BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — Lifeway Christian Resources announced this week that Kirk Kirkland will step into the role of director of Lifeway Worship on Dec. 1.
“We are overjoyed to welcome Kirk to the team at Lifeway,” said Joe Walker, interim Lifeway president. “Kirk’s experience in music ministry, his understanding of Lifeway’s culture and mission, and his ability to relate to worship leaders and music industry leaders uniquely qualify him for this role. His heart for worship, deep pastoral sensitivity, and creative leadership make him an incredible addition to our team.”
Kirk Kirkland
Kirkland comes to Lifeway from Judson Baptist Church, where he has been serving as minister of music and worship and minister of pastoral counseling since 2008. He is a singer, recording artist, Grammy-nominated songwriter, ordained minister and professional counselor. He has been involved in concert ministry and church music ministry for over 30 years. He previously served at Lifeway as music events coordinator (1998-2004) and as a songwriter for lifewayworship.com (2010-2019).
“God has called me to use music as a pastor and teacher – that has been the passion and pursuit of my life,” Kirkland said. “I believe everything significant God is doing in the world He is doing through local churches, so it’s a privilege to work with an organization like Lifeway that is seeking to champion church leaders and encourage them in their roles.”
Kirkland said he believes the Lifeway Worship team has a fantastic opportunity ahead of them. “I’m energized by what I’m hearing from ministers of music and state Baptist leaders across the country. We are unified in our desire to see and hear the Body of Christ sing to the glory of God,” Kirkland said.
“Lifeway Worship also has an unmatched opportunity to help raise up the next generation of worship leaders by creating music and worship resources that are theologically trustworthy, musically accessible and practically useful,” he continued. “Young leaders need to have confidence in what Lifeway Worship is producing, but also that we are a trustworthy source of ministry tools and training they can practically count on.”
A native of Jacksonville, Fla., Kirkland grew up in a home shaped by music education and ministry. His father, Camp Kirkland, is recognized as a pioneer in incorporating instrumental music into church music ministry and is widely known for his music arrangements and orchestrations.
“I believe God has been preparing me for this role my entire life,” Kirkland said. “I grew up loving the Church and the music of the Church, which has led me to sing, play, write and record music all focused on encouraging the Body of Christ. It’s an honor to work with Lifeway to serve churches and help men and women to lead their congregations to worship the Lord in spirit and truth.”
Kirkland has a bachelor’s degree in music education from Florida State University in Tallahassee and a master’s in counseling psychology from Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville.
“Worship is critical to the effectiveness of the local church,” said Brian Daniel, senior director of church strategy. “When it’s important to the local church, it’s important to Lifeway. Worship, to a large degree, reflects the heart of a disciple. Where theology, discipleship, formation and the heart intersect is where Lifeway has to be. In Kirk we have a leader who will help us prioritize and support church leaders whose role is leading the people of God to worship the One who is worthy of our worship.”
Kirkland said he sees this call to Lifeway as an opportunity to lift up church leaders and encourage them in their faith and in their roles as worship leaders. “This is kingdom work, and I’m so grateful Lifeway is committing itself to this work in a fresh way.”
CP’s early support and continued impact compel church and pastor’s giving
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (BP) – The Cooperative Program helped St. Joe Community Church get its footing 23 years ago. It’s one reason Pastor Greg Byman and the congregation pay it forward by giving through CP, but certainly not the only one.
“The Cooperative Program enabled us to have enough resources in the early days for me to be here full-time,” Byman said. “Once that support went away, we continued giving to CP, knowing that we wanted to pay those benefits along to other churches.”
St. Joe Community Church consistently marks 7 percent of its budget for CP.
“Every year, we make sure everyone knows we’re putting that in our budget,” he said. “We explain at the offering and in membership classes that we give at least a tithe away. We believe that a healthy, Bible-believing Christian is going to grow spiritually when they are good stewards of God’s money.
“How do we fulfill the Great Commission unless we’re partnering with somebody else?”
St. Joe was launched through the North American Mission Board in 2002 with Waynedale Baptist Church in Fort Wayne as the sponsoring church. Early on, the church gave 5 percent through CP before increasing that amount to 7. Two percent goes a Send Relief affiliate ministry in Huntingdon, Ind. The rest goes to local ministries and Northeastern Indiana Baptist Association.
The Cooperative Program helped pay for Byman’s education at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and the doctorate he’s finishing up at Southeastern Seminary. Another church member attended classes at Southern Seminary. Byman’s daughter attends online classes for Southern as well from her residence in Tampa, Fla.
Missions is central for St. Joe Community Church. In addition to trips throughout the year, one member was commissioned at the recent SBC Annual Meeting in Dallas to serve in Eastern Europe.
Friends who are members of other denominations have taken note of how CP leads to greater efficiency in missions, Bynam said.
“They’re incredibly impressed by that fact that we’re all pouring into one great, big bucket so that missionaries don’t have to worry about doing that themselves,” he said. “It’s centralized, and tangible.”
There was another time when Southern Baptists missions stepped up and, technically, didn’t have to. At the beginning of the COVID pandemic, Byman’s son and his son’s then-girlfriend (now wife) were on a mission trip through another organization in Uganda. As infection numbers went up, the country shut down its borders with the agency unable to remove workers.
Byman knew a contact through the International Mission Board and urged his son to reach out. The IMB “figured out a way to get them out of there,” Byman said. The couple are currently interviewing with the IMB to become missionaries through the Southern Baptist entity.
CP has also blessed his family through its support of collegiate ministries and church plants near where his children live.
“All four of my kids have benefitted,” he said. “My oldest son went to Harvard and ended up within walking distance of a replant in Cambridge. I mean, I didn’t think he would have a chance at being near an evangelical church. My second son went to Ball State and was able to find another Southern Baptist church plant within walking distance of his dorm.
