United Methodists Lose 1,800 Churches in Split Over LGBT Stance

The initial departures, mostly concentrated in the South, represent around 6 percent of the denomination—not as dramatic as the “schism” some feared. Nearly four years ago, the United Methodist Church approved an exit plan for churches wishing to break away from the global denomination over differing beliefs about sexuality, setting in motion what many believed would be a modern-day schism. Since then, a new analysis has found, it’s fallen well short of that. That analysis... Read More

Baptisms Turn Deadly with South African Floods

Christians must find ways to adapt to impacts of climate change, experts say. South Africa is reeling from the shocking death of 15 people, including a three-month-old baby, during a river baptism that went wrong last month. The victims were swept away December 3 by floodwaters in the Jukskei River, which flows through a number of suburbs in Johannesburg, South Africa’s biggest city. The pastor conducting the baptism ceremony, identified by local press as Kind Kupe from neighboring... Read More

We Live in Babylon, Not Israel

Biblical history reminds Christians to serve and build a kingdom not of this world. Late last year I asked on Twitter, “Do we live in ancient Israel or a modern Babylon?” Put a different way, to what extent are biblical lessons regarding life in the Holy Land normative for Christians who live as religious minorities—that is, in “unholy” lands dominated by non-Christians? Looking back to ancient Israel, the emphasis was on purity, not evangelism—God sent... Read More

US Allows Individuals to Sponsor Refugees

Americans can now independently resettle those fleeing war and persecution. Christian resettlement agencies are largely on board. Last year, Mark and Jackie Sawyer cosigned a lease for a couple they’d known for only months—because the couple had recently arrived from a refugee camp overseas. The Sawyers didn’t realize the headaches and the friendship that would come with joining a group of friends from their Washington, DC, church to sponsor the resettlement of Afghan... Read More

Liberty University Students Lead 50th March for Life

Evangelical and Catholic pro-life groups come together for the first post-Roe march. At the 50th annual March for Life—the first national march since Roe v. Wade’s reversal last June—the next generation of pro-life advocates will lead the walk to the US Capitol. Students from Liberty University will hold the March for Life banner at the front of the procession on Friday. Liberty said more than 500 of its students will attend the event. Though founded and supported by... Read More

Rinse, Repeat: Should Believers Be Dunked Again?

Just like being “born again,” the symbol of baptism is a way of life, not a repetitive ritual. Since I was baptized at the age of eight by my pastor father, I haven’t really lingered on the meaning of baptism as part of my devotional life. It was a one-time event that marked a spiritual milestone in my life, and over time, I’ve lost some connection to that moment. I considered the significance of baptism as a church ordinance or sacrament only much later when watching other... Read More

Why the Pro-Life Movement (Still) Needs Jesus

At their biblical best, American evangelical Christians affirm the intrinsic value of all human life. This piece was adapted from Russell Moore’s newsletter. Subscribe here. This Sunday marks 50 years since the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision legalized abortion in the United States. It’s also the first year in which that date—marked every year by a March for Life in the nation’s capital—falls after Roe was repudiated by the Supreme Court in last... Read More

Roe Is Over. But Its Libertarian Spirit Lives On.

Misguided views of freedom plague America’s pro-abortion culture and the pro-life church. This week marks the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. In the wake of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs ruling overturning Roe, a lot of Christian commentators will be discussing the morality, legality, and availability of abortion in this new abortion era. Those questions matter, of course, and Christians should be concerned with them. The sacredness of human life, born and unborn, is an imperative... Read More

Seek Prosperity Properly During Lunar New Year

It’s not wrong to celebrate our blessings. But Asian theologians and pastors advise how to do so in biblical, godly ways amid the festival’s red envelopes and best wishes. Every Lunar New Year, Calvin Qin’s children receive hongbaos, or red envelopes, at church. In Chinese culture, hongbaos symbolize good luck and blessings. But the Qin family’s don’t hold crisp new banknotes, which most children typically receive. Instead, the red packets hold Bible verses printed on... Read More

Terrorist Attack on Congolese Church Prompts Plea for Christian Advocacy

ISIS affiliate strikes Pentecostal baptismal service amid longstanding conflict in Central African region rich in natural resources. Congolese Christians are calling out for help. In the latest attack on civilians in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a terrorist bombing killed 14 people and wounded 63 others during a baptism service at a Pentecostal church in Kasindi. Located in the mountainous North Kivu province bordering Uganda, the northeast region had already been under a... Read More