Pastors in the inner city continue to pray against violence as the murder toll climbs in Kansas City. Two more people were shot and killed over the July 4 weekend as the ...
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Learning about race from other voices in Black America
What can we learn about race from other voices? Many generations ago the Jewish King Hezekiah was in the midst of a successful reign when he was threatened with invasion by King ...
Read More »13,000 Christians from 500 churches march in Atlanta for racial justice
More than 13,000 individuals representing 500 churches across the denominational and cultural spectrum gathered Friday, June 19 (Juneteenth) in Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park before marching to the State Capitol to petition both ...
Read More »Editor of “Christianity Today” calls for churches to make slavery reparations
The simmering debate over slavery reparations has moved from government to the church. The president and CEO of “Christianity Today” in an editorial is calling on churches to consider making “biblical restitution” ...
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Sen. Josh Hawley questions Covid-19 church restrictions while protests encouraged
Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley has asked U.S. Attorney General William Barr to investigate discrepancies between state regulations regarding religious services and ongoing protests during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hawley stated his position in ...
Read More »Pompeo, Brownback focus on China and ‘decades-long war on faith’
Religious persecution in China has intensified over the past year as the regime continues with its “decades-long war on faith,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on June 10 while presenting his ...
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Easter in August? Sure, it’s right after Christmas in July!
We all know that Easter falls on various days every year, but never before has it been celebrated as late as August. However, this year the celebration was delayed from the official ...
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Reopening is especially challenging for Missouri’s black churches
African Americans are the most religious ethnic group in the country, with nearly half attending religious services at least once a week. Black churches also have a disproportionately higher death rate from ...
Read More »Author interview: Annika Bergen is digging up spiritual roots
Kansas City is an area rich in religious history. Annika Bergen, a member of the Heart of America Christian Writers Network (HACWN), also based in Kansas City, recently co-authored a book on ...
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Supreme Court rejects California church’s appeal challenging restrictions
Are churches entertainment venues? A divided Supreme Court late Friday implied so in rejecting an emergency appeal by a California church that challenged state restrictions on attendance at worship services. Over the ...
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Suburban St. Louis church sues county over meeting restrictions
Another Missouri church has filed a lawsuit over restrictions on religious gatherings. Church of the Word in the St. Louis suburb of Fenton sued St. Louis County on Wednesday. The church alleges ...
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Faith leaders urge Congress to give churches immunity from pandemic lawsuits
As churches struggle to reopen, they must consider not only the threat of the coronavirus but also that of potential lawsuits if someone becomes infected. Several prominent faith leaders, including Franklin Graham ...
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U.S. Justice Department warns California it is abusing religion clause of Constitution
As President Trump warned governors on Friday that they must allow churches to open and resume activity, the U.S. Department of Justice will also support their rights to worship. Earlier this week, ...
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President declares churches “essential” while questioning why liquor stores are allowed to open first
President Donald Trump sided with the nation’s houses of worship in their calls for governors and cities to allow them to freely worship. Trump called on all state governors to immediately reopen ...
Read More »DOJ warns California over closing churches: “there is no pandemic exception to the U.S. Constitution”
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has warned California Gov. Gavin Newsom that the state’s public health orders may be discriminatory against churches. In a letter on May 19 the DOJ expressed “several” concerns over the state’s ...
Read More »Abundant Life among many churches open for worship Sunday while lawsuit proceeds
A Lee’s Summit church that took on what many consider unfair county reopening regulations held services Sunday. The faithful at Abundant Life Church, and hundreds of other churches across the metro, gathered ...
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Jackson County eases restrictions for churches, other places of worship
Resuming a somewhat normal life in Jackson County just got a bit easier. The county announced on Wednesday that is it changing its reopening policies for churches and fitness centers to be ...
Read More »County may reduce church restrictions as KC backtracks on businesses, restaurants
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr. have faced strong push back against their policies for reopening churches and businesses during the coronavirus pandemic. As reported in ...
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Why reopening churches after COVID-19 will be hard
Reopening our country will not be easy. And neither will be the reopening of churches across America. Most organizations are facing significant challenges brought on by the virus. Business owners feel overwhelmed ...
Read More »Demand soars for special communion cups
The coronavirus outbreak is changing numerous things about how church services are held, right down to communion. Blessed Communion in Chicago, the world’s leading provider of individually sealed, prefilled communion cups, is ...
Read More »Vice President Pence supports church in dispute with state
Can government arrest a church pastor for hosting small groups in their buildings? The growing verdict across the nation is no. Now, Vice President Mike Pence is joining other members of the ...
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More than $400,000 raised to assist small churches during pandemic
Many small churches have been hit hard by reduced giving during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. However, more than $400,000 already has been raised to help them, and more than 1,000 churches already ...
Read More »God. Our only answer to the coronavirus
Sunday, March 14, is when the coronavirus pandemic flipped upside down the religious world. Tens of thousands of churches suddenly closed their doors to worship services and moved to online platforms. For the first ...
Read More »Kansas set to reopen in phases as some restrictions remain
Gov. Laura Kelly announced her plans on April 30 on how to reopen Kansas for business in phases, starting May 4. UPDATE: Shawnee County has decided that libraries are more like community ...
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Kansas City policy requires churches keep ‘lists’ of those entering
A Kansas City phased reopening guideline requiring churches to keep “lists” of attendees, has alarmed many who see it as an infringement on religious liberty and privacy. In the policy issued by ...
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