“My third child is married and lives in Tampa. She’s in a new church that meets in a downtown hotel. My youngest, Janae, is at Purdue University and she’s in a Salt Network church. They were just all looking for a good church and, in some places, you just don’t know what you’re going to find.”
Those experiences compel him to support the Cooperative Program.
“CP has blessed my family personally,” said Byman. “How can I not appreciate it?”
Southern Baptist pastors offer varied but regular Gospel invitations, study finds
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – If you walk into a worship service at a Southern Baptist church, chances are you will hear the pastor offer a Gospel invitation. More than likely, they’ll also ask you to respond in person, not digitally.
According to a Lifeway Research study of Southern Baptist pastors commissioned by the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, 74 percent say they provided an opportunity for people to respond to a Gospel invitation within their weekly Sunday morning worship service every week in the past year. Another 11 percent say they offered such opportunities two to three times a month, while 3 percent say once a month.
Few Southern Baptist pastors asked worship service attendees to respond to an invitation less often, including 2 percent who say they did so seven to 11 times during the year, 3 percent who say four to six times and 6 percent who say one to three times. Just 1 percent say they never did so.
“Southern Baptist pastors, on the whole, firmly believe in the power of the Gospel, the responsibility of sharing the Gospel and the importance of offering a time for a response,” said Steve Parr, evangelism strategy director at the Georgia Baptist Mission Board. “They understand that a response gives opportunity for counsel of the person making a commitment and a benchmark to advance the discipleship of those who respond, including follow-up for baptism.”
Pastors’ practice lines up with their plans. Almost 4 in 5 (78 percent) say they plan to call people to respond to a Gospel invitation at all their weekly worship services. One in 10 (10 percent) say they plan to do so when the Spirit leads them. Additionally, 8 percent say they plan on calling people when the main Scripture passage includes a clear Gospel message, 7 percent when they know there are guests or non-believers present and 5 percent when they are not calling for another response, such as serving or forgiving.
Few say they plan to offer an invitation at a few special services a year or other times (2 percent). Just 1 percent say they never plan to make such a call after their weekly worship service.
Two in three Southern Baptist pastors (66 percent) say they regularly call their congregations to respond to a truth in the sermon, but it is not always a Gospel invitation. Around 3 in 10 (30 percent) disagree, and 5 percent aren’t sure.
What pastors believe
Asked to volunteer their thoughts and opinions about including a Gospel invitation in the worship service, 1 in 5 pastors (20 percent) say it is important to allow time and opportunities for response. Similar numbers (19 percent) point to the work of the Holy Spirit and the need for it to be Spirit-led. Around 1 in 7 (15 percent) believe it should always be offered, and 1 in 10 (10 percent) say it is necessary and absolutely must be in every service.
Other pastors say it is an essential or useful practice (8 percent), should not be manipulative (5 percent), requires a clear Gospel presentation (4 percent), is a biblical practice (4 percent), depends on the church or context (2 percent), should not be offered every week or is not required in every service (2 percent) or challenges people (1 percent). Just 1 percent believe having a Gospel invitation as part of a worship service is not effective. One percent also say an invitation still works or is effective. The same percentage (1 percent) believes it is not biblical. And 1 percent say an invitation provides an opportunity for discipleship. One in 20 Southern Baptists (4 percent) offered no additional thoughts.
“While Southern Baptist pastors share a commitment to extending invitations, they are diverse in their means of doing so,” said Parr. “What each method holds in common is the opportunity to respond to the Gospel message.”
Concerns about invitations
Most pastors (66 percent) offer Gospel invitations in their weekly Sunday morning worship service without any reservations. Others, however, note some concerns that cross their minds.
One in 5 (20 percent) worry about emotional manipulation with invitations. Around 1 in 7 (15 percent) believe salvation only occurs through the prompting of the Holy Spirit, so that causes them to be concerned about worship service invitations. One in 10 (10 percent) say only church members are typically present in their services.
Fewer say they believe the practice leads to false assurance regarding salvation (7 percent), their church uses other methods to connect with people who are interested in learning about salvation (7 percent) or they prefer to call people to respond individually rather than in a worship service. For 3 percent of Southern Baptist pastors, they don’t believe the Bible affirms the use of Gospel invitations in worship services, while 1 percent say the practice distracts from the worship experience. Some (6 percent) say they have other concerns.
“The lack of concern among Southern Baptist pastors speaks to their conviction that God is working, the Gospel is essential and pastors and churches have a responsibility to identify and disciple those who come to faith in Jesus Christ,” said Parr.
How pastors offer invitations
Most pastors provide multiple ways to respond to a Gospel invitation in their worship services. Around 2 in 3 say they ask people to walk forward to speak with someone at the front during the service (65 percent) or ask them to talk with the pastor after the service (64 percent). Half of that (32 percent) ask those responding to speak with specific leaders after the service.
Fewer Southern Baptist pastors typically direct individuals to submit a printed card to indicate a decision (12 percent), ask them to go to someone in a location other than the front during the service (11 percent) or ask them to go to a location after the service (10 percent). Few pastors want those responding to use a QR code to indicate their decision online (3 percent). Similarly, few ask people to make the church aware of their decision by text (3 percent), email (3 percent) or going to a website (2 percent). Around 1 in 8 (12 percent) say they use some other means.
“This is a good reminder that discipleship is based on relationships,” said Parr. “Pastors much prefer to directly speak with someone making a decision, as opposed to other means that lack a face-to-face conversation.”
Asked to rate the effectiveness of the invitation methods they use, Southern Baptist pastors believe physical calls to respond are more effective than those given through technology.
Among its practitioners, going to a specific location after the service is the most likely to be seen as at least moderately effective (79 percent), with 10 percent saying it is extremely effective.
