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At Bay Area Protest, a Second Pastor Is Shot by Federal Agents With a Pepper Round
For the second time in six weeks, a pastor was struck in the head with a pepper round fired by a US immigration agent as faith leaders protested the arrival of more than 100 US Customs and Border Patrol agents.
Samaritan’s Purse to Play a Larger Role in Gaza Aid Distribution
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is being phased out, said Samaritan's Purse CEO Franklin Graham. Johnnie Moore, the evangelical PR guru who has served as GHF chairman, recently stepped down.
No Kings, No Christian Nationalism
On Saturday (Oct. 18), millions of people attended “No Kings” rallies at about 2,600 locations across the country. Here are the remarks by Brian Kaylor at No Kings rally on the steps of the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City.
Church
Fire Severely Damages Historic First Baptist Dallas Church Sanctuary
A fire all but destroyed the historic church sanctuary at First Baptist Dallas, sending smoke billowing over the city but causing no deaths or injuries, Dallas firefighters said.
United Methodists Elect a Third Openly Gay, Married Bishop
Kristin Stoneking will replace Bishop Karen Oliveto, the denomination’s first openly gay married bishop, who, at age 66, is retiring.
How a Perfect Storm Sent Church Insurance Rates Skyrocketing
The same factors that have caused a crisis in the homeowner's insurance market are also affecting churches, who have to choose between paying for insurance or running programs.
Nation
Faith Groups Say House Republicans’ Probe Into Immigration Work Violates Their Religious Freedom
The Homeland Security Committee named the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholic Charities USA, and Lutheran and United Methodist ministries among those under scrutiny.
Faith Leaders and Families Sue to Block Texas’s New Ten Commandments in Schools Law
A group of Dallas-area families and faith leaders have filed a lawsuit seeking to block a new Texas law that requires copies of the Ten Commandments be posted in every public school classroom.
John Pavlovitz Has Jumped the Shark
This issue of A Public Witness highlights a prominent progressive Christian voice as a case study in the dangers of election denialism festering in anti-Trump circles.
World
How India’s Religious Violence Is Becoming a Problem for American Politicians
US politicians are under increasing pressure to account for their courtship of Indian Prime Minister Modi, the leader of a strategically important ally and the world's largest democracy.
Pope Francis’ ‘Peace Offensive’ in Ukraine Puts Dialogue Over Demonization
Keeping channels for dialogue open with the Kremlin, Pope Francis has bucked the Western world's refusal to take a mediated approach to ending the Ukraine war.
A Feud Between a Patriarch and a Militia Leader Adds to the Woes of Iraqi Christians
The shrinking religious minority that was also violently targeted by al-Qaida before the rise of IS has been rocked by yet another crisis in the form of a political showdown between two influential Christian figures.
Editorials
An honor and one that got away
While the Missouri Baptist Convention annual meeting was light on business, this year's rendition praised longtime worker -- Raymond R. "Bob" Kenison for his 36 years of dedicated service to children and youth through the Missouri Baptist Children's Home.
Word & Way is developing a Midwest niche
Word & Way is officially a Baptist newspaper covering Baptist life not only in Missouri but the adjacent Midwest. It tells Baptist stories originating in places like Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Iowa and Illinois in the spirit of finding common ground among cooperating Baptists.
Avoid just making church palatable
To merely communicate a gospel or a congregation that focuses on being palatable is likely to set the standard too low. Outsiders can easily spot a congregation that is either church-light or Christian-light. Entertainment alone has a way of being spiritually unsatisfying. The exercise of faith is meaningful, and it
Word&Way Voices
The Social Gospel vs. Individualism in the Georgia Runoff
Contributing writer Rodney Kennedy offers lessons we can glean from the upcoming Georgia runoff election. He argues that the Social Gospel, “the politics of Jesus,” needs rediscovering. In this recovery, it will not be about whether Warnock or Walker wins the Senate seat. The Social Gospel will not center on
The Keys to Letting Go
Pastor Dawn Darwin Weaks explores what it was like for a once large and vibrant church community to decide to make a major change. With only a few dozen active people left, they made the choice to relocate, rename, and relaunch together. Before the 116-year-old congregation gathered for worship in
People of Faith Delivering Democracy This Midterm Season
Andrea Marta of Faith in Action argues that this year we are increasingly seeing how white Christian Nationalism is dominating midterm election campaigns and contributing to voter suppression tactics. While advocacy efforts cannot be limited to the ballot box, voters of faith, especially Black and Brown voters, will ensure elected
E-Newsletter
Summer Reads 2024
We’ve once again asked several Word&Way writers to each offer two books perfect for curling up with at the beach, on your couch, or in your backyard as you listen to the singing of the cicadas.
