MISSISSIPPI
Associational Missions Directors and Mississippi Baptist Convention Board staffers were presented with the disturbing reality of the spiritual state of the state during a day-long presentation Sept.7 at Garaywa Camp and Conference Center in Clinton. Scott McConnell, executive director of Nashville-based LifeWay Research, a division of LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention, told attendees that studies and survey data indicate Mississippians have become less religious over the years, baptisms are largely children and teens, and more people are leaving Mississippi churches than joining.
In the nation as a whole, McConnell said, population growth has stalled and with that, Americans are less likely to believe the Bible is true and God cares about them. Statistics available for the years 2008-2018 show the most decreasing religion in Mississippi is Evangelical Christians, while the most increasing group is no religion — atheists, agnostics, and no preference. Along with an aging population, McConnell said, research suggests that a major factor in the decline of evangelistic activity is that 41% of Christian men and women of retirement age are not evangelizing, compared to the 12%-29% of non-evangelizing Christians in younger generations. As McConnell stated, “There is no retirement from evangelism.” McConnell suggested that Mississippi Baptists can take positive steps to revitalize the spiritual state of the state by: — Engaging in more evangelism of adults. — Beginning new works to reach those not being reached today (new Sunday School classes/small groups, new church plants, new ministries). — Adjusting conversations with the unchurched by meeting them where they are and helping them understand the Gospel. — Supporting and encouraging pastors and church leaders. --Lindsey Williams; The Baptist Record; McConnell: Mississippians increasingly turning away from religion 9.26.23 |
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The Southern Baptist Convention has ousted an Oklahoma church whose pastor defended his blackface performance at one church event and his impersonation of a Native American woman at another.
The Executive Committee of the nation's largest Protestant denomination voted Tuesday that Matoaka Baptist Church of Ochelata "be deemed not in friendly cooperation with the convention" — the official terminology for an expulsion.
The church's pastor, Sherman Jaquess, dressed in blackface for a 2017 church Valentine's Day event, in which he claimed to be impersonating the late soul singer Ray Charles. Jaquess wore dark facial makeup, a large Afro wig and dark glasses and smiled broadly as he sang a duet. Some in the crowd can be heard laughing during the video of the performance.............Another Facebook photo, published by the Examiner-Enterprise of Bartlesville, also surfaced, showing Jaquess dressed as a Native American woman at a "Cowboys and Indians" night at a church camp. The photo shows a man dressed as a cowboy, holding an apparently fake gun to Jaquess in jest while a boy dressed as a cowboy is poised with raised fists next to him. In a Facebook post earlier this year, Lewis wrote: "He didn't just mimic Ray Charles, he distorted the features and culture of African Americans and also Indigenous Americans with his offensive Pocahontas caricature. He is promoting the hatred that sees African Americans and Indigenous Americans as not only different but less than. "
Jaquess defended his actions when they came to light, saying he was playing tribute to Ray Charles and that he doesn't "have a racist bone in my body," according to the Examiner-Enterprise.
Jaquess, who has campaigned against public drag shows, said in a sermon posted on Facebook that his "dressing up like Pocahontas" was not a drag performance because it wasn't sexual. Drag performers are generally described as entertainers who dress and act as a different gender. In the sermon, Jaquess said he has "Cherokee blood in me but I put some brown makeup on. ... I was trying to look like a Native American woman." He acknowledged in the sermon that several people were leaving the church amid the controversy.
--NPR: (Associated Press): Southern Baptists expel church as pastor defends blackface and Native caricatures 9.19.23
The Executive Committee of the nation's largest Protestant denomination voted Tuesday that Matoaka Baptist Church of Ochelata "be deemed not in friendly cooperation with the convention" — the official terminology for an expulsion.
