SBC President Clint Pressley delivers his final presidential address. This afternoon, messengers will vote on the North Carolina pastor's successor. #SBC26

Ryan Blackwell, the new president of Lifeway, introduces himself to the SBC after trustees for the Brentwood-based publisher appointed him in April. #SBC26

Evan Lenow, the newly hired president of the SBC's public policy arm, the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, is passed the torch after Gary Hollingsworth served the entity for the interim during a moment of heightened scrutiny. #SBC26

Al Mohler makes his highly anticipated motion at the SBC annual meeting in Orlando, which would yet again enshrine a ban on women pastors. He's met with applause as he is the first messenger to make a motion at #SBC26. Vote will likely come tomorrow.

SBC entity leaders cosigned the "Brentwood Statement" to offer guidance to Southern Baptists on the use of AI, a follow-up to a Lifeway Research study on pastors and congregants' attitudes about the technology's use in the pews. www.baptistpress.com/resource-lib...

Southern Baptists, I'll be missing you in-person but will tune in remotely. Hope Orlando isn't as hot as Dallas was!

Women pastors and factional divisions, to appear in the vote for SBC president and potentially in debates on resolutions and political violence, are key issues facing the SBC annual meeting in Orlando starting tomorrow. What you need to know before: www.tennessean.com/story/news/r... #SBC26

Santa Muerte, a Grime Reaper figure with roots in Catholic missionaries to Mexico, is a popular symbol that Catholic leadership considers "spiritually dangerous" but is popular among narcos. @typewriterninja.bsky.social looks at the cartel underbelly of religion: www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...

A woman whose child was the victim of abuse by a convicted sex offender, a Sunday school volunteer at Fellowship Bible Church, sued to enforce a law invalidating NDAs. Her victory sets a precedent for future NDA-related cases in TN. From @angelelatham.bsky.social: www.tennessean.com/story/news/c...

ICYMI: Historically Black congregations & denominations are responding to the post-Callais voting rights crisis, some with renewed fervor. But will their role be the same as it was in 1965 and how will they manage skepticism among some fellow organizers? www.tennessean.com/story/news/r...

Southern Africans live into regionalizaion: Church leaders in The United Methodist Church’s Southern Africa Regional Conference craft a roadmap for contextualized mission and ministry.

The PCA General Assembly will take up a partial report from the Ad Interim Committee on Christian Nationalism at the influential denomination's gathering in Louisville in late June. byFaith Magazine reports on that partial report: byfaithonline.com/christian-na...

Talking to protesters at the state Capitol when lawmakers eliminated TN's only Black-majority congressional district, I got mixed responses on the role of the church in the voting rights fight today. So, I dove into that tension & how it compares to 1965: www.tennessean.com/story/news/r...

With Tennessee Lt. Gov Randy McNally's retirement after a controversial redistricting special session, @Vivian_E_Jones examines the Catholic lawmaker's career of fiscal conservatism, assisting an FBI sting operation, and Instagram messaging scandal. www.tennessean.com/story/news/p...

Knoxville Bishop Mark Beckman said in a statement after Tyler Whetstone's revelatory story on NDAs the diocese "does not intend to seek or enforce nondisclosure or nondisparagement agreements in response to sexual abuse allegations." An important follow: www.knoxnews.com/story/news/l...

The Rio Grande Presbytery brought charges and ultimately convicted PCA pastor Rev. Zachary Garris over "unwholesome speech" online in a trial that was also over comments about slavery. This is why it's sparking wider debate throughout Reformed circles: www.tennessean.com/story/news/r...

Strong showing for the religion beat on Tennessean’s A1 on Friday, featuring stories about the church’s role in the voting rights fight, Mo Sabri’s debut at the symphony as the first Muslim country artist at the venue, and Eli Lilly’s suit involving COGIC pastors.