Other methods that are seen as effective by those who use them are talking with the pastor after the service (76 percent at least moderately effective), talking with specific leaders after the service (70 percent), filling out a printed card (68 percent), going to someone in a location other than the front during the service (67 percent) and walking forward to someone at the front during the service (65 percent).
Among the few pastors who use technology to solicit Gospel responses, many don’t believe those methods are very effective.
“Pastors don’t expect that there will be a response every time, but it is easy for them to conclude that a method is not effective if no one ever responds,” said Parr. “It is important that pastors are making these judgements so long as it propels them toward seeking ways to be effective, to grow in their implementation of their preferred method, and to pray for a move of God in calling people to salvation.”
When asked to provide (or list) training or resources that have helped them in leading an effective Gospel invitation, 10 percent of Southern Baptist pastors say Scripture. Other leader responses are experience and practice (8 percent), seminary or college courses (6 percent) and books, articles or other similar resources (5 percent).
Invitation responses
Around 2 in 3 Southern Baptist churches (65 percent) baptized five new believers or fewer in the past 12 months, including 18 percent who didn’t baptize anyone. The median church baptized three individuals, while the average church, driven up by larger churches, baptized more than eight.
Pastors at Southern Baptist congregations of fewer than 50 in attendance are the most likely to have baptized no new believers in the past year (37 percent). Those who lead churches with 250 or more in attendance are the most likely to say they’ve baptized 25 or more (51 percent).
“Baptism numbers are not the measure of a healthy church in and of themselves, but they cannot be ignored,” said Parr. “When no one is coming to faith or being baptized, it should drive church leaders to prayer and to evaluate their ministries and methods. That evaluation must first and foremost be centered on biblical theology, but it should not ignore best practices that can be gleaned from those churches seeing a greater response.”
Few Southern Baptist pastors (11 percent) say they have offered a spontaneous baptism opportunity in the past year, where people are called to come forward, profess their faith to a church leader, and immediately be baptized in front of the congregation. Larger congregations with 250 or more (20 percent) are the most likely to have done so.
When a pastor offers an invitation and no one responds, some feel discouraged for themselves and their congregation. Two in 5 (42 percent) say it is discouraging for them when no one comes forward during a Gospel invitation in a worship service, while 53 percent disagree. Fewer Southern Baptist pastors (31 percent) believe it is discouraging for the congregation. Half (51 percent) disagree, and 18 percent aren’t sure.
The study originated from and was sponsored by the Georgia Baptist Mission Board. The online survey of 1,007 Southern Baptist pastors was conducted June 18-27, 2025. The invitation list was a random sample, drawn from a list of all SBC churches with an email address identified as part of the Annual Church Profile process. Invitations and reminders were emailed. Respondents were screened to include only the senior or sole pastor of the church. Responses were weighted by region and church size to more accurately reflect the population. The completed sample is 1,007 surveys. The sample provides 95 percent confidence that the sampling error does not exceed plus or minus 3.3 percent. This margin of error accounts for the effect of weighting. Margins of error are higher in sub-groups.
Smith’s Spurgeon Lectures sermons deal with burden, joy, foolishness of preaching
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Renowned preacher and professor Robert Smith delivered lectures on the burden, joy and foolishness of preaching at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s Spurgeon Lectures on Biblical Preaching earlier this month.
Smith, distinguished professor of divinity at Beeson Divinity School, has had a “profound preaching and teaching ministry now spanning several decades,” MBTS President Jason Allen said.
“His energy and conviction in the pulpit are inspiring and instructive. I am grateful our students were able to sit under his teaching for these two lectures.”
The burden and joy of preaching
In his lecture Nov. 4, Smith preached on the burden and joy of preaching from Acts 18:24-28. His initial lecture urged listeners to pursue a life and ministry marked by humility, dependence on the Spirit of God, and closeness to Christ.
He began the sermon by noting that every disciple is covered in the dust of those who discipled and taught them: “Timothy was the student of Paul, and that’s when he got some Pauline dust on him. And Paul was the student of Jesus, and even he said to us, ‘Follow me as I follow Christ,’ walking close behind Jesus and covered in His Christological dust.”
Throughout his message, Smith returned to the image of “Christological dust,” stating that, like Paul, the preacher must always want to know Christ more – not just content about Christ, but the experience of Him.
He emphasized that ministry requires both knowledge and experience: “When you realize you have been justified, it makes a difference. Our sanctification is the process of catching up to our exegesis.”
“We are learning more of who we are, and when you know who you are, it makes a difference in how you live,” Smith said.
He then illustrated this posture through the example of Apollos.
Smith pointed out that Apollos is described as one fervent in spirit and further expounded on the necessity of the Spirit for Gospel ministry: “The Holy Spirit is not a luxury. The Holy Spirit is a necessity,” Smith said. “We need the Holy Spirit in our lives and in our ministries – even to the point that we cannot be effective in anything we do without the Spirit.”
Smith declared that Apollos recognized the centrality of the Spirit to transform and bring change: “He knew that, regardless of preparation or linguistic ability, his words would fall to no effect without the Spirit of God.”
Smith also emphasized that while Apollos was an eloquent man who was competent in the Scriptures, he needed to receive fuller instruction from Priscilla and Aquila. Since Apollos was both intelligent and humble – as one who wanted to know and experience Christ – he received their encouragement.
“They took him aside not to reprove him but to improve him,” Smith said. “He understands that you cannot say, ‘Thus saith the Lord,’ unless you know, ‘What saith the Lord.’”
Smith concluded his message by saying that it is a burden to work alongside someone with an incomplete message, like Apollos, but a joy to see God bring him to maturity and make him an effective preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
His final words challenged listeners to pursue greater nearness to Christ—to walk so close behind Him that they are covered in His “Christological dust,” reflecting more of His likeness with every step.