The church's pastor, Sherman Jaquess, dressed in blackface for a 2017 church Valentine's Day event, in which he claimed to be impersonating the late soul singer Ray Charles. Jaquess wore dark facial makeup, a large Afro wig and dark glasses and smiled broadly as he sang a duet. Some in the crowd can be heard laughing during the video of the performance.............Another Facebook photo, published by the Examiner-Enterprise of Bartlesville, also surfaced, showing Jaquess dressed as a Native American woman at a "Cowboys and Indians" night at a church camp. The photo shows a man dressed as a cowboy, holding an apparently fake gun to Jaquess in jest while a boy dressed as a cowboy is poised with raised fists next to him. In a Facebook post earlier this year, Lewis wrote: "He didn't just mimic Ray Charles, he distorted the features and culture of African Americans and also Indigenous Americans with his offensive Pocahontas caricature. He is promoting the hatred that sees African Americans and Indigenous Americans as not only different but less than. "
Jaquess defended his actions when they came to light, saying he was playing tribute to Ray Charles and that he doesn't "have a racist bone in my body," according to the Examiner-Enterprise.
Jaquess, who has campaigned against public drag shows, said in a sermon posted on Facebook that his "dressing up like Pocahontas" was not a drag performance because it wasn't sexual. Drag performers are generally described as entertainers who dress and act as a different gender. In the sermon, Jaquess said he has "Cherokee blood in me but I put some brown makeup on. ... I was trying to look like a Native American woman." He acknowledged in the sermon that several people were leaving the church amid the controversy.
--NPR: (Associated Press): Southern Baptists expel church as pastor defends blackface and Native caricatures 9.19.23
Feb 23, 2023: Baptist Press: Churches respond to action of Executive Committee
New Faith Mission Ministry in Griffin, Ga.; St. Timothy’s Christian Church in Baltimore, Md.; Calvary Baptist Church in Jackson, Miss.; and Fern Creek Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky., were deemed to be not in friendly cooperation because of female senior pastors.
New Faith Mission Ministry in Griffin, Ga.; St. Timothy’s Christian Church in Baltimore, Md.; Calvary Baptist Church in Jackson, Miss.; and Fern Creek Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky., were deemed to be not in friendly cooperation because of female senior pastors.
Feb 13, 2023: Christianity Today: Mississippi Evangelicals Prepare to Welcome Dobbs Babies
The United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, allowing the state of Mississippi to pass a law banning all abortions except to save the life of the mother or in cases of rape or incest that have been reported to police. The clinic that gave its name to the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case shut down in July. It was the state’s only abortion provider, so while women may still travel to Florida, New York, or Illinois to terminate a pregnancy, abortion has effectively ended in the Magnolia State.
The United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, allowing the state of Mississippi to pass a law banning all abortions except to save the life of the mother or in cases of rape or incest that have been reported to police. The clinic that gave its name to the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case shut down in July. It was the state’s only abortion provider, so while women may still travel to Florida, New York, or Illinois to terminate a pregnancy, abortion has effectively ended in the Magnolia State.
Feb 1, 2023: Madison County Journal: Rep. Ford co-sponsors transgender legislation
A House bill that would limit access to gender reassignment surgeries for children under the age of 18 and prevent the use of public funds has the support of Gov. Tate Reeves and many Madison countians.
Since passage of House Bill 1125 two weeks ago, Reeves has been encouraging the Mississippi Senate to “get it to my desk as soon as possible.”
A House bill that would limit access to gender reassignment surgeries for children under the age of 18 and prevent the use of public funds has the support of Gov. Tate Reeves and many Madison countians.
Since passage of House Bill 1125 two weeks ago, Reeves has been encouraging the Mississippi Senate to “get it to my desk as soon as possible.”
Jan 27, 2023: WBUR: Christian reverend reflects on death of Tyre Nichols
Here & Now's Jane Clayson speaks with Rev. Jason Lawrence Turner of the Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church about the death of Tyre Nichols at the hands of Memphis police officers.
Here & Now's Jane Clayson speaks with Rev. Jason Lawrence Turner of the Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church about the death of Tyre Nichols at the hands of Memphis police officers.
Jan 14, 2023: Canton News: Carson selected as Mississippi Christian Living Leader of Year
For the fourth year in a row, Mississippi Christian Living (MCL) has taken nominations for Christian Leaders of the Year, and, this year, Cantonian Angela Carson was selected.
Carson is the founder and executive director of the Canton-based Pine Grove Association, which serves youth, the elderly, the Hispanic community and others.
