US panel on security for houses of worship begins its work
United StatesRNS On Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur this year at Temple Emanu-El, a landmark Reform synagogue steps from Manhattan’s Central Park, a 15-by-28 centimetre flyer was placed at every seat, next to the prayer books, offering instructions on what to do in the event of an attack during one of the High Holiday services. […]
US Department of Homeland Security appoints a new 25-member security faith advisory council
United StatesRNS The US Department of Homeland Security has announced the appointment of a new, 25-member faith-based advisory council to assist Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in finding ways to protect houses of worship. The council consists of Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh clergy plus some law enforcement and non-profit faith group leaders. Crime scene tape surrounds […]
Sharing spaces: Sanctuaries become art hubs thanks to new space-sharing site
KATHRYN POST, of Religion News Service, reports on how a new website is providing a solution for New York City houses of worship in need of income…
Essay: Dilemma for houses of worship – openness or safety?
In an article published on Religion News Service, editor and author BETH KISSILEFF and Episcopalian rector and author ROSALINA C HUGHES look at the challenge for houses of worship of maintaining humaneness and treating others with compassion, while keeping ourselves and others safe…
Court orders France to rethink 30 person limit on worship
Paris, FranceAP France’s highest administrative court on Sunday ordered a rethink of a 30 person attendance limit for religious services put in place by the government to slow down the spread of coronavirus. The measure took effect this weekend as France relaxes some virus restrictions, but it faced opposition by places of worship and the […]
Faith in a time of COVID: Biden says Americans can worship in person “safely”. But what does that mean?
JACK JENKINS, of Religion News Service, looks at how US states and faith communities are grappling with COVID restrictions – and what the election of President-elect Joe Biden might mean…
Origins: What are the origins of cathedrals and chapels?
In an article first published on The Conversation, SAMUEL L BOYD, assistant professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, looks at the origins of churches and chapels…
Coronavirus response: With infections linked to religious gatherings, debate rages in US over worship amid pandemic
JACK JENKINS, of Religion News Service, reports on the ongoing debate over church gatherings during the COVID-19 crisis in the US…
In the US and beyond, houses of worship pitch in to help those left vulnerable by virus outbreak
RNS The United Methodist Church has long promoted abstinence from alcohol. But that didn’t stop City Road Chapel in the suburbs of Nashville, Tennessee, from announcing a Bar and Restaurant Workers Help Fund this week to assist locals whose food-service jobs have been impacted by the coronavirus outbreak. “The reality is we’re a community-based church, and we’ve […]
CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE: AS COVID-19 LEADS TO CANCELLED RELIGIOUS GATHERINGS, FAITH LEADERS EMBRACE THE DIGITAL
JACK JENKINS, of Religion News Service, reports on how Christian leaders in the US, along with the leaders of other faiths, are turning the digital technologies to continue reaching their flocks in this age of coronavirus…