The foolishness of preaching
In his second lecture Nov. 5, Smith preached on the foolishness of preaching from 1 Corinthians 1:18-31, stressing that faithful preaching doesn’t aim to sound logical or simple – it carries a message the world calls foolish.
Smith warned that preachers must resist the temptation to domesticate the text to make it more appealing: “Preaching comforts the afflicted,” he said, “but it also afflicts the comfortable.”
He continued, “The world that thinks it is standing right side up must be confronted by a Gospel that turns it upside down – by pointing to the One who hung on the cross right side up, crucified as the Messiah, yet rose Sunday morning with all power in His hand.”
He explained that “foolishness” describes the work of God that surpasses human understanding and must be received by faith. In doing so, he urged listeners to redefine wisdom itself: what the world calls foolish is the wisdom of God.
Smith then pressed a question upon the audience: “Are you ready to preach this kind of foolishness?”
Smith closed his sermon by stating the comfort of such a “foolish” message, declaring, “I don’t understand many things about tomorrow, but I know who holds tomorrow. When I don’t know what, I know who. When I don’t know when, I know who. When I don’t know where, I know who. When I don’t know how, I know who. I know who holds tomorrow, and I know He holds my hand.”
To watch this year’s Spurgeon Lectures, click here.
Texas church experiences turnaround after refocusing on core principles
LAVON, Texas – God has chosen to bless First Baptist Church in Lavon with numerical and spiritual growth as the congregation has emphasized prayer and discipleship to make Christ known in the community.
The church had seen its best days during the 30-year tenure of a pastor who retired when the small, rural community in southeast Collin County began to grow as a bedroom community of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The years that followed were a struggle, and the congregation of 200 dwindled to 75.
In 2016, the church called Brad Patterson to his first pastorate out of seminary. FBC Lavon had not baptized anyone in the two years prior, but they baptized eight people that first year.
After pressing through some transitional challenges during the first two years, Patterson began to see fruit, he said. At the beginning of 2020, the church set a 10-year-goal of giving away $1 million, baptizing 500 people, and launching 25 community groups in local neighborhoods.
“We are in the fifth year of that vision in 2025, and we are on pace to accomplish that goal,” Patterson said. Attendance has grown to around 500 on Sundays.
As the population booms with housing developments and the area grows in diversity, FBC Lavon has been in position to reach out.
One way it does that is through a strong partnership with the local school district. The superintendent is an active member of the church, which is intentional about building relationships with teachers and other school leaders.
“We seek to enter into what their need and their vision is for their school district,” Patterson said. For example, if a principal says he would really like his teachers to feel loved, the church puts its emphasis on honoring teachers at that school.
“There’s one school where we pick up a Costco cake every month and take it to celebrate the teachers’ birthdays that month,” Patterson said. The church also takes meals to schools monthly and has started a program at Christmas to make sure students receive gifts.
Multiplication in action
A strong discipleship culture has developed at FBC Lavon, where expositional preaching is emphasized. A man named Bryan started watching services online during the pandemic and emailed Patterson with an interest in meeting him.
“He ended up coming into church, and when I met him on Sunday morning, he had interests that [another man named] Michael would have,” Patterson said. “I asked Michael to go to lunch with me and Bryan that Sunday, and I shared the Gospel with Bryan. Bryan got saved. I said, ‘If this is serious, then I want you to start meeting with Michael every week.’”
Bryan and Michael met weekly for two years for discipleship, with Bryan showing tremendous interest in theology. Bryan became part of a community group in the pastor’s home.
“Then there’s a guy named Daren that came to our church,” Patterson continued. “He was a skeptical atheist. Daren and I met at the church at 9 o’clock one night. I shared the Gospel with him, and he came to faith in Christ. I said, ‘Daren, if this is real, then I have a guy I want to disciple you.’ I wanted Bryan to disciple Daren.”
Daren and Bryan started meeting at a local coffee shop for discipleship, and people started listening in on their conversations. Bryan invited people to join them, and that group has grown into a regular Saturday morning Bible study.
“That all happened because I discipled Michael, Michael discipled Bryan, and Bryan is now discipling Daren. There is a group of unbelievers meeting and studying the Bible together because of it,” Patterson said.
In 2021, God placed on Patterson’s heart the idea that the church needed a stronger prayer emphasis. FBC Lavon now starts each year with corporate prayer and worship nights weekly beginning in January and monthly for the rest of the year.
Ami Roddy, the pastor’s executive assistant, believes seeking God’s face may have something to do with the health the church has experienced.
“We have seen His sovereignty in the way He has expanded our reach to proclaim His name through allowing us to launch a preschool where we can boldly proclaim truth to little hearts, to those families coming to our VBS, then those families coming to church, to parents being saved.
“We know that it is true that although He has given us different tasks to do, planting or watering, He is the one who causes the growth,” Roddy added. “We do not take any credit for the growth we are seeing, but thank the Lord that He has invited us to be a part.”
WASHINGTON (BP) – The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments Nov. 10 in a case which will determine if a person can sue a government official in an individual capacity for damages caused by violating the person’s religious freedom.
Landor says the shaving of his head violated his free expression of religion, as he is a practicing Rastafarian and made a Nazarite vow to never cut his hair almost 20 years ago.
The question in the case is whether Landor is able to sue the prison officials who forcibly cut his hair both in their capacity as government officials and as individuals, therefore collecting monetary damages.
Before the oral arguments, the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) joined several other religious organizations in filing an amicus brief supporting Landor.
Others filing briefs supporting the plaintiff included Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and multiple religious denominations.
Landor argues the officials violated the federal law known as the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA).
RLUIPA, enacted 25 years ago, applies to state prisons that receive federal funding and forbids the government from imposing a substantial burden on religious exercise unless the imposition in question is the least restrictive means of furthering a compelling government interest.