She is the founder and president of Carson Consulting Services, which offers training, consulting and coaching for nonprofits, small businesses and government entities.
She is a member, secretary and Sunday school teacher at Priestley Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, Canton.
For the fourth year in a row, Mississippi Christian Living (MCL) has taken nominations for Christian Leaders of the Year, and, this year, Cantonian Angela Carson was selected.
Carson is the founder and executive director of the Canton-based Pine Grove Association, which serves youth, the elderly, the Hispanic community and others.
She is the founder and president of Carson Consulting Services, which offers training, consulting and coaching for nonprofits, small businesses and government entities.
She is a member, secretary and Sunday school teacher at Priestley Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, Canton.
Jan 5, 2023: Christian Post: Mississippi school district to allow student to wear ‘Jesus Loves Me’ face mask
Alliance Defending Freedom, a legal nonprofit specializing in religious freedom cases that represented Booth, announced Wednesday that the school district has reversed its decision and will now allow the child to wear her “Jesus Loves Me” face mask as part of a settlement agreement ending a federal lawsuit.
“No student should be singled out for peacefully expressing her religious beliefs,” said ADF Senior Counsel Tyson Langhofer, director of the ADF Center for Academic Freedom. Today’s students will be tomorrow’s legislators, judges, educators and voters. That’s why it’s so important that public schools demonstrate the First Amendment values they are supposed to be teaching to students.”
Alliance Defending Freedom, a legal nonprofit specializing in religious freedom cases that represented Booth, announced Wednesday that the school district has reversed its decision and will now allow the child to wear her “Jesus Loves Me” face mask as part of a settlement agreement ending a federal lawsuit.
“No student should be singled out for peacefully expressing her religious beliefs,” said ADF Senior Counsel Tyson Langhofer, director of the ADF Center for Academic Freedom. Today’s students will be tomorrow’s legislators, judges, educators and voters. That’s why it’s so important that public schools demonstrate the First Amendment values they are supposed to be teaching to students.”
Dec 23, 2022: Natchez Democrat: NEW YEAR, NEW CHURCH: Resurrection Church brings ministry to Miss-Lou
The Rev. Israel Hanchey, a Vidalia native, is planting the seeds of a new church in Natchez, he said.
While still in its early beginnings, Resurrection Church doesn’t have a building.
Hanchey said the first church service will be held at 2 p.m. Jan. 1, 2023, New Year’s Day, at Magnolia Bluff’s Casino Hotel.
The Rev. Israel Hanchey, a Vidalia native, is planting the seeds of a new church in Natchez, he said.
While still in its early beginnings, Resurrection Church doesn’t have a building.
Hanchey said the first church service will be held at 2 p.m. Jan. 1, 2023, New Year’s Day, at Magnolia Bluff’s Casino Hotel.
Dec 22, 2022: The Architects Paper: OJT expands an existing church in Mississippi to create an educational campus
Clarksdale, occupies a 4.8 acre site of a historic church whose congregation relocated following dwindling membership. A majority Black and underserved town of roughly 15,000, Clarksdale’s fraught history of disinvestment has overtaken its legacy as a cultural hub in Mississippi, leaving its residents without the structural support to thrive in a tourism economy. The school aims to be one step in reversing rising poverty rates and the proliferation of vacant lots, as it prepares children in Clarksdale and surrounding counties for college on a tuition-free basis.
Clarksdale, occupies a 4.8 acre site of a historic church whose congregation relocated following dwindling membership. A majority Black and underserved town of roughly 15,000, Clarksdale’s fraught history of disinvestment has overtaken its legacy as a cultural hub in Mississippi, leaving its residents without the structural support to thrive in a tourism economy. The school aims to be one step in reversing rising poverty rates and the proliferation of vacant lots, as it prepares children in Clarksdale and surrounding counties for college on a tuition-free basis.
The Trustees of Blue Mountain College have approved the new name of Blue Mountain Christian University. The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal said that the transition is under way. The 2023 freshman class will be the first to attend under the new name.
