On Tuesday, Jan. 10, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors declared a local state of emergency on homelessness. This follows last month’s action by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, when on Dec. 12 she declared a city-wide state of…
As nationwide COVID vaccination rates increase, a few are still seeking religious exemptions, often with difficulty
Two weeks ago, as the St. Louis County Council was about to pass an ordinance requiring all employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19, one resident stood up and told wary city employees how to avoid the mandate: “If you don’t…
On LA’s Skid Row, dueling visions of what it means to be faithful to God amid COVID
Dueling visions of what it means to be faithful Christians in a world rocked by coronavirus hit the national media over New Year’s weekend, with one music evangelist planing an event on Skid Row in Los Angeles and other prominent…
As COVID cases soar, court’s retreat opens doors of churches
The American legal and political approach to pandemic-era religious gatherings seems to be anything but consistent as Christmas bears down on churches. Challenges to previously approved restrictions on worship attendance are being upheld even as U.S. deaths speed toward 320,000…
USC study finds Blacks three times more likely to be stopped by police in LA County
A new study from the University of California offers concrete data on the meaning of “systemic racism” in policing — data not surprising to two Baptists with front-row seats to issues of policing and criminal justice. The USC report analyzed police…
A tale of two churches: one closes, one thrives and both live on
Shortly before it ceased being a congregation in June, First Baptist Church of Santa Ana, California worshiped at nearby Second Baptist Church. The nostalgia and irony were evident for the two congregations because it was the historically white First Baptist that helped birth historically black Second Baptist nearly 100 years ago.
‘Thoughts and prayers’ not enough to end gun violence, religious leaders say
It’s all too easy to fall into despair, give up or become cynical about the epidemic of gun violence gripping the nation. Latasha Hobbs of Jacksonville, Florida, says don’t do it. Don’t give in. “Our country is hurting. We have…
Frustration, fear and faith inspired youth to March for Our Lives
The diversity and scope of Saturday’s March for Our Lives was as surprising as it was inspiring, say many of the youth involved in the protests against gun violence in American schools that were held in Washington and around the nation. And for some of those, it was their Christian faith which prompted them to participate.
A seminary finds a golden gateway. Others find a rusted exit.
A couple of days after the announcement that the deal to sell the property and buildings of Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary had been completed, I was in San Francisco. Sunday afternoon I drove across the Golden Gate Bridge into…