While serving his five-month sentence, Landor was held at two different locations before being transferred to Raymond Laborde Correctional Center just a few weeks before his sentence was set to end in 2020.
When he arrived at that facility, Landor attempted to explain his religious beliefs and provided a prison guard with a copy of a ruling by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals stating that RLUIPA required the prison to allow him to keep his lengthy hair, styled with dreadlocks as per his religion.
Prison officials threw this copy of the opinion in the trash, handcuffed Landor to a chair, held him down and shaved his head bald. Louisiana has historically not allowed prisoners to have dreadlocks.
The prison warden allegedly demanded Landor provide proof of his religious belief and told him it was “too late for that” when he responded that he could get documentation from his lawyers.
After his release from prison, Landor sued the state and the prison officials in federal court. He pointed to a provision of RLUIPA that allows individuals to bring lawsuits for “appropriate relief,” against the government and government officials who violate the law.
The district court dismissed Landor’s claims against the prison officials in their individual capacities, ruling that RLUIPA does not allow private individuals to bring such claims seeking monetary damages.
The 5th Circuit upheld that ruling, pointing to its 2001 ruling that plaintiffs cannot sue government officials in their individual capacity for money damages. Landor then asked the Supreme Court to weigh in, which it agreed to do in June.
Monday’s oral arguments primarily focused on whether or not the prison officials in question had enough clear notice that they could be held liable to subject them to money damages under RLUIPA.
Zachary Tripp, lawyer for the plaintiff, argued the case is the “poster child for a RLUIPA violation,” and Landor should receive damages according to the law.
Crucial in Tripp’s argument is RLUIPA’s similarity to another law aimed at protecting religious expression known as the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA).
RFRA was enacted several years before RLUIPA, and was originally meant to apply to all levels of government, but the Supreme Court limited it to the federal government in 1997. The passing of RLUIPA in 2000 was Congress’ effort to strengthen state-level protections.
In its 2020 decision in Tanzin v. Tanvir, the Supreme Court held that “appropriate relief” under RFRA can include money damages in lawsuits brought against government officials in their individual capacities.
Tripp argued RLUIPA uses identical language as RFRA, describing the two laws as being like “twins separated at birth,” and therefore damages should be available under RLUIPA.
“RLUIPA is clear, it's constitutional, and we're asking the Court to reverse,” Tripp said in his opening statement.
Although justices acknowledged the gross mistreatment Landor suffered, they seemed divided on his arguments for seeking monetary damages.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh told Tripp that a clear statement was needed for the plaintiff to bring his claims against the prison officials, and RLUIPA’s use of the phrase “appropriate relief,” is “not as clear as it could be.”
Justices Neil Gorsuch and Samuel Alito seemingly agreed, questioning when the prison officials would have agreed to be bound to RLUIPA and pointing out that the High Court previously ruled RLUIPA’s reference to “appropriate relief” was not sufficiently clear to allow an inmate to sue for monetary damages.
Also speaking on behalf of the petitioner was Libby Baird, assistant to the U.S. solicitor general who argued on behalf of the Trump administration.
Baird told the justices that RLUIPA “puts states on clear notice” that government officials can be sued for damages in their personal capacity.
“Congress used materially identical text in RLUIPA to provide the same remedies as RFRA against state officials,” Baird said in her opening arguments. “Under the Spending and Necessary and Proper Clauses, Congress could create personal liability for state officials acting as agents of the state when they violate conditions on federal fund.”
Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson agreed with this argument, while Chief Justice John Roberts disagreed.
Benjamin Aguiñaga, solicitor general of Louisiana, argued on behalf of the defendants.
Aguiñaga admitted there are “valid” concerns about the lack of clarity on whether money damages can be gathered from state employees sued in their personal capacity, but the solution would simply be for Congress to pass additional clarifying legislation, which does not concern the High Court.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett shared this concern, but Justice Sotomayor appeared to lean more to the side of the plaintiff.
Miles Mullin, executive vice president and chief of staff for the ERLC, spoke to the ERLC’s support of Landor’s case.
“Just five years ago, the Supreme Court unanimously asserted that people who have suffered government infringement upon their religious liberties are entitled to monetary damages from those who violated their rights under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). Yesterday, the justices considered whether the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) offers the same protections,” Mullin said.
“Though both RFRA and RLUIPA use near-identical language, RLUIPA’s grounding in Congress’ spending clause may cloud the clarity a majority of the justices are seeking to rule in Landor’s favor. The ERLC, anticipating this contention, filed a brief to the court arguing this difference should not matter as long the conditions and consequences of violation – personal liability – are clear.
“What is crystal clear is that Landor’s rights were egregiously violated by state employees who knew that his rights were protected but chose to violate them anyway. If the First Amendment means anything, this cannot stand. State employees cannot be permitted to act with impunity as they snatch a yarmulke off a Jewish man’s head, force an Adventist to eat pork and burn confiscated Bibles. That is precisely the sort of state-sponsored persecution our Founding Fathers sought to prohibit when the First Amendment was ratified.
“If current law does not provide the clarity needed, then Congress should address it as soon as possible by passing legislation that provides the clarity the justices are seeking. Since the assistant to the U.S. Solicitor General argued for the plaintiff on behalf of the Trump administration, the president would likely sign such legislation without hesitation. This move would be a definite win for religious liberty.”
A decision in the case is expected by summer 2026.
‘God has put us in this place,’ says missionary couple
When Jeffrey and Theresa Stafford got engaged, he drew two large circles on a map of the Amazon and mailed it to her with a note. God willing, he wrote, our family will one day live and work in one of these places.
Today the Staffords, along with their four children, serve as International Mission Board missionaries deep within the Amazon rainforest. The small community where they live is the end of the road – the very last town before the river wends its way through protected indigenous lands.
