‘Go in Peace’: U.S. Church Founded in 1800 Holds Last Service
A Pennsylvania church with a 221-year history held its final service and is scheduled to close at the end of the year because of declining membership and attendance.
Idaho Church Window Once Depicting Robert E. Lee Now Honors Black Female Bishop
An Idaho church has replaced a stained-glass window honoring Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee with an image of the first African American woman bishop elected in the United Methodist Church.
A Gift of Christmas Joy for the Children of the Incarcerated
The Angel Tree program of Prison Fellowship and similar ministries are part of an effort by some faith groups and congregations to bring Christmas cheer — and connection — to prisoners and their kids.
Wary of Omicron, Churches Shift Christmas Services Online
The Washington National Cathedral — whose policies often set the tone for churches in the area — said they were moving all services online during the holiday season. Washington, D.C. currently has the highest COVID-19 case rates in the country.
Make Worship Great Again
In this issue of A Public Witness, we attend First Baptist’s “special” Christmas service to detail the clash of liturgies. We give special attention to the inherent political implications of Jesus’s birth. As a benediction, we reflect on the damage moments like this do to the
Across U.S., Houses of Worship Struggle to Rebuild Attendance
Polls shows how dramatically church attendance fell during the worst of the pandemic last year, even as many say they are now returning to regular service attendance. Churches large and small have taken hits in attendance.
‘Mary Did You Know’ Writer Mark Lowry Good-Natured Over Song’s Controversy
For Mark Lowry, almost every day is Christmas. Whenever the storyteller and singer takes the stage for a concert, he always closes the show with the same song — “Mary Did You Know?” — no matter what time of year it is.
In Tornado’s Wake, a Church & Pastor Turn to God, Service
After riding out the violent tornado that devastated their town in a tunnel under their church, Rev. Wes Fowler knew what to do next: glorify God amid the suffering, and serve those in need.
Amid Tension, Southern Baptist Women Lead Where They Can
For some in the nation’s largest Protestant denomination, the senior pastor must be a man, but staff and other pastoral roles can be filled by women. For others, pastoral duties, especially preaching, are limited to men, and women are only allowed to teach the Bible
Russell Moore Defamation Lawsuit Withdrawn by Georgia Pastor Mike Stone
Lawyers for Georgia Baptist pastor Mike Stone filed paperwork Thursday to voluntarily withdraw a complaint filed in federal court against Russell Moore, the former head of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission.