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An Indiana Baptist pastor, Benkert played a key role in setting up an investigation into how SBC leaders have responded to the issue of abuse. He also reported a church that had platformed former SBC President Johnny Hunt, who has been credibly accused of sexual assault.

Among sermon writers, there is fascination — and unease — over the fast-expanding abilities of artificial-intelligence chatbots. For now, the evolving consensus among clergy is this: Yes, they can write a passably competent sermon. But no, they can’t replicate the passion of actual preaching.

This issue of A Public Witness offers a quick class on the history of our national motto “In God We Trust” and recent Christian Nationalistic efforts to display it in public schools before considering the elementary flaw with such legislation.

Religious leaders with the Iowa Catholic Conference, Episcopal Diocese of Iowa, Interfaith Alliance of Iowa, and United Church of Christ of Iowa, argued the death penalty is immoral in all circumstances and underlined that we can deter and prevent horrific crimes without ending a person’s life.

Latino Christian leaders, as part of their faith-led effort dubbed “Evangélicos for Justice,” are urging Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — who signed Dillbeck’s death warrant on Jan. 23 — to consider his disability and to offer him clemency.

The first Black woman to be ordained in the Episcopal Church, who was also a trailblazing lawyer, civil rights activist, and writer, will be honored on the U.S. quarter next year. Pauli Murray has been chosen as one of five honorees for the American Women Quarters Program.

Last Wednesday, students at Asbury University gathered for their biweekly chapel service in the 1,500-seat Hughes Auditorium. They sang. They listened to a sermon. They prayed. Nearly a week later, many of them are still there.

This issue of A Public Witness raises the alarm about political attacks on the importance of the local church and the role of pastors, warns how such attacks aid the decline of U.S. Christianity, and lifts up a different vision for discipling believers.

Robert D. Cornwall reviews "The Church After Innovation: Questioning Our Obsession With Work, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship" by Andrew Root. This book is a philosophical conversation about whether being innovative and creative is the best way to be faithful as Christians.

For students hoping to become pastors in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the exegesis exam is already stressful. But the most recent exam was made even more difficult when the committee developing the test chose one of Scripture’s “texts of terror.”