Adelle M. Banks
Adelle M. Banks, production editor and a national reporter, joined RNS in 1995. An award-winning journalist, she previously was the religion reporter at the Orlando Sentinel and a reporter at The Providence Journal and newspapers in the upstate New York communities of Syracuse and Binghamton.
All Stories by Adelle M. Banks
‘Black Lives Matter’ signs at churches vandalized
By Adelle M. Banks — November 13, 2015
(RNS) Seventeen of the more than 50 Unitarian Universalist Association churches that posted signs have seen them defaced or stolen -- sometimes more than once.
Black, white Baptist presidents lead racial unity event
By Adelle M. Banks — November 3, 2015
(RNS) “There are so many people who say, ‘What in the world can we do?’” said the Rev. Jerry Young, president of the National Baptist Convention, USA. "We’re hopeful and prayerful that God will use this not as an event but as a movement.”
‘Chaplains’ documentary follows nontraditional faith companions to battlefield, prison
By Adelle M. Banks — November 2, 2015
(RNS) Film producer/director Martin Doblmeier hopes the series will not only teach viewers about the role of chaplains but also give them insights into faiths that are different from their own -- something that chaplains may experience on a daily basis.
At installation, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry urges Episcopalians to join ‘Jesus movement’
By Adelle M. Banks — November 1, 2015
WASHINGTON (RNS) When church leaders, including predecessor, Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, welcomed him into the cathedral, Curry declared himself a “child of God, baptized in St. Simon of Cyrene Church,” the Maywood, Ill., congregation where his father served as a priest.
Rob Schenck, long opposed to abortion, now opposes Christians owning guns
By Adelle M. Banks — October 29, 2015
WASHINGTON (RNS) After personally seeing the bodies of the Amish schoolchildren prepared for a funeral after being gunned down in 2006, Schenck began to realize he needed to care more about life outside the womb, too.
Bishop Michael Curry’s vision: A world transformed by the love of God
By Adelle M. Banks — October 28, 2015
(RNS) Curry will be installed as presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church on Sunday (Nov. 1). He talked to RNS about some of the challenges ahead.
Fighting perceptions, evangelicals and Muslims commit to oppose religious bigotry
By Adelle M. Banks — October 23, 2015
WASHINGTON (RNS) Although mainline Christians have worked together for years on interfaith initiatives, the work of evangelicals and Muslims is a newer dimension in efforts to foster religious understanding.
Male Adventist pastors forgo ordination credentials in solidarity with unordained women
By Adelle M. Banks — October 15, 2015
(RNS) The act of protest has occurred in several states across the U.S. after the global denomination voted in July not to allow its regional church bodies to ordain women pastors.
Oprah’s ‘Belief’ series, a seven-day exploration of faith
By Adelle M. Banks — October 14, 2015
(RNS) The new series follows the trajectory of Winfrey’s career -- encouraging people to explore their own faith journeys.
Farrakhan ‘Justice or Else’ rally reaches beyond ‘Black Lives Matter’
By Adelle M. Banks — October 10, 2015
WASHINGTON (RNS) The rally on the 20th anniversary of the Million Man March addressed a range of grievances connected to justice, including calls to stop deportation and reduce mass incarceration.
US, Canadian denominations to sign mutual recognition pact
By Adelle M. Banks — October 8, 2015
(RNS) Both church groups have been supportive of social justice work, ordination of women and inclusion of LGBT people.
Billy Graham warns of fire and brimstone in ‘final’ book
By Adelle M. Banks — October 2, 2015
(RNS) Experts say his words are a significant shift from the approach he took after the first decade of his ministry.
Evangelical group issues ethics code for congregations
By Adelle M. Banks — October 2, 2015
(RNS) “Deal fairly and openly with causes of scandal when they occur, within the framework of the law,” the guide says.
Obama names 18 new faith-based council advisers
By Adelle M. Banks — September 25, 2015
(RNS) They include a former president of a historic black denomination, the head of an anti-hunger group and an executive of a Sikh organization.
Climate justice supporters rally outside Congress as pope speaks
By Adelle M. Banks — September 24, 2015
WASHINGTON (RNS) The Rally for Moral Action on Climate Justice was timed to coincide with the visit by the world's newest and most prominent champion of environmental action to save the planet.
