Bob Smietana, Author at Religion News Service https://religionnews.com Driving essential conversation about how religion and beliefs shape us and our world. Wed, 03 Jul 2024 21:34:28 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.5 https://religionnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Favicon-100x100.png Bob Smietana, Author at Religion News Service https://religionnews.com 32 32 California Baptists cut staff, citing decline in Cooperative Program Giving https://religionnews.com/2024/07/03/california-baptists-cut-staff-citing-decline-in-cooperative-program-giving/ https://religionnews.com/2024/07/03/california-baptists-cut-staff-citing-decline-in-cooperative-program-giving/#respond Wed, 03 Jul 2024 21:30:12 +0000 https://religionnews.com/?p=4156203 (RNS) — Overall giving to the SBC’s national funding program is down about 2%.

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]]> https://religionnews.com/2024/07/03/california-baptists-cut-staff-citing-decline-in-cooperative-program-giving/feed/ 0 Dying of cancer, Amy Low finds meaning in the mundane of life https://religionnews.com/2024/06/27/dying-of-cancer-amy-low-finds-meaning-inthe-mundane-of-life/ https://religionnews.com/2024/06/27/dying-of-cancer-amy-low-finds-meaning-inthe-mundane-of-life/#respond Thu, 27 Jun 2024 21:25:29 +0000 https://religionnews.com/?p=4155373 (RNS) — In a new memoir, writer and cancer patient Amy Low describes the lessons she's learned while facing her mortality.

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]]> https://religionnews.com/2024/06/27/dying-of-cancer-amy-low-finds-meaning-inthe-mundane-of-life/feed/ 0 Why the swing state faith voters who really matter in 2024 aren’t evangelicals https://religionnews.com/2024/06/25/meet-the-swing-state-faith-voters-who-really-matter-in-2024-they-arent-evangelicals/ https://religionnews.com/2024/06/25/meet-the-swing-state-faith-voters-who-really-matter-in-2024-they-arent-evangelicals/#respond Tue, 25 Jun 2024 22:12:54 +0000 https://religionnews.com/?p=4155008 (RNS) — MAGA evangelicals grab all the headlines. But it’s swing state faith voters — Catholics, mainliners and Black Protestants — who will likely decide the election.

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]]> https://religionnews.com/2024/06/25/meet-the-swing-state-faith-voters-who-really-matter-in-2024-they-arent-evangelicals/feed/ 0 The author of ‘Jesus Calling’ died last year. Why is a denomination investigating her? https://religionnews.com/2024/06/20/sarah-young-author-of-jesus-calling-died-last-year-why-is-a-denomination-investigating-her/ https://religionnews.com/2024/06/20/sarah-young-author-of-jesus-calling-died-last-year-why-is-a-denomination-investigating-her/#respond Thu, 20 Jun 2024 22:20:45 +0000 https://religionnews.com/?p=4154343 (RNS) — At a recent PCA meeting, critics of ‘Jesus Calling,’ written by Sarah Young, called for an investigation to see if the book was safe for Christians to read.

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]]> https://religionnews.com/2024/06/20/sarah-young-author-of-jesus-calling-died-last-year-why-is-a-denomination-investigating-her/feed/ 0 Paul Pressler, SBC legend accused of abuse, is dead at 94 https://religionnews.com/2024/06/15/paul-pressler-sbc-legend-accused-of-abuse-is-dead-94/ https://religionnews.com/2024/06/15/paul-pressler-sbc-legend-accused-of-abuse-is-dead-94/#respond Sun, 16 Jun 2024 02:13:53 +0000 https://religionnews.com/?p=4153654 (RNS) — Pressler was one of the architects of the ‘Conservative Resurgence’ that took over the Southern Baptist Convention in the 1980s and 1990s. He was later accused of sexual abuse.

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]]> https://religionnews.com/2024/06/15/paul-pressler-sbc-legend-accused-of-abuse-is-dead-94/feed/ 0 Southern Baptists pass resolution calling for strictures to curb IVF https://religionnews.com/2024/06/13/southern-baptists-warn-church-members-to-be-wary-of-ivf/ https://religionnews.com/2024/06/13/southern-baptists-warn-church-members-to-be-wary-of-ivf/#respond Thu, 13 Jun 2024 19:38:37 +0000 https://religionnews.com/?p=4153253 INDIANAPOLIS (RNS) — At their annual meeting, Southern Baptists joined the recently renewed debate over in vitro fertilization, passing a resolution calling for restrictions on the practice. Some leaders went further, condemning the procedure as immoral.

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]]> https://religionnews.com/2024/06/13/southern-baptists-warn-church-members-to-be-wary-of-ivf/feed/ 0 The future of SBC abuse reform is now in the hands of denominational committee https://religionnews.com/2024/06/12/the-future-of-sbc-abuse-reform-is-now-in-the-hands-of-denominational-committee/ https://religionnews.com/2024/06/12/the-future-of-sbc-abuse-reform-is-now-in-the-hands-of-denominational-committee/#respond Wed, 12 Jun 2024 16:57:09 +0000 https://religionnews.com/?p=4152886 INDIANAPOLIS (RNS) — A volunteer task force said it did not have the funds or influence needed to make abuse reforms stick. Now local church messengers have asked the SBC’s Executive Committee to take on the task.

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]]> https://religionnews.com/2024/06/12/the-future-of-sbc-abuse-reform-is-now-in-the-hands-of-denominational-committee/feed/ 0 North Carolina pastor Clint Pressley elected SBC president https://religionnews.com/2024/06/12/north-carolina-pastor-clint-pressley-elected-sbc-president/ https://religionnews.com/2024/06/12/north-carolina-pastor-clint-pressley-elected-sbc-president/#respond Wed, 12 Jun 2024 14:39:26 +0000 https://religionnews.com/?p=4153002 (RNS) — Pressley, a North Carolina megachurch pastor, was elected after a pair of runoffs.

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]]> https://religionnews.com/2024/06/12/north-carolina-pastor-clint-pressley-elected-sbc-president/feed/ 0 The Southern Baptists are meeting in Indianapolis. Here’s why it matters. https://religionnews.com/2024/06/10/the-southern-baptist-are-meeting-in-indianapolis-heres-why-it-matters/ https://religionnews.com/2024/06/10/the-southern-baptist-are-meeting-in-indianapolis-heres-why-it-matters/#respond Mon, 10 Jun 2024 19:58:19 +0000 https://religionnews.com/?p=4152095 INDIANAPOLIS (RNS) — More than 11,000 church members are expected to gather in Indianapolis for one of the largest, most influential church meetings of the year.

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]]> https://religionnews.com/2024/06/10/the-southern-baptist-are-meeting-in-indianapolis-heres-why-it-matters/feed/ 0 Church led by SBC candidate Clint Pressley reports volunteer to police for alleged abuse https://religionnews.com/2024/06/09/church-led-by-sbc-candidate-clint-pressley-reporte-volunteer-to-police-for-alleged-abuse/ https://religionnews.com/2024/06/09/church-led-by-sbc-candidate-clint-pressley-reporte-volunteer-to-police-for-alleged-abuse/#respond Sun, 09 Jun 2024 18:48:35 +0000 https://religionnews.com/?p=4152439 (RNS ) — Hickory Grove Baptist Church pastor Clint Pressley said that a student at the church's school reported the abuse, which was reported to police and child protection officials.

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]]> https://religionnews.com/2024/06/09/church-led-by-sbc-candidate-clint-pressley-reporte-volunteer-to-police-for-alleged-abuse/feed/ 0