Essay: If we’re rescinding Southern Baptist history, let’s undo our link to the Confederacy
In an article first published on Religion News Service, ALAN CROSS, Southern Baptist pastor and author, says that before turning back the clock on CRT Southern Baptists should rescind a May 1861 resolution aligning the SBC with the Confederacy…
Why some Christians in the US want Target to stop carrying a bestselling book of prayers
RNS A bestselling book on prayer has some Christians upset and calling on Target stores to remove it from their shelves. A Rhythm of Prayer: A Collection of Meditations for Renewal – edited by progressive Christian author Sarah Bessey – features a number of different types of prayers written by theologians, pastors and authors from various Christian […]
Black Southern Baptists seek more action on racism from seminary presidents
RNS The African American caucus within the Southern Baptist Convention has asked its denomination’s seminary presidents to do more to address continuing tensions about racism and critical race theory. The denomination’s Council of Seminary Presidents issued a statement in November declaring the academic theory that examines systemic racism is not compatible with the denomination’s statement of faith. […]
Alabama pastor Ed Litton, known for racial reconciliation work, joins SBC presidential race
RNS Rev Ed Litton, an Alabama pastor known for his work on racial reconciliation, will be nominated for president of the Southern Baptist Convention this summer. Litton enters an increasingly crowded field for SBC president, joining Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Albert Mohler, Georgia pastor Mike Stone and Randy Adams, executive director of the Northwest […]
Southern Baptist leaders meet after critical race theory document caused controversy
RNS Southern Baptist Convention officials admitted it would have been better if they’d contacted Black leaders of their denomination before issuing a statement decrying critical race theory, which led to the departure of several Black pastors. In response to weeks of reaction to the statement and a request for a meeting from the SBC’s National […]
SBC seminary president: Recent race statement not about ‘preserving whiteness’
RNS The president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary has expressed “lament” for “unintentionally” hurting African American members of his denomination with a recent joint statement on racism by all six Southern Baptist seminary presidents. But Adam Greenway defended the Council of Seminary Presidents’ determination about critical race theory and intersectionality, which address systemic racism and […]
Southern Baptist leaders to weigh in as turmoil over race theory grows
RNS New Orleans pastor Fred Luter, the only Black person to have served as president of the predominantly white Southern Baptist Convention, has added his name to a statement on justice and repentance released Friday. The Justice, Repentance, and the SBC statement comes as Black Baptists and others continue to object to the rejection of “critical race theory”, […]
Ralph D West, Houston pastor, cuts ties to Southern Baptists over critical race theory rejection
RNS A pastor pursuing a doctorate at Southwestern Theological Baptist Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, announced in an editorial Wednesday that he was withdrawing from his degree program and severing his megachurch’s affiliation with the Southern Baptist Convention over a recent statement by its seminary presidents on critical race theory. The move by Rev Ralph […]
Essay: Six white men shouldn’t decide Southern Baptist position on race
Southern Baptist MAINA MWAURA, in an article first published on Religion News Service, writes about why people of colour must be included in formulating the church’s positions on race…
In the US, Southern Baptist seminary presidents nix critical race theory
RNS Southern Baptist seminary presidents have taken up a hot culture war issue in a recent statement, saying “critical race theory” is incompatible with the denomination’s central statement of faith. Issued on the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Southern Baptist Convention’s most recent statement of faith, the Baptist Faith & Message, the presidents’ […]