists’ Trust Problem?
The nation’s largest Protestant denomination is based on voluntary cooperation by more than 40,000 churches. That cooperation is threatened by growing distrust of national leaders.
The Toxic Populism of the Southern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) fits the populist frame suggested by Michael J. Lee. The populist narrative highlights the eternal virtue of the Founders’ vision yet distrusts its current form. The populist vision, or its “restorationism” in Richard Hofstadter’s view, locates political victory in the
The Problem with the SBC’s New Resolution on Racism
Jason Koon writes that the new resolution on racism passed last week at the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting far short of what is needed to begin the SBC’s work of digging out from its racialized past and seeking racial reconciliation.
Scenes from the SBC Annual Meeting
A photo essay by Editor-in-Chief Brian Kaylor about what happened during the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting this week in Nashville, Tennessee, both inside and outside the convention hall.
The Revolution at the SBC Annual Meeting
After Ed Litton emerged victorious in the Southern Baptist Convention’s presidential election on Tuesday, reports and analysis quickly portrayed the news as a defeat for the denomination’s fundamentalist wing. But rather than fundamentalism being dismissed, anti-elitism was embraced.
How Critical Race Theory Overran the Southern Baptist Convention
As they headed toward Nashville for the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting, the cars with black pirate flags strapped to their windows — complete with smirking skulls and crossbones — were a good indicator that some of the passengers were spoiling for a fight. Read full piece
Southern Baptist Convention Can Dodge a Schism, But Not its Own History
Diana Butler Bass: The Southern Baptist Convention in Nashville this week narrowly elected a less hard-line leader in Ed Litton, but don't be fooled: this meeting largely confirmed that the victory of what the SBC calls the "conservative resurgence" of the 1980s endures. Read full piece