WILMINGTON, N.C. (RNS) With 10 percent unemployment in this corner of North Carolina, the search-for-work story of Gerry Murphy and Andrea Kanelopoulos-Murphy could be a common one. But the couple believe their unique marriage — he's a former Catholic priest — sometimes makes it harder to find the right workplace. By Amanda Greene.

WILMINGTON, N.C. (RNS) North Carolinians took a strong stance against same-sex marriage on Tuesday, voting 61 percent to 39 percent for a state constitutional amendment to only recognize marriages between a man and a woman. By Amanda Greene.

LUMBERTON, N.C. (RNS) Andrew Bowen isn't Muslim, or Hindu, or Baha'i, or Mormon. In fact, he's none of the 12 faiths he practiced for a month at a time during 2011. Finding faith in God again was not Bowen's aim; he was looking for faith in humanity. By Amanda Greene.