It's the latest change in names for an institution that began in 1873 as Blue Mountain Female Institute. The private college was independently owned and operated until being turned over to the Mississippi Baptist Convention in 1920. --Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal; Nov 4, 2022
It's the latest change in names for an institution that began in 1873 as Blue Mountain Female Institute. The private college was independently owned and operated until being turned over to the Mississippi Baptist Convention in 1920. --Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal; Nov 4, 2022
Suspect arrested in torching of 2 black churches in what Democrat claims was tactic to suppress votes
Investigators at the Jackson Police Department have arrested 23-year-old Devin McLaurin on suspicion of starting seven fires across Jackson, Mississippi, Tuesday, including two at historically black churches, one of which was completely destroyed. 11.11.22
Investigators at the Jackson Police Department have arrested 23-year-old Devin McLaurin on suspicion of starting seven fires across Jackson, Mississippi, Tuesday, including two at historically black churches, one of which was completely destroyed. 11.11.22
Sept 14, 2022: Messenger: Grapeland Church Sends Water to Help Struggling Jackson, Mississippi
Recent flooding in the Pearl River has affected water treatment processing facilities near Jackson, Mississippi. The flooding also caused damaged to pumps at the main processing facility. Residents found themselves lining up for hours to get water to use for cooking and drinking as local sources were contaminated and not useful.
Recent flooding in the Pearl River has affected water treatment processing facilities near Jackson, Mississippi. The flooding also caused damaged to pumps at the main processing facility. Residents found themselves lining up for hours to get water to use for cooking and drinking as local sources were contaminated and not useful.
July 31, 2022: Mississippi Today: In Mississippi, Christian forgiveness does not equate to felony voting reforms
During his eight years as governor, Barbour, like most other Mississippi politicians, did nothing to make that forgiveness more inclusive by creating a system that would make it easier for the literally tens of thousands of people convicted of felonies to have their voting rights restored.
Most Mississippi politicians wear their Christianity on their sleeve. The primary tenet of the Christian faith is forgiveness and redemption. Yet, they do not see as part of that forgiveness and redemption the restoration of voting rights for people convicted of felonies.
Multiple studies have made the argument that restoring voting rights increases the odds that people who have been convicted of felonies will become productive members of society.
During his eight years as governor, Barbour, like most other Mississippi politicians, did nothing to make that forgiveness more inclusive by creating a system that would make it easier for the literally tens of thousands of people convicted of felonies to have their voting rights restored.
Most Mississippi politicians wear their Christianity on their sleeve. The primary tenet of the Christian faith is forgiveness and redemption. Yet, they do not see as part of that forgiveness and redemption the restoration of voting rights for people convicted of felonies.
Multiple studies have made the argument that restoring voting rights increases the odds that people who have been convicted of felonies will become productive members of society.
Jan 11, 2022: The Baptist Paper: Construction of Mississippi mosque approved
A federal court has approved a consent decree that will allow developers to construct the Abraham Church of God and Cemetery, the first Islamic mosque in the city of Horn Lake in DeSoto County, Mississippi, over the initial objections of local officials.
A federal court has approved a consent decree that will allow developers to construct the Abraham Church of God and Cemetery, the first Islamic mosque in the city of Horn Lake in DeSoto County, Mississippi, over the initial objections of local officials.
March 25, 2021: Freedom From Religion Foundation: FFRF calls out senator from Mississippi on Christian nationalist comments
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is urging the junior senator from Mississippi to recant recent Christian nationalist comments she made in defense of voter suppression.
Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith defended a voter suppression bill in Georgia during a Senate Campaign Finance Committee hearing this week. The bill, if passed, would implement a number of undemocratic voter suppression tactics, including prohibiting early voting on Sundays. This is a thinly veiled attempt to restrict voting by Black Georgians, who often vote after church as part of a “Souls to the Polls” campaign.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is urging the junior senator from Mississippi to recant recent Christian nationalist comments she made in defense of voter suppression.
Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith defended a voter suppression bill in Georgia during a Senate Campaign Finance Committee hearing this week. The bill, if passed, would implement a number of undemocratic voter suppression tactics, including prohibiting early voting on Sundays. This is a thinly veiled attempt to restrict voting by Black Georgians, who often vote after church as part of a “Souls to the Polls” campaign.