Lockdown Looms Over Christmas in Bethlehem
The Palestinian prime minister on Thursday (Dec. 17) announced a two-week lockdown in the West Bank that appears certain to curtail Christmas celebrations in the town of Jesus’s birth.
Houston Pastor Cuts Ties to Southern Baptists Over Critical Race Theory Rejection
Ralph West, founder of the Church Without Walls, is the latest to criticize six Southern Baptist seminary presidents who said Critical Race Theory was incompatible with their faith.
Trump Eases Rules for Religious Social Service Providers
The Trump administration on Monday moved to loosen restrictions on religious organizations that receive federal money to provide social services. The administration said it was clearing barriers that it claimed make it difficult for religious groups to participate in federal programs.
On the 1st Day of Christmas … Teachers Got a Legal Headache Over Blurring the Line Between Church & State
The Supreme Court has yet to set clear parameters about how religious holidays can be celebrated in public schools and whether granting access to all faith traditions is either constitutionally necessary or acceptable.
Black Southern Baptists Weigh in on Critical Race Theory Critique by Officials
The president of the National African American Fellowship told Baptist Press the SBC seminary presidents’ statement created concerns among African American pastors.
Vandals Hit Black Churches During Weekend Pro-Trump Rallies
People reportedly affiliated with the hate group Proud Boys tore down Black Lives Matter signs belonging to churches in Washington Saturday night, setting at least one aflame. The damage to the signs came after supporters of President Donald Trump flocked to the nation’s capital.
Photo Essay: Mount Vernon Missionary Baptist Church
On Nov. 25, vandals attacked Mount Vernon Missionary Baptist Church, a historic Black Baptist church in rural Callaway County, Missouri. On Dec. 6, Word&Way Editor Brian Kaylor met Mount Vernon’s pastor, Gordon Coleman, at the church to talk about its legacy and the damage.
Church Pageants Go Virtual Amid a COVID-19 Christmas
Coronavirus has canceled many Christmas pageants, but some churches turned to a new virtual format for the old classic. And with kids and the internet involved, virtual pageants, it turns out, are just as delightfully unpredictable as more traditional performances at churches.
Only Anne Frank Memorial in U.S Defaced with Swastika Stickers
Boise police are investigating after the Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial was defaced by swastika stickers earlier this week. The stickers, which included the words, “we are everywhere” as well as the Nazi insignia, were discovered Tuesday (Dec. 8) by a visitor to the memorial
State Department Adds Nigeria to List of Most Serious Religious Freedom Violators
The U.S. State Department has added Nigeria to its list of countries deemed to have the most egregious violations of religious freedom. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom hailed the State Department’s decisions.