Unsettling Advent, Day 1
In day 1 of our Unsettling Advent devotional series, Word&Way Editor-in-Chief Brian Kaylor reflects on starting Advent amid a second year of COVID surges and deaths.
Christmas in Bethlehem: Gilded Treasures, but Few Tourists
Ahead of Christmas, a towering wooden screen — once blackened with soot from millions of worshipers’ candles — is being restored to its gilded glory in the Church of the Nativity, built at the site where many believe Jesus was born. But few visitors are expected
Unsettling Advent
In this edition of A Public Witness, we set the stage for Advent and countdown ways in which the pandemic, oppression, and insurrection defining our contemporary moment are strikingly similar to when Jesus was first born so long ago.
Some Churches Got Mega PPP Loans. A Few Got Tiny Ones.
For some smaller congregations, navigating the PPP loan process was difficult and the results disappointing. While some congregations got multi-million-dollar PPP loans, some got tiny loans by accident. Two churches got loans for $666.
Southern Baptist Seminary Sues Over Biden Vaccine Mandate
Two Kentucky seminaries filed a legal petition Friday (Nov. 5) to challenge the Biden administration’s private employer vaccination mandate. The Alliance Defending Freedom filed the suit on behalf of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Asbury Theological Seminary.
Deep in the Heart of Texas
In this issue of A Public Witness, we strip away the arguments about churches and government regulations. And we peek at the consequences that could arise from this proposed Texas ballot initiative that purports to uphold the freedom to worship but actually compromises principles of religious
The Power of Inoculation
In this issue of A Public Witness, we’ll consider our current context and what we might learn today from the rhetorical approach of an 18th century minister trying to save his flock from the ravages of an ancient disease.
Behind the Pulpit: Ann Hultquist
Senior Editor Beau Underwood interviews Ann Hultquist, pastor of Augustana Lutheran Church in Denver, Colorado, for the latest installment of our “Behind the Pulpit” series intended to pull back the curtain on the minister’s life.
‘It’s Not Satanism’: Zimbabwe Church Leaders Preach Vaccines
Apostolic groups that infuse traditional beliefs into a Pentecostal doctrine are among the most skeptical in Zimbabwe when it comes to COVID-19 vaccines, with an already strong mistrust of modern medicine. But some members are trying to change that.
Anti-Vaxxers, Anti-Maskers, and Anti-Climate Changers Are Really Anti-Repenters
Contributing writer Rodney Kennedy focuses on a biblical perspective concerning anti-vaxxers, anti-maskers, anti-climate change, and anti-government Americans. At some level, we all know that the evidence of Scripture – from the Law to the Gospel, from the prophets to Paul – goes against our violent,