A few years ago, I had the privilege of interviewing First Lady Jill Biden’s prayer partner, Robin Jackson. You can read about that here. From the moment Jackson said hello, I knew we would be lifelong friends. In fact, I…
Landmark study documents religious faith of LGBTQ Americans
Faith is vital to millions of LGBTQ Americans whose patterns of belief and practice closely mirror those of the wider U.S. population, according to a new study. “Religious LGBT adults, including those who are moderately or highly religious, are socio-demographically…
Knock at the Sky opens the door to hard questions
Do you remember the old camp song, “Seek Ye First”? The song was popular at the American Baptist Church I attended as a child and teenager, the floating notes of the soprano line topping the chorus, the collective notes a…
‘I couldn’t feel God’: How past trauma can interfere with current faith
As a little girl, Diana Gourley faced more abusive pain at the hands of teenagers and adults than many people do their entire lives. But until recently, this devoted woman of faith saw little connection between these earlier agonizing experiences…
United Methodists stress values, character and duty as election looms
With the U.S. presidential election and down-ballot contests looming, United Methodists are making a final push to encourage their sibling Wesleyans to vote as a sacred duty, using Christian values and character traits as their guide. Officially, the denomination, its…
From empire to freedom: The hope of our faith
Facing the reality of governmental oppression, as a form of imperial reaction and suppression to the revolutionary movement of the church, early Christians anticipated unavoidable suffering. Living within an autocracy, anyone or any movement that stood in contradiction to this…
House Speaker Mike Johnson is latest GOP leader to receive warm welcome on Focus broadcast
Mike Johnson, the 56th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, discussed his family origins, his Christian faith, abortion, the “so-called” separation of church and state, attacks on American Christians and his love for his political opponent Hakeem Jeffries in…
‘Confession of Evangelical Conviction’ puts Jesus ahead of politics
A new confession of conviction to counter the politicization of evangelical congregations will generate pushback from Christians convinced their preferred political candidates are chosen by God, faith leaders said during an online briefing about the document. The “Confession of Evangelical…
Raushenbush looks for voices of faith at DNC
Interfaith Alliance President Paul Raushenbush spent much of his time at the Democratic National Convention canvassing activists, clergy and politicians on the intersection of religion, culture and politics leading up to the 2024 election and beyond. He also attended Promise…