LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (ABP) — A highly publicized bill that would have allowed worshipers to carry concealed weapons in Arkansas churches died Feb. 25 in the state Senate. The proposal to amend the state’s concealed-weapons law to remove “any church…
Increasingly, Baptists turning to observance of Lent
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — Though traditionally viewed as a Catholic rite, increasing numbers of Baptists are discovering the discipline of Lent. Growing from the free-church branch of Protestantism, Baptists traditionally have been highly suspicious of virtually all of the rituals…
FAITH DIGEST
Compared to Christians, fewer Jews switch faiths. Jews are less likely than Catholics or Protestants to change faiths, though religious switching nationwide has increased since 1965, according to a study released by the American Jewish Committee. Most who leave Judaism…
No opening day dogs for Catholic fans
CLEVELAND (RNS) — Major League Baseball’s opening day schedule has thrown Catholic fans a curveball this year. Seven teams are hosting their home opener on April 10 — Good Friday, when faithful Catholics abstain from meat. That means no ballpark…
Southern Baptists, Catholics show membership decline, yearbook notes
NEW YORK (ABP) — The nation’s two largest Christian denominations are experiencing slight but statistically significant membership declines, according to the latest edition of the National Council of Churches’ Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches. The 77th annual compilation of…
Parachurch groups not feeling pinch
WINCHESTER, Va. (ABP) — Faith-based charities haven’t been hit as hard by the economic downturn as expected, a new survey by the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability indicates. The ECFA, established in 1979 to accredit Christian non-profit organizations that model…
Church finances begin to feel impact of economic crisis
DALLAS (ABP) — Churches that aren’t cutting their budgets due to the economic downturn are, by and large, taking measures to curb expenses, according to a survey the National Association of Church Business Administration has done of its members. The…
John Leland center to offer leadership degree
Beginning in the fall, Leland Center for Theological Studies will offer a master of arts degree in Christian leadership (MACL). Mark Olson According to Leland’s president, Mark Olson, the new degree will focus on the particular leadership issues facing church…
Through a glass darkly: Churches struggle to know how to respond to people with mental illness
Living with depression — or any other form of mental illness — is like viewing life “through a glass darkly,” according to Jessy Grondin, a student in Vanderbilt University’s Divinity School. “It distorts how you see things.” Like one in…
African-Americans more religious than most others in United States
WASHINGTON (RNS) — African-Americans surpass others in the United States in a range of expressions of faith, from praying more to attending religious services more frequently, a new report shows. “Compared with other racial and ethnic groups, African-Americans are among…
OUT LOUD
“I am a Christian. Through the centuries we have had many people who have done terrible things in the name of Christianity. They have perverted the religion.” Hillary Rodham Clinton The secretary of state was responding to a question in…
SECOND OPINION: Apologetics and apologies
Dwight L. Moody, the great 19th-century American evangelist, once said that of 100 people, one would read the Bible, and the other 99 would “read the Christian.” Let’s face it: Christianity has an image problem. When you hear the word…