Thrice as Nice
It’s not just that more people are reading — our award-winning journalism is making a difference. So after lighting three birthday candles, this issue of A Public Witness looks back at the highlights of the past year.
After Vote to Repeal LGBTQ Bans, Many Gay Methodists Are Now Fully Out
On the first Sunday after the conclusion of the denomination’s General Conference, many queer United Methodists celebrated their release from the tight and narrow spaces that had confined them.
Review: The Good News of Church Politics
In "The Good News of Church Politics," Ross Kane combines Scripture, political theology, and personal experience to reframe politics around shaping our common life.
Jerusalem: Holy Fire Spread to the World
Lauren Draper of Churches for Middle East Peace reflects on attending an ancient ceremony marking Orthodox Easter alongside Palestinian Christians in the midst of harsh restrictions from Israeli authorities.
Methodists End Anti-Gay Bans, Closing 50 Years of Battles Over Sexuality for Mainline Protestants
The nation’s largest Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopal, and Lutheran denominations have all now removed barriers to LGBTQ participation in the pulpit and at the altar.
Churches Tied to Civil Rights Awarded National Park Service Preservation Funds
Other grantees will use the NPS funding to conduct historical surveys, including one in Detroit that will explore 'the role of religion in the struggle for equality.’
Damaged in War, a Vibrant Church in Ukraine Rises as a Symbol of the Country’s Faith and Culture
The building, a striking fusion of the ancient and the modern, reflects a country determined to express its soul even in wartime.
The National Day of Seven Mountains Prayer
This issue of A Public Witness asks you to keep your eyes open and head straight so you can read about the Seven Mountains theology and how it’s seeping into the National Day of Prayer with a more violent twist.
Azerbaijan Named Among Religious Freedom Violators by Religious Liberty Watchdog
The commissioners recommended the State Department also retain the dozen countries that are currently designated as ‘countries of particular concern.’
How a Beloved Worship Song Became the Theme Song of Christian Nationalism
‘How Great Is Our God’ has long been one of the most popular worship songs in Christian churches. Since 2020, it’s also become a theme song for Christian Nationalist protesters.