The Rev. Dan Collison and First Covenant Church Minneapolis. Courtesy photos
Need to know: Monday, July 1, 2019
Evangelical denomination expels entire congregation over LGBT policy
The Evangelical Covenant Church's vote to expel the First Covenant Church, a prominent and historic Minneapolis congregation, for being "out of harmony on human sexuality," took place at the denomination’s annual meeting in Omaha on Friday, June 27.
Civil rights advocates, victims’ families urge support for new hate crime reporting bill
The bipartisan NO HATE Act would address underreporting in hate crime data submitted to the FBI by state and local law enforcement agencies.
Episcopalian pilgrims bring Spain’s Camino de Santiago to the Appalachian Trail
Inspired by Spain's popular pilgrimage, hikers from the Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania are making their own "Appalachian Camino" this week on the piece of the Appalachian Trail winding through the diocese.
South Sudanese churches call for acceptance of wartime sexual violence survivors
Thousands of women and girls in Africa’s newest nation who have suffered brutal sexual violence have been rejected by their families on their return to their communities.
An academic society whose time has come
The study of religion and nature bids for center stage, writes Mark Silk.
Church of England appoints its first black female bishop
Rose Hudson-Wilkin, born in Jamaica, will be consecrated in November as bishop of Dover.
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Indiana archbishop defends firing of teacher in gay marriage
More than 100 Cathedral students and other opponents of Thompson's actions held a prayer protest later Thursday outside the archdiocesan offices near downtown Indianapolis.
Why are Catholic schools firing gay teachers — and how can one refuse?
Two Catholic high schools in Indiana have been ordered to fire openly gay teachers. One did; the other vows to carry its protest against the order to the Vatican. What is going on?
LaKeesha Walrond, new black woman seminary president breaking ‘glass ceilings’
The new president of New York Theological Seminary talked about her diverse student body, her concerns about child sexual abuse and her support of open-mindedness among her students.
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Mormon woman’s memoir tackles cancer, parenting, and ‘the problem we want to have’ in today’s LDS Church
Melissa Inouye's new memoir "Crossings" is for any Mormon reader who has ever felt marginalized -- which, as she explains, is all of us.
British forced abortion case signals broader change in pro-choice argument
(RNS) — The British case shows that the sacredness of letting patients or their surrogates make decisions based on their own values can be discarded when the decision is about abortion.
Seeing Jesus in the migrants at the border
Jesus saw Óscar and Valeria. Jesus saw the woman and the three little children who died in the desert. He sees all of the crowds of migrants, harassed and helpless and fleeing from a home they can no longer stay in to journey to a place they have never been. He wants us to see them too, writes Alan Cross.
