Church of England Sheds Light on ‘Shameful’ Slave Trade Ties
A new exhibition at a London library explores the Anglican Church’s role in the 18th-cenury slave trade. It coincides with a new report setting out that role in hard facts and figures.
Progressive National Baptists To Deploy $1 Million Grant to Boost ‘Compelling Preaching’
The Progressive National Baptist Convention plans to use a new $1 million grant to fund a five-year training program for ministers of the historically Black denomination as they adapt their preaching in an age changed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trial Date Set for Case Involving Patterson, SWBTS
A court date has been set for a trial involving former Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary President Paige Patterson, the school, and an alleged sexual abuse survivor. A former SWBTS student filed suit against them in March 2019 alleging negligence, violation of privacy, and liability.
More Than Mere Words
This issue of A Public Witness explores three examples of impactful denominational resolutions to show why it matters when Christians decide to speak with one voice. The model resolutions include two statements decrying the historic mistreatment of Indigenous peoples and a resolution about the war
Middle Collegiate Church Expects Historic Façade To Be Demolished by Spring
Middle Collegiate, on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, is one of four Collegiate Churches of New York that sprung from a Reformed Church congregation in New Amsterdam founded in 1628, and they are considered the oldest continuous Protestant congregations in the Americas.
‘Not a Real Schism’: Four Years Later, UMC Exodus Less a Gush, More a Trickle
Nearly four years ago, the United Methodist Church approved an exit plan for churches wishing to break away from the global denomination over differing beliefs about sexuality, setting in motion what many believed would be a modern-day schism. Since then, a new analysis has found,
A Tale of Two Services
This issue of A Public Witness takes you to church — twice — to listen to the evangelistic appeals of Mike Pence and Joe Biden on MLK's birthday at two significant Baptist congregations. Then the two messages are considered together to offer insights into the
Dispute Over Abuse Hotline Reveals How Far the SBC Still Has To Go
For years, Southern Baptist Convention leaders refused to listen to abuse survivors, ignoring their concerns and labeling them as enemies of the nation’s largest Protestant denomination. One of the first steps toward changing was setting up a confidential hotline.
More Americans Stay Away From Church as Pandemic Nears Year Three
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly every congregation in the United States shut down, at least for a while. For some Americans, that was the push they needed to never come back to church.
Capitol Vigil Protests Christian Nationalism on Insurrection Anniversary
Just as the sun was rising over the U.S. Capitol building on Friday morning, several prominent Christian leaders gathered across the street for a prayer vigil. This event marked the second anniversary of the insurrection that followed the electoral defeat of then-President Donald Trump.