‘Wasting My Breath’: Southern Faith Leaders Wary of Promoting Vaccines
Exhausted by backlash over pandemic restrictions, some faith leaders see little upside in urging skeptical congregants to get vaccinated. Read full piece
A Deadly Evangelical Variant?
Editor-in-Chief Brian Kaylor argues that as the delta variant of COVID-19 fuels a new spike in cases in some parts of the U.S., conservative Christians who refuse vaccination are putting people at risk and undermining the teachings of Jesus.
Behind the Pulpit: Courtney Richards
Senior Editor Beau Underwood interviews Courtney Richards, who is on the pastoral staff of Harvard Avenue Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for the latest installment of our “Behind the Pulpit” series intended to pull back the curtain on the minister’s life.
AME Church Bishops Address COVID-19, Critical Race Theory as Major Meeting Opens
The bishops of the African Methodist Episcopal Church opened their denomination’s major meeting — a year after it was delayed due to the coronavirus — with a call for greater worldwide access to COVID-19 vaccines and testing.
Millions Skipped Church During Pandemic. Will They Return?
With millions of people having stayed home from places of worship during the coronavirus pandemic, struggling congregations have one key question: How many of them will return? Some houses of worship won’t make it.
Amish Put Faith in God’s Will & Herd Immunity Over Vaccine
When health care leaders in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country began laying out a strategy to distribute COVID-19 vaccines, they knew it would be a tough sell with the Amish, who tend to be wary of preventive shots and government intervention.
Jim Bakker & His Church Settle Lawsuit Over COVID-19 Claims
Jim Bakker and his southwestern Missouri church will pay restitution of $156,000 to settle a lawsuit that accuses the TV pastor of falsely claiming a health supplement could cure COVID-19.
Is it Safe to Sing at Church Yet? Depends Who You Ask.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s newest guidance about masks was about individuals; its advice for “communities of faith” has not been updated since Feb. 19 and currently does not mention singing.
Unmasking the Pandemic
The mask debates reflect how a serious illness has infected Jesus’s followers in a way that is killing our churches. This disease existed before the pandemic, but our experiences with COVID-19 have exacerbated the severity of the sickness.
Houses of Worship Grapple with the Vaxxed & Unvaxxed Divide
Worship online just isn't the same, even after a year of getting used to it. Yet widespread vaccinations haven't resolved all the questions of how to gather again, despite the eagerness of congregants to see each other again. Read full piece