Biden praises Black churches and says the world would be a different place without their example
Columbia, South Carolina, US AP President Joe Biden on Sunday extolled the existence of Black churches, saying the world would be a different place if they were not around to show people the “power of faith” during times of darkness. The Democratic President spoke at St John Baptist Church on the final day of a two-day visit […]
Pandemic boosted resilience, hurt financial health of Black churches, says US report
United StatesRNS Black majority congregations in the US, known for their high levels of community outreach during the COVID-19 pandemic, have remained the most stable in combined attendance – in person and online – compared with multi-racial and white majority congregations. But they are also facing the greatest monetary struggles, with 34 per cent reporting […]
Talking about suicide: As Black church grapples with mental health, clergy are both subject and solution
AMBAR CASTILLO, writing for Religion News Service, reports that a new movement has taken on the taboo in many Black churches against talking about suicide…
Bridging the digital divide: How US Black churches play a key role in connecting communities to broadband internet
ADELLE M BANKS and YONAT SHIMRON, of Religion News Service, report on the role Black churches are playing in helping rural communities to access the world wide web…
Essay: Churches must lead development in Black communities – if they want it to get done
QUINTON E PRIMO, says in an article first published on Religion News Service that Black churches are primed to lead a new kind of movement, one centred on economic development and closing the staggering racial wealth gap…
The Interview: Rev Amos Brown, vice chair of California’s reparations task force, calls for action
ADELLE M BANKS, of Religion News Service, speaks with the civil rights veteran and onetime student of Rev Martin Luther King, Jr…
In the US, Maryland church, with $US100,000 in vandalism damage, continues in faith
United StatesRNS Rev Jerome Jones, Sr, is shocked by two things: the extensive vandalism that took place in his church building in Maryland’s capital in early June and the outpouring of support Fowler United Methodist Church has received in the aftermath. On 8th June, the red-carpeted sanctuary of the historically Black church was turned into […]
In the US, four historically Black churches awarded grants to preserve work of pioneering architects
United StatesRNS The African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund announced a $US3.8 million grant on Tuesday, 13th June, aimed at helping to preserve 40 historical sites related to African American history, including theatres, swimming pools and four Black churches. Founded by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2017, the African American Cultural Heritage Action […]
Sight-Seeing: Should white Christians celebrate Juneteenth?
CHUCK MINGO, founder of Courageous Love and a teaching pastor at Crossroads Church in Ohio, says yes, and that, like any celebration, it’s better with friends…
Virtual worshippers often satisfied, but more Americans choose in-person services
United StatesReligion News Service At the height of the pandemic, many Americans who attended in-person worship services turned to their computers and their couches instead for virtual viewing. Now, the Pew Research Center finds a third of Americans regularly attend in-person worship services while a bit more than a quarter regularly watch religious services on […]