Alabama Cancels Execution After Court Requires Pastor
An Alabama inmate on Thursday won a reprieve from a scheduled lethal injection after the U.S. Supreme Court said the state must allow his personal pastor in the death chamber.
He Wants His Pastor With Him At His Execution. Alabama Won’t Allow It
On Feb. 11, the state of Alabama intends to execute Willie B. Smith III without his pastor by his side — which Smith alleges is a violation of his religious freedom. Read full piece
Alabama Officials Sued Over Voter Registration Form Requiring ‘So Help Me God’ Vow
A secular advocacy group has filed a federal lawsuit challenging a voter registration form in Alabama, arguing the state violates the constitutional rights of applications by requiring them to declare “so help me God” when signing up to vote.
Alabama Governor Apologizes to ’63 Church Bombing Survivor
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has apologized to a survivor of a racist 1963 church bombing that killed four Black girls, calling the blast an “egregious injustice,” but declining Wednesday to pay restitution without legislative involvement.
‘Fifth Girl’ Injured in 1963 Klan Church Bombing Asks Alabama Governor for Restitution
The racial violence in Birmingham was encouraged by state officials, lawyers for Sarah Collins Rudolph say. Read full piece
Pastor Resigns after Celebrating KKK Leader
A bivocational Southern Baptist pastor resigned from his church Wednesday (July 29), after backlash resulting from his participation in an annual birthday celebration for Nathan Bedford Forrest.
COVID Outbreak of more than 40 Cases Tied to Revival at Rural Church
In June, Warrior Creek Baptist was back to some normal gatherings. Last week, an annual weeklong revival started as usual, but this year the Alabama church only made it to Thursday.
White Supremacist Ideas Have Historical Roots in U.S. Christianity
When a young Southern Baptist pastor named Alan Cross arrived in Montgomery, Ala., he became disturbed by the savage attack in May 1961 on a busload of Black and white Freedom Riders who had traveled defiantly together to Montgomery in a challenge to segregation. To his
5 Lessons I Learned from a COVID-19 Spike at our Church
Pastor Derek Allen, whose church has seen a spike in COVID-19 cases among its staff and volunteers, shares 5 lessons he’s learned in the past couple weeks so others won’t make the same mistakes.
Death Row Inmate Hopes Courts will Allow Chaplain at Execution
Charles L. Burton Jr. doesn’t want to be alone when he dies. He filed suit last year after the state of Alabama denied a Muslim inmate from having an imam serve as a spiritual adviser at his execution, citing state policy that only allowed Christian