When conservatives gained control of the Southern Baptist Convention in the early 1990s, leaders of state Baptist conventions paid their obeisance by upping the percentage of church offerings they sent to the national convention. Thirty years later, that well is…
Like all schools, Christian universities wrestle with rising costs of education
College tuition continues to increase year after year, with student loan debt mounting and affecting the ability of the middle class to invest in the future. That is a bread-and-butter issue for many private Christian universities. As the Associated Press…
When it comes to child care costs, Dave Ramsey is the one who’s ‘dumber than crap’
“Come on dude. That’s just dumber than crap. Seriously. Good God,” the conservative evangelical financial celebrity and New York Times bestselling author Dave Ramsey ranted at a parent who called into his radio program asking for advice. Ramsey’s co-host Jade Warshaw piled…
A war beyond borders: The rippling effect of the Ukraine war on Africa
When Russian President Vladimir Putin made good on his threat to invade and unleash war on Ukraine Feb. 24, 2022 — one year ago today — not many people in Africa, thousands of kilometers away, imagined they would pay a…
Zimbabwean pastors flee ministry to join more lucrative care work in the UK
Zimbabwe is blighted by a fearsome 240% inflation rate, one of the world’s highest. The nation’s pastors, although dedicated to the calling of Christ’s work, are struggling to eat or pay bills just like their impoverished congregants. “We can’t dance…
As inflation hits, Africa’s largest indigenous church clings to a tea obsession
Global food inflation has not spared South Africa, but amidst the high prices, millions in Africa’s biggest indigenous church cling to a tea ritual obsession despite rising prices of ingredients. “It’s the tea of faith; a sip kicks off bad…
If your pastor hasn’t had a pay increase in several years, now is the time to make it right
On multiple occasions in the last few weeks, I’ve had conversations with pastor friends who have said in passing, “I’ve not had a salary increase since I got here.” These pastor friends are not bitter, and they weren’t complaining. They…
Want to lower grocery prices? Urge Senate to pass Farm Workforce Modernization Act, panelists say
Those who think immigrants are stealing American jobs not only are wrong but are imperiling the American economy with their unsubstantiated views, a panel of agricultural leaders said July 27. “Each year, we see the end of generational farms because…
In Africa, inflation and a food crisis threaten not just the economy but people’s lives
While inflation troubles the United States and economies around the world, the rising cost of food and essential commodities is having a deadly effect across Africa. The challenge on the African continent is not just about the rising cost of…