An initial plan to host COVID-19 vaccinations for 10 staff, volunteers and clients at Rauschenbusch Metro Ministries resulted in more than 40 people receiving their shots at the New York City ministry. For one organizer, it affirmed the power of…
Learn about the kinds of oppression that are different than your oppression, McMickle urges
Black Christians engaged in the struggle for racial justice must not turn a blind eye to the oppression in church and culture of gays and lesbians, women and Latinx, Asian and Native Americans, author and scholar Marvin A. McMickle said…
42% of young people say no one outside their home has reached out to them during pandemic
The faith of young people in the United States has remained stable despite the challenges of a pandemic that often prevented in-person fellowship and undermined trust in religious institutions, a new study says. “A plurality of young people say their…
His mission is to ‘change the biographies’ of at-risk youth
Gary Ivory’s work is to “change the biographies” of at-risk and high-risk youth in 30 states. “We are not interested in just changing behaviors but the whole trajectory of their lives,” said Ivory, new president of Youth Advocate Programs, a…
Attacks on Critical Race Theory are ‘attempt to maintain the status quo’
Critical Race Theory, the continued racial segregation of U.S. churches and the need to include African Americans more fully in religious liberty campaigns were among the topics discussed during “Religious Liberty Has Been White Too Long: Voices of Black Scholars,”…
Here’s help for addressing mental health in marriage
Achieving intimacy with family, friends or clergy can be daunting for those suffering from mental health challenges, but establishing and maintaining understanding with a spouse can be especially intimidating, said Sarah Griffith Lund, author and national minister for disabilities and…
Kieve senses a calling to new role helping churches prevent and respond to sexual abuse
One of the worst mistakes a church can make in cases of clergy sexual abuse or other sexual abuse is to be unprepared for the situation, said Jay Kieve, the recently appointed abuse prevention and response advocate for the Cooperative…
De La Torre calls for ‘badass believers’ to decolonize Christianity
Miguel De La Torre is no stranger to hate mail as the author of dozens of books, articles and blog posts challenging the theological foundations and racial assumptions of white political and religious power. “It’s ranged from being called the…
When pastors change churches during a global pandemic, it takes creativity and perseverance
That call weekend in September 2020 was one Matt Marston said he will never forget — and not only because it resulted in him becoming the senior minister of First Baptist Church in Athens, Ga. “Because of all the precautions…
Months after two hurricanes, vaccinated volunteers finally heading to Lake Charles
Recovery has been painfully slow in Lake Charles, La., which remains a near-ghost town since being struck by two hurricanes last fall and cut off from the aid of faith-based groups due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And now, with the…
What we missed most about in-person church, what’s coming back and what’s likely to change
Taking Communion, socializing and experiencing live sermons were the top features of in-person worship missed by churchgoers during the coronavirus outbreak, new research shows. The aspects missed the least — partly because they were more easily provided online — included…
If you want to help the poor, first understand their humanity
Humanizing the poor and hungry is a vital first step for individuals and churches called to combat poverty and hunger, a group of Cooperative Baptist Fellowship ministers and lay leaders learned during a recent webinar hosted by CBF Heartland. “It’s…