Posts in North America
Selma At 60: Black Clergy Recall ‘Bloody Sunday’ With Concerns For The Future

Sixty years after John Lewis and hundreds of civil rights activists were beaten by the Alabama State Police, thousands returned to Selma and the Edmund Pettus Bridge to remember one of the bloodiest campaigns of the 1960s.

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From Trump To $JESUS Coin: Spreading The Theology Of Crypto

There’s no doubt that like a religion, giving value to crypto requires faith. Those evangelizing for it certainly seem to be on a moral mission. For now, they seem unstoppable — and there’s more than the hard-earned savings of believers at stake. A glance at X is enough to demonstrate how much crypto has become not just another spurious get-rich-quick scheme, but a new way of life.

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New Data Reveals Complicated Picture Of Southern Baptist Churches

The average Southern Baptist church calls the South home, but the only region of the country where those congregations are growing is the Northeast. Churches are baptizing more people, but most churches remain small and fewer attendees are involved in small groups. Lifeway Research analysis of the 2023 Annual Church Profile reveals a more detailed look at the Convention and where evangelism and discipleship efforts have been most effective.

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2 Major US Religion Surveys Coincide, With Some Guarded Good News

(ANALYSIS) One of the most impactful cultural changes in 21st-century America has been the steady decline in Christian vitality, as measured by membership, baptisms versus funerals, worship attendance, practices, and perceptions. Two major new social science surveys suggest that this decline may have bottomed out — though statistics about secularizing youth give believers ample reason to worry about the future.

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Church Nonprofit Loses — Then Regains — Funding After Musk Reprieve

Mana Nutrition, a ministry supported by Churches of Christ and used in global relief efforts, is among a host of nonprofits worldwide that receive grants from USAID and had their contracts terminated through DOGE spending cuts. For Mana, contracts were later restored, but disruptions were felt.

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Faith Doesn’t Start From Logic, It Comes From Revelation

(OPINION) Mainly, the people who’ve become devoted to their faith did so along a winding path. Some had been to jail. Some were atheists. Some grew up in church, rejected it in their youth, veered out into the wider world for years and then reluctantly found their way back. Some hated organized religion.

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What Does Religion Look Like At Elite Universities?

(ANALYSIS) Using FIRE’s recent survey of a bunch of college and university students, let me show you the religious composition of Harvard and Yale, compared to Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, which is the epitome of a directional university in a flyover state.

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Some Ministry Leaders Expect Positive Impact from Trump’s Policies

The majority of U.S.-based Christian ministry executives are optimistic about the impact the new administration of President Donald Trump will have on the ministries they lead, according to a MinistryWatch survey.

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Former Southwestern Baptist Seminary Provost Sentenced In SBC Sex Abuse Probe

Former Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary interim provost Matt Queen received today a judgement of time served with one year of supervised release, six months of home confinement and a $2,000 fine related to a federal investigation of the Southern Baptist Convention regarding sexual abuse.

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On Religion: Martin Marty Was The Original ‘Faith Influencer’

(OPINION) Marty died on Feb. 25 at the age of 97, a quarter of a century after retiring from teaching at the University of Chicago Divinity School. The research center he launched in 1979 was then rebranded as the Martin Marty Center for the Public Understanding of Religion. He received numerous other awards, including more than 80 honorary degrees.

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Amid Sexual Misconduct Probe, Apologist Michael Brown Receives Ovation

Apologist Michael Brown, who’s under investigation for alleged sexual misconduct, was honored with a standing ovation at a conference last weekend at Mercy Culture Church, where Brown serves as an apostolic elder.

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Federal Layoffs Shake Christians In Government

With 26,000 federal jobs axed and widespread layoffs in the name of government efficiency, pastors in the Washington, D.C., area and Christians working in civil service have seen morale plummet. Those who felt called to live out their faith and serve their country in federal jobs worry that the moves threaten their mission and livelihood.

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Former Liberty University Employee Suing For Discrimination, Retaliation

A former professor and investigator at Liberty University has filed a federal lawsuit against the school and its leaders for discrimination and retaliation under Title IX, the Uniformed Services Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), and the Virginia Whistleblower Protection Law.

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Lent Not On The Radar For Most US Christians

Lent may be on the calendar, but it’s not something most Americans are observing. A traditional 40-day window of fasting before Easter, Lent is celebrated by around a quarter of U.S. adults, according to a Lifeway Research study. Three in four Americans (74%) say they do not typically observe Lent, while 26% participate.

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It Was A Historic Jewish Night At The Oscars: Why Are So Many Outraged?

The 97th Academy Awards was a banner night for Jews. Adrien Brody and Mikey Madison won the Oscars for best actor and best actress, the first time in decades that Jewish actors have swept that category; best supporting actor went to the co-star of a film about Jewish cousins who tour Majdanek; and “The Brutalist,” a film about a Holocaust survivor’s experience of antisemitism in America, won for cinematography and score.

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Extreme Sports Second Nature To Pastor Who Holds ‘Ice Mile’ Swimming Record

In the extreme sport of ice swimming, the appropriately named Winters holds the world record for the oldest person to swim an ice mile, officially noted by the International Ice Swimming Association. “I first got into ice swimming just because I’d read that it was the most extreme swimming challenge in the world,” he said, “and basically just to see if I could do it and challenge myself.”

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Why Trump Remains African Churches’ Favorite Political Leader

While the president takes a beating on social media for his USAID cuts, African pastors are silencing those blaming Trump for it. “President Trump is doing what must be done for the good of his country,” said Tinashe Hungwe, a cleric in Zimbabwe. “It is high time to make our governments accountable and provide for their people not to blame the U.S.”

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Ukrainians Feel Betrayed By Allies, Grateful To Church As War Continues

Three years after Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian Christians say they feel betrayed and harmed by recent actions by the U.S. But they are thankful for “constant prayers, sincere care and financial assistance,” from fellow Christians.

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