Southern Baptists

John Piper opened up about his eight-month leave from ministry last year as he spoke to hundreds of pastors Monday in Phoenix, Ariz.

He revealed a revelation he had during that period when he was re-examining his soul and his ministry efforts and refocusing on his marriage. And that is, the ultimate purpose of all things is to hallow God's name.

"What should be the all-defining, all-shaping, all-controlling desire of our hearts as pastors?" Piper posed at the Southern Baptist Convention's Pastors Conference. more >>

Southern Baptists got a late Pentecost lesson on Monday from a preacher who's best known for founding the Passion Movement.

As someone who grew up in a Southern Baptist church and received a Master’s degree from a Southern Baptist seminary, Louie Giglio knew he was speaking to a crowd that wasn't exactly keen on Pentecost celebrations or embracing the Holy Spirit, for that matter.

"I've never ever been to church on Pentecost Sunday when there was a Pentecost Sunday celebration in 53 years of my life," Giglio said at the 2011 Pastors Conference. "I didn't even know when it was for quite a while." more >>

Southern Baptist pastors were given a simple yet poignant message Sunday to preach Christ and not themselves.

Citing what were likely familiar words from the late A.T. Robertson, Bob Pitman reminded them that preaching of one's self was "surely as poor and disgusting a topic as a preacher can find."

Dean of the Adrian Rogers Center for Biblical Preaching at the Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Memphis, Tenn., Pitman directed his message to hundreds of pastors gathered in Phoenix, Ariz., for a two-day conference, held just ahead of the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting. more >>

The number of baptisms in the Southern Baptist Convention fell in 2010 by 4.98 percent, according to the latest report.

Southern Baptist churches reported 332,321 baptisms in 2010, down from 349,737 in 2009, as shown in the recently released Annual Church Profile compiled by LifeWay Christian Resources in cooperation with Baptist state conventions. Total membership also declined by 0.15 percent from 2009, making it the fourth straight year of decline. And primary worship attendance dropped 0.19 percent.

According to Ed Stetzer, vice president of research and ministry development for LifeWay Christian Resources, baptisms in the Convention are at their lowest level in 60 years. more >>

Harold Camping needs to publicly apologize for being wrong about his doomsday prediction and leading people astray, said a Southern Baptist leader.

The California radio broadcaster’s wrong prediction about the rapture and the end of the world reflected poorly on Christians, said Ed Stetzer, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s LifeWay Research and LifeWay’s missiologist in residence.

Stetzer issued a series of tweets about Camping’s eschatological prediction on Saturday, among which one noted that there was no earthquake in New Zealand after 6 p.m. more >>

Why do pastors struggle with confronting domestic violence?

Author and blogger John Shore recently addressed the above question after hearing from a multitude of women who were told by their pastors to, “in one way or another, stick with their abusive husbands.”

Explaining that he personally had never known any pastor that would give such advice, Shore attempted to highlight six reasons why he and his wife thought “good, loving, well-intentioned men” might have done “such a terrible thing.” more >>