The Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee on Monday quashed a push for an independent committee to lead a probe of its handling of sex abuse cases, but the proposal is almost certain to resurface during the denomination’s biggest and most contentious annual meeting in decades. Read more
When white attackers destroyed the prosperous Black neighborhood of Greenwood 100 years ago this week, they bypassed the original sanctuary of the First Baptist Church of North Tulsa, Okla. Read more
A North Carolina woman who grew up picking cotton, got married at 14 and went on to become the oldest living American – with more than 120 great-great-grandchildren – has died peacefully in her home, according to her family. Read more
Alex and Mary Gaines awoke to much fanfare Saturday when community members showed up in droves, most in their cars, for a socially distanced celebration of the couple’s 75th wedding anniversary. Read more
Faith brings families together, but in an online admission posted to Twitter over the weekend, Grammy award-winning gospel singer Kirk Franklin apologized after his son posted a recording of an argument between the two that included physical threats and obscene language against him. Read more
A sweeping bill that would extend federal civil rights protections to LGBTQ people is a top priority of President Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress. Yet as the Equality Act heads to the Senate after winning House approval, its prospects seem bleak – to a large extent because of opposition … Read more
Black Americans attend church more regularly than Americans overall, and pray more often. Most attend churches that are predominantly Black, yet many would like those congregations to become racially diverse. There is broad respect for Black churches’ historical role in seeking racial equali… Read more
Frederick K.C. Price, the televangelist who built his Los Angeles ministry into one of the nation’s first Black megachurches, has died. He was 89. Read more
President Joe Biden signed an executive order Sunday relaunching a White House office aimed at fostering cooperation between the federal government and faith-based and secular community organizations. Read more
Four living former presidents sent messages to last week's virtual National Prayer Breakfast, joining President Joe Biden in urging the country to unite against the historic crises facing the U.S. The event featured recorded prayers and messages from a bipartisan group of lawmakers and polit… Read more
In the U.S., National Grandparents Day is celebrated on the first Sunday after Labor Day in September. The day was created after a joint resolution was passed in Congress and signed into law by President Jimmy Carter on Aug. 3, 1978. Read more
For decades, the red-bricked Gothic Revival church where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. once preached has been a monument to the history of Black Americans’ fight for civil rights and the legacy of an activist icon. Read more
Efforts to spread good cheer are in full force across South Florida. Read more
The Episcopal Diocese of Texas acknowledges that its first bishop in 1859 was a slaveholder. An Episcopal church in New York City erects a plaque noting the building’s creation in 1810 was made possible by wealth resulting from slavery. And the Minnesota Council of Churches cites a host of i… Read more
Vandals tore down a Black Lives Matter banner and sign from two historic Black churches in downtown Washington, D.C., and set the banner ablaze, as nighttime clashes between pro-Donald Trump supporters and counterdemonstrators erupted into violence and arrests on Saturday. Read more
A man was fatally shot by police on the steps of a landmark New York City cathedral on Sunday after firing two semiautomatic handguns at the close of a Christmas choral concert, officials said. Read more
Secret Santas, toy drives and other gift-giving efforts in the spirit of Christmas will look a lot different this year. Read more
Bishop Reginald Jackson stepped to the microphone at a drive-in rally outside a church in southwest Atlanta, his voice carried over a loudspeaker and the radio to people gathered in, around and on top of cars that filled the parking lot. Read more
Pope Francis met with NBA players at the Vatican on Monday, lauding them as “champions” and saying he supported their work on social justice. Read more
Nonprofit WMBM Cares is celebrating its first anniversary with a series of activities between now and Dec. 2, hosted by WMBM Gospel AM 1490 at 13242 NW 7th Ave. in North Miami. Bishop Victor T. Curry founded the organization last year, to recognize his 25 successful years in broadcast media. Read more
The stigma surrounding mental health, particularly in the Black community, has caused many to suffer in silence instead of seeking the help they need. Because the Black community has sought to portray itself as strong and resilient, the thought of seeking mental health resources is often vie… Read more
The messages in Christian houses of worship on the first weekend since the election were as divided as the country’s electorate, with religious leaders mostly calling for peace and unification even as some bemoaned the result and others celebrated. Read more
Gospel star Rance Allen, whose Rance Allen Group drew upon contemporary sounds for such 1970s hits as “Ain’t No Need of Crying” and “I Belong To You” and anticipated such crossover gospel artists as the Winans and Amy Grant, has died at age 71. Read more
The Rev. Dr. Toussaint King Hill Jr., nephew of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Sr., cousin to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and recently retired senior pastor of the historic West Hunter Street Baptist Church of Atlanta, passed away quietly at home Oct. 27, following a long valiant battle wi… Read more
More than 1,000 clergy members, religious scholars and other faith-based advocates signed onto a unique statement that supports a comprehensive path to “a free and fair election” and urges leaders to heed the verdict of “legitimate election results” regardless of who wins in November. Read more
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