A coalition of religious groups has asked a federal court to prevent federal immigration agents from raiding houses of worship during the holiday season. The plaintiffs in New England Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, et al., v. Department of…
Why I missed the luncheon
Today, I was supposed to attend a luncheon celebrating passage of “Trey’s Law” in Texas and Missouri this year. Instead, I was trapped in a Dallas County courtroom on a panel of potential jurors for a child sexual abuse case….
On being ‘just Christian’
A couple years ago, when I first moved to Wisconsin, I joined a local megachurch Bible study that wasn’t attached to my church. Despite attending a Lutheran Church Missouri Synod congregation, I found Wisconsin was generally bereft of young folks…
The early church would be shocked we’ve stopped feeding the hungry
Churches get reputations. Some churches are known for their sense of community. Congregations that focus on friendship are fun — lots of parties, traditions and food. People in these churches tend to weigh more. We gain weight at potluck dinners….
Churches must resist polarization as a path to reducing violence
Churches are an essential part of responding to violence in America, beginning with emphasizing Jesus’ commandment to love our enemies. Preachers must stop calling down hellfire on those who disagree with them, and instead acknowledge that everyone is our brother…
Healing our divisions
The crisis in our public discourse is hard to deny. A staggering 93% of Americans feel incivility is a problem and more than two-thirds feel it is a major problem. Moreover, incivility is not just a matter of how we…
Why is there a rooster on the steeple?
Most Christian churches in the Southeastern United States, especially in Alabama, where I was raised, have crosses on the steeples of their churches. During my sabbatical in 2012, prompted by the Celtic crosses on the campus of First Baptist Church…
A third letter accuses Baylor of threatening academic freedom
The kerfuffle over Baylor University’s rejection of a $634,000 grant for academic research now has produced a third public letter of concern, this time focused on a perceived threat to academic freedom. The two earlier letters, as reported by BNG,…
7 organizational pitfalls that keep churches stuck
A veteran airline pilot once told me, “Even the most advanced aircraft won’t go anywhere without regular course corrections.” The same is true of churches. While rooted in timeless truth, churches must constantly assess whether they’re still aligned with their…
A senior reflects on aging
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…
How to talk about polarizing topics at church
Churches can talk about polarizing topics — even politics — if they enter those conversations seeking transformation rather than conformity, church consultant Matt Cook told participants at the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship General Assembly in St. Louis June 26. Cook, director…
CBF session explores responses to sexual abuse in congregations
One learning lab at the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s General Assembly asked attendees to consider what their church would do if abuse happened in their congregation. Jay Kieve, CBF’s abuse prevention and response advocate, joined attorney David Cooke to talk through…