A cool breeze blows through the open windows of their home as Jeffrey and Theresa talk about what it takes to be a steadfast Gospel presence in such a demanding and isolated location.
IMB missionaries Jeffrey and Theresa Stafford meet with a family from an unreached people group. Whenever the family comes to town for supplies or medical needs, Jeffrey shares Bible stories with the adults while Theresa and their children bring coloring sheets that correspond to the teaching to do with the children. IMB Photo
“The work of the Lord in other countries really is hard and lonely and difficult,” Theresa said. “But how rewarding it is to really, truly be about winning souls for the kingdom of God in a context where He’s not known or worshiped.”
The Staffords recalled their first years living on the edge of the jungle as propelled by excitement despite difficult physical circumstances and feelings of isolation. At various intervals they ran out of water, had no internet or cell signal, went for days and nights without electricity, and once were even stuck in their village for more than nine months when the road was unpassable. Time after time, God confirmed His calling on their lives.
“We feel humbled that God would put our family way out here where we circled on the map when we were engaged,” Theresa said. “There’s a lot of confidence and hope and joy that comes even in the hard stuff.”
But the past few years have proved even more difficult than those first years.
“The more time we’ve spent here, the more we have understood the fact that it’s impossible to try and convince people of the Gospel,” Theresa explained. “We cannot do the job God has called us here to do apart from His presence and His power and His giving of dreams and visions and His work in their hearts.”
Among the people who live in their community, some have heard the Gospel. Many of them blend ancestor worship and cultural beliefs with the God of the Bible, and discipleship efforts have been met with complacency, resistance and even rejection.
Many Indigenous families live in upriver communities and only visit town every six months for supplies and appointments. IMB missionary Jeffrey Stafford said that recently their people group has shown more hunger for the Word of God in their own language. He asked for prayer as he studies the language and takes every opportunity to share the gospel. IMB Photo
But recently, other members of their people group from up the river have been asking questions about God when they come to town for supplies and appointments.
One day when Jeffrey went down to the riverbank to meet with a family in town for a brief stay, a man asked him if the God of the Bible spoke to people in dreams.
“In my dream, God said that I need to listen to you,” the man told Jeffrey. “He said you are sharing the truth. What do you have to tell us?”
The people group the Staffords are working to reach put great stock in dreams. There is no Bible in their language, and Jeffrey and Theresa’s constant prayer has been that God might use dreams and visions to open hearts to His Word.
“These dreams that are starting to happen within our people group are answers to seven and a half years of our prayers,” Theresa said.
Although most families in this region only make visits to town every few months, Jeffrey is working diligently to learn the language and memorize sets of Bible stories that he can share with them each time they come.
He described the hunger they have demonstrated for God’s Word in their own language and said several people have already expressed their interest in baptism and following Jesus.
“One thing that continues to be certain is that God has put us in this place,” Jeffrey said. “He has opened doors and given dreams to these people on the riverbank and that’s where our focus is.”
Some names may have been changed for security.
Lifeway Women’s Leadership Forum marks 30 years of equipping leaders
HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. – At this year’s Lifeway Women’s Leadership Forum, ministry leaders celebrated the event’s investment in women’s ministry over the past 30 years.
In 1994, Lifeway created a full-time women’s ministry specialist position to meet the growing need for national leadership and training for women’s ministry leaders in churches.
Author, speaker, blogger and women’s ministry consultant Chris Adams was the first to hold this role, developing the first Women’s Ministry Metro in 1996, which later became known as Women’s Leadership Forum.
This year, Adams was one of over 800 women from more than 30 states who gathered at Long Hollow Church in Hendersonville, Tenn., for the 30th annual Lifeway Women’s Leadership Forum Nov. 6-7.
This year’s Women’s Leadership Forum theme was “Trustworthy,” based on Psalm 19:7: “The instruction of the Lord is perfect, renewing one’s life; the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise.”
As leaders reflected on the last three decades of women’s ministry, Forum attendees prepared for the next 30 years of leadership, hearing from platform speakers about being trustworthy leaders rooted in God’s trustworthy nature.
“My hope for the next 30 years is that we see a generation of women rooted in Scripture, resilient in their faith and equipped for their calling,” said Andrea Lennon, director of Lifeway Women. “I see Lifeway continuing to play a vital role by offering trustworthy resources and experiences, spaces for connection and transformation and leadership development that champions the truth of God’s Word.”
Being a trustworthy leader
Jeff Iorg, president of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, opened the Forum teaching on distinctly Christian leadership and equipping women to be trustworthy leaders.
Jeff Iorg, president of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, equips women to be trustworthy leaders at Lifeway Women's Leadership Forum, November 6-7, at Long Hollow Church in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Photo by Cesia Suazo
“You cannot make people trust you,” Iorg said. “There’s no formula for that. But you can work on being trustworthy."
Iorg told women that leaders establish trustworthiness through consistency and longevity. Calling women to be consistent at the core of distinctly Christian leadership, Iorg highlighted distinctly Christian leadership as being motivated by love (Matthew 22:34-40), marked by an attitude of humility (Philippians 2:5-8) and lived out through a strategy of service (Mark 10:35-45).
“I’m confident these three things are at the core of Christian leadership,” Iorg said. “If you will focus on the core and do that over time, you will be trustworthy.”
Depending on a trustworthy God
Speaker and teacher Sarita Lyons taught from 1 Kings 19:1-9, calling women to trust God with their emotional lives – from the highs to the lows.
“Do we, as leaders, trust God with our emotions in the valley like we do when we’re on the mountain?” Lyons asked leaders.
Drawing from Elijah’s story, Lyons highlighted three emotional groanings common to many leaders – fear, loneliness and sadness. In each of these groanings, Lyons called women to lift their gaze to God.
