As a professional magician, Louisville, Ky., resident David Garrard has pulled his fair share of items out of a hat. But his new book about his late father, Baptist pastor Forrest C. Garrard Jr., is not one of them. The…
COVID-19 creating exponential increase in global poverty
The effect of coronavirus on global poverty is getting significantly worse, according to new data from the World Bank. COVID-19 is “likely to push between 88 and 115 million people into extreme poverty — those living under $1.90 a day…
Racial justice activists concerned that too many white Americans are tired of the conversation
Many Americans see little or no benefit in the heightened focus on racial injustice since the high-profile police killings of George Floyd and other Black Americans during the coronavirus pandemic, new polling reveals. Natasha Nedrick, however, is not one of…
2020 vote shows religious identity held steady with slight change among Catholics and Mormons
Religious identity trends appear to have held fairly steady in the 2020 presidential election, based on a combination of exit polling and pre-election surveys. Because of the enormous number of Americans who voted by mail or in advance this year,…
Study asks how art influences faith
Two Baylor University scholars and a third at Fuller Theological Seminary are setting out to determine the relationship between two difficult, if not impossible, things to measure: art and faith. The researchers want to determine how encountering art creates discernable…
East Baltimore pastor weaves network of ecumenical care and service
Louis R. Tillman IV has been up to a lot in just a few short years of ministry, including championing social and racial justice causes and helping guide the poor and hungry through the COVID-19 pandemic. And being a Black…
Barrett joins in debate as Supreme Court weighs Philadelphia religious liberty case
The United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments Nov. 4 in its first major religious liberty case since the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and installation of a new firm conservative majority on the court. The case, Fulton v….
Transitions for the week of 11-6-20
Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated bi-weekly. STAFF CHANGES Rick Brittain, to Mars Hill Baptist Church, Watkinsville, Ga., as pastor. He had served as transitional pastor. Aaron…
Senior adults benefit from mindfulness techniques, speakers say
Senior adult Christians can cultivate more energy, peace and compassion by embracing mindfulness meditation, a pair of United Methodist spiritual teachers said during a webinar hosted recently by Fellowship Southwest. Mindfulness spiritual techniques also can help seniors navigate the challenges…
Compassion International and Baylor form partnership against poverty
Ending poverty among children and their families is the goal of a new partnership between Baylor University and Compassion International. The effort will pair Baylor’s educational expertise with Compassion’s historic mission to address persistent family poverty and bring about global…
Hybrid church is probably here to stay, but some things don’t translate well to digital
If you’re wondering whether the pandemic and online church will have a lasting effect on how churches operate, new research from Barna indicates the answer is a definitive yes. While most churchgoing Americans long to be back in their physical…
CBF staff reorganization made known
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has reorganized its Decatur, Ga., staff around nine major areas as an outgrowth of the Toward Bold Faithfulness initiative and budget constraints. In October, the CBF Governing Board approved a balanced budget for 2020-2021 that required…