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Check out news and opinion posts across the years
February 9, 2017
100 Evangelical Leaders Sign Buy Ad to Denounce Trump's Refugee Ban (CNN) 500-Plus Evangelical Pastors Send Trump Letter Denouncing Refugee Ban (PennLive) 'This is Not a Christian Gesture': Pope Francis Denounces Walls...
Q&A with Frederick Douglass
By John D. Pierce Q: Thanks for taking the time to talk today? FD: Sure. It’s been awhile since I’ve done an interview. Q: Well, what do you make of this newfound attention? FD: We'll, it’s a bit surprising, but it...
Profiles in Goodwill: Don Gordon
Don Gordon is senior pastor of Ardmore Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and a Baptist Center for Ethics board member. 1. Where did you grow up? Clemmons, North Carolina. 2. What is your favorite verse,...
Haitians, Others Arrive in Tijuana Seeking Entrance into US
We are witnessing something beautiful today in Tijuana: a church intent on being a blessing to the nations. Over the past decade, there has been a gradual refocus of church life and ministry among the Baptist churches...
Role of Faith-Based Homelessness Initiatives Often Overlooked
The significant impact of faith-based organizations (FBOs) in addressing U.S. homelessness is often overlooked, according to a new report from Baylor University's Institute for Studies in Religion. The report,...
February 8, 2017
Two Fla. Churches – One Black, One White – Merge in 'Racial Reconciliation' Effort (Washington Post) Trump's Church-Politics Idea Drawing Opposition from, of All Places, Churches (Salt Lake Tribune) Evangelical Leaders...
Church’s Countercultural Witness through Resettlement of Syrian Refugees
Opposition to the resettlement of Syrian refugees was vigorous before President Trump's executive order banning them from entering the country. A majority of Americans - 54 percent - expressed opposition in November...
Stuff to know and ponder
By John D. Pierce The March-April issue of Nurturing Faith Journal is rolling off the presses soon — filled with original content addressing important and inspiring matters for thoughtful and compassionate Christian...
Catholic, Evangelical, Mainline Protestant Leaders Endorse BRIDGE Act
Evangelical, Catholic and Mainline Protestant organizations have called for support of the bipartisan BRIDGE Act, a congressional bill intended to safeguard from deportation undocumented immigrants who entered the...
What’s God’s Vision for Just and Fair Economy?
It is often said that Jesus had more to say about money than any other subject. From his statements about wealth and possessions, to his parables about agriculture and land, to his calling his followers to invest in...
Sharing the Gospel’s Truth in Our Post-Truth Culture
Oxford Dictionary announced "post-truth" as their word of the year for 2016. They defined it as "an adjective defined as 'relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping...
February 7, 2017
He Faced Threat of Arrest, Ebola and More. Still, Mercer Professor is Thankful (Macon Telegraph) Humanitarian Groups Say Refugee Vetting Process is Strict (KDLG) Conservative Christians are Divided on Trump's Stance on...
The Answer to Society’s Escalating Violence
Practically everyone believes that violence is wrong, evil and a huge problem all around the world. We long for peace that is real, lasting and more than just an oasis in a desert of violence. We just can't agree on...
Faith-Based Groups Central to U.S. Refugee Resettlement
Faith-based organizations play a vital role in refugee resettlement. The U.S. State Department assigns refugees admitted to the U.S. to one of nine organizations that assist them in the resettlement process. Six of...
February 6, 2017
Hundreds Attend Greenville's 'Meet Your Neighbor' Rally (WYFF4) In Trump Era, Bay Area Churches Offer Sanctuary to Undocumented Immigrants (San Jose Mercury News) Stephen Bannon Described Jews as 'Enablers' of Jihad in...
February 4, 2017
A Baptist World Alliance Statement on Refugees (BWA) Federal Judge Temporarily Halts Muslim Ban Nationwide (CNN) Tulsa Pastors Divided on Trump's Efforts to End Political Limits on Churches (Tulsa World) Congress...
How Your Church Can Oppose Crime of Human Trafficking
Pope Francis recently denounced human trafficking in the strongest language, saying, "These are very grave crimes that hit the weakest of the weak." Both Hebrew and Christian Scriptures remind us that God expects us to...
February 3, 2017
Poll: 4 in 10 Support Impeaching Trump (The Hill) Howard Stern: Trump is Pro-Abortion, Angry He Won; Wants to be Loved, Presidency Will be 'Detrimental' to His Mental Health (CNNMoney) Trump Threatens to 'Straighten...
Wisdom, Prayer Needed to Oppose Sex Trafficking
This week the Super Bowl provides a single event where heightened attention is given to human trafficking. Many advocates focus their energy to bring awareness, many work with local law enforcement intentionally for...
Can Christians Model Peace in World of Hostility?
Listening to the voices from both sides of our "continental divide" does little to encourage hope for a peaceful resolution to the current climate of hostility in the U.S. Inevitably, most of us find ourselves aligning...
WMU Foundation Aids Hattiesburg Tornado Victims
In the aftermath of storms that swept the southeastern U.S., the national Woman's Missionary Union and the WMU Foundation have awarded a $5,000 grant from the Humanitarian Emergency Aid for Rebuilding Tomorrow (HEART)...