Soaring housing costs, rising poverty and the end of COVID-era relief checks and eviction protections contributed to a spike in homelessness in the U.S. last year, according to a study by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. More…
Immigration advocates slam Biden White House again
The Biden administration has once again made asylum more challenging to obtain just as migrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border are dropping to recent lows. Advocates are protesting the move they say will exacerbate the already high numbers of migrant…
Women are dying due to vague abortion laws in states
Evidence is mounting that abortion bans are threatening the lives of mothers in states where the prohibitions are the strictest. Medical experts and pro-choice activists in states like Florida, Georgia and Texas say women are increasingly subjected to life-threatening health…
First Baptist Erwin, Tenn., among those hard-hit by Helene
Like many congregations affected by Hurricane Helene and its remnants, First Baptist Church of Erwin, Tenn., emerged from the storm determined to do whatever it could to help its battered community. But even as they jumped headlong into fundraising and…
National study predicts churches may be more optimistic about staff compensation than realistic
Economic reality likely will frustrate the optimistic outlook many churches have about pay raises and staff growth next year, according to a new financial analysis of U.S. congregations. “This fall, churches are extremely aligned on a cost-of-living adjustment for their…
Appeals court puts the final nail in student effort to hold religious school accountable for LGBTQ discrimination
An advocacy group for more than 30 LGBTQ students marginalized by religious colleges and universities will continue the struggle for justice after the recent dismissal of its class action lawsuit against three Christian colleges and universities and the federal government….
In Helene’s path, churches swing into action with relief ministries
People and institutions of faith from Florida to North Carolina are kicking into high gear to help the victims of Hurricane Helene even as they struggle assessing the human need and the scope of physical damage. Even in the most…
Trump’s flip-flops on abortion have cost him nothing, observers say
Donald Trump’s high-profile flip-flops on abortion have riled pro-life supporters yet without a political cost for the former president and his campaign, Robert P. Jones said during “The Convocation Unscripted” webinar. “That would have been unthinkable in any other era,…
Webinar highlights dangerous scope of Project 2025
There is very little Donald Trump and his allies behind Project 2025 aren’t targeting in the 900-page Christian nationalist manifesto, said Nathan Empsall, an Episcopal priest and executive director of Faithful America. Empsall moderated a recent webinar he and his…
Christian nationalism drives voter suppression efforts, panelists warn
Any effort to suppress voter participation is a direct outgrowth of Christian nationalism, a panel of experts said during a Sept. 24 webinar hosted by Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty and its Christians Against Christian Nationalism campaign. More than…
‘We know the difference between American Christianity and Jesus,’ Humphries says
Christianity for many Native Americans conjures memories of stolen land, oppressive boarding schools and the forced sterilization of women, Mariah Humphries said in the opening address at Fellowship Southwest’s Compassion and Justice Conference. “This is what Christianity represents for Native…
Fighting hunger is a core gospel idea, Everett says
Combating hunger isn’t optional for Christians who take the Bible and Jesus seriously, Jeremy Everett told participants in Fellowship Southwest’s Compassion and Justice Conference. Scripture makes clear the imperative to share Christ’s heart for those struggling with food insecurity and…