(EXPLAINER) Thanksgiving Day isn’t just about parades, crowded airports, football games and a turkey dinner. The U.S. holiday also has roots in the Christianity of 16th century Europe. The celebration has been linked to the Pilgrims of 1621 and the harvest festival since the late 19th century. As the name implies, the theme of the holiday revolves around giving thanks.
Read MoreAbout 150 Baptists forcibly displaced from their homes in Hidalgo, Mexico, since April have sought refuge in a neighboring state after Catholic village leaders reneged on an agreement that would have welcomed the Protestants home.
Read More(ANALYSIS) I’ve been a party to a lot of conversations about being mainline over the last 20 years. And sometimes I get the distinct impression that evangelicals really, really don’t like mainline Protestants. But do prefer nonbelievers to mainline Christians?
Read More(REVIEW) “Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints” is an eight-episode docudrama series following the lives and sacrifices of saints: Joan of Arc, Francis of Assisi, John the Baptist, Thomas Becket, Mary Magdalene, Moses the Black, Sebastian and Maximillian Kolbe. Each episode features a dramatization of their lives, narration by Scorsese and a panel.
Read MoreAccording to a Lifeway Research study, around four in five U.S. adults who attend a Protestant church in a typical month are members of that congregation. Specifically, 82% of regular churchgoers say they are currently a member of the church they attend. Fewer than one in five (17%) say they’re not a member, while 1% aren’t sure.
Read MoreA one-time bike ride sponsored by Anglican churches in 1982 has proven so successful it has turned into annual event and copied across Great Britain. The original rides have grown from just cyclists. Thousands of walkers, runners, canoeists, horse riders and even vintage car enthusiasts seeking to visit as many churches as possible within a day took part in last month’s event.
Read MoreAs I watched Tuesday’s returns roll in, I kept noticing that much of the “news” in the 2024 election was actually old news for people who have been following the “Crossroads” podcast for the past decade.
Read MoreA new study found 66% of U.S. Protestant pastors say the economy is very or somewhat negatively impacting their church. The two in three pastors who report a negative economic impact is the highest since 2011, and the 14% who say the impact has been very negative is the highest ever recorded in the 15-year history of the study.
Read More(ANALYSIS) It was the rare Trump quote that caused groans as it rocketed through conservative media. But this soundbite came from an upcoming memoir from former first lady Melania Trump: “Why should anyone other than the woman herself have the power to determine what she does with her own body? A woman's fundamental right of individual liberty, to her own life, grants her the authority to terminate her pregnancy.”
Read More(ANALYSIS) I don’t know if you have heard or not, but there’s an election coming up. And it may be “the most important election in the history of the cosmos.” Or it may just be like every other presidential election we’ve had in the last 50 years. This election also gives me the opportunity to do something that I have always wanted to do, but just never had a great reason.
Read MoreFew pastors endorse political candidates outside their role at church. Even fewer endorse during a church service. Most Americans like it that way, but they’re growing more supportive of churches jumping into the political fray. Lifeway Research studies of U.S. Protestant pastors and Americans found little practice or support for political endorsements from clergy and churches.
Read MoreEight years ago, Lifeway Research asked Protestant pastors who they planned to support in the presidential election and only three percent declined to answer. That number didn't change much in 2020, when four percent declined. But things changed recently, when almost a quarter of the pastors refused to voice their choice in the 2024 White House race.
Read More(OPINION) While I can’t demonstrate this statistically, I have been documenting it anecdotally, and it seems that the lid has been taken off and hidden views are now being shared openly.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Two of the Founding Fathers shaped American views on religious freedom and the separation of church and state more than any other: Jefferson and James Madison. Yet their views have also become lightning rods for controversy as the “wall” between church and state comes under scrutiny.
Read More(ANALYSIS) I guess there is a question that motivates this post but it’s about as simple as it’s going to get: How is Joe Biden doing among a bunch of different religious groups? Asking about presidential approval is about as straightforward as it gets, and the question was posed in the Fall of 2021, 2022, and 2023.
Read MoreAlmost a decade after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage, most pastors remain opposed, and the supporting percentage isn’t growing. One in five Protestant pastors (21 percent) say they see nothing wrong with two people of the same gender getting married, according to a Lifeway Research study. Three in four (75 percent) are opposed, including 69 percent who strongly disagree.
Read MorePastors of Hispanic Protestant churches in the United States maintain immense gratitude for their role, but many face financial struggles. Their congregations reflect diverse worship styles, but they have a unified desire to reach and serve their communities. A new study looks into the challenges these churches face in modern-day America.
Read MoreNot everyone will be enjoying chocolate this Valentine’s Day. For the first time since 2018, Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day fall on the same day. In fact, this rare occurrence is taking place once again in less than a week. It has happened three times in the last century — 1923, 1934 and 1945 — and will happen again in 2029.
Read More(ANALYSIS) I have to admit that I was pretty gob smacked when I saw a post on X about the result of the Harvard Crimson’s annual poll of the school’s incoming class that will presumably graduate in 2027. The graph that grabbed all the traffic was about the political persuasion of these 18 year olds at one of the most elite universities in the world.
Read MoreJohnson made ELCA history when he was elected on the fifth ballot to serve a six-year term as bishop of ELCA’s Sierra Pacific synod, which includes Northern and Central California and Northern Nevada. As a result, Johnson is the first openly gay man to be elected bishop in the synod.
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