In perhaps the most high-profile set of of decisions facing the SBC at its annual meeting in Orlando next week, messengers will take up resolutions on immigration, political violence and hate speech, and the physically gathered church in a digital age. sbcannualmeeting.net/wp-content/u...

ICYMI: Mo Sabri was the first Muslim country artist to perform at the Nashville Symphony yesterday. He spoke to the crowd about the significance of his identity as a Muslim and being able to perform on such a revered stage. He shared the same with me: www.tennessean.com/story/entert...

Williamson County pastor Kevin Riggs is proposing an 11,000-square-foot transitional housing project, which would be the first such facility outside a church. Gabrielle Chenault looks at how it's an expansion of Riggs' long running homelessness ministry: www.tennessean.com/story/news/l...

Mo Sabri will be the first Muslim country artist to perform at the Nashville Symphony in a concert Sunday. I traced Sabri's journey from Johnson City, a viral rap about Jesus, and the meaning of his symphony showcase with country and qawwali songs. www.tennessean.com/story/entert...

After the NAACP called for Black college athletes to boycott states that are redistricting Black-majority districts, @andreawillwrite.bsky.social puts the call in historical context & juxtaposes it with the material realities of college athletics today. www.tennessean.com/story/opinio...

Wherein @bmietana.bsky.social's newest NPR feature on "How Great Is Our God" narrated with Bob's soothing voice as he talks about the Jericho March and the Reawaken America Tour. www.npr.org/2026/05/27/n...

After lawmakers split TN's congressional districts into new territories and so soon before midterms, my colleagues traversed the new TN-5, TN-9 to capture voters' reactions (and I helped build a map). Here's our deep dive: www.tennessean.com/story/news/p...

A pretty revelatory story for both Catholic policy and state law from Tyler Whetstone, which focuses on an abuse survivor who's coming forward about his abuse and an NDA with the Knoxville diocese. That NDA now violates a retroactive state law. www.knoxnews.com/story/news/l...

H/t to @bmietana.bsky.social for being first on a story that other local outlets are picking up: Bishop Jerry Maynard Sr. of Nashville and other leaders in the Memphis-based COGIC are being sued for allegedly defrauding Eli Lilly in rebates for diabetes drugs. religionnews.com/2026/05/22/c...

BREAKING: A three-judge panel upheld Tennessee's new congressional maps in the NAACP's lawsuit, which challenged the constitutionality of lawmakers' actions. This follows a ruling in a different federal case denying a temporary injunction. www.tennessean.com/story/news/c...

The recent sentencing of a man in a planned attack against a Nashville mosque evokes a broader pattern of Islamophobic violence, most recently seen in a shooting at a San Diego mosque. From the prosecution and sentencing hearing: www.tennessean.com/story/news/r...

Didn't have the privilege to meet Frank Gibson, but grateful to his many years of contributions to The Tennessean & TN Coalition for Open Government. He sounded like an energetic reporter and fierce warrior for access to information. From @evanmealins.bsky.social: www.tennessean.com/story/news/l...

Tony Caruthers is set to be executed on May 21, leading to Caruthers' family and clergy to call on Gov. Lee to delay the execution. @evanmealins.bsky.social covered yesterday's demonstration and news conference: www.tennessean.com/story/news/c...

After a move by GOP leadership following last week’s special session, Democrats who represent TN’s largest cities will have no voice in the legislative process next year until bills get to a final vote. From @vivianejones.bsky.social: www.tennessean.com/story/news/p...

The ACLU is in the 3rd legal challenge to TN's new congressional maps approved May 7 accusing lawmakers of racial discrimination against Memphis "to shut Black voters out of power." The NAACP & TN Dems are also challenging the maps. From @evanmealins.bsky.social: www.tennessean.com/story/news/p...

The Nashville-based AME Church has since 2021 faced a crisis involving a former administrator accused of defrauding clients of more than $200 million in retirement funds. Some of those retirees are settling with an life insurance group for $44.4 million. www.tennessean.com/story/news/r...

