Southern Baptist Church

A chaplain has quit the Southern Baptist Convention following a controversy over his attendance at a gay civil union ceremony. Col. Timothy Wagoner, a chaplain in the Air Force, has quit the Southern Baptist Convention following a controversy over his attendance at a gay civil union ceremony. Wagoner severed ties with the denomination and joined the more progressive Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. ?I find very little that is more important and nothing that is more exhilarating than providing for the religious freedoms and spiritual care of all service members and their families ? and will joyfully continue to do,? Wagoner told the AP. Wagoner attended the civil union ceremony of Tech. Sgt. Erwynn Umali and Will Behrens at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in Wrightstown, New Jersey late last month. The ceremony is considered the first to be held on a military base since repeal of ?Don't Ask, Don't Tell,? the law which for 18 years banned gay and bisexual troops from serving openly. Kay

Southern Baptists meeting in New Orleans on Wednesday approved a resolution opposed to the idea that gay marriage is a civil rights issue. Southern Baptists meeting in New Orleans on Wednesday approved a resolution in support of defining marriage as a heterosexual union. The vote during the denomination's annual meeting was nearly unanimous, the AP reported. The resolution affirms their belief that marriage is ?the exclusive union of one man and one woman? and that ?all sexual behavior outside of marriage is sinful.? It also declares that the struggles of gay men and lesbians lack the ?distinguishing features of classes entitled to special protections.? ?It is regrettable that homosexual rights activists and those who are promoting the recognition of 'same-sex marriage' have misappropriated the rhetoric of the Civil Rights Movement,? the resolution states. The thousands of delegates attending the meeting also approved a resolution claiming to protect religious liberty. The resolution,

Fred Luter, the president of the Southern Baptist Convention, has said he's in disagreement with Obama on gay marriage. Reverend Fred Luter, the newly elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention, has said he's in disagreement with President Barack Obama on gay marriage. Luter, the first African-American to helm the nation's largest Protestant denomination, appeared on cabler CNN's Starting Point with Soledad O'Brien. ?Will your agenda include inclusiveness of gay Americans, a new civil rights issue?? he was asked. ?No, I'm a man of the book,? Luter responded. ?I believe in the word of God. I believe in the bible. God has specifically spoken about marriage. Marriage is between a man and a woman. That's biblical. No president whether it's a president in the White House, no governor, no mayor, no one can change that. God has already established marriage between a one man and one woman. So I would stand for that because that's what the word of God says and that's what I believe in

NASHVILLE, Tenn (Reuters) - Leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention, the country's largest Protestant denomination, on Tuesday opted against changing a name that has proved problematic for some churches because of its connection to the South and slavery.

Nashville, Tennessee on Tuesday approved a plan to extend the city's gay protections to contractors. Nashville, Tennessee on Tuesday approved a plan to extend the city's gay protections to contractors. In 2009, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean signed into law a bill that bans employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity by the Metro government. Metro Nashville is the governing body of the City of Nashville and Davidson County. The pair merged in 1963. With a narrow 21 to 15 vote, the 40-member council decided that companies that do business with the city must adopt a similar nondiscrimination policy, joining more than 100 communities across the nation. Chris Sanders of the gay rights group Tennessee Equality Project told the Tennessean: ?The message it sends is that if you're talented and willing to work, you're welcome.? At an earlier meeting, Councilman Mike Jameson, a co-sponsor of the legislation, was called out of order when he attempted to explain the main g

Religious leaders in Nashville, Tennessee are divided on a plan to extend the city's gay protections to contractors. ?Religious leaders in Nashville, Tennessee are divided on a plan to extend the city's gay protections to contractors. In 2009, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean signed into law a bill that bans employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity by the Metro government. Metro Nashville is the governing body of the City of Nashville and Davidson County. The pair merged in 1963. The Metro Council is now considering requiring companies that do business with the city to adopt a similar nondiscrimination policy. The proposed measure received its second okay last month. A third and final vote is scheduled for Tuesday, but Councilman Mike Jameson, a co-sponsor of the legislation, is expected to ask for a one-meeting delay. In a letter to the council's leaders, three Southern Baptist leaders condemned the proposal, The Tennessean reported. ?It is clear that imposin

