🏆 Weekend Plug-In Year In Review: The Best Religion Journalism Of 2025 🔌
Weekend Plug-in 🔌
Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-in” meets readers at the intersection of faith and news. Click to join nearly 10,000 subscribers who get this column delivered straight to their inbox. Got feedback or ideas? Email Bobby Ross Jr.
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It’s time for my favorite Weekend Plug-in column of the year!
For this special year-end edition, I asked some of the nation’s top religion journalists to share their best or most important story from 2025.
It’s the holiday season, so I didn’t catch up with everybody. But once again this year, I sure appreciate my Godbeat colleagues who responded — more than 60 in all.
In some cases, writers chose multiple links and invited me to pick my favorite, which I was happy to do.
Enjoy!
Weekend Plug-in’s year-end best religion journalism list has become an annual tradition. (Shutterstock photo)
Inside The Godbeat
Journalists who write about religion pick their top story of 2025.
• Liam Adams, The Tennessean: A liberated Zimbabwe church after UMC splintering points to historic shift across Africa, from Mutare, Zimbabwe, published Nov. 12.
• Adrian Ashford, Dallas Morning News: Why many Texas Republican leaders are concerned about gender transitions, published Oct. 9.
• Cheryl Mann Bacon, Christian Chronicle: Venezuelan family waits, prays and fights its fear, from Abilene, Texas, published April 17.
• Adelle M. Banks, Religion News Service: Around D.C., congregations aid those who’ve lost the ‘good government job,’ from Washington, published Aug. 26.
• Camillo Barone, National Catholic Reporter: Inside the conclave: How an American missionary became Pope Leo XIV (links here and here), published Nov. 5 and 6.
• Emily Belz, Christianity Today: When ICE raided their community, these churches were ready, from Los Angeles, published July 14.
• Deepa Bharath, Associated Press: A group of Catholics revitalized a remote Arizona village before the diocese ordered them to leave, from Concho, Arizona, published July 24.
• Michelle Boorstein, Washington Post: One nun’s angst: More hunger, less food, looming Trump cuts, from Ilion, New York, published May 6.
• Gregg Brekke, Broadview: The toll of war is inescapable in Ukraine, but the country remains unbowed, from Ukraine, published Aug. 29.
• Sophie Carson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 14 years in Wisconsin. A new life in El Salvador. She's trying to accept it, from Elpalmarcito, El Salvador, published Dec. 3.
• Michele Chabin, Religion News Service: Israeli settlers left Gaza 20 years ago. Now, many think they should have stayed, from Jerusalem, published Aug 25.
• Jillian Cheney, Religion Unplugged: ‘The Soul of Nature’: Springtime In New York with Caspar David Friedrich at the Met, published April 24.
• Ken Chitwood, The Revealer: The spiritual Is political: Georgia’s Peace Cathedral as a hub for pro-democracy religious resistance, published Oct. 7.
• Calvin Cockrell, Christian Chronicle: A camp where everyone belongs, from Knoxville, Tennessee, published Sept. 30.
• Benyamin Cohen, The Forward: Holy Ground, series published beginning in June.
• David Crary, Associated Press: How faith-based support is helping Scouting America stabilize, from New York, published Sept. 17.
• Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News: Why studying spirituality is harder than you think, published May 9.
• Giovanna Dell’Orto, Associated Press: Meet Father Spyridon: A Greek monk in an ancient cliffside monastery keeps island life together, from Amorgos, Greece, published April 8.
• Aaron Earls, Lifeway Research: Lessons from a ‘misfit church’: 5 principles for rural church growth, published Dec. 3.
• Mariam Fam, Associated Press: Coverage of the first Ramadan since the end of the Assad dynasty’s iron-fisted rule (links here, here and here), from Syria, series published beginning in March.
• Greg Garrison, AL.com: ‘I’m gone': Pastor whose grandson is charged with killing five retires after 41 years, published Feb. 7.
• Claire Giangravé, Religion News Service: Pope Leo's visit to psychiatric hospital aims to combat stigma in Lebanon, from Jal El Dib, Lebanon, published Dec. 2.
• Haajrah Gilani, Houston Chronicle: Catastrophic Texas flooding tests the Hill Country's deep Christian faith, from Kerrville, Texas, published July 20.
• Marissa Greene and Cecilia Lenzen, Fort Worth Report: A Texas church’s online class trains Christians to run for office. Now it may go national, published Nov. 10.
• Cassidy Grom, Religion Unplugged: How relic hunters helped build collection of saints’ artifacts, from Newark, New Jersey, published Nov. 7.
• Hamil R. Harris, Christian Chronicle: Crusade for Christ a blessing in person and online, published Aug. 20.
• Luis Andres Henao, Associated Press: Young adults turn to Quakers’ silent worship to offset — and cope with — a noisy world, from Philadelphia, published Oct. 31.
• Joseph Holmes, Religion Unplugged: Greta Gerwig’s Aslan and the coming faith-based ‘gender culture war,’ published May 12.
• Rebecca Hopkins, The Roys Report: ARC pastor appoints sex offenders — and exposes himself to female volunteer, published July 10.
• B.T. Irwin, Christian Chronicle: Lorraine Smith has hand-written cards for almost 7,000 new Christians in two years, published May 14.
