Last year, leaders at Tate Springs Baptist Church hid thousands of plastic Easter eggs on its back lawn in Arlington, Texas.
Another Break From The Past: Government Will Help Churches Pay Pastor Salaries
In a development that could challenge the Constitution’s prohibition of any law “respecting an establishment of religion,” the federal government will soon provide money directly to U.S. churches to help them pay pastor salaries and utility bills.
No halt to culture wars during coronavirus outbreak
A partisan fight over voting in Wisconsin was the first issue linked to the coronavirus to make it to the Supreme Court. Efforts to limit abortion during the pandemic could eventually land in the justices’ hands. Disputes over guns and religious freedom…
Sabbatical cut short, megachurch pastor relished quiet, turns to pandemic
The fourth-generation Baptist preacher has given thousands of sermons over the last three decades but said he was ready to return to the pulpit of his 8,800-member church after having almost two full months away from his normal busy schedule….
Cholera Outbreaks Revealed Power, Prejudice, and Compassion. So Does COVID-19.
Americans watched anxiously as the pandemic crept toward them, spreading with seeming inevitability from its origin in Asia to Europe and then, crossing the Atlantic, to the United States. When the disease arrived, it brought the country to a halt:…
How I learned to love worshiping via video call
On a Sunday morning last December, the FaceTime notification sound chirped on my phone at 9:30 a.m. When I tapped the glass, there was a live view of my church’s sanctuary, beautifully decorated for Advent—but sideways, with the stained-glass windows…
Israeli leader announces lockdown over Passover holiday
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Monday a complete lockdown over the upcoming Passover holiday to control the country’s coronavirus outbreak, but offered citizens some hope by saying he expects to lift widespread restrictions after the week-long festival.
With coronavirus infections linked to religious gatherings, debate rages over worship amid pandemic
In mid-March, Pastor Howard-Browne, head of the River at Tampa Bay Church, declared before his packed congregation: “I’ve got news for you: This church will never close.”
Southwestern Ends Largest Evangelical Archaeology Program
The nation’s leading evangelical archaeology program is closing, partly in response to COVID-19. Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS) will shut down the Tandy Institution for Archaeology in May, terminating five professors and discontinuing its degree program, which currently has more…