A lunch that launched a vital lectureship

By J. Brent Walker, BJC Executive Director
The Walter B. and Kay W. Shurden Lectures on Religious Liberty and Separation of Church and State have provided wonderful opportunities for thousands of students, professors and other campus visitors to imbibe the wisdom the speakers supplied.

From the April 2013 Report from the Capital

Standing for principles in all situations

By J. Brent Walker, BJC Executive Director
Defending religious liberty by standing up for the separation of church and state sometimes results in unpopular outcomes. Theological and constitutional principles ensuring religious liberty must apply and be followed in the hard cases as well as the easy cases.

From the February 2013 Report from the Capital

A ‘no religious test’ scorecard

By J. Brent Walker, BJC Executive Director
Allow me one more restrospective on the interplay of religion and politics in the 2012 elections. It appears that we did a fair job of talking about religion in the public square in a responsible way.

From the January 2013 Report from the Capital

Modeling the virtues of Christmas

View text as PDF Written by J. Brent Walker, BJC Executive Director What do Barnes & Noble, Foot Locker, L.L. Bean, Old Navy, Office Depot and Radio Shack have in common? They are all against “Christmas” — at least according to the American Family Association,...

Holding up the jewel of religious liberty

By J. Brent Walker, BJC Executive Director
I eagerly anticipate the Baptist Joint Committee’s board meeting each October. In fact, the whole staff does because we draw such energy and encouragement through our interaction with this talented and involved group representing the BJC’s 15 member bodies. This year, however, the board meeting also marked a renewal of the BJC in many ways as we celebrated the opening of the Center for Religious Liberty.

Signs we’re taking ‘no religious test’ seriously

By J. Brent Walker, BJC Executive Director
The upcoming election will be an important one and certainly historic in at least one sense. In the 223 years of our republic, this will be the first time that no white Anglo-Saxon Protestant will appear on either ticket of the two major parties for president or vice president.