Predictably, the widespread offering of “thoughts and prayers” wafted through social media after a gunman massacred nearly 60 people Sunday night in Las Vegas. In fact, it’s a common refrain of politicians, including President Donald Trump. But people of faith…
How Trump, Kaepernick and NFL inspire venom — and prophetic witness
When Texas pastor Freddy Haynes joined other ministers over the summer calling for a boycott of the NFL, it was to protest the league’s treatment of embattled quarterback Colin Kaepernick. But Donald Trump has pushed the debate, and the proposed…
Longer church commutes OK with Christians wary of ‘evangelical gimmicks’
Most churchgoers — almost 70 percent, according to new research — drive 15 minutes or less to get to Sunday worship. That does not describe Todd and Marcia Putney of Macclenny, a rural community located along Interstate-10 in Northeast Florida. The Putneys —…
Church celebrates 25 years welcoming Hooter’s, schizophrenics and Pharisees
Worshiping with drug addicts and sometimes-disruptive schizophrenics wasn’t the way Jimmy Dorrell envisioned his calling while growing up in Conroe, Texas, in the 1960s.
Harvey, Irma cleanup poses challenges for faith-based recovery
Faith-based disaster response groups are admittedly feeling the major challenge faced in the aftermath of hurricanes Harvey and Irma. “There’s a lot of chaos out there,” said David Harding, international disaster response coordinator for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Devastation in…
Many Trump evangelicals worship ‘Old Testament God,’ researchers find
Eight years with a black president capped by state-by-state victories for same-sex marriage didn’t sit well with white evangelicals already feeling like victims in American society. The result was a victory for Donald Trump last November. While that may have…
First Harvey, then Irma: Is there enough help to go around?
Hurricane Harvey drowns parts of Texas and Irma follows by drenching all of Florida. Are there enough rescuers, volunteers, trucks and helicopters to respond? Experience shows that there will be. But when it comes to financial contributions — that may be a different story.
Young immigrants nervous about Trump’s DACA decision/indecision
Yerendi Roblero was 6 months old when her parents took the family across the U.S. border from their native Mexico. “I pretty much grew up here, ” said Roblero, 21, of Fredericksburg, Va. It’s why the threat to end special protections for undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. since childhood concerns her and many others.
‘Are we going to die?’: As immigrants faced rising waters in Houston, many found help from Baptist workers
For a couple days last week, Hurricane Harvey and its flooding pushed a Baptist who works closely with Muslim immigrants in Houston nearly to despair. “Most of these folks have never seen this. They are from desert areas. Flooding is beyond them.”