Their conversation began around the dinner table, a gay married couple in ministry pondering the mysteries of faith and life. Now their conversations have gone public in a podcast they hope will inspire United Methodists and other spiritual seekers to…
United Methodist author’s novels top Amazon’s Christian fiction list
United Methodist novelist Jessica Brodie always starts her stories with the characters. Her strategy has proved successful, since her third novel recently topped Amazon’s bestseller list for new releases in Christian fiction books. “I write redemption stories about people who…
Rise of American authoritarianism demands a choice, Perryman says
The rise of American authoritarianism frees people of faith from having to question how they would have responded during the Civil Rights Movement, Democracy Forward President Skye Perryman said. “If you ever wondered what you would do then, guess what…
Tell the stories of women in church leadership, Vanderbilt dean urges
Women have served in ministry throughout the history of the church even as their courage and tenacity have been mostly overlooked and forgotten, said theologian Yolanda Pierce, dean of the Vanderbilt University Divinity School. Therefore, it is important to begin…
BJC speakers inspire with tales of fighting authoritarianism
Fighting authoritarianism doesn’t require being violently forced to the ground and handcuffed by police outside an immigration detention center, said Michael Woolf, a Chicago-area Baptist pastor, author and activist who experienced that very thing. “There’s something for everybody to do,…
‘Be careful of Scripture heavy in law but light on grace,’ Wesley warns
Christians who vilify the poor, LGBTQ people and women practice a version of the faith that is heavy on the Bible but light on words of Jesus, said Howard-John Wesley, senior pastor of the historic Alfred Street Baptist Church in…
‘Show up and do something,’ ACLU leader urges
Opposing American authoritarianism will require dedicated action and avoiding the temptation to fall into “grim despair” over its advances, said Bacardi Jackson, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida. “It is always a matter of courage and,…
Nonprofits aiding immigrant kids say Trump admin intimidating them
The Washington, D.C.-area offices of nonprofit groups that provide legal services to unaccompanied immigrant children were recently visited by federal agents in what some of the organizations described as a campaign of intimidation. Kids In Need of Defense, or KIND,…
Report documents Trump admin’s neglect of children in detention
An average of 25 children age 3 or younger are in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody daily while no fewer than 500 infants and toddlers have been detained since President Donald Trump took office last year, according to a study…
The transformation of Terrence Minor
More than 30 years ago, when Terrence Minor was incarcerated, a young man began speaking to him about Jesus. Minor cannot recall the man’s full name but does remember the influence he had. “Today, I couldn’t point to him in…
Religious liberty ‘is not a sword to harm others,’ Laser says
Religious freedom is a radical invention that allows all Americans to believe or not believe as they choose, but on the condition that others are not harmed, said Rachel Laser, president of Americans United for Separation of Church and State….
Court again demands Trump’s slush fund be verified as dead
A federal court granted a preliminary injunction preventing the Trump administration from establishing a nearly $1.8 billion slush fund for the president’s political allies as a lawsuit against the account moves ahead. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Virginia issued the…