(ANALYSIS) As the star of the scathing documentary "Religulous" — "religious" plus "ridiculous" — Bill Maher has never hidden his agnostic views about faith. But that doesn't mean the stand-up comic doubts the reality of evil. Consider his blistering comment on smartphones, drawn from his “Real Time” talk show earlier this year.
Read MoreThe Roys Report has uncovered details about Morris’ wealth, calling into question whether the famous preacher’s emphasis on tithing — giving 10% to the church — was purely altruistic. Though it’s not publicly known how much Morris is worth today, Morris has bought and sold multiple multi-million-dollar properties in Texas.
Read More(ANALYSIS) I’ve been trying to think of a way to better understand how female pastors experience their job compared to men. There just aren’t that many surveys of clergy out there, so this is not an easy task. The other day I remembered that there was a dataset out there that I hadn’t done a lot with — the National Congregations Study.
Read MorePastor Eli Abdullah Tinau lives in the charred room that remains of his home after an attack by militant Fulani Muslims, an increasingly violent group accused of killing thousands of Christians in Nigeria. But Tinau, a Fulani Christian who converted from Islam, is committed to sharing the Gospel with Fulani Muslims as a missionary and pastor of Evangelical Church Winning All in Nkiendoro, about 60 miles from Jos in the Bassa Local Government Area.
Read MoreAmerican churchgoers are looking for more than biblical explanation from their pastor each week. Many expect the sermons to help them understand and address modern cultural issues. Four in five U.S. Protestant churchgoers believe a pastor must address current issues to be doing their job, according to a Lifeway Research study. Only 16% disagree and 4% aren’t sure.
Read MoreA new study found 66% of U.S. Protestant pastors say the economy is very or somewhat negatively impacting their church. The two in three pastors who report a negative economic impact is the highest since 2011, and the 14% who say the impact has been very negative is the highest ever recorded in the 15-year history of the study.
Read MoreAnyone who has been paying attention to religion news has heard of the “Nones” — the “religiously unaffiliated” people who have little or no connection to any form of institutional religion. Then there are “Nons,” the term that religion-data expert Ryan Burge has pinned on the other big trend (“The Future of American Christianity is Non-Denominational”) that is reshaping the religion marketplace.
Read MoreEight years ago, Lifeway Research asked Protestant pastors who they planned to support in the presidential election and only three percent declined to answer. That number didn't change much in 2020, when four percent declined. But things changed recently, when almost a quarter of the pastors refused to voice their choice in the 2024 White House race.
Read MoreLike other Americans, pastors are deciding who they’ll vote for in the November election. Compared to previous elections, however, they’re much more hesitant to share their preference. With 50 days to go before Americans vote, here's a look at what pastors think of the two candidates.
Read MoreAfter a difficult economic stretch for many churches and pastors, Southern Baptist pastors may feel more comfortable compared to two years ago. Compensation for full-time Southern Baptist senior pastors, full-time staff ministers and full-time office personnel outpaced inflation over the past two years, according to a study conducted by Lifeway Research.
Read MoreMinistries continue to distance themselves from Robert Morris, founder of Gateway Church in Texas, in the wake of accusations that he sexually abused a girl for several years, starting when she was 12.
Read More(ANALYSIS) In our post-pandemic, technologically-infused culture, burnout is on the rise across all sectors of the economy. People are struggling with the frenetic pace of the modern workplace. The church is no exception. In fact, pastors and clergy find it difficult to keep up with the evolving demands of church life in a digital age.
Read MoreIt appears that Emily Harrison — creator of the “Dear Christian Parent” website — is some kind of religious countercultural radical. By the way, for me “radical” is a compliment when discussing matters of digital-screen culture. The question is what brand of faith-based radical she is, since her Substack’s “about” page offers classic nondenominational-era language: “Believer in Jesus. Wife. Mother. Writer & Speaker on kids and screen time. ScreenStrong Ambassador.”
Read MoreMegachurch pastor John Lindell apologized to his congregation on Sunday for inviting sword-swallower Alex Magala and disgraced pastor Mark Driscoll to the Stronger Men’s Conference two weekends ago in Missouri. The apology follows a week of controversy sparked by Driscoll’s sharp condemnation of Magala’s “strip” act.
Read More(OPINION) As leaders in the Body of Christ, nothing is more important than your personal testimony — your hard-earned reputation for soundness in life, faith, and practice. You are a representative of Jesus in a formal and public way, with believers looking to you for guidance and unbelievers looking at you, scrutinizing you for godliness.
Read More(REVIEW) In 2023 there were several books released that can help ministers think through recent challenges. While the year was filled with many outstanding publications, I found these five particularly helpful for navigating this cultural moment, and all of these are worth the pastor’s time:
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