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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

‘Pledge of Allegiance’ changed at DNC

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor MILWAUKEE (LBM) -- At least three leaders of groups represented on the digital broadcast of the Democratic National Convention proceedings either deleted or added phrases to substantially alter the Pledge of Allegiance. The DNC Caucus and Council Meeting: Muslim Delegates and Allies Assembly as well as the DNC LGBTQ Caucus Meeting were started by reciting the pledge, but “under God” was deleted both times. Meanwhile, the DNC Environment and Climate Crisis Council began its meeting with the pledge, with an addition, “with liberty and justice for all … some day.” Although available online, none of these controversial segments have been broadcast on network or cable stations except Fox News. Meanwhile, the DNC platform committee passed a resolution ahead of the virtual meeting of Democrats that applauds the religiously unaffiliated while at the same time condemns people of faith who do not support a liberal political agenda. The “Resolution Regarding Religiously Unaffiliated Demographic” cites the growth of the number of religiously unaffiliated among Democrats, calling the demographic “the largest religious group within the Democratic Party,” and praises the fact that … [Read more...]

Six Baptist state executives say there’s no partnership in new NAMB ‘strategic cooperative agreement’

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor VANCOUVER, Wash. (LBM) – Executive directors representing five Western state conventions and a Midwestern one have written a passionate letter, Aug. 12, 2020, addressed to Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board, and his trustees, as well as the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee and its president, Ronnie Floyd, repudiating what they describe as a lack of partnership in the new “Strategic Cooperative Agreement” that NAMB presented to “non-South Baptist state conventions, dated June 26-30, 2020.” The six leaders include Randy Adams (Northwest Baptist Convention), Bill Agee (California Southern Baptist Convention), Joe Bunce (Baptist Convention of New Mexico), Randy Covington (Alaska Baptist Resource Network), Jack Kwok (State Convention of Baptists in Ohio) and Chris Martin (Hawaii-Pacific Baptist Convention). Saying “we work most effectively when working in collaboration and harmony, especially in our non-South states where the local context and cultures of our mission fields can vary so significantly,” they described NAMB as becoming increasingly centralized and unilateral in its strategies and relationships with state conventions, adding … [Read more...]