Concerned about rising gun violence, St. David’s Episcopal Church outside Detroit hosted a gun buyback in December so residents could trade firearms for gift cards. “We’re trying to help build a safer community,” explained Chris Yaw, the church’s rector. “Guns…
This Christmas, remembering Sam Sharpe and the Baptist War in Jamaica
“I would rather die upon yonder gallows than to live in slavery.” Sam Sharpe wrote these words in a letter to the British Parliament from his jail cell in Jamaica. Sharpe, a Baptist deacon and lay preacher, faced execution for…
What you’re really giving to when you respond to a ‘Bible shortage’ in prisons
’Tis the season for giving — and making year-end contributions to charity. No doubt your mailbox and inbox are inundated with requests for donations this time of year. One such appeal from Prison Fellowship Ministries alerts recipients that Bibles are…
How churches can participate in the Indigenous Land Back movement and why they should
In 1777, Cherokee statesman Kaiyahtehee, also known as “Old Tassel,” arrived at Fort Henry near the Long Island in the Holston River to negotiate a treaty with commissioners from the state of North Carolina. The treaty would give America land…
What would happen if clergy unionized?
From the successful unionization of Starbucks baristas in Buffalo to striking actors and writers in Hollywood, support for labor unions is on the rise in a post-pandemic world. A Gallup poll from August reported 67% of Americans approve of unions…
How do you put faith on display in a museum? Britain’s Faith Museum gives it a go
Spanning more than 6,000 years, from Neolithic stone circles to the early Christianity of Roman soldiers, from Medieval monasteries to Baptist beginnings, from Darwinism to the influx of immigrants from across the Commonwealth, the history of faith in the United…
Oxford names Anthony Reddie first professor of Black Theology
In a historic move, the University of Oxford has appointed its first professor of Black Theology, Anthony Reddie. The director of the Oxford Center for Religion and Culture at Regent’s Park College, which also houses the Center for Baptist Studies,…
Creator and cast of ‘Reservation Dogs’ support Truth and Healing Commission
One of modern television’s most beloved series came to a conclusion Sept. 27 when a group of Native American teenagers, once determined to leave the Muscogee reservation for California, decided to stay. In three seasons, Reservation Dogs acquired a devoted…
Orange Shirt Day calls attention to the horrors of native boarding schools
When Phyllis Webstad was 6, her grandmother took her to town to buy a new outfit for the first day of school. “I chose a shiny new orange shirt. It was bright and exciting, just how I felt about going…