Wednesday’s News & Ideas - 8/20/2025
- Settlement for lost AME funds
- Church services in DC
- Moving a church building
- Endorsing from pulpit
- Number of Shakers in US
- Consider the hermit crab
Federal judge approves partial settlement for lost AME Church retirement funds
Religion News Service: Retirement plan participants could recoup more of the lost funds in further legal proceedings.
Attendance drops, fear rises in immigrant churches as Trump takes over DC
Religion News Service: “I never thought I had one day to cancel Sunday worship because it is not safe for our Latino siblings to come to church. But here we are … ,” wrote one pastor on Facebook.
How do you move a hundred-year-old church? On wheels, very slowly.*
The New York Times: Mining in Kiruna, Sweden, has weakened the ground below a beloved church. It’s being rolled three miles to its new home.
He tried to endorse from the pulpit. He wound up without a church.*
The New York Times: The I.R.S. says churches can now support candidates during services, but many denominations still forbid it. A Wisconsin pastor learned the hard way.
The number of Shakers in the U.S. rises to 3
NPR: A new person has joined the last active Shaker community in the U.S, bringing the Christian, communal, and celibate group to a total of three. They once numbered in the thousands.
The Spark
Consider the hermit crab
You might think of them as cheap beach souvenirs. In fact, these tiny creatures* have rich social lives and can live decades — and some humans are fighting to change their fate, Slate says.
*access is limited for nonsubscribers
