Southern Baptist Convention

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Attendees pray during a worship service at the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting in Anaheim, Calif., Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Southern Baptists erase decades of membership growth, fall to 1978 level

By Mark A. Kellner - The Washington Times

A cross and Bible sculpture stand outside the Southern Baptist Convention headquarters in Nashville, Tenn., on Tuesday, May 24, 2022. On Tuesday, top administrative leaders for the SBC, the largest Protestant denomination in America, said that they will release a secret list of hundreds of pastors and other church-affiliated personnel accused of sexual abuse. (AP Photo/Holly Meyer)

Southern Baptist pastor cites 170 women in leadership roles in violation of doctrine

By Mark A. Kellner - The Washington Times

FILE- Light illuminates part of the Supreme Court building on Capitol Hill in Washington, Nov. 16, 2022. The Supreme Court is about to hear arguments over President Joe Biden’s student debt relief plan. It's a plan that impacts millions of borrowers who could see their loans wiped away or reduced. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

Higher Ground: Supreme Court asked to protect workers’ right to day of worship

By Mark A. Kellner and Billy Hallowell - The Washington Times

Rabbi Joshua Franklin stands inside the sanctuary at the Jewish Center of the Hamptons in East Hampton, New York on Feb. 10, 2023. Franklin expermented writing a sermon for his congregation using artificial intelligence software Chat GPT, and concluded that AI can't replace the work of human faith leaders. (AP Photo/Robert Bumsted)

Pastors’ view: Sermons written by ChatGPT will have no soul

By David Crary - Associated Press

Bart Barber, pastor for the First Baptist Church of Farmersville, Texas, and new president of the Southern Baptist Convention, prays over his congregation on Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022. The SBC faces multiple challenges. Rank-and-file Baptists have demonstrated a strong commitment to implementing sex abuse reforms, but the final outcome remains unclear. The denomination also has a problem with falling membership (AP Photo/Audrey Jackson)

Former Southern Baptist leader accused of sexual abuse not restored to ministry, says president

By Mark A. Kellner - The Washington Times

A congregant wears a cross decorated with a U.S. flag pattern on Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022, at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif. Wood was recently announced as founding Pastor Rick Warren's successor to the church, which is the second largest in the Southern Baptist Convention, regularly drawing in about 2,500 people with more online every Sunday. (AP Photo/Allison Dinner)

Higher Ground: Politics in the pews heading into midterm elections

By Mark A. Kellner and Billy Hallowell - The Washington Times

This Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2011, file photo shows the headquarters of the Southern Baptist Convention in Nashville, Tenn. Leaders of the SBC, America's largest Protestant stonewalled and denigrated survivors of clergy sex abuse over almost two decades, according to a scathing 288-page investigative report issued Sunday, May 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File) **FILE**

Southern Baptist pastor in Northern Virginia issues amendment to exclude women as pastors

By Mark A. Kellner - The Washington Times

The Rev. Bart Barber, newly elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention, declared Thursday its congregations will no longer be "hunting grounds" for sexual predators. (Photo by Mark A. Kellner/The Washington Times)

Southern Baptist leader’s remarks on church sex-abuse cases fall far short, says survivor

By Mark A. Kellner - The Washington Times

In this Friday, April 19, 2019 file photo, a gay pride rainbow flag flies with the U.S. flag in front of the Asbury United Methodist Church in Prairie Village, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) **FILE**

LGBTQ-friendly church OK with getting Southern Baptist boot

By Peter Smith - Associated Press

A cross and Bible sculpture stand outside the Southern Baptist Convention headquarters in Nashville, Tenn., on May 24, 2022. The Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention said Friday, Aug. 12, 2022, that several of the denomination's major entities are under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice. (AP Photo/Holly Meyer, File)

Southern Baptists to keep promoting ‘life, religious liberty, marriage’ protections via policy arm

By Mark A. Kellner - The Washington Times

Pastor Bart Barber, a presidential candidate of the Southern Baptist Convention, speaks during its annual meeting in Anaheim, Calif., Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

DOJ opens sex abuse investigation into Southern Baptists, subpoenas leaders

By Mark A. Kellner - The Washington Times

Sin vs Mistake Illustration by Greg Groesch/The Washington Times

Mistakes or sin? There’s a big difference

By Everett Piper

Pastor Rick Warren speaks during the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting in Anaheim, Calif., Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) ** FILE **

Southern Baptist business meeting ends, but sex-abuse, other challenges remain

By Mark A. Kellner - The Washington Times

The Rev. Bart Barber, newly elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention, declared Thursday its congregations will no longer be "hunting grounds" for sexual predators. (Photo by Mark A. Kellner/The Washington Times)

Southern Baptist churches must be ‘dangerous places’ for sexual predators, new president says

By Mark A. Kellner - The Washington Times

Pastor Bart Barber, a presidential candidate of the Southern Baptist Convention, speaks during its annual meeting in Anaheim, Calif., Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Southern Baptists tap Texas pastor Bart Barber, 52, as president

By Mark A. Kellner - The Washington Times

Attendees hold up their ballots during a session at the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting in Anaheim, Calif., Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Southern Baptists vote ‘bare minimum’ steps dealing with sexual abuse

By Mark A. Kellner - The Washington Times

A cross and Bible sculpture stand outside the Southern Baptist Convention headquarters in Nashville, Tenn., on Tuesday, May 24, 2022. A Southern Baptist Convention sexual abuse task force bypassed calls for victim compensation on June 1, 2022, as it suggested reforms for church delegates to approve at this month’s business session in Anaheim, California. (AP Photo/Holly Meyer)

Baptist relief group pledges $4 million to implement abuse task force ideas, fund victims’ care

By Mark A. Kellner - The Washington Times

Rev. Dante Quick preaches during a church service at the First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in Somerset, N.J., on Sunday, May 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)

Americans open to visiting different church denominations, survey finds

By Mark A. Kellner - The Washington Times

A cross and Bible sculpture stand outside the Southern Baptist Convention headquarters in Nashville, Tenn., on Tuesday, May 24, 2022. A Southern Baptist Convention sexual abuse task force bypassed calls for victim compensation on June 1, 2022, as it suggested reforms for church delegates to approve at this month’s business session in Anaheim, California. (AP Photo/Holly Meyer)

Abuse survivors call for more action than proposed by Southern Baptists’ task force

By Mark A. Kellner - The Washington Times

This Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2011, file photo shows the headquarters of the Southern Baptist Convention in Nashville, Tenn. Leaders of the SBC, America's largest Protestant stonewalled and denigrated survivors of clergy sex abuse over almost two decades, according to a scathing 288-page investigative report issued Sunday, May 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File) **FILE**

Top Southern Baptists plan to release secret list of abusers

By Deepa Bharath - Associated Press