Mainline Protestant (Religion)
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Southern Baptist professor Matthew Barrett has ignited a theological controversy across social media platforms following his announcement that he is leaving both Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and the Southern Baptist Convention to seek ordination in the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). The Kansas City-based theologian made his intentions public on July 24, 2025, through a post on X (formerly Twitter) that linked to a 6,000-word Substack essay detailing his reasons for the denominational switch. Dr. Barrett, known for his work in systematic theology and “classical retrieval” scholarship, cited what he termed three “cracked pillars” in Southern Baptist life...
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Social media buzzed with reaction when Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary theology professor Matthew Barrett announced his departure from the SBC to become an Anglican. He cited the “beauty of Anglicanism” and claimed its practices better align with “how Christians have worshipped across history.” But a cadre of Baptist theologians who focus on connecting Southern Baptists with the broader Christian tradition disagree. They say Baptist churches are fertile ground to draw from the Christian church’s theological roots—including fourth- and fifth-century formulations of the doctrines of the Trinity and the person of Christ. Baptists must retrieve “the roots of our own...
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I have a niche hobby of looking at church websites. I consider myself a super sleuth, combing through church websites to figure out their theology and politics. Though I am not especially religious anymore, there is nothing I love more than uncovering secret, conservative evangelicals. Church Clarity. It was also born of necessity. I’ve lived in Boston for over a decade where you must be able to read between the lines on a church’s website or social media as more conservative churches try to fly under the radar in this notoriously secular city. As a scholar of religion, I’ve also...
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Earlier this month, a body known as GAFCON — the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans — declared it was “now the Global Anglican Communion.” In the Oct. 16 declaration, entitled “The future has arrived,” the alliance of conservative Anglican church leaders said it had resolved to “reorder” the Anglican Communion, the world’s third-largest Christian communion after the Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodoxy. “Today, GAFCON is leading the Global Anglican Communion,” said the statement signed by Rwandan Archbishop Laurent Mbanda, chairman of GAFCON’s Primates’ Council. “As has been the case from the very beginning, we have not left the Anglican Communion;...
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The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, the second-highest-ranking cleric in the Church of England, acknowledged the pain the decision would cause. “We believe we have done the right thing,” he said, citing legal and theological guidance, “but we know it will be difficult and disappointing for some.” The Church of England has once again found itself caught between the demands of doctrine and the pressures of a changing world. In mid-October, its bishops voted to suspend a long-anticipated plan that would have tested separate blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples — a move hailed by traditionalists and lamented by reformers. The...
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Gafcon, a movement claiming to represent the majority of Anglicans worldwide, particularly in the Global South, has officially rejected the authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury and related institutions such as the Lambeth Conference — declaring itself the true “Global Anglican Communion.” The declaration marks a formal split in the Anglican Church, following years of mounting concern among Gafcon leaders over what they view as the mainstream Communion’s departure from biblical teaching. Their announcement comes after recent controversies, including the appointment of the Rt. Rev. Cherry Vann, a practicing lesbian, as Archbishop of Wales, and the naming of Dame Sarah...
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In fairness to the English remnant of the Church of England, let’s hear what Archbishop of Canterbury and LGBT advocate Sarah Mullally has to say about protecting children from perverts who groom them for sexual exploitation: *must see video on link* That must be what people mean when they say, “The silence was deafening.” You can see why the church’s Christian contingent has broken off.
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The unity of Church of England has been dealt a major blow to the denomination in a punishing reminder that theological treason has consequences, after a group representing nearly 40 million members—ten times the number of Anglicans in the UK—announced they are the real Anglican Communion and will no longer be in communion with their progressive counterpart, dividing the denomination in two while declaring “We cannot continue to have communion with those who advocate the revisionist agenda, which has abandoned the inerrant word of God as the final authority.” Over the past two decades, the denomination has been liberalizing at...
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Dame Sarah Mullally was named the first female archbishop of Canterbury last week, and received immediate criticism over her apparent support for abortion. Key Takeaways: * The Church of England announced its first female archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally. * Mullally has made comments that indicate support for abortion despite the Anglican Church's pro-life stance. * She has been criticized for "scandalous views on abortion" and has also said she believes in "choice" for parents of preborn children with Trisomy 18. The Details: The Church of England has maintained a largely pro-life stance, believing that abortion should be allowed in...
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The Global Methodist Church, a conservative alternative to the thoroughly embattled and progressively captured United Methodist Church, announced last week that more than 6,000 member churches have joined their denomination, reaching a milestone that few thought possible just a few years ago. The Global Methodist Church was formed as a direct result of the UMC’s acceptance of homosexuality and gay marriage, which conservative churches found untenable. Launched in 2022 with only two dozen churches, thousands of churches followed and sought union. It wasn’t without its difficulties, however. Many churches were forced to jump through hoops to leave the UMC with...