“We can trust God with all of our emotional groanings, because God will show up,” Lyons said. “There is such a freedom that comes from not trusting in yourself but in God.”
Teaching from 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, author and speaker Jennifer Rothschild focused on trusting in God’s sufficiency amid your own weaknesses.
“Because God is trustworthy, you can be who God has called you to be,” Rothschild said, reminding women that because God is enough, they don’t have to be.
Acknowledging that God is able to remove any “thorn in the flesh,” Rothschild challenged women to trust that God’s grace – not His thorn removal – is sufficient for them.
“If thorn removal were sufficient, God would give it to you,” Rothschild said. “God’s grace is the best and most sufficient thing He gives to each of us.”
Calling women to live out the reality that God’s grace is sufficient, Rothschild invited women to rest in Him. “God’s grace is sufficient, and He is worthy of our trust.”
Finding trustworthy community
Author and artist, Ruth Chou Simons, challenges leaders to build trustworthy community at Lifeway Women's Leadership Forum, November 6-7, at Long Hollow Church in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Photo by Cesia Suazo
On Friday, author and artist Ruth Chou Simon taught women how to find and build a trustworthy community. Sharing some of her own story of losing trust in a Christian community, Simons encouraged women that God made them to work and thrive in a trustworthy community.
“What do you do when you’ve been burned by Christian community?” Simons asked leaders. “You keep your eyes on Jesus and remember you’re not the author of trustworthy community.”
Pointing to seven biblical reasons believers must build trustworthy community, Simons reminded attendees they can build a trustworthy community because God is trustworthy.
“Building trustworthy community is worth your time, your energy, your vulnerability,” Simons said. “It’s worth it because you love Jesus and you want Him seen and displayed.”
God’s trustworthy Word
Author and teacher Courtney Doctor closed the Forum reminding women of Scripture’s trustworthy nature. Doctor told leaders God shows that His Word is trustworthy by giving one, cohesive story from beginning to end.
“It holds together from beginning to end because He’s the one who holds it together from beginning to end,” Doctor said.
Teaching through the entire narrative of Scripture, Doctor answered the questions: What is the Bible? What is its storyline? What moves the story forward? What compels God to act?
“As you’ve considered the beauty and cohesiveness of the story, I hope you are better able to rest in our good, good God,” Doctor said.
Equipped for calling
In addition to listening to general session speakers, women worshiped, heard from Lifeway Women leaders, participated in a live recording of the Lifeway Women Marked Podcast, attended interview sessions and breakouts and received resources to equip them to grow in their faith and leadership.
Breakout sessions included topics such as:
Truth You Can Trust: Standing Firm in a World of Deconstruction
God’s Wisdom Is Trustworthy, So Don’t Just Survive, but Thrive in Marriage & Ministry
More Than Words: The Practice of Prayer That Changes Your Life, Family & Ministry
Reaching Every Generation: Ministry That Connects Across Ages
Teaching Through Mentoring, Discipleship & Coaching
The next Lifeway Women’s Leadership Forum will be held at Long Hollow Church in Hendersonville, Tenn., Nov. 5-6, 2026. To register or get updates on speakers, breakout sessions and more, visit Lifeway.com/womensforum.
In a deer stand, God calls widower to launch church cancer ministry at 76
Editor’s note: Sunday, Nov. 9, is Orphans and Widows Sunday in the Southern Baptist Convention.
MADISON, Miss. (BP) – Albert Archie’s cancer diagnosis came first, followed by his wife Valerie's, and then their daughter Kimberly’s. Six years into Albert’s battle, and 52 years into his marriage to Valerie, she was the first to be called home.
Albert believed God’s loving providence and persevered when Valerie died of an aggressive strain of triple negative breast cancer in July 2023, two years after her diagnosis. His rare blood cell cancer responded well to treatment, and Kimberly’s triple positive breast cancer diagnosis came early in 2023 before Valerie died.
“When my wife passed away, my faith grew because I knew that she was better off,” Albert, now 78, told Baptist Press. “And when I looked at it, I had to think, well, you're selfish to want her back here.”
Albert Archie (right) with his wife Valerie (left), who died of cancer in 2023, and his daughter Kimberly, who, along with her father, is a survivor of cancer.
But at times, Albert retreats to his 240-acre tree farm north of Canton, leaving the home he and Valerie shared in Gluckstadt, just north of where they worshiped at First Baptist Church of Madison.
There in a deer stand one morning several months after Valerie’s death, Albert said, God told him to begin a cancer ministry.
“It's almost like God was in there with me and I couldn't think about deer at all. It was, ‘I need you to start a cancer ministry.’ And He didn't say it out loud. It was in my spirit,” Albert told Baptist Press. “I knew it. I knew it. I mean, there's just no doubt about it. And I got out of the deer stand right then.”
It would take more than six months before the ministry came to fruition. The outreach has helped as many as 55 members of First Baptist Church of Madison who have battled cancer, including bladder cancer survivor Cliff Smith and Madison Mayor Mary Hawkins Butler, diagnosed with cancer a year after her husband James died of brain cancer.
But Albert, a retired Kinesio therapist and Veterans Administration (V.A.) executive, assumed such a ministry would be in a hospital, similar to inpatient ministries he had conducted at the V.A. He spent six months trying to make it happen before the proper setting became clear on Easter Sunday 2024.
An encouraging sweatshirt is just one of the thoughtful gifts provided to cancer patients by a ministry at First Baptist Church in Madison, Miss.
God “wanted a church ministry,” Albert said. “I found that out by walking into the church service Easter Sunday. And a lady that's in my Bible fellowship class, a wonderful Christian member of our church, said, ‘Albert, why are you looking at inpatients when we're surrounded here by cancer members?’”
Kiely Young, First Baptist Madison’s congregational care and senior adult pastor, welcomed the ministry.
