Georgia Pastor Mike Stone to Challenge SBC President Bart Barber This Summer
For only the second time in more than three decades, a Southern Baptist Convention president will face a challenge for reelection.
SBC Official Brent Leatherwood Urges Tennessee Lawmakers to Pass Red Flag Law
Head of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, the public policy arm of the SBC, Leatherwood is calling on legislators to pass a law to remove firearms from people who are a danger to themselves and others.
Southern Baptist Task Force May Split With Guidepost Over LGBTQ Views
Task force leaders have tried over the past year to talk a fine line between finding the best firm to set up a database to track abusive pastors and finding a firm their fellow Southern Baptists would accept.
Johnny Hunt, Disgraced Former SBC Pastor, Sues Denomination He Once Led
A disgraced former Southern Baptist president is suing the denomination he once led, saying he was defamed by allegations he assaulted another pastor’s wife.
Saddleback Church Doubles Down on Support for Female Pastors
The woman pastor at the center of the SBC’s decision to oust Saddleback Church — the California megachurch founded by pastor and best-selling author Rick Warren — says she will continue to serve as a ministry leader despite her longstanding ties to the nation’s largest
How Did Saddleback Get Kicked Out of the SBC? It’s Complicated.
The issue of who gets to be a Southern Baptist made international headlines last week after the denomination’s Executive Committee voted to oust one of the nation’s largest and best-known churches for having a woman preaching pastor.
Saddleback Church Deemed “Not in Friendly Cooperation” With SBC
The SBC Executive Committee has deemed Saddleback Church as “not in friendly cooperation with the Southern Baptist Convention.” The move comes less than a year after founding pastor Rick Warren left and was replaced by pastors Andy and Stacie Wood.
Todd Benkert Leaves SBC Abuse Task Force After Conflict Over Pastor’s Restoration
An Indiana Baptist pastor, Benkert played a key role in setting up an investigation into how SBC leaders have responded to the issue of abuse. He also reported a church that had platformed former SBC President Johnny Hunt, who has been credibly accused of sexual
Trial Date Set for Case Involving Patterson, SWBTS
A court date has been set for a trial involving former Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary President Paige Patterson, the school, and an alleged sexual abuse survivor. A former SWBTS student filed suit against them in March 2019 alleging negligence, violation of privacy, and liability.
Dispute Over Abuse Hotline Reveals How Far the SBC Still Has To Go
For years, Southern Baptist Convention leaders refused to listen to abuse survivors, ignoring their concerns and labeling them as enemies of the nation’s largest Protestant denomination. One of the first steps toward changing was setting up a confidential hotline.