When Pastors Plagiarize Sermons
Preachers love to borrow from each other, but the practice can sometimes lead to plagiarism. Theologically, this raises serious concerns and can even lead to a pastor being fired.
As Brexit Stirs Tensions, Northern Irish Clergy Reprise Peacekeeping Roles
Bitter negotiations over Northern Ireland’s status after Brexit have reignited old tensions between Irish Catholic nationalists and pro-British Protestant unionists. Dissident paramilitary groups have also allegedly renewed a bombing campaign against Northern Irish police forces.
Prominent Georgia Church Leaves United Methodist Church Over Pastor’s Reassignment
The largest United Methodist church in the Atlanta metropolitan region announced it is leaving the denomination over the reassignment of its lead pastor. Rather than leave the church, where he has served since 2016, the pastor announced he was surrendering his credentials as an ordained
Northern California County Sees COVID-19 Spike Linked to Church
Humboldt County in rural Northern California is seeing a spike in COVID-19 infections that health officials say is linked to superspreader events, including one linked to a Pentecostal church.
Some U.S. Landmarks with Racist References Renamed to Reflect Indigenous Values
The renaming of Ioway Creek in Ames, Iowa, is part of a larger trend throughout the Midwest and the country. This trend involves changing Native-inspired place names from slurs or markers of Euro-American conquest to names that reflect Indigenous languages, histories, and mapmaking.
Texas Ends Ban on Clergy, Spiritual Advisers in Death Chamber
Texas prisons have resumed allowing clergy as well as spiritual advisers in the death chamber, reversing a two-year ban created after the U.S. Supreme Court halted the execution of an inmate who had argued his religious freedom was being violated.
Obama Faith Adviser Accuses Trump Counterpart of Laying Spiritual Groundwork for Capitol Insurrection
A former Obama White House faith adviser blamed an evangelical Christian adviser to former President Donald Trump for quickening the rise of Christian Nationalism and setting the stage for the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
Famine in the Bible is More than a Curse
Famines in biblical times were interpreted as more than mere natural occurrences. The authors of the Hebrew Bible used famine as a mechanism of divine wrath and destruction – but also as a storytelling device, a way to move the narrative forward.
Faith Leaders Hope Chauvin Verdict Lifts Racial Justice Work
Faith leaders in Minnesota and across the United States expressed hope that their advocacy work for racial justice will gain momentum from the guilty verdict rendered against Derek Chauvin, the former police officer convicted of killing George Floyd.
Faculty Vote ‘No Confidence’ in Board at Seattle Pacific University Over LGBTQ Hiring Exclusion
The faculty of Seattle Pacific University, a Christian school associated with the Free Methodist Church, has taken a vote of no confidence in its board of trustees after members of the board declined to change its policy prohibiting the hiring of LGBTQ people.