• Audrey Jackson, Christian Chronicle: In the land of ‘The Savior,’ Bibles are welcomed, from San Salvador, El Salvador, published July 16.
• Kenzie James, Christian Chronicle: More than 'the least of these,' from Oklahoma City, published Sept. 11.
• Louis Keene, The Forward: A handcrafted Torah ark perished in the L.A. wildfires. My dad’s was seeking a new home, published July 13.
• Mark A. Kellner, The Roys Report: Truett McConnell University president accused of ignoring yearslong sexual abuse by VP, published May 29.
• Tamarra Kemsley, Salt Lake Tribune: From LDS missionary to Community of Christ elder — this Utah woman is ready to lead in her new faith, published May 25.
• Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Many Texans loved Charlie Kirk, but it was about more than politics, published Sept. 19.
• Clemente Lisi, Religion Unplugged: Cardinal Robert Prevost elected first U.S.-born pope, takes name Leo XIV, published May 8.
• G. Jeffrey MacDonald, Faith & Leadership: An affordable housing project uses its faith-based history to grow into the future, published Sept. 16.
• Mariya Manzhos, Deseret News: The great awakening: Why younger generations are giving faith a chance, from Boston, published March 27.
• Terry Mattingly, Universal syndicate: No, seriously: Jeff Foxworthy is convinced that God has a sense of humor, published March 3.
• Holly Meyer, Associated Press: It’s not a reprint. Why Sacred Harp singers are revamping an iconic pre-Civil War hymnal, from Bremen, Georgia, published May 29.
• Jessica Morris, The Roys Report: Former Newsboys frontman Michael Tait accused of sexual assault, grooming and substance abuse, dating back to 2004, published June 4.
• Richard Ostling, Religion Unplugged: How Turning Point USA contrasts with traditional evangelical youth outreach, published Oct. 7.
• Ted Parks, Christian Chronicle: Historic Nashville church building languishes amid lawsuits, from Nashville, Tennessee, published June 5.
• Harvest Prude, Christianity Today: What algorithms have brought together, published in July/August issue.
• Kenneth Pybus, Christian Chronicle: Christian at center of big case has ‘this sweet spirit,’ published April 23.
• Andrew Reneau, Christian Chronicle: A Spanglish church where all are welcome, from Oklahoma City, published Aug. 13.
• Michael Reneau, The Dispatch: Reciting what’s true to defuse a politics of hate, published Sept. 14.
• Kim Roberts, MinistryWatch: What to know about adult clergy sexual abuse, published July 17.
• Francis X. Rocca, The Free Press: The passion of Pope Francis, published April 21.
• Bobby Ross Jr. (hey, that’s me!), Christian Chronicle: Faith in France: Exploring spiritual renewal in a secular country, from France, series published in November and December.
• Julie Roys, The Roys Report: Documents: Jimmy Evans and New Life elders knew Robert Morris abused a 12-year-old decades ago, published June 6.
• Kate Shellnutt, Christianity Today: Cliffe Knechtle doesn’t have all the answers, published Aug. 6.
• Daniel Silliman, Christianity Today: The Nicene church disappeared from Nicaea, published May 19.
• Tracy Simmons, FāVS News and Religion News Service: With new campus, Pastor Doug Wilson’s Christian Valhalla grows in Idaho, from Moscow, Idaho, published May 31.
• Bob Smietana, Religion News Service: Coverage of the death of Southern Baptist Convention abuse whistleblower Jen Lyell (links here, here and here), published in June.
• Peter Smith, Associated Press: Inside a historic church painted with murals that reflect searing social commentary, from Millvale, Pennsylvania, published June 5.
• Warren Cole Smith, MinistryWatch: Military chaplains attempt to leave ACNA en masse, published Sept. 24.
• Peggy Fletcher Stack, Salt Lake Tribune: Exploring the nastiest divide in all of Utah: Latter-day Saints vs. former members, published Aug. 25.
• Erik Tryggestad, Christian Chronicle: In Search of Shalom — the struggle toward divine reconciliation, from around the world, series published beginning in August.
• Menachem Wecker, Jewish News Syndicate: ‘Never a photo op he didn’t like’: Jewish NY postmaster grew, shaped USPS letters to Santa program in 1930s, ’40s, published Dec. 1.
• Deena Yellin, NorthJersey.com and USA Today Network: From New Jersey influencers to a Brazilian beatboxer, nuns are getting a pop-culture makeover, published July 11.
The Final Plug
While you’re catching up on year-end reading, here are a few of my favorite Plug-in columns of 2025 that you might have missed:
• Faith, hope and LA: The positive side of reporting on way too many disasters
• COVID miracle: At the pandemic’s 5-year anniversary, it’s time to tell the story
• Hoops and healing: Why the Thunder’s first NBA title means so much to OKC
• Off the beaten path, it’s where to find some of the best faith stories
Happy holidays, everyone! Enjoy the weekend.
Bobby Ross Jr. writes the Weekend Plug-in column for Religion Unplugged and serves as editor-in-chief of The Christian Chronicle. A former religion writer for The Associated Press and The Oklahoman, Ross has reported from all 50 states and 20 nations. He has covered religion since 1999.