Photo illustration by Jessamyn Rubio
A white Episcopal priest reflects on singing the “black national anthem” and wonders: What actions would begin to show our black siblings in faith that this message has truly touched our hearts?
In this excerpt, gun violence survivor Felicia Sanders, who played dead with her little granddaughter as Dylann Roof shot and killed her son Tywanza, struggles with the lack of pastoral care from Emanuel AME Church’s leaders.
Back cover detail of "Grace Will Lead Us Home" by Jennifer Berry Hawes. Courtesy of publisher
The Charleston, South Carolina, reporter covered the Emanuel AME Church shooting. Her book now gives the larger picture.
The Rev. Nathan Kirkpatrick preaches at Broad Street United Methodist Church in Statesville, North Carolina.
The answer depends on congregational and community context and begins with another question: What does the gospel have to say to a broken and brokenhearted world in this moment?
The young adults who work at Village Wrench do not need to have experience fixing bikes. They just need to have a passion for helping the community. Photos courtesy of Village Wrench
Village Wrench in West Greenville, South Carolina, helps meet tangible needs such as bike repair and transportation. But it also offers youth development and a community gathering place.
Image by Jad Limcaco
When churches struggle to change their habits, stopping everything can open a way forward, says a church planter and pastor.
Dr. Jon Kocmond looks at photos of his family in his home office in Charlotte, North Carolina. Kocmond lost his 16-year-old son, Nathan, to suicide in the fall of 2017. He has since been active in the suicide support group at Christ Episcopal Church. Photos by Wendy Yang
A 6,400-member congregation in North Carolina has created a “wellness director” position after experiencing six suicides in five years.
The steel wall on the U.S.-Mexico border in Tijuana, Mexico, includes phrases and names of deported veterans. The center phrase translated from Spanish says: "Here is where the dreams bounced back." iStock / Photo Beto
Latinx Protestants defy expectations on issues like immigration, write two sociologists.
Politics is not a necessary evil; it’s an important way to care for a community, says a professor and theologian.
Windsor Jones and Country pause for a moment at the Common Soles clinic hosted by Church of the Common Ground, where Jones washed Country's feet. Photos by Branden Camp
Church of the Common Ground, an Episcopal congregation in Atlanta, avoids the usual attempts to “fix” people who are living on the streets. Instead, it seeks to be a living witness of love and compassion.