Posts in North America
Racial Healing Bus Tour Across America Touts Peace, Unity

In the Racial Healing of America Revival and Bus Tour, Christians sought reconciliation in five cities across the nation chosen for their significance in civil rights history — from Dallas to Washington. At its third stop in Birmingham, Alabama, speakers discussed peace and the blessings of fellowship and togetherness.

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Canada Investigates Allegations That Nike Canada Corp. Used Uyghur Forced Labor

(ANALYSIS) On July 11, the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise — the human rights watchdog reviewing complaints about possible human rights abuses by Canadian companies working outside Canada in the garment, mining, and oil and gas sectors — announced the launch of two separate investigations into allegations of Uyghur forced labor in the supply chains and operations of two Canadian companies.

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Following MLK's Example to Persevere

(OPINION) The reason we persevere is because we know God has called us to do what is right. And we know that with God, we can overcome whatever difficulties, injustices or troubles we face. So when confronted with the choice of giving up or pushing through, remember to keep going.

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A New Interpretation of Faith: The Story Behind the LGBTQ+-Inclusive ‘Sparkle Creed’

(ANALYSIS) The Sparkle Creed was circulated in 2021 by the Rev. Rachel Small Stokes of Immanuel United Church of Christ in Louisville, Kentucky. A Shower of Stoles website biography notes that she was raised United Methodist, served as a missionary in that denomination and trained for the ministry.

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Revisiting Martin Luther King's 'Where Do We Go from Here?’ After Half A Century

(OPINION) On  Aug. 16, 1967, in Atlanta during his annual report to the 11th Convention of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Martin Luther King Jr. entitled his speech “Where Do We Go From Here?” and thus the question I have for ministers, Black and White today.

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‘Stick To The Old Paths’: Church Music Is About More Than Style

(OPINION) For the past decade, a handful of megachurches have dominated worship music. They include Elevation Church, Australia-based Hillsong, and California’s Bethel Church — all churches that have had their share of scandal and controversy. Still, most worship leaders have carefully compartmentalized the controversy and have continued to use their songs — and, in effect, financially support these churches.

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Pro-Abortion ‘Rage Giving’ May Be Down, But Pro-Life Support Remains Strong

Recently, the Chronicle of Philanthropy published an article saying that “rage giving” to abortion advocacy groups after the overturning of Roe v. Wade in June 2022 has dropped off. MinistryWatch spoke to several pro-life ministries to see how giving has been for them in the last year, and all reported that donors remain generous in the cause of protecting the unborn.

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The Making And Premiere Of ‘Fiat Lux’: A Radiant Oratorio For A Cathedral Suffused With Light

(REVIEW) The encore performance at Christ Cathedral of “Fiat Lux” was billed as “Pacific Symphony & Pacific Chorale in concert with Paul Jacobs,” and the opening pieces were programmed to additionally celebrate the refurbishment of the cathedral’s Hazel Wright Organ, the fifth-largest pipe organ in the world.

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Sotomayor’s Dissent Sheds Light On Religious Universities Amid Affirmative Action Debate

(ANALYSIS) Sotomayor’s dissent poses an interesting inquiry, regardless of one’s personal opinion of where the court should have landed on affirmative action: Does the Constitution uphold the spiritual and religious freedom of faith-based higher education institutions to engage in holistic, race-conscious admissions practices as an expression of their sincerely held institutional religious beliefs?

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Islam’s Call To Prayer Is Ringing Out In More US Cities — Affirming A Long And Growing Presence Of Muslims In America

(ANALYSIS) Minneapolis recently became the first major U.S. city to allow the “adhan,” or Muslim call to prayer, to be broadcast from mosques five times a day. In April 2023, the Minneapolis City Council unanimously approved a change to the city’s sound ordinance, effectively eliminating time constraints that previously prevented the pre-dawn and evening prayer calls from being broadcast.

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Religion Has Become A Luxury Good For The Middle Class, Married College Graduate With Children

(ANALYSIS) Religion in 21st century America has become an enclave for people who have done everything “right.” They have college degrees and marriages and children and middle-class incomes. For those who don’t check all those boxes, religion is just not for them.

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Patheos’ Sacred Spaces Initiative: Showcasing The 100 Most Holy Places On Earth

Patheos, a website focused on religion and spirituality, recently launched the Sacred Spaces Initiative, which explores the 100 most holy sites on earth, providing valuable insights about each site.

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Alliance University’s Closure Is A Major Loss For Minority Students In New York

Alliance University, a Christian college in lower Manhattan that primarily served minority students, announced it will close this year after losing its accreditation amid other hurdles.

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Two Documentaries Portray Religious Groups Capitalizing On Fear And Shame

(OPINION) Two recent documentary series offer distressing portraits of Christian organizations that, although unrelated, appear eerily similar. Both movements gained prominence in part by instilling fear and shame in their members. Both have reaped abuse, scandal and decline.

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Fostering Community Through Food: Inside the Only Halal Store in Southeastern Washington

Sandwiched between a laundromat and an appliance shop, is the only halal store in the southeastern Washington state and central Idaho area known as The Palouse. Until June, PNW Halal Meats, LLC had been hidden away on the northeast side of town in Pullman, Washington, close to the Washington State University campus. The store was cramped with a confined parking lot, easy to miss if one wasn’t looking for it.

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Supreme Court Declines Christian College’s Challenge To Biden Transgender Policy

The Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal from a Missouri Christian college seeking to halt a Biden administration policy the college believes may force it to allow biological males in women’s dormitories.

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Elevation Megachurch Withdraws From The Southern Baptist Convention

North Carolina megachurch Elevation — known for its popular music and charismatic pastor — is withdrawing its affiliation with the Southern Baptist Convention effective immediately, according to a letter sent to the SBC’s Executive Committee and the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina.

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'Sabbath' Documentary Shows Religions' Emphasis On Rest in a Burnout Culture

(REVIEW) Martin Doblmeier’s documentary, “Sabbath” explores how each of the monotheistic faiths have tackled the restlessness and consistent hurry of modern culture through adopting some variation on what the weekly Sabbath or time of rest looks like in their respective faith cultures.

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