A group of Texas high school and college students received the David Norr Youth Activist Award from Americans United for Separation of Church and State this year — recognizing a well-organized youth movement making a difference. The award is named…
12 ways to shepherd courage in divided communities
In early 2026, I was invited to participate and help facilitate a conversation with clergy from around the country as a part of a Zoom conversation hosted by Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. My breakout session was on how…
Be like the Little Hummingbird
There is a children’s picture book called The Little Hummingbird that I absolutely love. It’s based on a fable by the Quechuan people of South America and tells the story of a forest ravaged by fire and the response of…
‘Somebody get me my walking shoes’
“Speak up for the voiceless. …. Defend the rights of the poor.” Those words from Proverbs 31:8-9 are among the many in Scripture that call the people of God to a life of empathy and advocacy— a wide stream of…
Politics, faith and mission: A conversation with Catherine Meeks
Catherine Meeks is a prolific author of works on race and justice, including the recent memoir, A Quilted Life: Reflections of a Sharecropper’s Daughter, and one of the Episcopal Church’s most impactful teachers on racial healing. After retiring as the…
What I learned at CBF’s Advocacy in Action
I got to tag along with Cooperative Baptist Fellowship on its Advocacy in Action trip to Washington, D.C., last week. Having participated in several similar advocacy trainings and trips with various groups, I thought I knew what to expect. The…
Simmer down? Hell, I’m just getting warmed up
Recently someone suggested I should “lighten up” on my criticism of Donald Trump and his regime. That’s not going to happen. To be silent is to be complicit. Throughout my career I’ve been threatened, trolled, falsely accused, defamed, shamed and…
United Women in Faith and Texas Impact converge on Texas Capitol
United Women in Faith (previously known as United Methodist Women) is one of the largest denominational faith organizations for women in the United States. Since 1987, the Texas Conference of United Women in Faith has partnered with Texas Impact —…
Christians and the fight for justice after Trump’s return
As we reflect on the state of our nation after the results of the 2024 election, we are confronted with a renewed sense of division, uncertainty and urgency. Donald Trump’s rise to power once again has raised profound questions about…
‘Pro-family’ legislative groups add state-based legal centers to their culture war arsenals
Conservative Christian “pro-family” groups affiliated with Focus on the Family are adding state legal groups to their arsenal so they can combat old legislation they say violates their values and freedoms. Focus on the Family began creating a network of…
Two evangelical political action groups merge with hopes to reach 1 million voters
Family Policy Alliance Foundation and Christians Engaged, two conservative Christian groups focused on political activism, have merged so they can “sign up 1 million Christians to engage in the upcoming U.S. presidential election and local elections across the country for…
Hawks and Felton to lead CBF advocacy efforts
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is expanding its advocacy work with the addition of two new staff members announced Nov. 30. Jennifer Hawks, associate general counsel for Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty in Washington, D.C., has been named CBF’s director…