It may now seem surprising to many United Methodists, and even more Baptists, that for most of our histories in the United States, all Methodists and Baptists were regularly designated as evangelical denominations. The most important reason is that both...
I watched the bizarre assault live on television as I rocked an infant in my arms. I have spent every waking minute reading eyewitness accounts, listening to podcasts and watching cable news. I’m trying to understand. I’m asking myself if…
Amid a flurry of executive orders issued by President Joe Biden on his first day in office was a repeal of the so-called “Muslim ban,” which prohibited entry to the United States by citizens of select countries mainly with majority…
As the COVID-19 pandemic approaches the one-year mark, churches continue to grapple with when — and how — to reopen for in-person worship and other activities. Some already have reopened, albeit with restrictions such as masks and social distancing in…
The suddenness of the coronavirus outbreak last year caught a lot of churches unprepared for a sudden transition to virtual worship and other gatherings. The Faith Community, a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship church plant in Atlanta, wasn’t one of them. The…
With the presidential inauguration, a new session of Congress and state legislatures gearing up, Americans receive fresh reminders to look toward the future with hope. Of course, we place ultimate trust in God and not government. But we propel our…
How is it that Nigeria, a country of about 200 million people, has experienced only 1,449 deaths from COVID-19, while the United States, a country of 331 million, has experienced 400,000 deaths? Ask some Nigerians and, because the country is…
Donald Trump’s presidency ended with the United States leading the world in the number of deaths caused by the coronavirus pandemic. He left Washington, D.C., as more federal troops were in Washington than at any other time since the Civil War,…
Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated bi-weekly. STAFF CHANGES Steve Allsbrook, to The River City Faith Network, Richmond, Va., as interim executive director. Peter JB Carmen, concluding…
Inauguration Januarys typically raise the stress levels of clergy serving churches in Washington, D.C., local ministers say. But the addition of a pandemic, a brutal election cycle and the Jan. 6 storming of Capitol Hill by Donald Trump supporters sent…
Last Sunday I was the guest teacher for a Bible study group made up of individuals and couples in their 40s and early 50s. As we talked about a biblical response to racism, a common question emerged from class members:…
On Jan. 6, as our family watched in real time, thousands of insurrectionists took over the U.S. Capitol, and the words of two 17th century Colonial Americans raced across my memory. Governor John Winthrop, arriving at Massachusetts Bay on the…
In Johannesburg, South Africa, 8,000 miles away from the White House, Achy, a 39-year-old immigrant Baptist pastor from Zimbabwe, relentlessly watches events in Washington. From double impeachment to Biden’s first 100 days in office — on paper this stuff should…
