In 2025, Presbyterian Outlook readers turned again and again to opinion writing that wrestled honestly with faith in public life, institutional change and the moral demands of Christian witness. These essays reflect a church thinking out loud — grieving losses, challenging power, asking hard questions and imagining new ways forward. From debates about Christian nationalism and political engagement to reflections on mission, media and the future of congregational life, these were the opinion pieces that resonated most with our readers this year.
1. Presbyterian Outlook banned by Instagram: What happened and where to find us now
Presbyterian Outlook’s Instagram was suspended by Meta without explanation. Learn what happened and where to find us now. — Teri McDowell Ott
This article sits at the intersection of news and opinion. It is news in that it reports a significant update and required Outlook staff to investigate Meta’s actions — work that is explained in the story. It is also opinion because it reflects the Outlook’s response to that information and the decisions we made as a result.
2. On Charlie Kirk and the challenge of Christian witness in a violent age
In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s death, we face Jesus’ hardest command: love your enemies. What does that look like in a divided nation, asks Shea Watts?
3. Inauguration prayers, Bishop Budde, Bill Maher, and the future of the mainline church
Mainline Christianity’s role in politics is shifting — can we be a prophetic voice of compassion and critique rather than a court prophet to power, asks Chris Currie?
4. Why is the Presbyterian Church so “political?”
Responding to social media critics, Naomi McQuiller reflects on why political advocacy is central to the gospel.
5. Our fork in the road: On the end of the Presbyterian Mission Agency
The PC(USA)’s mission theology and management methods stand in urgent need of critical analysis, writes scholar and former mission co-worker Stanley Skreslet.
6. Orthodoxy, not heresy, is the root problem of Christian nationalism
David W. Congdon explores the origins of Christian nationalism and the language that sustains it.
7. A letter to the church I love: Comfort or covenant?
Marissa Duffield loves the church, but they are beginning to wonder if the church loves them back.
8. Weeping for a nation, not a man
What grieves me most is a nation’s blindness to the power of unkindness, writes Patrice Gaines.
9. “No Kings” should include Jesus
Jimmy Hoke reflects on the “No Kings” protests and considers how progressive Christians might imagine Jesus beyond kingship — as part of a democratic movement.
10. The surprising power of small churches
Phillip Blackburn shares how a small rural church in Arkansas is making a big impact — and why challenging our assumptions about church size and leadership matters.
