Equal Justice USA has announced the “hard news” that it will shut down due to the Trump administration’s revocation of more than $3 million in federal grant funding. “After dozens of meetings and hours of analysis and deliberations, the leadership…
‘White identitarians’ draw bipartisan rebuke in Missouri
News of a whites-only group seeking to establish a private community in Missouri is generating mounting opposition from a broad range of religious, civic and political leaders. “Return to the Land is a white-supremacist group that wants to create a…
Retired pastor invites community to advocate for immigrants
Retired United Methodist pastor Jerry Eckert knows a lot about advocating for folks who may not have someone to stand up for their rights. Eckert was a co-founder of a volunteer group, Associates in Advocacy, that provides advocates — usually…
UMC’s racial monitoring agency awards undisclosed grants to immigration ministries
The United Methodist Church’s racial monitoring agency is awarding grants to what it calls “bold ministries” aiding immigrants. But it’s not telling who’s getting the money to protect the safety of the ministries and their locations. The UMC’s Washington, D.C.-based…
Court counters Homeland Security move to lift protection for 60,000 immigrants
A federal judge in San Francisco has extended Temporary Protected Status for approximately 60,000 immigrants from Honduras, Nicaragua and Nepal, at least until November. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem decided last month to revoke the status, saying conditions…
Southern Seminary alumni reunion to include lamentation, celebration
Former students, staff, faculty and friends of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary will remember their school and celebrate its unanticipated broad influence during a reunion at Wake Forest University’s School of Divinity in Winston-Salem, N.C., Aug. 15-16. “From Seminary to Society:…
Baptist Joint Committee trains 10th BJC Fellows class
The Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty marked the 10th anniversary of its BJC Fellows program by training a 14-member 2025 class, bringing the total number of Fellows to 100. Each summer, the BJC trains a new class of emerging…
Lawsuits stack up, but Trump administration stonewalls challenges to Anti-Christian Bias Task Force
A constitutional watchdog group has filed a second lawsuit against the Trump administration’s Anti-Christian Bias Task Force. The president created the commission in a Feb. 6 executive order directing U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to launch investigations into “anti-Christian conduct”…
Federal judge stops Arkansas from posting Ten Commandments in public schools
A federal judge has blocked Arkansas from implementing a new law requiring Ten Commandments displays in public-school classrooms. In issuing the Aug. 4 preliminary injunction, U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Brooks described Arkansas Act 573 as “plainly unconstitutional” under the…
Man-made catastrophes devour possibility of ending hunger
A perfect storm of war, pestilence and budget cuts has dashed any hope of ending national and global hunger by 2030, anti-poverty advocates say. The United Nations set a goal in 2015 of eradicating global food insecurity by the end…
‘Pro-family’ policies may worsen American women’s maternal health
Christian groups that identify as “pro-family” say America’s declining birth rates are an urgent crisis, and they support President Trump’s efforts to spawn a “baby boom.” But policies promoted by these groups may actually make becoming mothers more difficult —…
Open and Relational Theology conference to feature leading proponent Oord
Proponents of Open and Relational Theology — or ORT — affirm that, through relationship, God affects people, and people affect God, according to a video produced by theologian and author Thomas Jay Oord. ORT stresses God suffers with people and…