The mild 2023 version of Beatlemania hardly compares to the wild 1964 version, but it has brought new musical products. “Now and Then,” the “last” song from the band, was released Nov. 2 to promote the Nov. 10 release of…
‘If incarceration is supposed to make us safe, we should be the safest place on earth’
Racial disparities continue to plague Black Americans in part because of the persistent perception that they are, by nature, threats to law and order, said Jamila Hodge, CEO of Equal Justice USA. “We have won many legal battles — the…
In Zimbabwe, cholera outbreak threatens to sink some churches
Pastors in Zimbabwe fear a fast-spreading cholera outbreak could sink what remains of precarious church earnings as authorities mull worship restrictions and some congregants are staying away from services for fear of contagion. “It never rains,” said Pastor Josia Jagidhi,…
In her moment of crisis, Julie Chen picked up a Bible a coworker had given her
Julie Chen was on top of the world when her world came crashing down five years ago. She was creator of the daytime Emmy award show The Talk, along with being the host of Big Brother. But then, it all…
United Methodist bishops called to craft ‘narrative of hope’ amid harsh break-up realities
The president of the United Methodist Council of Bishops called his sibling episcopal leaders to “craft a narrative of hope” in the coming months before the 12-million-member worldwide denomination gathers next spring for its first legislative assembly since the UMC…
Passport announces new cross-cultural youth camps
Passport Inc. is collaborating with five major faith-based organizations to launch a new series of summer camps designed to foster cross-cultural experiences between youth from diverse racial and economic backgrounds. Passport President David Burroughs said the program will be distinct…
Morris Chapman joins 60 signers of court brief arguing against Kevin Ezell and NAMB
A former president of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee has joined 60 other Baptist leaders in publicly opposing the SBC North American Mission Board’s legal argument against Will McRaney. Morris Chapman, a former SBC president and president of the…
Ministry jobs and more
Baptist News Global provides a free listing of ministry-related jobs for Baptist churches, theological institutions and organizations across the United States. Each free posting is for 30 days and is limited to 150 words. Postings may be extended another 30…
Gina Jacobs-Strain named general secretary of ABCUSA
Gina Jacobs-Strain has been named general secretary of the American Baptist Churches USA for a three-year term beginning Feb. 1, 2024. She will follow C. Jeff Woods, who has been serving as intentional interim general secretary since 2019. The general…
Mercer scholar studies Muslim women who marry non-Muslim men
Muslim women in Western and Islamic societies are increasingly standing up against Quranic interpretations barring them from marrying non-Muslims, religion scholar Shehnaz Haqqani said. “My respondents insist their marriages are Islamically valid and Islamically grounded, and that their marriages are…
Interfaith coalition produces ‘Faith in Elections Playbook’ to guide faith leaders
A national interfaith group and a cross-partisan democracy nonprofit have partnered to create a comprehensive online guide to faith-based involvement in the 2024 primaries and general election. The “Faith in Elections Playbook” provides detailed instructions congregations and other religious groups…
Black Gospel Music Preservation Program fine tunes the art of cultural preservation
Note: This is the last in a five-part series on the Black Gospel Music Preservation Program made possible by generous funding from the Prichard Family Foundation. While Baylor University’s Black Gospel Music Preservation Program is all about the music,…