It takes about equal parts courage and faith to minister to immigrants along the U.S.-Mexico border. At least it does for Lorenzo Ortiz, a Texan from Laredo who operates feeding ministries and shelters for migrants across the Rio Grande River…
Reese: Interfaith ministry is still ministry
By heritage, Kyle Reese is as Baptist as they come. He earned degrees from a Baptist university and two Baptist seminaries. He served as pastor of Baptist churches in Texas and Florida and is past moderator of the Cooperative Baptist…
Biden plans to restore refugee admissions, but rebuilding the system will take time
President-elect Joe Biden has announced he intends to raise the nation’s refugee cap by more than 100,000 after years of plunging totals under the Trump administration. But officials with domestic agencies and the ministries that help resettle and support refugees…
No surprise here: Study documents parental stress due to COVID
A new study reports higher levels of anxiety and depression among parents during the COVID-19 pandemic, but Stacy Cochran Nowell doesn’t need documentation to tell her that. “The spring was awful. It really was. It was incredibly difficult,” said Nowell,…
‘Freedom songs’ make a reprise during this year of protests
The wave of high-profile police killings of Black Americans during the summer got a lot of people protesting across the country — and it got them singing in the process. “The act of singing, in and of itself, is an…
More Boomers are retiring, and churches need to be prepared
The rate of Baby Boomer retirements escalated in the last 12 months, a trend that could provide a boost to some American churches and a challenge to others. “As Boomers retire, many of them are going to go from working…
The loving witness of a father proves to be strong magic for David Garrard
As a professional magician, Louisville, Ky., resident David Garrard has pulled his fair share of items out of a hat. But his new book about his late father, Baptist pastor Forrest C. Garrard Jr., is not one of them. The…
Racial justice activists concerned that too many white Americans are tired of the conversation
Many Americans see little or no benefit in the heightened focus on racial injustice since the high-profile police killings of George Floyd and other Black Americans during the coronavirus pandemic, new polling reveals. Natasha Nedrick, however, is not one of…
Study asks how art influences faith
Two Baylor University scholars and a third at Fuller Theological Seminary are setting out to determine the relationship between two difficult, if not impossible, things to measure: art and faith. The researchers want to determine how encountering art creates discernable…
East Baltimore pastor weaves network of ecumenical care and service
Louis R. Tillman IV has been up to a lot in just a few short years of ministry, including championing social and racial justice causes and helping guide the poor and hungry through the COVID-19 pandemic. And being a Black…
Senior adults benefit from mindfulness techniques, speakers say
Senior adult Christians can cultivate more energy, peace and compassion by embracing mindfulness meditation, a pair of United Methodist spiritual teachers said during a webinar hosted recently by Fellowship Southwest. Mindfulness spiritual techniques also can help seniors navigate the challenges…
Another week, another hurricane — welcome to 2020
The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season is stretching the disaster response capabilities of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship to the limit. “I’m afraid we are getting to that point,” said Rick Burnette, Global Missions field personnel and the domestic disaster response manager…