NEWS STORY
RNS-Edmonton-Church: Protesters rally to cause of ‘jailed’ Canadian church as pastor awaits trial
(RNS) — For months, GraceLife church, near Edmonton, Alberta, has ignored Alberta Health Services’ guidelines limiting religious gatherings. In February, the authorities pushed back, jailing the nondenominational church’s pastor, the Rev. James Coates, for 35 days. On April 7, after the church continued to breach rules about mask wearing and limiting attendance to 15% capacity, health inspectors and police ordered the church closed, fenced off its grounds and posted a guard. By 831 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Vatican-UN: Pope Francis criticizes “political paternalism” of populist politicians
(RNS) – Pope Francis laid out his vision for a “politics with a capital P,” in an online message to grassroots community organizers on Thursday, where he criticized a modern form of politics “that turns their back on the poor.” By Claire Giangravè. 600 words. (category i)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Jason-Lydon: Formerly incarcerated, this Unitarian Universalist minister is dedicated to abolishing prisons
(RNS) — (RNS) — Jason Lydon realized two things when he was incarcerated: that he wanted to be a Unitarian Universalist minister and that, in a moral and just society, prisons would not exist. Now, 18 years later, he’s accomplished his first goal — and he’s working on the second. By Lyra Walsh Fuchs. 1,182 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Methodist-Drag: First drag queen certified as a candidate for United Methodist ministry ‘speaking in a new way to new people’
(RNS) — Isaac Simmons, 23, is the first openly gay man to be certified within the Illinois Great Rivers Conference and, as far as anyone can tell, the first drag queen certified in the United Methodist Church. By Emily McFarlan Miller. 1,000 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Pentecostal-Exhibitions: In Los Angeles, a pair of art exhibits centers the Black worship experience
LOS ANGELES (RNS) — Two Los Angeles art exhibitions are exploring the worship of Black spirituality, coinciding with the 115th anniversary of a series of lively meetings in the city’s downtown area — known as the Azusa street revival — that launched what is now known as the Pentecostal movement. By Alejandra Molina. 750 words.
NEWS BRIEF
RNS-Falwell-VP: Liberty University shake-ups continue as Falwell Jr.’s son leaves post as VP
(RNS) — The son of former Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. has left the school, vacating his post as vice president of university operations roughly eight months after his father resigned in the wake of scandal. A spokesman for Liberty confirmed the news, first reported Wednesday afternoon (April 14) by Politico, that Trey Falwell was no longer employed by the school. By Emily McFarlan Miller and Jack Jenkins. 400 words. (category: a)
COMMENTARY
RNS-Hoogstra-Patel-Oped: Interfaith campus partnerships are building bridges to overcome our divisions
(RNS) — As an evangelical Christian and a Muslim, we have a different story to tell. We represent communities that are often misunderstood and too often pitted against each other. We know that people of all faiths and philosophical traditions hold shared values that can serve as a foundation for a common life together. By Shirley Hoogstra, Eboo Patel. 757 words. (category: k)
COMMENTARY
RNS-Riess-Oped: When she doesn’t want a baby
(RNS) — It’s often assumed that of course women want to be mothers — that this desire is natural, God-given and universal. Just by virtue of being born with female reproductive organs, this thinking goes, all women want to — have to — reproduce. My friend Donna Freitas pushed back on this. By Jana Riess. 1,087 words. (category: k)
