The artists of Washington, D.C’.s, P.A.I.N.T.S. Institute spent all day Sept. 5, 2020, creating vivid, social justice-themed images on the plywood-covered stained glass windows at historic St. John’s Episcopal Church near the White House. Photo by Rachel Jones
Churches in the nation's capital seek to balance welcome and security
After a fire, protests and the tear-gassing of peaceful demonstrators, St. John’s Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C., boarded up its stained-glass windows and reluctantly agreed to the installation of a chain-link fence. But the congregation is finding ways for their building to remain a place of welcome and refuge, as are others in the city.
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Resources for Christian leaders during the coronavirus pandemic
We update this list of information from government and media sources regularly to offer guidance to pastors and other Christian leaders struggling to respond to the pandemic of COVID-19.
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L. Gregory Jones: Why good leadership is like jazz
In his new book, “Navigating the Future,” the dean of Duke Divinity School explores the concept of traditioned innovation and how it both was shaped by and continues to shape his leadership.
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Isaac Villegas: On Ash Wednesday, we remember our fragility once again
Though the pandemic has brought much change over the past year, Ash Wednesday still has a lot to teach us, says a pastor.
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Oluwatomisin Oredein: We need to talk about white belief
If our efforts toward racial reconciliation in the United States are rooted in white belief, they will serve only to erase difference and center whiteness, says a professor.
Emily Lund after completing her first marathon. Photo courtesy of Emily Lund
Emily Lund: Going it alone may mean you won't get as far
The pandemic has only reinforced that we are meant to accomplish things together, writes a communications specialist with Leadership Education at Duke Divinity.
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Mark Jordan: The puzzles of teaching Christian tradition
Theology teachers need, not new systems or solutions, but a renewed commitment to formation, writes a professor at Harvard Divinity School for the Theological Education Between the Times series.
Before the pandemic, members of the church and others gathered in the Rev. Jessica Ketola's home for meals and worship. Although meals and other activities are on pause, worship still takes place on Zoom. Photos courtesy of The Practicing Church
The Practicing Church in Shoreline, Washington, seeks to live out its faith in the neighborhood
Borrowing from the Roman Catholic tradition of the parish, the pastor of a Vineyard house church focuses on serving the geographical area in which the church is located.
Photo courtesy of the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis
Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows: Congregations should see their buildings as assets, not albatrosses
Talking about church buildings is fun for the bishop of the Diocese of Indianapolis -- not just because she is trained in architecture and historic preservation, but also because it leads to questions like, “What is this congregation for?”
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Eliza Cortés Bast: Rest can be hard work
The calls to work for justice and to make room for rest are significant and difficult to balance, writes a pastor and denominational executive from Michigan.
Photo courtesy of Jennifer Harvey
Jennifer Harvey: Dismantling racism requires knowing our history
In the second edition of her book, the author of “Dear White Christians” reiterates that listening and responding to calls for reparations precedes the possibility of reconciliation.