Do Southern Baptists need a Rebranding?
Andrew Gardner reflects on efforts by some Southern Baptists to instead use the moniker Great Commission Baptists. Read full piece
Maryland Episcopal Church Vows to Create $1M Reparation Fund
A Maryland religious institution has pledged to create a $1 million fund for programs benefitting the Black community in an effort to make reparations for its role in slavery and racial injustice. Read full piece
Head of Federal Election Commission Calls Separation of Church & State a ‘Fallacy’
The head of the Federal Election Commission chastised Catholic bishops during a pair of interviews this week, accusing church hierarchy of “hiding behind” their nonprofit status and declaring that this year’s U.S. election amounts to a “spiritual war” that threatens the country’s “Christian moral principles.”
Nun Runs Treadmill Marathon, Raises Money for Chicago’s Poor
When the Chicago Marathon was canceled due to coronavirus, Sister Stephanie Baliga decided to put on her sneakers and run the standard 26.2 miles — in her convent’s basement.
ICE Arrested Undocumented Immigrant on Church Grounds
Federal agents lied to a Christian immigrant from Indonesia and then arrested the man on the grounds of Glenmont United Methodist Church in Silver Spring, Maryland. Now ICE plans to deport him, separating him from his family. Read full piece
Reading the Bible Like Enslavers
Editor Brian Kaylor considers a common thread between two recent controversies at Baptist schools, and what this can teach us about how we read and interpret the Bible today.
Churches Report Giving Boost Months after Pandemic Started
Giving to congregations has shifted upward after churches closed their buildings earlier this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, a survey shows. The new State of the Plate research finds that close to two-thirds (64%) of churches across the country reported in August that giving is
Does the World Stop at Your Doorstep?
Columnist Ken Satterfield reflects on how churches could be impacted by the world – in a good way. And perhaps by showing the diversity of the world, churches will be better equipped to go out into that world and minister.
Uncharted Territory: Jesuits in St. Louis Search for Descendants of People They Enslaved
Four years into an ongoing research effort, officially called the “Slavery, History, Memory, and Reconciliation Project,” about 70 people have been identified so far, who, between 1823 and 1865, were mainly forced to work at St. Louis University, its church, and St. Stanislaus Seminary. Read full
Evangelicals for Social Action Leaves Behind ‘Evangelical’ Label
The 47-year-old organization founded by Ron Sider sticks with the broader movement’s mission but not its name. Read full piece