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.
Pandemic, Loss Unite 2 Rural Missouri Baptist Pastors Around Faith
Thirty miles of rural Missouri separate the two churches, and so much else. Still, every Tuesday the pastors meet, seeking each other’s counsel, sharing their joys — and, more often, their burdens. Because in these pandemic-wracked days, they are sometimes overwhelmed by the crucible of
Do You See What I See? Planetary Alignment to Create a ‘Christmas Star’
Astronomers have floated the idea that a conjunction of planets could be a scientific explanation for the star of Bethlehem in the Christmas story. One such conjunction will occur on Dec. 21.
Black Pastor Leads His White Church Toward a Fuller Reckoning of Race
In one of the most conservative cities in North Carolina, a United Methodist pastor gingerly approaches racial issues without alienating his flock. Being a Black pastor in a predominantly White church in the age of Trump has been a challenge.
COVID Cancels Singing Christmas Trees, Other Christmas Extravaganzas
A holiday tradition since the 1930s, Singing Christmas Trees draw in thousands of visitors who might never otherwise come to church and bring joy and a sense of community to cast and congregation members alike. But this year, COVID restrictions make such events nearly impossible