TN redistricting news (helping monitor legal news for the team today): TN Dems filed a federal lawsuit seeking an immediate pause on the implementation of the new maps, the second legal challenge to the redistricting in addition to an NAACP suit. www.tennessean.com/story/news/c...

“But you cannot claim the cross and carry the gerrymander. You cannot confess Christ on Sunday and silence His people on Monday,” First Baptist, Capitol Hill pastor Rev. Shane Scott said in an open letter to Gov. Lee and Sen. Blackburn. From opinion: www.tennessean.com/story/opinio...

Had to leave the state Capitol but to keep up with the fantastic ongoing coverage from @vivianejones.bsky.social and @angelelatham.bsky.social, who are still on the scene, keep up with our live coverage of the redistricting battle: www.tennessean.com/story/news/p...

I spoke with @liamsadams.bsky.social of The Tennessean about the Newsboys lawsuit against MercyMe, @julieroys.bsky.social, Jessica Morris and many others. www.tennessean.com/story/news/r...

In a guest opinion column amid the Tennessee's redistricting battle, Nashville pastor Rev. Shane Scott revisits his historic congregation's role in the Civil Rights movement's push for voting rights (First Baptist, Capitol Hill & Rev. Kelly Miller Smith). www.tennessean.com/story/opinio...

A demonstration has broken out in committee hearings at TN's special session to redraw the state's only majority-Black congressional district. Our live coverage, including the proposed map and the protest at the state Capitol: www.tennessean.com/story/news/p...

The wave of abuse allegations against Michael Tait last year sent a shockwave through the Nashville-based CCM world. A new lawsuit from Newsboys' founder and against peers in the industry such as MercyMe will likely cause more disruption. www.tennessean.com/story/news/r...

An ongoing debate in evangelical circles about Christians who identify as same-sex attracted and are celibate was reignited recently with Rev. Sam Allberry's resignation from Immanuel Nashville, a well-known church for its many influential members/leaders. www.tennessean.com/story/news/r...

Lawmakers return for a special session this afternoon to potentially divide up Tennessee's only Black-majority congressional district. But not every Republican is enthusiastic about the idea. A preview of the debate to come from @vivianejones.bsky.social: www.tennessean.com/story/news/p...

Reformed/CREC podcaster Josh Haymes, once a fellow parishioner with Pete Hegseth, interviewed state Rep. Monty Fritts, who's running for TN governor and called for ending legal immigration and denounced surrogacy. From @vivianejones.bsky.social: www.tennessean.com/story/news/p...

S/o to @typewriterninja.bsky.social for pulling all this copy together. www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...

With one year of Pope Leo XIV's leadership, I teamed up with @usatoday.com on a project about how everyday U.S. Catholics are feeling about the pontiff. My copy looks at St. Vincent de Paul, which is the only historically Black parish in the Nashville diocese. www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...

When @texasmonthly.bsky.social hired @robertdownen.bsky.social, it meant they were going to get a prolific story based on years of reporting about Paul Pressler and the SBC. Today, that story is out and I'm real proud of Rob. I intend to read it in print but here's the link...

The story:

Also: You could already have gotten this story in your mailbox if you paid the mere $25 A YEAR for a print + digital subscription to Texas Monthly. We are, IMO, the best bargain in journalism. subscription.texasmonthly.com/pubs/TZ/TXP/...

This is a story I've worked on and off on since 2018, when allegations against Pressler kickstarted our yearslong investigation of the Southern Baptist abuse crisis. It's about Pressler's rise and legacy, but also about the lesser-known power struggle that broke out as a result of our reporting.

Tomorrow morning, we will be dropping a ~12,000 word story on Paul Pressler, the alleged sexual predator who remade the Southern Baptist Convention and helped ordain the marriage between the GOP and white evangelical voters. There is *a lot* in there and I hope you'll read it.