“Albert, we can use you here,” Albert said Young told him the very same Sunday. “The Wednesday after that, now this is Wednesday after Easter last year, I walk into church service on Wednesday night. He comes straight to me and says our pastor, Dr. Breck Ladd, had approved the ministry. He handed me a list of nine church members who had cancer.”
Albert shared the ministry concept with 28 Bible fellowship groups at First Madison and launched the ministry with a core committee of 19, including an eight-member board in charge of finance and administration.
The ministry has grown to a team of nearly 50 active members, all of whom are cancer survivors. Three cancer patients have died, Albert said.
Butler, who has served as Madison’s mayor since 1981, sensed her health need as she cared for her late husband James during his battle with brain cancer. Diagnosed in 2024, she cites the ministry’s prayers as most beneficial.
“The wonderful Prayer Warriors of First Baptist Madison Cancer Ministry are praying me through this journey. They reached out to me immediately after my diagnosis with love and special gifts,” Butler told Baptist Press. “The members are cancer patients and prayer warriors who believe in the power of prayer and know the Great Physician. Our Father heals today as He did when He walked on this earth. By His stripes, I will be healed.”
Prayer is perhaps the most appreciated aspect of the ministry, Albert said. Currently the ministry is serving four people actively battling cancer. The ministry prays for them, sends cards, provides care packages including inspirational books and special sweatshirts, gives them handmade blankets that seamstresses prayed over while making, gives them handmade stuffed animals, and does yardwork and other practical services as needed, Albert said. Donations pay for travel costs to cancer treatment centers.
Smith, who attends First Baptist with his wife Charlotte, is Albert’s prayer partner and a close friend. Smith battled cancer about six years, first in Jackson, Miss., and then at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, before getting the disease under control.
“Last August, they declared me cancer free,” the 84-year-old Smith said. “I got to ring the bell (at M.D. Anderson). It was quite an experience.”
Smith also appreciates the prayers.
“The main thing they do is we pray for each other, on a daily basis. Albert, I talk probably two or three times a week,” Smith said. “And that prayer really lifts you up and it makes you feel so good. And we get calls, we get visits, and I think they're sincere. It’s really something to have everybody praying for you.”
Smith keeps the handwritten cards he has received from Ruth Martin, whom ministry members describe as gifted in writing encouraging messages in the cards she frequently sends. He still has the prayer blanket the ministry provided, which he and his wife say is well-made and warming.
“Cancer, that's a word nobody likes to hear, but our faith is strong, and the Lord, He's going to do what's right,” the couple said. “He doesn't make mistakes. We just trust in Him.”
“Use what you’ve got. Use what you've experienced. Use it for His glory,” the book encourages. “And that's what I’ve tried to do.”
His daughter Kimberly DeLoach is surviving cancer, having had a double mastectomy like her mother.
“And, of course, I had to watch my daughter go through the same thing,” Albert said. “And she told me a couple of weeks ago, that she feels better than she’s felt in a long time.”
Albert encourages other churches to launch cancer ministries, and offers to help through his email, [email protected].
“It's not complicated; it's just getting it started,” he said. “I would love to see other Southern Baptist churches do what First Baptist Madison has done with this ministry, have the people be Jesus' hands and feet. And that's what we are. We're Jesus' hands and feet to the cancer members of our church. And they realize it and they know that they're being prayed for.”
Smith agrees.
“You would never guess that so many people at one church would be affected by the cancer ministry,” Smith said. “I can’t imagine a church where nobody else had cancer.”
With people suffering, Tennessee church SNAPped to attention
LENOIR CITY, Tenn. (BP) – The idea came up during a men’s Bible study on Oct. 29 at First Baptist Church. The government was shut down. The news said that, come Saturday, a lot of people were going to lose SNAP benefits that put food on the table.
Something needed to be done.
First Baptist Church doesn’t have a stocked food pantry, instead partnering with ministries like Operation Christmas Child or Mission of Hope, through which they “adopted” a school in Kentucky and provided food and other items for students. They work with Loudon County and Lenoir City resource centers throughout the year.
Discussions grew about how to help. Announcements came over social media for people to bring items. By the end of the second morning service, it became clear they needed a way to keep so many items refrigerated for the next day. Another person volunteered a refrigerator truck.
“This was totally lay-led,” said Jeff Bowden, executive pastor. “It’s a picture of Acts 6.”
The Tennessee Department of Human Services recorded 3,348 individuals in Loudon County receiving SNAP benefits in September.
Approximately 900 families have come by this week to receive bread, milk, cereal, orange juice, vegetables, fruit, pasta and other items to go with diapers and formula. A local company provided meat. Volunteers reported seeing people opening up a loaf of bread and eating before leaving the parking lot.
“I grew up, and during my high school years, we lived in poverty. And that is part of why my heart is here,” said church member Mae Dixon.
One recipient talked about how “multiple times” she had made her kids dinner with nothing left for herself. So, she went to bed hungry.
Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which serves nearly 42 million Americans each month, became another casualty Nov. 1 of the government shutdown. Churches, community organizations and businesses have responded by stepping in the gap.
“The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 12 that the [church] body has many parts, not just one,” said church Communications Director Sabrina Stamper. “Pastor John has shared this in his recent messages. This has been a divine example of that illustration.
“It is taking all of us answering the Great Commandment and following the Great Commission to do this Kingdom work in such an efficient, organized manner.”
Plans are to continue the food distribution and giveaway as long as necessary. Stamper, 22 years at First Baptist, said recipients aren’t the only ones being filled.
“I get to see the church body living a life on mission. Our pillars at the church are truth, grace, love and missions,” she said. “These volunteers are doing every bit of that. They pray with the people. They share truth. They show grace. They love others with open arms and do the things God has called us to do.”
