Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
Pastor and Former SBC Vice Pres Prays for President’s Death
We begin with a brief lesson in biblical theology. In the ancient world we often encounter the idea of doing something or saying something "in the name of" someone else. The most familiar for Christians, of course, is...
How Do We Tote Guns in Church and Worship Prince of Peace?
According to media reports, an Assembly of God congregation in Louisville, Ky., is inviting worshippers to wear their unloaded handguns to worship on June 27 to promote safe gun ownership and freedom. Pastor Ken Pagano...
Like Other Justices, Sotomayor’s Perspective Will Sway Decisions
I've recently been reminded of the importance of perspective. The issue – by another name – became a national discussion recently when a comment by Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor came to light. In 2001, she...
From Racism to Greed, Society Labels Its Greatest Sins Good
"In all matters, with the exception of religion, it doesn't matter whether something is true or not but rather whether people perceive it is true and act upon it." So said my history professor at Gardner-Webb...
Misused words
The bright yellow "Clearance" sign at Lowe's was affixed to a replacement exterior door — when I was in need of one. I hustled over to check out the "deal."The total price deduction was 5 percent. Excuse me, Lowe's...
Surprise Package: Some SBC Churches Drop “Baptist” from Name
Why are Southern Baptists suddenly reluctant to use their own name? For an example of what I'm talking about, look at the explanation on the web page of Louisburg Southern Baptist Church in Kansas about its name...
‘Leaders Who Last’
Approaching 20 years in pastoral ministry, I have a shelf full of books on leadership. Many of them I have read. Glossy, thick brochures promoting leadership conferences stocked with best-selling authors, mega-church...
“Land of the Lost”
It was always true. John Wayne only played one role. No matter what movie you went to see, you saw John Wayne play John Wayne. He was larger than life. And that larger than life aspect made us go and see him. Will...
The Big Deal About Jesus and Nicodemus
This sermon was delivered by Wendell Griffen, pastor of the New Millennium Church in Little Rock, Ark., on June 7, 2009. Like Nicodemus, many people who are serious about faith struggle to understand what Jesus meant...
Why newspapers are essential
The locus of big news in North Carolina over the past week or two has been North Carolina State University, where Chancellor James Oblinger and Provost Larry Nielsen have resigned after evidence uncovered by Raleigh's...
Southern Baptist Convention Top Exec Boosts Anti-Public School Agenda
The Southern Baptist Convention's chief executive officer advocates the launch of a Christian alternative to public education, a move that joins at the hip the largest Protestant denomination with a five-year campaign...
Missouri Layman: Leaders Infecting SBC with “New Liberalism”
Roger Moran, a layman influential in Missouri Baptist life, recently released a scathing attack on Missouri and Southern Baptist leaders for supporting practices and evangelistic methods he finds inappropriate. Moran...
Churches Benefit When Members Have Dose of Confidence
A recent front-page story in The Baptist Times is, though we say it ourselves, exceptionally interesting. Most Christians in the United Kingdom – 65 percent – think attendance in their own churches will rise over the...
What’s left in the SBC pond?
Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) leadership is as confusing to me as a sleeveless turtleneck. The contradictions are staggering.Stan Hastey just retired after 20 years with the admittedly small, left-leaning Alliance...
Inerrancy Was Battle Cry for SBC Takeover, Not Rallying Point for Growth
Inerrancy of the Bible was a crystal-clear battle cry in the fundamentalist war launched in 1979 to take over the Southern Baptist Convention from the alleged "liberals," but it has failed to rally the factious...
Survey: U.K. Christians Optimistic About Their Churches’ Growth
The majority of Christians in the United Kingdom think attendance in their own churches will increase over the next 20 years. They're less optimistic about the U.K. church in general, although almost half still expect...
In Darfur, Breaking the Silence is the First Step to Healing
Over the years, the America of my experience has become more and more open, to the point where very little seems shocking. We have noticed it in almost every book, magazine, TV show, movie and especially in news...
America’s Ethnic Churches Grow While White Churches Struggle
The National Association of Evangelicals' board members were pessimistic about the growth of churches in the United States, according to an NAE survey from May. However, there was overall optimism that Christianity...
Give Me This Water!
This sermon was delivered by Wendell Griffen, pastor of the New Millennium Church in Little Rock, Ark., on May 31, 2009. This was the church's inaugural sermon. John 4:1-26 "Sir, give me this water, so that I may never...
Seminary in Prague Faces Funding Crisis
Baptist unions across Europe are being consulted on the future of the International Baptist Theological Seminary (IBTS), which is facing a funding crisis brought on by the global economic crisis. The European Baptist...
Letting go my Legos
A new Lego store recently opened in Raleigh's Crabtree Valley Mall, and the manager reported that more than 18,000 customers visited the store during the week of its Grand Opening (Recession? What recession?)Not too...