Eds: Singh-Oped will not be coming today.
NEWS STORY
RNS-Congregatons-Shrink: Attendance hemorrhaging at small and midsize US congregations
(RNS) — A new survey of 15,278 religious congregations across the United States confirms trends sociologists have documented for several decades: Congregational life across the country is shrinking. The most recent round of the Faith Communities Today survey, or FACT, found a median decline in attendance of 7% between 2015 and 2020. By Yonat Shimron. 700 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Menlo-Report: Menlo Church investigation finds no direct evidence or disclosures of sexual abuse
(RNS) — An investigation of a prominent California megachurch found no evidence of abuse but faulted church leaders and a former pastor John Ortberg for failing to inform church leaders that one of his children, a church volunteer, had confessed to being sexually attracted to children. Church elders also failed to tell the congregation about Ortberg’s deception.By Bob Smietana. 650 words. (Categories, a)
NEWS BRIEF
RNS-Biden-Francis: It’s official: Rumored October meeting between Biden and Pope Francis is confirmed
WASHINGTON (RNS) — The White House announced Thursday (Oct. 14) that President Joe Biden will meet with Pope Francis at the end of the month, confirming a long-rumored summit between the pontiff and the second Catholic U.S. president. By Jack Jenkins. 500 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-NCC-WomenLeaders: National Council of Churches led by all-women officers, approved NRSV Bible update(RNS) — The National Council of Churches has elected officers who are all women for the first time in the ecumenical organization’s 71-year history. Its governing board of the NCC also voted to approve the New Revised Standard Version Updated Version, or NRSVue, of the Bible. By Adelle M. Banks. 350 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-NCC-Gathering: White Christian progressives can be nationalists too, ecumenical panel says
(RNS) — White progressive Christians have work to do to address their own Christian nationalism along with their conservative counterparts, experts said at the National Council of Churches’ Christian Unity Gathering this week. Faith leaders, scholars and authors spoke of what they considered relative silence and still-needed action after insurrectionists stormed the U.S. Capitol. By Adelle M. Banks. 900 words. (category: a)
NEWS-STORY
RNS-Buddhist-Dams: In Himalayan India, Buddhist monks and Indigenous tribe fight hydropower projects
(RNS) — The Buddhist monks have united with the nomadic Monpa to protest projects that could destroy the monasteries, hot springs and temples that dot the snow-capped Himalayan region. By Priyadarshini Sen. 1,135 words. (category: i)
COMMENTARY
RNS-Burge-Oped: Is God good for America? Depends whom you ask.
(RNS) — Most Americans see religion as good for society. Those on the extremes disagree, with most atheists saying religion causes more problems than it solves and evangelical Christians and Catholics opposed. By Ryan Burge. 921 words. (category: k)