Unbaptizing America
“Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism” has officially launched — check out the conversation we had to celebrate with Dr. Diana Butler Bass, Rev. Adriene Thorne, and Dr. Andrew Whitehead.
The Barmen Declaration Turns 90
As we mark the anniversary of a powerful confessional statement, this issue of A Public Witness considers how it still speaks to us today with a deep theological assessment of the dangers of uniting church and state.
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The State of the Senate, from SC to ME to TX to KS
This episode of Dangerous Dogma features a conversation between Word&Way Editor Brian Kaylor, Lutheran minister and journalist Angela Denker, and Disciples pastor and author Beau Underwood. The conversation includes discussion about the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham as well as issues of faith and morality in Senate races in Maine, Texas, and Kansas. You can… -
Southern Baptists, the Pentagon, & UFC
This episode of Dangerous Dogma features a conversation between Word&Way Editor Brian Kaylor, Lutheran minister and journalist Angela Denker, and Disciples pastor and author Beau Underwood. The conversation includes discussion about the Southern Baptist Convention's push against women in ministry, the Pentagon changing how it codes the faith of military members, and the latest in… -
Southern Baptists, Women in Ministry, & a Billboard
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with Meredith Stone, executive director of Baptist Women in Ministry. The conversation includes discussion of efforts in the Southern Baptist Convention to further target women serving in churches and how BWIM is advocating for women (including with a billboard to greet SBC messengers next week in Orlando,… -
Divergent Visions for Rededicating the Nation
This episode of Dangerous Dogma features a conversation between Word&Way Editor Brian Kaylor, Lutheran minister and journalist Angela Denker, and Disciples pastor and author Beau Underwood. The conversation includes discussion about Rededicate 250, gerrymandering, Adam Hamilton's Senate campaign in Kansas, and the MAHA movement. You can watch a video version of the conversation here. Here are a few pieces… -
The Christian Past That Wasn't
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with Warren Throckmorton, a retired professor who has spent years debunking false claims by Christian Nationalist pseudo-historian David Barton. Throckmorton is the author of the new book, The Christian Past that Wasn't: Debunking the Christian Nationalist Myths that Hijack History. You can watch a video version of… -
Trump vs. Leo
This episode of Dangerous Dogma features a conversation between Word&Way Editor Brian Kaylor, Lutheran minister and journalist Angela Denker, and Disciples pastor and author Beau Underwood. The conversation includes discussion about President Donald Trump's attacks on Pope Leo XIV, Leo's witness against the Iran war, Trump's AI image of himself as Jesus, and the electoral… -
Fight Like Jesus with Jason Porterfield (Reissue)
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with Jason Porterfield about his book Fight Like Jesus: How Jesus Waged Peace. This episode originally aired in 2023, except for a new introduction noting a violent prayer by Pete Hegseth during a recent Pentagon worship service and Palm Sunday comments by Pope Leo XIV. Note: Don't forget… -
Pete Hegseth's Crusader Bible (A Trick of State)
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor considers Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's use of the English Standard Version of the Bible, patriarchy in the faith communities Hegseth has been a part of, and his Christian Nationalism. It also reveals that Hegseth's ESV Bible includes two Crusader symbols stamped onto the cover (and that match… -
An Unholy War
This episode of Dangerous Dogma features a conversation between Word&Way Editor Brian Kaylor, Lutheran minister and journalist Angela Denker, and Disciples pastor and author Beau Underwood. The conversation includes discussion about the Iran war, Christian opposition to the war, and viral claims of military leaders claiming this will bring "Armageddon." It also includes consideration of… -
Rewriting the Ten Commandments (A Trick of State)
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor looks at legislation across the country that purports to want the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. But the version mandated by lawmakers cannot be found in any Bible. Kaylor unpacks where the edited language came from, why such legislation is an attack on religious liberty, and the…
