News

Retired Anglican Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu, the man who became synonymous with South Africa’s nonviolent struggle against apartheid, died Sunday at the age of 90. Tutu was diagnosed with prostate cancer almost two decades ago.

The Angel Tree program of Prison Fellowship and similar ministries are part of an effort by some faith groups and congregations to bring Christmas cheer — and connection — to prisoners and their kids.

The Washington National Cathedral — whose policies often set the tone for churches in the area — said they were moving all services online during the holiday season. Washington, D.C. currently has the highest COVID-19 case rates in the country.

In this issue of A Public Witness, we take off the extra layers to expose the anti-cheek turning rhetoric employed by the Trump family and their preachers. Then we go the extra mile to consider what we can learn about this effort from another presidential effort at biblical editing: the “Jefferson Bible.” 

Captive missionaries in Haiti found freedom last week by making a daring overnight escape, eluding their kidnappers and walking for miles over difficult, moonlit terrain with an infant and other children in tow, according to the agency they work for, officials said Monday.

In this issue of A Public Witness, we attend First Baptist’s “special” Christmas service to detail the clash of liturgies. We give special attention to the inherent political implications of Jesus’s birth. As a benediction, we reflect on the damage moments like this do to the witness of the Church.  

Polls shows how dramatically church attendance fell during the worst of the pandemic last year, even as many say they are now returning to regular service attendance. Churches large and small have taken hits in attendance.

For Mark Lowry, almost every day is Christmas. Whenever the storyteller and singer takes the stage for a concert, he always closes the show with the same song — “Mary Did You Know?” — no matter what time of year it is.

After riding out the violent tornado that devastated their town in a tunnel under their church, Rev. Wes Fowler knew what to do next: glorify God amid the suffering, and serve those in need.

A spokesman for Christian churches in the Holy Land on Wednesday accused Israel of discriminating against Christian tourists during the normally busy Christmas holiday season.