From around the country 524 clergy responded to the call of North Dakota priest John Floberg to gather in support of the Sioux Nation’s attempts to stop construction of an encroaching oil pipeline near Standing Rock. Floberg, leader of three…
Clergy from across U.S. to stand in solidarity with indigenous ‘water protectors’ at Standing Rock
More than 350 clergy from across the nation have said they will stand with the “water protectors” blocking construction of an oil pipeline adjacent to the Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota during a “unified action” Nov. 3. John Floberg,…
Culture warriors wave white flag, get down to business
What if Christians in America have lost the war against cultural changes they feel do not reflect their biblical standards? They might look to Christians in Canada who realized a decade ago that they lost the culture war there and…
Victims trying to put flood picture in a different frame
In North Carolina, Hurricanes Fran in 1996 and Floyd in 1999 sat atop the honor roll of calamity for 20 years. Flooding from Hurricane Matthew has knocked them off the mountain, leaving tens of thousands of residents shaking their heads and digging through mud looking for a morsel of hope.
Bridging divides in post-election season will be challenging for churches
While sociologists slice the population into thinner and thinner samples for examination, columnist and radio host Byron Williams says the most neglected — and dangerous — segment is “the Bob Dylan demographic.” Quoting a famous Bob Dylan song, Byron said,…
In Baton Rouge, devastating flood temporarily supplants racial tensions
In a strange irony, the floodwaters spreading misery without regard to race have at least temporarily calmed the racial tensions in Baton Rouge, La. The city has been wracked by tensions caused by multiple shootings in July.
Covering nudity in art reflects Church’s unwillingness to discuss important issues, say pastors
When Convergence, a congregation with Baptist ties in Alexandria, Va., hosted Edward Knippers’ massive paintings in an exhibition called “Violent Grace,” it had to cover the works during worship services of the Anglican congregation that shares its space. Why? Not…
Delta-bred Coker returns home from New England to lead Mississippi CBF
The thermometer offered a 103-degree “Welcome Home” recently to Mississippi native Jason Coker, returning to his roots after 14 years of church leadership in Wilton, Conn. A Baptist from the South with a drawl, Coker arrived in the affluent Connecticut…
Most Americans resist admitting world is ‘becoming browner’ says pastor, police chaplain
Racial tensions will naturally run high when a majority refuses to acknowledge “the world is becoming browner” and large numbers of voters rally around a white man “wanting to win back America,” according to pastor and police chaplain Paul Anderson….