CBF World Makes Its Path Clear
Ethicist, pastor, author, and advocate David P. Gushee reflects on the recent Cooperative Baptist Fellowship General Assembly and what makes the denomination distinct from the Southern Baptist Convention.
SBC Saved From … Hearing a Woman Preach God’s Love
This issue of A Public Witness adds historical context to the contentious meeting of the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S. to consider what the debate about women in ministry means for that body and the broader Christian witness.
Southern Baptists Refuse To Take Back Megachurch Because It Has Women Pastors
Saddleback had been the denomination’s second-largest congregation and until recently was widely touted as a success story amid larger Southern Baptist membership declines.
SBC Messengers Reelect Texas Pastor Bart Barber to a Second Term as President
Barber's reelection seems to indicate that Southern Baptists approve of the direction the convention is going and marks the third time a candidate backed by the Conservative Baptist Network has been defeated.
Before Advocating for Women in Ministry, Rick Warren Split With SBC Over Global Fellowship
Rick Warren has been mounting a public campaign as he urges Southern Baptists to not kick out churches for ordaining women ministers. While his advocacy sparked recent profiles, that coverage leaves out an earlier time when Warren publicly broke with the SBC over its attempt
For Many Southern Baptists, the Only Campaign Question is Which GOP Candidate to Support
Southern Baptists form a core part of the White evangelical Christian bloc that has reliably and overwhelmingly voted Republican in recent elections, and is expected to again in 2024. But Southern Baptists are weighing their options in the GOP presidential primary field.
Bart Barber, Mike Stone — Two Conservative Pastors — To Square Off for SBC President
The two candidates for SBC president hold many of the same beliefs but disagree sharply over how to handle the issue of sexual abuse and over the direction of the nation’s largest Protestant denomination.
Rick Warren Campaigns for Southern Baptist Reinstatement of Saddleback Church
Warren argues that the debate is far larger than what might happen to the church he founded.
Ted Cruz Criticizes Baptist Pastor for Defense of Executing Gays
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz publicly criticized fellow prominent Southern Baptist Tom Ascol for defending legislation that imposes the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality.”
Saddleback Church Appeals Southern Baptist Convention Ouster Over Woman Pastor
It is one of three churches appealing decisions recently made by the denomination’s Executive Committee to remove eight congregations from official affiliation.