GOP lawmakers and their Christian supporters say the SAVE America Act will keep non-Americans from voting. Critics say the bill’s true purpose is making it harder for millions of Americans — including Blacks, women and the poor — to vote….
Tennessee bill would allow LGBTQ discrimination
The Tennessee House of Representatives has passed a measure that would clear the way for private citizens and businesses to discriminate against same-sex couples. House Bill 1473 asserts that government agencies alone are required to recognize the legality of same-sex…
Church of God in Christ wins defamation injunction
The Church of God in Christ Inc. has been granted a preliminary injunction to stop a gospel musician from continuing to slander the denomination and its senior leaders. U.S. District Judge Mark Norris in Tennessee issued the Feb. 2 order…
Three Baptist schools retain ties to Kanakuk Institute
Four educational institutions, including three seminaries, remain partnered with Kanakuk Institute, an eight-month program aimed at equipping post-graduate students with “biblical skills for a lifetime of ministry” with connections to Kanakuk Kamps. Three of these schools are Baptist affiliated. Over…
Louisiana can require Ten Commandments — for now
Louisiana is free to implement its previously blocked law requiring Ten Commandments displays in public school classrooms, a federal appeals court ruled Feb. 20. The full U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans overturned a three-member panel of…
‘This is our 1933,’ Jones warns
“This is our 1933,” Robert P. Jones told the FaithWorks “Compassion and Justice” conference Feb. 20 in Austin, Texas. Jones, founder and president of Public Religion Research Institute, was a keynote speaker at the event held at Riverbend Church. FaithWorks,…
Proctor Conference marks leadership transition
Tears flowed and applause resounded as the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference marked its first-ever leadership transition at the annual gathering in Chicago Feb. 23. Iva E. Carruthers, who was the founding general secretary of the nonprofit, has taken on emeritus…
‘If you want to honor my father, then do what he did’
“If you want to honor my father, then do what he did,” Jonathan L. Jackson told the opening session of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference in Chicago Feb. 23. The son of Civil Rights leader Jesse Jackson brought the crowd…
Organizer says Latino pastors struggle after voting for Trump
Faced with deportations of their church members, some Latino pastors who voted for Donald Trump in 2024 now regret their choice, according to Agustin Quiles. The president and founder of Mission Talk, an organization that mobilizes Latino evangelicals to shape…
Refugee advocates warn Trump is targeting well-vetted people
Refugee and civil rights groups condemned a new U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services memo clearing the way for the arrest of thousands of refugees lawfully resettled during the Biden administration. The directive enables Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to detain…
Diversity has benefits, Interfaith America leader says
Pluralism is not merely a lofty ideal but a series of concrete actions to strengthen relationships and bridge divides in contentious times, Interfaith America CEO Adam Nicholas Phillips said. Phillips and other members of his team at the Chicago-based nonprofit…
Supreme Court won’t hear McRaney’s appeal
The U.S. Supreme Court has denied Will McRaney’s final effort to hold the Southern Baptist Convention North American Mission Board responsible for his 2015 firing as executive director of the Baptist Convention of Maryland and Delaware. In a legal battle…