Rohingya American Voters ‘Grateful,’ ‘Excited’ to Cast Ballots for the 1st Time
About a dozen Rohingya refugees voted for the first time Tuesday (Oct. 20) at an early voting site in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood. It wasn’t just the first time they voted as United States citizens. It was the first time they’d ever voted, period.
Confederate Monument Removed After Months of Advocacy
Early on Tuesday (Oct. 20), workers in the capital of Missouri removed the city’s lone Confederate monument after months of advocacy by community leaders that included Word&Way Editor Brian Kaylor.
Few Churches Back to Pre-COVID Attendance Levels
The vast majority of U.S. Protestant churches say they are holding in-person services, but churchgoers have yet to attend in the numbers they did before the coronavirus pandemic struck.
Poll: White Evangelicals are Religious Outliers on Voter Concerns
As they head to the polls, nearly all religious Americans say the coronavirus is the most critical issue facing the country, a new study by PRRI shows. But there’s one notable exception: White evangelicals.
SBU Faces Accreditation Complaint Over MBC Efforts
An accreditation body recently opened an inquiry into recent events at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Missouri, after an alumnus filed a complaint. The Higher Learning Commission decided the complaint warranted review of the institution that finds itself embroiled in a two-year controversy.
With Junipero Serra Banished, Indigenous Activists & Artists Ask What Goes in His Place
Statues of Junipero Serra, the 18th-century Franciscan missionary who symbolizes to many an imperial conquest that enslaved Native Americans, were toppled in multiple California cities earlier this year. Now, many Indigenous leaders, artists, and activists across the state are contemplating what comes next.
Masks Keep Churches from being Superspreaders. But They Make Sermons Tough
As many churches have begun meeting again in person for worship, some require members to wear masks during services. That’s great for helping prevent the spread of COVID-19, but the masks make it hard for a preacher to read the room.
LifeWay Agrees on Terms of Sale for Ridgecrest
LifeWay Christian Resources has reached an agreement to sell Ridgecrest Conference Center and Summer Camps to the Ridgecrest Foundation. The two groups plan to complete the transfer of the North Carolina property and ministries by the end of 2020.
Coronavirus Outbreak Hits The Baptist Home
After seven months without any coronavirus cases at its four residential communities across Missouri, The Baptist Home has seen nearly three dozen cases at its Chillicothe campus. Two residents of the home for the aging have died, while another 18 tested positive along with 14 staff members.
Baptist Church Damaged by Shelling in Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict
A Baptist church was damaged by recent shelling in the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan. The incident on Thursday (Oct. 8) adds to difficulties for the small Baptist community in the region.