The UMC Lost a Quarter of Its Churches — Most in the South
The same area of the country that tends to be the most politically conservative and Republican-leaning was where most United Methodist churches voted to leave the denomination.
The ‘Lesser Magistrates’ Threat to Democracy
This issue of A Public Witness heads to the border to consider an ongoing legal controversy and an obscure theological theory some hope will migrate into our political system.
Latest Candidate to Head Southern Baptists’ Executive Committee Withdraws
The Executive Committee, which oversees the SBC's operations between meetings of the convention's governing body, has been without a permanent leader since 2021.
Agriculture Department, COGIC Make Plans for Funds to Add Trees to Urban Centers
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said ‘structuring this program so that it's empowering more tree planting and more workforce development gives us the opportunity to partner with the church.’
Progressive Baptists Call for Gaza Ceasefire
The Progressive National Baptist Convention, the denominational home of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., publicly endorsed calls for a ceasefire in Israel-Gaza on Monday.
Josh Hawley’s ‘Christian’ Nation
This issue of A Public Witness considers a recent case for “our Christian nation” made by Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri to unpack where he’s wrong and why it matters.
Review: Nice Churchy Patriarchy
In "Nice Churchy Patriarchy: Reclaiming Women's Humanity from Evangelicalism," Liz Cooledge Jenkins takes an unflinching look at the ways misogyny's subtler forms impact every aspect of women’s experiences in church.
A Southern Baptist Leader Hid Decades of Abuse. Will His Fall Doom SBC Abuse Reforms?
Revelations about the decadeslong abuse by a prominent SBC leader have led to fears that the denomination's sex-abuse reforms are doomed to fail.
A Pastor and a Small Ohio City Tussle Over the Legality of His 24/7 Homeless Ministry
An attorney for Avell and the church, Jeremy Dys, said he thinks city leaders don't want the ministry in the middle of town, describing it as a “not in my backyard” issue and accusing officials of inventing problems.
Churches, Temples, and Monasteries Regularly Hit by Airstrikes in Myanmar, Activists Say
Churches are often suspected of sympathy with opposition groups, even though they are more commonly used as places of refuge for civilians seeking to shelter from fighting.