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A denomination founded as a theologically conservative alternative to the United Methodist Church has grown to include 6,000 member congregations worldwide.The Global Methodist Church, which was launched on May 1, 2022, announced on its Facebook page last Friday that it had reached the 6,000-member church milestone.“That's 6,000 pulpits preaching the Gospel,” stated the GMC. “6,000 altars where hearts are renewed. … 6,000 congregations worshiping in a variety of nations and languages.”“Join us in praying for the movement as we continue to welcome existing churches and plant new ones to spread the love of Christ to our communities and beyond.”The formation...
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Six-time Grammy winner Amy Grant, who gained much of her notoriety through her Christian songs, has agreed to a legal settlement about a church founded by her great-grandfather in downtown Nashville, Tenn., according to the Wall Street Journal. The boarded-up red brick building, now worth at least $11 million, served for decades as the Central Church of Christ, founded in 1925 by A.M. Burton. During its heyday, the church was involved in providing housing, daycare, food, and a free library in addition to its worship services. Burton’s sermons were broadcast through a radio station that he founded. He died when...
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Days after the Anglican Church elected pro-choice, pro-LBGTQ feminist Sarah Mullally to be the next Archbishop of Canterbury, a new controversy is brewing after church officials decked out te the famed Canterbury Cathedral in graffiti, leading one commenter to describe it as looking like an “underground car park,” according to The Times. The graffiti is part of an art installation set to open on October 17 and running for three months. Rather than real spray paint, the artists have applied decals to the walls, staircases, and pillars, and include questions such as “Are you there?”, “Where does love come from?”,...
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Zao MKE Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is led by Rev. Jonah P. Overton (they/them) and Cameron Overton. Married in 2018, they present as a gay homosexual couple, when in reality, both are biological women, making them a gay, lesbian couple. Describing themselves as “Jesus Rooted, Justice Centered, Radically Inclusive,” a Q Worship Collective describes them as “a church that is being recreated and reimagined by people who were historically denied access to traditional Christian leadership.” We’ve covered them before after their pastor set a record for the most amount of times saying “crap” in a sermon, and after the worship...
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The strange death of ProtestantismThat broad body of Christian belief and practice known to the world as Protestantism originated in Catholic Western Europe in the 16th century, mostly the fruit of the highly original, expansive mind of Martin Luther, and then of the rather narrower and derivative mind of John Calvin. The pivotal doctrine of Protestantism was encapsulated in the easy and elegant slogan: justification by faith alone.In a Catholic culture in which the passion and death of Jesus on the cross were at the very heart of religious sensibility, Luther's message that Jesus's sacrifice was so overwhelmingly sufficient that...
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The Anglican Church is poised to lose tens of millions of members across Africa and Asia following the appointment of Sarah Mullally, 63, as the first woman Archbishop of Canterbury and leader of the Anglican Church. Her appointment comes months after her predecessor, Justin Welby, resigned over his failure to deal with and report sexual abuse in the church. Far from a conservative, Mullally is a self-described feminist and has passionately fought for women’s ordination across the church. She is pro-choice and has been working to move the church in favor of same-sex acceptance and inclusivity. The Global Fellowship of...
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Cardinal Koch congratulates Archbishop-designate of Canterbury Sarah MullallyKing Charles III has approved the nomination of the Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London, as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury. She will be the first woman to hold the office, with her installation scheduled for March 2026 at Canterbury Cathedral.In a letter addressed to Bishop Mullally, Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, offered his congratulations and expressed the Catholic Church’s support for her new ministry. He wrote:“Having learned of your nomination… I write to congratulate you on your appointment and to express...
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Churches across the West are twisting themselves into shapes no apostle would recognize — bending like pretzels to please secular society. They update doctrines, rewrite homilies, and water down long-held beliefs, all in hopes of attracting people who rarely show up anyway. And now the Church of England has chosen its new leader: Dame Sarah Mullally, hailed as a “theological liberal” and celebrated for her progressive stances. But it raises a fair question: does the Archbishop believe in the Christianity she is meant to lead, or only in a softened imitation of it? Mullally, the first female Archbishop of Canterbury...
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GAFCON, a grouping of conservative Anglican churches across Africa and Asia, said the Church of England's appointment of its first female Archbishop of Canterbury showed that the English arm of the church had "relinquished its authority to lead". "Today's appointment makes it clearer than ever before that Canterbury has relinquished its authority to lead. The reset of our beloved Communion is now uniquely in the hands of GAFCON, and we are ready to take the lead," the alliance said in a statement on Friday.
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The Methodist Church has responded to the wave of anti-immigration sentiment that has swept the UK, releasing a new song it hopes will quell the rising tensions. Britain has been rocked in recent months with protests against the government’s lackadaisical and unsustainable immigration policies, along with a failure to act against illegal immigration, resulting in men like Tommy Robinson leading nearly 150,000 people to protest in the Unite the Kingdom rally earlier this month. The Methodist Church of Britain, a progressive denomination that long ago ceased being a prophetic voice in the country, announced on their website that they have...
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