“They stole $77,000. And that was all of my savings.” Her voice was so soft I (Doug) had to lean in to hear her. “I’ve talked with the local police, the FBI and the Federal Trade Commission. The money is...
Pentecostal pastors laying hands on the president in the Oval Office. Prayers to open cabinet meetings. Hymn sings in the Roosevelt Room. Cross necklaces as faith-forward fashion statements. A prayer meeting at the Pentagon. Such public expressions of faith are…
On July 7, the IRS announced it no longer will enforce restrictions on places of worship endorsing political candidates provided those endorsements occur in the regular communication of the congregation to its members. This is a suspension of enforcement of…
Imagine, if you will, an enormous wooden horse encamped outside the Southern Baptist Convention headquarters. Downtown Nashville’s bachelorettes, bar hoppers and backup singers stop and stare at the giant horse with “Center for Baptist Leadership” emblazoned on its barrel. William…
In his latest project, Ibram X. Kendi is on a mission to help the next generation know and understand the work of Malcolm X. Kendi already is known as a modern-day interpreter of the present moment through a historical lens,…
Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the…
A Florida congregation is reeling after its pastor was arrested by federal immigration agents and deported to Guatemala. The Tampa Bay Times reported Maurilio Ambrocio, 42, was expelled to his native country July 2 after being detained by Immigration Customs…
Many of us recognize that our congregations are aging. Because we do not understand aging well, we may hesitate to really get to know older adults and minister to them. This article is written by an aging congregant and may…
I have no doubt that the daily drama of American crises is causing a lot of art to be created — and viewed. “Our truest response to the irrationality of the world is to paint or sing or write, for…
In the depths of the Florida Everglades, a place teeming with mosquitoes, swamps and predatory reptiles, the U.S. government has endorsed what many human rights activists now call Alligator Alcatraz — a sprawling 39-square-mile detention facility for immigrants surrounded not…
How Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election, after exhaustive evaluations by pundits, pollsters and political scientists, remains an enigma. I read all the number-crunching explanations I could Google. The Pew Research quantitative analysis of the election results was the…
As many of our readers know, I officiate a lot of funerals. In addition to nearly 17 years as pastor with responsibilities for such things, I officiate pick-up funerals for families who do not have a church or a minister….
Through Empowering Families for Spiritual Formation research and experience with churches and families, we have come to learn worship is an integral piece of engaging faithful families and encouraging spiritual formation. However, we also have learned churches can grow in…
