Ecumenical Conference Takes On Our Violent World
Under the theme “Swords into Plowshares: Achieving Enough for All & Pursuing Peace,” the Ecumenical Advocacy Days conference met for the twentieth year in a row to worship and mobilize advocacy on a number of domestic and international policy issues.
No Longer in Our Infancy
As we celebrate the second birthday of A Public Witness, this edition recounts a few articles whose importance and impact stood out, highlights some of the attention our work has received, and reveals what you can expect from us in the future.
In NC, a Church Network Turns Unused Church Buildings Into Homes for Refugees
A group of mostly Baptist churches in North Carolina is retrofitting vacant church-owned buildings for refugee housing.
United Methodist Bishops Meet, Look to Pivot After 2,400+ Churches Disaffiliate
United Methodist bishops from across the globe are meeting this week for the first time in person since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Southern Baptist Leader Selection Process Fails Amid Dispute
A powerful Southern Baptist committee was looking to appoint a new leader Monday who could navigate controversies over its handling of sexual-abuse reforms and the ousting of churches with women serving as pastors.
Black Protestant Church Still Vital Despite Attendance Drop
Patterns of worship are shifting across generations, but academics, pastors, and parishioners agree that churches remain fundamental to Black communities, providing refuge and hope, especially during times of challenge.
Georgia Pastor Mike Stone to Challenge SBC President Bart Barber This Summer
For only the second time in more than three decades, a Southern Baptist Convention president will face a challenge for reelection.
UMC Top Court Rules Disaffiliating Clergy Don’t Automatically Lose Credentials
A Wisconsin bishop had required clergy whose churches were disaffiliating to give up their jobs or their credentials.
Ahead of Accrediting Body Review, SBU’s Governance Documents Still Clash
Seventeen months after Southwest Baptist University found its accreditation on probation, the school is trying to convince the Higher Learning Commission that the problems have been fixed. But as the HLC conducts a review on Monday, a key problem remains unresolved.
Black Church, NHL’s Penguins Reach Historic Land-Use Accord
More than 60 years ago, a historic Black church was forced to give up its sanctuary, compensated for what it says was a fraction of its value, to an urban renewal project that wiped out the heart of an African American neighborhood known as the Hill District. Now, Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church is poised to recoup some of that loss and reclaim a spot near its former home.