Evangelicals march in Washington
Churches in the nation’s capital gathered June 7 for a peaceful demonstration against racial injustice. The march, supported by pastors including Thabiti Anyabwile and David Platt, also included Sen. Mitt Romney, who told reporters he was marching to help “end brutality.”
The Washington march capped another week of protests following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Floyd, an African American, died after a white police officer kept his knee on Floyd’s neck for more than 8 minutes.
While most protests have reportedly been peaceful, violence has many left cities across the country struggling to pick up the pieces. In Chicago, churches joined efforts to clean up after looting, and a group of pastors supported local police by protecting the only grocery store in their neighborhood.
>Related: New ‘Reconciliation Conversation’ podcast focused on racial unity and the gospel
Baptists report historic membership decline
Total membership in Southern Baptist churches fell almost 2% from 2018 to 2019, according to the Annual Church Profile (ACP) compiled by LifeWay Christian Resources and Baptist state conventions. The decline of 287,655 members is the largest single year drop in more than 100 years, Facts & Trends reports. Other key metrics, including worship attendance and baptisms, also decreased.
“These numbers are not able to tell the story of all the evangelistic efforts that many individuals and churches have put in this past year,” said LifeWay Research’s Scott McConnell. “They do indicate, however, that the efforts of the same number of people in a congregation on average are seeing fewer people come to Christ and being baptized.”
>Related: Baptist leader Ronnie Floyd calls for rethinking ACP process
>Related: Missions giving down amid pandemic
Keller announces cancer diagnosis, asks for prayer
“I have terrific human doctors, but most importantly I have the Great Physician himself caring for me,” pastor and author Tim Keller posted on social media June 7. Keller, who pastored Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City for 28 years, asked for prayer as he undergoes treatment for pancreatic cancer.
Sources: Religion News Service, Illinois Baptist, Baptist Press, Facts & Trends, Christianity Today