Friday’s News & Ideas - 8/21/2026
- Faith groups sue over spying
- ICE detains Haitian pastor
- Website tracks accused clergy
- What's a good UMC church?
- Churches help after earthquake
- Paris cafe draws men of different faiths
11 faith groups accuse Trump administration of violating court order while spying on churches
Religion News Service: Religious groups argue that the government has committed “multiple egregious violations” of a preliminary injunction handed down in their case in February.
ICE detains Haitian pastor ‘beloved’ by Springfield community
Cincinnati Enquirer: “If he is being deported, the congregation will be here terrified and without their leader,” said Vilés Dorsainvil, executive director of the Haitian Support Center.
New website tracks accused Protestant clergy sexual abusers
Baptist News Global: A team of clergy sexual abuse survivors and their supporters announced the launch of a new website to help track predators and the churches that cover up for them.
Lawsuit asks, ‘What does it take to be a good United Methodist church?’
Baptist News Global: The dispute is of national import because Highland Park UMC in Dallas is the second-largest congregation in America affiliated with the UMC and because the church has outsized influence due to its proximity to Southern Methodist University.
As buildings fell, Colombia’s churches stood up*
Christianity Today: Volunteers from across the country sent supplies, served meals, and dug through rubble after last week’s devastating earthquake.
The Spark
A Paris cafe-bar is a longtime gathering spot for older men of different faiths
This cafe has long been a gathering spot for Muslims and Jews of Tunisian origin, who've been getting together for decades to play cards and chat, NPR says.
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