Leading social conservative Dr. Albert Mohler has said gay marriage is coming and Christians need to 'deal with that'. Dr. Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, has said gay marriage is coming and Christians need to ?deal with that,? RightWingWatch.org reported. Two days after President Obama announced he would no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which bans federal recognition of gay marriage, Mohler told Focus on the Family's Jim Daly that marriage equality was not only inevitable but a reality for a ?good number of Americans.? ?I think a lot of Christian conservatives are going to try to deny the obvious,? Mohler said on Daly's radio broadcast. ?I mean, when we talk about same-sex marriage, we talk about something that is already legal in one form or another in basically twelve states. So whether they call it marriage, as they do in a few states, or marriage lite as they have now in twelve states, the reality is that a good number of

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is pushing for a last-minute bill to legalize Internet poker -- at least for operators of existing brick-and-mortar casinos.

Southern Baptist Seminary leader says seeking spirituality through yoga is not Christian way. A Southern Baptist leader who is calling for Christians to avoid yoga and its spiritual attachments is getting plenty of pushback from enthusiasts who defend the ancient practice.

Baptist food, Adventist warehouses and Buddhist money: In disasters, faith groups know roles. For every hurricane, earthquake or flood, there is help: food, bottled water, crews of volunteers nailing shingles to brand new roofs.

Religion News in Brief. Southern Baptist churches say membership and donations to missions dropped last year, but baptisms increased after a four-year decline.

Religion News in Brief. Boston College has received a $20 million gift from the co-founder of a Massachusetts supermarket chain and his wife to help train teachers for Roman Catholic schools and universities.

Southern Baptists see Obama's election as historic but say his policies are troubling. Southern Baptists praised the election of President Barack Obama but said at their national meeting on Wednesday that they oppose his views on abortion and other social issues.

Southern Baptist Convention president urges more missions, outreach to minorities. Southern Baptists are facing a membership decline that could shrink the nation's largest Protestant denomination by nearly half in 40 years, its convention president said Tuesday.

The Southern Baptist Convention has rejected a Texas church viewed as gay-affirming. At its annual convention, Southern Baptists voted to sever 125-year-old ties with a Texas church viewed as tolerant of gay members, the 'Associated Baptist Press' reported. Forth Worth's Broadway Baptist Church was booted out because it included photos of gay members in the church directory. The Southern Baptist Convention opened Monday in Louisville, Kentucky, where an executive committee immediately convened and ruled against the church, saying that the congregation had run afoul of SBC rules that ban churches from affirming, approving or endorsing ?homosexual behavior.? Messengers (delegates) voted overwhelmingly to act on the committees' unanimous ruling. ?We are disappointed with the decision of the Southern Baptist Convention,? said Kathy Madeja, the church's deacon chair, in a statement. ?Our mission at Broadway is and will continue to be consistent with the SBC's stated enterprise of reaching t

Huckabee says the US should respond more strongly in support of protesters in Iran. Former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee says the U.S. should respond more strongly in support of political protesters in Iran.

Southern Baptists want focus on missions and off controversial headlines at annual meeting. Southern Baptists leaders are asking followers to put aside squabbles over political and social issues and look inward at a time when the nation's largest Protestant denomination is hoping to stop declining membership.

Black pastor asks Southern Baptists to celebrate significance of Barack Obama's election. A black Southern Baptist pastor has asked his denomination to acknowledge the importance of President Barack Obama's election, despite the convention's opposition to many of his policies.

Southern Baptists see number of baptisms continue decline in 2008 to lowest level since 1987. Southern Baptist churches baptized fewer people in 2008 for the fourth year in a row to reach the lowest level since 1987, and membership in the country's largest Protestant denomination fell slightly as well.

Hard Lessons for Mormon Church From Romney's Presidential Campaign. Mitt Romney isn't the only casualty in his failed presidential bid. The Mormon church, yearning for broad acceptance, also took a beating.