Sri Lankan protesters demand justice for 2019 Easter attacks
Colombo, Sri Lanka AP Thousands of Sri Lankans held a protest in the capital on Friday, demanding justice for the victims of the 2019 Easter Sunday bomb attacks that killed nearly 270 people. The protesters demanded that the government uncover who they said were the real conspirators behind the attacks on three churches – two […]
Church attendance: More Americans stay away as pandemic nears year three
Many Americans already had dropped out of church life before the pandemic. BOB SMIETANA reports that a new survey shows COVID-19 gave them a reason to let go completely…
In the US, Congress’ new class has much higher percentage of Christians than American public
United StatesRNS The religious makeup of the new Congress bucks the trends seen in American religious life, a new report finds. The Pew Research Center says the Senate and House members are “largely untouched” by the continuing decrease in the portion of Americans who identify as Christian and the comparable increase in the share of those who […]
Finding consensus: In these polarised times, even a prayer could be up for debate
ADELLE M BANKS reports that after struggling over wording in the prayer, one ecumenical organisation in the US is developing new tools to address divides within its own network…
At US Supreme Court confirmation hearing, Lindsey Graham grills Ketanji Brown Jackson on faith
Washington DC, USRNS South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham grilled Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson about her faith on Tuesday, an uncomfortable exchange that confirmed Jackson’s status as a Protestant Christian and highlighted questions about the separation of church and state. The line of questioning emerged during the second day of Senate hearings […]
In the US, Jim Winkler departs National Council of Churches after two terms as chief
RNS The US National Council of Churches announced on Wednesday that Jim Winkler, its general secretary and president since 2013, is leaving his post. Winkler told readers of the Protestant ecumenical organisation’s e-newsletter of his departure on Friday, writing in a “Final Column” that “I have completed two terms as president and general secretary and now move to […]
Essay: A century after partition, Ireland’s churches are cooperating more closely than ever
In an article first published on The Conversaton, Irish-born academic GER FITZGERALD looks at the “deepening” cooperation between Ireland’s Catholic and Protestant churches…
Catholic, Protestant groups support commission on US Indian boarding school policy
RNS A number of Catholic groups and Protestant denominations are calling for the United States to establish a Truth and Healing Commission to reckon with the country’s history of boarding schools that separated thousands of Indigenous children from their families and cultures during the 19 and 20 centuries. Their support comes as the Catholic Church […]
Southern Baptists pick president who worked for racial unity
Nashville, Tennessee, USAP The Southern Baptist Convention tamped down a push from the right at its largest meeting in decades on Tuesday, electing a new president who has worked to bridge racial divides in the church and defeating an effort to make an issue of critical race theory. Ed Litton, a pastor from Alabama, won […]
Bethany Christian Services in the US to allow LGBTQ couples to adopt, foster children
RNS Bethany Christian Services, the country’s largest Protestant adoption and foster care agency, will begin serving LGBTQ couples, a significant change for the evangelical outfit and a sign of the growing cultural shift. Bethany, which is based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with offices in 32 states, announced the change in an email to employees on […]