(RNS) — A synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America made history Saturday (May 5) by electing the denomination’s first female African-American bishop.  One day later, a synod 900 miles away elected the second. First, delegates chose the Rev. Patricia A. Davenport for the office of bishop in Southeastern Pennsylvania, a synod that includes Philadelphia. Then on Sunday, delegates voted for the Rev. Viviane Thomas-Breitfeld, a pastor in Beloit, Wis., to become bishop-elect for the South-Central Synod of Wisconsin. The votes mark an inclusive step forward for the “most white” of the nation’s mainline Protestant denominations, according to Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton. “We claim, over and over again, what God is calling us to be is a diverse, inclusive, multicultural church,” Eaton told RNS from her Chicago office. “We’ve been stuck for over 30 years, and I hope this is the start of a trend where God opens our eyes to see the giftedness of people who are not of … [Read more...]

CHICAGO (RNS) — The bishops of the United Methodist Church have endorsed a plan  that would allow individual pastors and regional bodies to make their own decisions on whether to perform same-sex weddings and ordain LGBT people as clergy. The Council of Bishops recommended the One Church Plan, on Friday (May 4), after nearly a week of meetings in Chicago, according to a council press release. “The Council’s prayerful deliberation reflected the diversity of the global denomination on the matter of homosexuality and many other matters,” Bishop Ken Carter, president of the Council of Bishops, said in the release. “The Council affirms the strength of this diversity and our commitment to maintain the unity of the church.” Differing views on the inclusion of LGBT members have roiled the second-largest Protestant denomination in the United States, drawing to a stalemate at a contentious meeting of global delegates at the 2016 General Conference in Portland, Ore. Bishops there … [Read more...]

WASHINGTON (RNS) — President Trump marked his second National Day of Prayer at the White House by signing an executive order he said would protect the liberty of religious groups and give them fair access to government funds. The new White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative will foster policies that acknowledge the “vital role of faith” in families, communities and the country, he said Thursday (May 3). The ceremony, where Trump was surrounded by faith leaders, also coincided with the release of new reports on a scandal over the president’s alleged affair with an adult film star, who says she was paid during his run for office to be quiet about it. The event also drew criticism from some religious leaders who accuse Trump of vilifying Muslims, privileging the rich over the poor and favoring the religious views of white evangelical Christians, who voted for him in overwhelming numbers. The Rev. William Barber, a leader on the religious left, tweeted: “For @POTUS & … [Read more...]

WASHINGTON (RNS) — President Trump plans to unveil a new initiative that aims to give faith groups a stronger voice within the federal government and serve as a watchdog for government overreach on religious liberty issues. He is scheduled to sign an executive order on Thursday (May 3), the National Day of Prayer, “to ensure that the faith-based and community organizations that form the bedrock of our society have strong advocates in the White House and throughout the Federal Government,” a White House document reads. Trump plans to sign the order in a Rose Garden ceremony that is expected to be attended by members of his cabinet and some 200 representatives of religious groups. The White House said those working on the initiative will provide policy recommendations from faith-based and community programs on “more effective solutions to poverty,” and inform the administration of “any failures of the executive branch to comply with religious liberty protections under … [Read more...]

WASHINGTON (RNS) — From Washington to Wyoming, well-known clergy and grass-roots people of faith plan to gather Thursday (May 3) for the annual National Day of Prayer. In the nation’s capital, the White House is expected to mark the day with a morning ceremony and the National Day of Prayer Task Force is hosting an evening observance at the U.S. Capitol. In Casper, Wyo., planned events include mothers gathering at restaurants to pray for their children and the nation and a “blessing of the bikers” in a church parking lot near a Hobby Lobby store. In between, people plan to pray in churches and at courthouses – and, in the case of Ninevah Christian Church in Lawrenceburg, Ky. – both. “Here at our church, we have a room designated for prayer midnight tonight through midnight the next,” said Katie Butler, the church’s administrative assistant, who added members also intend to head to their county’s courthouse for noontime prayer. “Members of our church sign up for 30-minute … [Read more...]

(RNS) — James H. Cone, the scholar known as the “founder of black liberation theology,” died Saturday (April 28), Union Theological Seminary announced. He was 79. The author of such books as “Black Theology & Black Power” and “God of the Oppressed” joined the faculty of the New York City seminary in 1969. “In so many ways, James Cone has been Union Theological Seminary for the past 50 years,” said Union President Serene Jones. “To say his death leaves a void is a staggering understatement. His prophetic voice, deep kindness, and fierce commitment to black liberation embodied not just the very best of our seminary, but of the theological field as a whole and of American prophetic thought and action.” His theology contrasted sharply with traditional theological approaches in that he articulated God’s identification with U.S. blacks. In portraying Christ’s blackness, he upended the assumptions of a field dominated by white theologians and helped spawn other theories of … [Read more...]