The Christian publishing world is consolidating again, with news that David C. Cook plans to acquire Group Publishing. The acquisition would make David C. Cook the largest independent publisher of curriculum for the interdenominational church market, a news release says….
Rwandan government closes thousands of prayer houses
The Rwandan government has once again begun enforcing inspection of prayer houses and has closed 70% of those it inspected. In a statement on its website, the Rwanda Governance Board stated: “RGB organizes frequent discussions and consultative meetings with church…
Is stigma in the church hindering the path to addiction recovery?
While many are turning to alcohol and drugs at alarming rates, it’s time for our churches to reconsider their understanding and approach to recovery Matthew T. DuVall serves as director of development for McAfee School of Theology at Mercer University…
To renew the church, let’s redefine ‘Christian community’
The decline of the church in the Western world has been the subject of extensive study and speculation. Often, we focus our attention on the motivations of those who have left Christianity. In this season following Pentecost, however, perhaps we…
SBC membership declines again but not as much, while number of churches still decreasing
The bad news for the Southern Baptist Convention is that membership declined for the 17th consecutive year. The good news is that last year’s 1.8% decrease was less than recent years. Those are among findings from the SBC’s Annual Church…
A eulogy for vacation Bible school
Vacation Bible school, known as VBS by many, has been a staple in the life of American churches for decades. From its beginnings in the late 1800s, the focus has been a ministry to children. VBS has been a source…
If faith were a movie
Next Sunday evening, along with millions of others around the globe, I will watch the Academy Awards. I’ve not missed one in 40 years. Since three of my major interests are theology, writing and movies, I decided to do a…
What not to do if there are queer folks in your church (and there are)
There are queer folks in my church. I worship with them every Sunday. There are queer folks in your church too, whether you know it or not. That’s just how statistics work. More often than not, however, these beloved siblings…
If getting voters to the polls isn’t government’s job, maybe it is the work of the church
Tim O’Hare has taken limited government to a new self-defeating level. The Tarrant County, Texas, county judge (chief executive of the county government) declared last week: “I don’t believe it’s the county government’s responsibility to try to get more people…