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(RNS) — Historically, women tend to be the stalwarts when it comes to religion, while men attend religious services less often and are less likely to say their faith is very important to them. But a new analysis shows that black men defy this trend.

WASHINGTON (RNS) — Groups of religious women are speaking out about the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court, citing their faith as they call on lawmakers to investigate allegations of sexual assault raised by Christine Blasey Ford and others, while some conservative faith leaders have continued to back him.

Former superintendent (director) of The Baptist Home, John Burney was affectionately known as “Mr. Baptist Home” by staff and trustees, since he was only a few months older than The Home itself. He died on Sept. 23 at the age of 105.

YANGON, Myanmar (BP) -- Ethnic Wa rebels this month shut down churches or destroyed their buildings and temporarily detained several clergymen in eastern Myanmar (Burma), sources said.

(RNS) — For a sizable number of Americans, agreeing with their partner about sports is more important than agreeing about religion, according to an online survey about relationships conducted last spring.

Republican Senate hopeful Josh Hawley was scheduled, as of press time, to speak during chapel at Hannibal-LaGrange University, a Baptist school in Hannibal, Mo., on Oct. 3 and in doing so might help the school break the political activity ban (also often called “the Johnson Amendment”) that Hawley wants to repeal.

(RNS) — Every week, millions of American go to houses of worship to hear a message from a spiritual leader. Most of those congregations are small. And few sermons ever make their way beyond the four walls of a given congregation.

Publisher David Murray — a connoisseur of the spoken word — wants to change that with a new website, VitalSermons.com.

HARRISONVILLE, Mo. (BP) -- Xavier Cunningham, 10, was climbing into a treehouse when he encountered a massive wasp nestand then, falling to the ground face-first, impaled his head on a foot-long meat skewer.

The next two days brought brushes with death and a survival story one neurosurgeon called "miraculous."

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (BP) -- Hopefulness for the future of the Southern Baptist Convention in a season of denominational transition was voiced by Thom Rainer, president of LifeWay Christian Resources, in a discussion Sept. 19 with Jason Allen, president of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

WASHINGTON (RNS) — Long before accusations that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh was involved in a sexual assault as a Catholic prep school student, American faith leaders were divided over whether he should join the highest court. 

Now officials in a range of religion-related roles are no less divided, but their concerns have shifted, encompassing their thoughts about the #MeToo movement and the credibility of Kavanaugh, who has "categorically and unequivocally" denied the allegations.