Posts published in “Magnolia Minds”

MAGNOLIA MINDS: God is great, God is good

MAGNOLIA MINDS: God is great, God is good

November 24, 2025

By Andrew Chesteen As with most families raising small children, sitting for a week-night meal around the dinner table is both a blessing and struggle.…

MAGNOLIA MINDS: Faithfulness — a call to do hard things

MAGNOLIA MINDS: Faithfulness — a call to do hard things

October 8, 2025

MAGNOLIA MINDS: Concealing and carrying emotions

MAGNOLIA MINDS: Concealing and carrying emotions

August 18, 2025

MAGNOLIA MINDS: ‘I am content with my thorn’

MAGNOLIA MINDS: ‘I am content with my thorn’

August 8, 2025

MAGNOLIA MINDS: Why should I study Church History?

(Photo credit: shutterstock.com/Pfeiffer)

MAGNOLIA MINDS: Why should I study Church History?

July 28, 2025

Clergy Act advances from House
Ways and Means Committee
DALLAS – On Dec. 10 the House Ways and Means Committee advanced the Clergy Act, H.R. 227, in a bipartisan, unanimous vote. The Clergy Act would provide ministers who opted out of Social Security a one-time window to opt back in. The bipartisan legislation was reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by California Congressmen Vince Fong and Mike Thompson, and has gained the support of several co-sponsors. The legislation is supported by GuideStone Financial Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention and other leaders from a wide variety of large and historic denominational benefit boards. In a news release issued by Rep. Fong’s office, GuideStone President Hance Dilbeck expressed gratitude to Fong for his leadership. The Clergy Act would create a two-year window beginning in 2029 that would allow eligible ministers who have opted out of Social Security to revoke their exemption and begin contributing. Ministers must still meet the standard 10-year contribution requirement to earn full retired-worker benefits, receiving benefits proportional to their contributions.