Black churches bucking the trend of decline
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (RNS) At Alfred Street Baptist Church, the pews start to fill more than half an hour before the service begins. White-uniformed..
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For some churches, food trucks are a vehicle for serving the poor
FORT WORTH, Texas (RNS) Allen Lutes wipes his brow as he prepares another plate of food. The culinary school-trained chef is serving..
Black clergy walk a fine line between religious liberty, discrimination
(RNS) Since the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage is constitutional, the Rev. Jerry Young has been in a quandary. As the..
Activist who took down Confederate flag drew on her faith and on new civil rights awakening
HOT SPRINGS, N.C. (RNS) As she prepared for her mission — scaling the 30-foot flagpole outside the South Carolina Statehouse to bring..
United Church of Christ votes to divest from Israeli companies in occupied territories
CLEVELAND (RNS) The nearly 1 million-member United Church of Christ voted overwhelmingly Tuesday (June 30) to divest from companies that profit from the Israeli occupation..
Adventists stay the course, vote to deny women’s ordination
(RNS) Seventh-day Adventists voted Wednesday (July 8) not to allow their regional church bodies to ordain women pastors. The vote at their 60th..
Anglican head expresses concern about Episcopal vote on gay marriage
CANTERBURY, England (RNS) Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, head of the Anglican Communion, has expressed deep concern about the stress that the..
After fires, killings, black churches debate the best ways to protect themselves
(RNS) The leader of the National Baptist Convention, USA, says his member churches should “do everything that is humanly possible” to protect..
Episcopal Church elects Michael Curry, first black presiding bishop
SALT LAKE CITY – Episcopal bishops have made history again. On Saturday (June 27), during a private meeting at St. Mark’s Cathedral..
Supreme Court strikes down bans on same-sex marriage
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage across the United States Friday in a closely divided ruling that will stand as..
Washington Cathedral dean on Confederate flags: ‘It is time to take those windows out’
WASHINGTON (RNS) The dean of Washington National Cathedral has called for two stained-glass windows featuring Confederate flags to be taken down from the..
Vatican and Palestinian leaders sign historic first legal treaty
VATICAN CITY (RNS) The Vatican on Friday (June 26) signed a historic agreement recognizing the state of Palestine and calling for a..
What does it take to forgive someone like Dylann Roof? (COMMENTARY)
(RNS) Nadine Collier, daughter of one of Dylann Roof’s nine alleged victims, has one message for the suspected killer: “I forgive you.”..
Charleston’s Emanuel AME Church reopens with prayer, praise and a call for change
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Hundreds Sunday packed the pews of Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church readying themselves to bury nine beloved members and..
Slain S.C. pastor Clementa Pinckney was ‘a giant, a legend’
“He was a giant, a legend, a moral compass.” Those are the words used by fellow state senator Marlon Kimpson on CNN..
Americans’ confidence in religion hits a new low
(RNS) Americans have less confidence in organized religion today than ever measured before — a sign that the church could be “losing..
Chaplain violated Army rule in promoting Christian book
WASHINGTON — An active-duty Army chaplain with the elite 75th Ranger Regiment has published a book titled “Jesus Was an Airborne Ranger”..
Supreme Court’s pending same-sex ruling to dominate Southern Baptist meeting
(RNS) A pending Supreme Court decision about same-sex marriage is expected to dominate next week’s meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention, with panels and guides..
Pope Francis to open 30-bed homeless shelter a few steps from Vatican walls
VATICAN CITY (RNS) Pope Francis will open a homeless shelter on the edge of Vatican City, the latest move by the pontiff..
Pope Francis moves to hold bishops accountable in sex abuse crisis
(RNS) Pope Francis has approved the first-ever system for judging, and possibly deposing, bishops who fail to protect children from abusive clerics,..
‘Blessing of the bikes’ helps churches make climate change a local issue
TORONTO (RNS) In groups of eight or so, riders wheeled their bicycles down the red-carpeted center aisle of Toronto’s Trinity-St. Paul’s United Church...
Why Christian denominations aren’t going away (Commentary)
(RNS) Summer is the time when many Protestant denominations hold annual or biennial meetings to assess the state of their union, make..
Minnesota charges Catholic archdiocese with failure to protect children from abuse
MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) -Prosecutors in Minnesota brought criminal charges on Friday against the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, accusing it..
A farewell column and a plea to Christian congregations: Look outward (COMMENTARY)
(RNS) This is my farewell column for Religion News Service. After nearly 20 years of writing commentary for this extraordinary news service, it..
Christian teachers in northern Kenya stage walkout because of terrorist fears
NAIROBI, Kenya (RNS) Recent attacks by Somalia’s al-Shabab Muslim militant group have forced the closure of dozens of schools in Kenya’s north, as..