For more than 400 years, Baptists have urged religious liberty for all. The advocacy of Baptists like Isaac Backus and John Leland helped enshrine religious liberty rights in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. A radical shift during an age of state churches, this move created the very environment for churches to flourish.
JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Earthquakes that shook the Indonesian island of Lombok over the past week have resulted in at least 430 deaths, and the government is estimating economic losses in excess of several hundred million dollars.
(RNS) — Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro has released a more than 1,300-page grand jury report detailing allegations of widespread sexual abuse of more than 1,000 children by Catholic priests in the state, naming hundreds of clerics accused of misconduct over 70 years and accusing church officials of a “systemic” cover-up.August
Turkish Star Witnesses Against U.S. Pastor Andrew Brunson Are His Expelled Congregants
By Umar Farooq | August 14, 2018
IZMIR, Turkey (RNS) — As Turkish prosecutors prepare for the high-profile trial of American pastor Andrew Brunson on terrorism-related charges, their case points directly to his small evangelical church and the internal strife stemming from his outreach to Syrian refugees.
August
For Military Families, This Church Aims to Be Manna from Heaven
By Yonat Shimron, Religion News Service | August 13, 2018
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (RNS) — The Thursday evening service at Manna Church packs a punch that more than rivals large Sunday morning services elsewhere.
This dynamic megachurch is similar to many others across the country, except for this: 70 percent of church members are military families based at Fort Bragg, the nation’s largest military installation. And despite a rapid turnover of members, due to deployments, retirements and transfers to other bases, the evangelical church has not only held steady, but grown.
August
Willow Creek Leadership Summit Goes on Despite Mass Resignations
By Emily McFarlan Miller | August 10, 2018
SOUTH BARRINGTON, Ill. (RNS) — The Global Leadership Summit at Willow Creek Community Church began Thursday (Aug. 9) morning by addressing the elephant in the room: Its opening speaker was not the event’s accustomed headliner for 26 years, church founder Bill Hybels.
August
Armed Raids, Worship Bans, Fines for Leaders in Disputed Ukraine Region
By Felix Corley, Forum 18 | August 9, 2018
Authorities of the self-declared Luhansk People's Republic, an unrecognized entity in eastern Ukraine, have regularly halted worship meetings by a range of religious communities, seized religious literature and fined religious leaders.
August
Willow Creek Elders and Lead Pastor Resign in Wake of Hybels Revelations
By Emily McFarlan Miller | August 9, 2018
CHICAGO (RNS) — The lead pastor and entire elder board of Willow Creek Community Church have announced they will resign to give the church a “fresh start” following new allegations of sexual harassment against founder and former pastor Bill Hybels.
The politics of Jesus can be messy. We may wish there were no politics involved in Kingdom work. And, yet, there most always has been and likely always will be.
In the July 15, 2018, Kansas City Star, Darryl Levings tells the story of William Thomas, who built a sail wagon in 1853. It was 25 feet long with wheels 12 feet in diameter. It sported a large sail, complete with a “handler” high above. He proposed to use this vehicle to transport goods over the Santa Fe Trail and to find Spanish silver.- Newer
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Faith & Culture
- Report Alleges Decades of Child Sex Abuse by Pennsylvania Priests
- For Military Families, This Church Aims to Be Manna from Heaven
- Willow Creek Leadership Summit Goes on Despite Mass Resignations
- Willow Creek Elders and Lead Pastor Resign in Wake of Hybels Revelations
- Passionately Pursuing Peace
Baptists
- Houses of Worship Mobilize for Back-To-School Time
- Route 66 Festival Helps Spark Church's 'Immediate Impact'
- Trucker Who Killed Family of 5 Finds Mercy
- Calif. Wildfires: Chaplains Become First Phase of Disaster Relief
- Forbes Names Lifeway One of Best U.S. Employers for Women
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Sojourners