The insurance company for Gateway Church has filed an action in federal court seeking a declaration that it is not required to defend nor indemnify the church in the civil lawsuit brought by Cindy Clemishire related to sexual abuse committed against her by Robert Morris.
Read More(OPINION) As 2025 comes to a close, let us dedicate ourselves to a radical change in the way we think and act. Let us seize on the concept that every day, God gives us an abundance of chances to bring the “holiday spirit” into the lives of others — whether it’s December, April, June or September.
Read MoreEven though Emmanuel Ngona Ngotsi was appointed by Pope Francis as the bishop of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Wamba Diocese in January 2024 and consecrated eight months later by Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, he has yet to fully assume his role. Although Ngotsi is Congolese, Wamba clergy and laity still see him as an “outsider” because he is not a native of the area.
Read MoreCertain corners of the Orthodox internet are not just conservative or traditionalist, but openly racist and antisemitic, with several far-right figures converting in recent years. In the South, there is a strain of neoconfederate Orthodoxy that marries white supremacy and Orthodox practice. Matthew Heimbach, who organized the notorious Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., in 2017, had been excommunicated from the Antiochian Orthodox church but joined another branch.
Read MoreResearch carried out by the Bat Conservation Trust has revealed that over 8,000 churches provide bats with a home. They are messy houseguests, and churchgoers must coexist with them. At the same time, a U.K. law prohibits removing or disturbing the winged creatures that have scared people for centuries.
Read MoreDespite potential barriers within the congregation, the community and the broader culture, new Hispanic churches in the U.S. are reaching new people and welcoming new faces. Working with 16 denominations or similar groups, Lifeway Research surveyed leaders at almost 300 new Protestant Hispanic church works to gain an understanding of the current landscape.
Read MoreChurchgoing adults in the U.S. are likely to make financial and item donations during the Christmas season, according to a Lifeway Research study. More than four in five U.S. Protestant churchgoers say they typically make an extra monetary donation this time of year, while three in \four usually give new items to help others.
Read MoreCollections of Christmas music often include a few popular Advent hymns sung in Protestant services and even in Christmas parties, such as “Joy to the World,” “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” and, especially, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” Many Catholic Advent hymns focus on the role of Mary, the mother of Jesus, such as "Rorate Caeli (Drop down, Ye Heavens).”
Read More(ESSAY) When a beloved pet dies, a family finds solace in handmade quilts and TV church.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The 2025 Story of the Year in religion is obviously the surprise May 8 election of the first Pope from the United States, Leo XIV. The second-place story, less publicized but important, is the Oct. 16 proclamation of a planned split among the world’s 97 million Anglican Christians over their anguishing dispute on the Bible and sexual morality.
Read MoreIn just under seven months, the new pontiff has curated a jersey collection worthy of a sports museum or a Windy City man cave. Each of these jerseys, often delivered by dignitaries or guests from the U.S., reveals something about Leo XIV’s identity as both a clergyman and a fan.
Read MoreThe Rev. Emmanuel Bekomson, the parish priest of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Calabar, Nigeria, became concerned about how members of his parish with different disabilities were being engaged in church activities. He became even more unsettled and burdened when he discovered that some members did not attend Mass.
Read MoreThe hit series “Stranger Things” has become one of the biggest shows ever streamed on Netflix. The series, featuring a nostalgic mix of 1980s pop culture, government conspiracies and creatures from another dimension, have captivated millions. “Stranger Things” is not a religious series, but reminds viewers faith can take many forms.
Read More(REVIEW) The rom-com is about Joan and Larry, an elderly couple who are reunited in the afterlife as their younger, happier selves. They find themselves in a waiting room where souls have just a week to decide which “eternity zone” they want to spend forever in. Larry and Joan can’t be together if he’s in “beach” world and she’s in “mountain” world.
Read More(REVIEW) In “Miracles and Wonder,” historian Elaine Pagels examines the life of Jesus through historical, textual and theological lenses. Balancing faith and skepticism, she revisits questions of the virgin birth, miracles, crucifixion and the resurrection — ultimately portraying Christianity’s enduring power as rooted not in certainty, but in hope.
Read More(ANALYSIS) In Laos, Christian burials are barred from cemeteries, churches have to find improvised worship spaces, and Christians are often pressured to engage in activities that go against their religion. And with neighboring China’s new influence, it may get even worse.
Read MoreThe line into one of the stadiums at Tokyo’s Komazawa Olympic Park stretched out the door and down the street. The crowd waited patiently in the crisp fall air for a chance to watch the volleyball semifinals at Deaflympics, a worldwide event that brings deaf athletes together to compete every four years.
Read MoreIn a small Santa Clara classroom at Mission City Church in Northern California, a group of students huddle together, their voices rising in harmony. Leading them stands Makayla Hannah, their vocal coach for Youth Utilizing Power and Praise. Hannah is teaching more than pitch and breath control. She believes hope is not lost in a generation often dismissed.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Reading these living picture books aloud at Thanksgiving allows children to meet the story in its full shape — its beauty, its failures, its moments of generosity, and its deep contradictions. They see people whose faith guided them across an ocean, and people whose spiritual practices had been rooted in this land for generations.
Read More(OPINION) Take a moment in this season of gratitude to pity the greedy. Consider the illness of greed and those afflicted with the inability to be satisfied. These people may never know gratitude in their relentless drive to possess and hoard.
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