Jeff Brumley

Ruh-Roh: Study says dog owners more faithful churchgoers than cat owners

A paper by two sociologists explores the little-studied link between religiosity and pets.

Small, one-pastor church lives into big vision with Koinonia Farm, Jimmy Carter and wider progressive movement

“There is a rich legacy of progressive Baptists doing things in here in Sumter County.”

Why neither seminary nor pastoral experience prepares ministers for (their own) grief

“I was equipped to function in the midst of crisis and to be a non-anxious presence, but nothing prepares you or equips you for the grief over someone who is dear to you.”

Church taps ‘Cheers’ approach to mix spirits with the spiritual

“You walk out of there every month knowing you heard something you needed to hear.”

BNG’s Top 25 of the decade

Presented here are BNG’s top 25 news and opinion articles during the past decade.

Robert Dilday, Episcopal priest and former editor of BNG and the Religious Herald, dead at 64

Nancy Dilday Duck said her brother had been in good spirits and was energetic and highly engaged in church planning meetings earlier Saturday evening.

Unhappy with the neighbors? Try more church, study says

“The more you worship, the better you feel about people who don’t worship with you,” Dougherty said. “It’s a community building experience that extends beyond the doors of the religious community.”

Pastors feel the pain as churches hit ‘another low point’ in American culture

Research once again shows that confidence in organized religion remains at all-time lows. But what the numbers don’t reveal is the toll that the erosion of reputation and relevance has had on churches and ministers throughout the decline. It’s often described as an astonishing and disturbing experience.