‘COVID has been Harder on Us’: Some Black Churches Remain Hesitant to Reopen
While many congregations have been back to worship for weeks and months, often masked and socially distant, some African American clergy continue to hold off on in-person services.
Southern Baptist Executive Committee Votes in 3rd Meeting to Waive Privilege for Abuse Probe
A top committee of the Southern Baptist Convention agreed Tuesday (Oct. 5) to open up legally protected records to investigators who will look into how it handled, or mishandled, cases of sexual abuse within the nation’s largest Protestant denomination over the past two decades.
Has the Christian Flag Become a Lost Cause?
The Christian flag’s co-optation at these events raises a banner of questions about its contemporary meaning to the Church. In this edition of A Public Witness, we unfurl the history of the Christian flag and raise up its usage by White Supremacists today.
Pat Robertson Turned Christian TV into Political Power — & Blew it up with Wacky Prophecy
For many Americans, Pat Robertson, the Christian television pioneer and onetime presidential candidate, will always be remembered for his wacky pronouncements made at inflection points of American history.
Behind the Pulpit: Emanuel Cleaver III
Senior Editor Beau Underwood interviews Emanuel Cleaver III, pastor of St. James United Methodist Church in Kansas City, MO, for the latest installment of our “Behind the Pulpit” series intended to pull back the curtain on the minister’s life.
Pope, Faith Leaders Sign Joint Climate Appeal Before Summit
Pope Francis and dozens of religious leaders on Monday (Oct. 4) signed a joint appeal to governments to commit to ambitious targets at the upcoming U.N. climate conference, while promising to do their own part to lead their faithful into more sustainable behavior.
ERLC Trustee Complains About Leaked Letter — In Leaked Letter
Amid debates within the Southern Baptist Convention over investigating clergy sexual abuse, a trustee of the SBC’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission penned a letter attacking former ERLC President Russell Moore.
National Baptist Convention USA President Questions ‘Hypocritical’ Mandate Views
The president of the National Baptist Convention, USA, closed the annual session of his denomination this week with critiques of cultural conflicts and Christian Nationalism.
Southern Baptist Executive Committee Again Votes Against Waiving Privilege
On Tuesday, the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee called for a further week of deliberations with a special task force on sexual abuse after failing to agree on the ground rules for a third party review commissioned to study the denomination’s handling of abuse claims.
When Prophecy Fails in Arizona
In this edition of A Public Witness, we look at the cognitive dissonance the audit’s findings created for true believers of the “rigged election” claim, along with examining how this bureaucratic exercise took on a religious fervor.