Pope Francis’ trip to Canada next month will have a rather dour feel. The pope will make the transatlantic trip so he can apologize in person for past abuses suffered by Indigenous people at the hands of the Catholic Church. The pope will be in Canada from July 24 to 29 with stops in Edmonton, Quebec City and the small town of Iqaluit, where nearly half the population of 8,000 is Inuit.
Read More(OPINION) On Pentecost Sunday in Owo, Nigeria, a horrifying massacre took place at St. Francis Catholic Church. Unfortunately, the St. Francis church massacre is only the latest outrageous account of anti-Christian terrorism in Nigeria. There have been countless others.
Read MoreGuidepost Solutions, the firm leading the Southern Baptist Convention investigation into sexual misconduct allegations, tweeted support for the LGBTQ movement June 6 as part of Pride Month. Several SBC leaders have responded with criticism, calling for the church to cut ties with the firm.
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in opens with God and guns — and the debate among religious people over firearms. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read MoreIn Kenya, an especially noxious scandal involved “pastors” making robocalls to people promising miracles in exchange for donations. The harder the miracle, the larger the donation. In 2014, in the wake of a fake miracle spree, the government of Kenya tried to sharply curtail the freedom of fake pastors to operate.
Read MoreThree activists with a Texas pro-abortion rights group interrupted a service at Joel Osteen’s Houston megachurch last weekend by stripping to their underwear and shouting, “My body, my choice,” “Overturn Roe,” “Hell no” and other epithet-laced slogans.
Read More(OPINION) A hundred years ago, Harry Emerson Fosdick threw a bright spotlight on the fundamentalist-modernist controversy, both predicting and demanding that his fellow modernists would win the era’s theological war. Did they?
Read More(OPINION) Everyone’s cup of joy is full in heaven. So why concern ourselves whether the paths we are taking will bring us into the fullness of salvation? Our cups will be full. Yes, but not everyone’s cup of joy will be the same size, “for the measure you give will be the measure you get.”
Read MoreAn Oklahoma City woman has been charged with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for allegedly embezzling more than $360,000 from the California church where she was an administrator for five years.
Read MoreOn the heels of a May 14 supermarket barrage in which 10 people died in Buffalo, New York, and a May 24 school massacre that claimed 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas, a gunman opened fire last week in a medical office in Oklahoma’s second-largest city. How do Christians respond?
Read MoreAs the Holocaust unfolded, what exactly did Pope Pius XII and the Vatican do to help Jews escape? That’s the big question many have been asking, and Vatican documents reveal some interesting details. A new book answers that question and more.
Read MoreA Korean church located near the Champaign-Urbana campus of the University of Illinois that came under fire last year for allegations of ongoing sexual misconduct has terminated an independent investigation before its completion.
Read MorePastor Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, the world’s largest Hispanic Christian organization with more than 42,000 churches in the U.S., responded to recent mass shootings in America by preaching a message of hope and insisting that Christians “pray with actions.”
Read MoreThe recent desecration of Catholic churches has triggered fears of future vandalism given the supercharged political climate around abortion, LGBTQ rights and bishops denying politicians Communion. The vandalism may not be tied to one or more of these factors — rising crime rates is also a possibility — but church officials remain vigilant as the summer approaches.
Read More(PROSE-POEM) Karen Swallow Prior, a professor of English and Christianity and Culture at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, reflects on recent findings from an independent investigation that Southern Baptist leaders have systematically ignored, belittled and intimidated survivors of sexual abuse for the past two decades while protecting the legal interests of churches accused of harboring abusers.
Read MoreFor the second week in a row, this week’s Weekend Plug-in leads with the mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read MoreSwedish Lutherans built the Gloria Dei church between 1698 and 1700 and worshipped along the Delaware River for several generations before it became part of the Episcopal Church in 1845. The church’s story and presence symbolize a unique chapter in American religious history and valuable contributions that Swedes made to religious freedom and tolerance in America.
Read MoreFlorida-based ministry Cross International has said it’s already pacing ahead of its “Reach25” plan, projecting it will reach more than 65,000 people in its 2022 fiscal year (ending next month). That’s up from 56,000 last year and 47,000 in 2020. It now hopes to reach 80,000 children and families in 2023, then 100,000 in 2024.
Read MoreIn the Uvalde, Texas, community of 16,000, everybody knows someone who was directly affected by the Robb Elementary School shooting. The Potters’ postman delivers mail to four families who lost children. A church custodian lost two cousins. An elder’s assistant manager lost his son and niece. But as the town collectively grieves, residents’ ties to each other only strengthen.
Read MoreJennifer Christie’s story of giving birth to a child conceived through rape was set to be published in a book from Focus on the Family and Tyndale House, and she signed a contract with Ambassador Speakers Bureau. Now, the book and speaking contract have been canceled amid concerns of the veracity of her story.
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