Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary could get an $11 million infusion of cash if a planned sale of 15 acres of property to the City of Fort Worth goes through. The sale of most of its Carroll Park student housing complex,…
When my church and I let Jesus down: Jesus in the distressing disguise of the homeless
My wife and I were in the mountains of North Carolina (Bakersville) for a week and a half during the Christmas season staying in what used to be her parents’ home. On a few days it was cold, bone-chilling cold….
What churches should know — and do — about a homelessness problem you likely didn’t know about
When it comes to college, “getting in is only half the battle,” according to Anthony Abraham Jack, professor at the Harvard School of Education. Elsewhere he has said: “Before all else, colleges must meet students’ basic needs.” Unfortunately, the nation’s…
Why is there still ‘no room’ for so many homeless in America this Christmas?
More than 2,000 years ago, when Jesus was born, there was “no room” for his family in Bethlehem. Likewise, as Christmas 2021 approaches, we have no room for hundreds of thousands of our fellow Americans who live in tents, cardboard…
How much wealth does America need before we’ll address homelessness?
In college I read a story by Leo Tolstoy called “How Much Land Does A Man Need?” Tolstoy’s story is about a peasant named Pahom, whose desire is to own enough land to make him wealthy. It did not start…
Denver is sweeping away homeless encampments; two churches help open their own
While activists fight the city of Denver for sweeping away homeless encampments during a public health crisis, two Denver churches have set up camps on their property as an alternative. With local nonprofits, Denver Community Church and First Baptist Church…
In New York City, serving the homeless offered a clue for how to serve trauma victims during the pandemic
Serving homeless people, as well as victims of domestic violence and other forms of trauma, is challenging anywhere. But the difficulty multiplies in New York City, Lesley-Ann Hix Tommey has learned. “In New York, everything is happening on such a…
How a Muslim beggar taught me about dignity
Perhaps I had grown too accustomed to seeing people dig through the garbage containers at the edge of the street in my residential neighborhood in Semarang, Indonesia. Then, one day I prepared a sermon for the small English-language congregation I…
Norfolk Street Choir infuses dignity with a dose of music
No one would mistake the Freemason Street Baptist Church Norfolk Street Choir concert for professionals. But that’s hardly the point. With this group, rehearsals are in large part the purpose. Performance is a byproduct.