United Church of Christ
Jewish group condemns United Church of Christ resolution on Israel, Palestinians
By Yonat Shimron — July 19, 2021
(RNS) — The American Jewish Committee took offense to the liberal Protestant denomination, which called the oppression of the Palestinian people a sin.
United Church of Christ declares racism a public health crisis
By Emily McFarlan Miller — July 14, 2021
(RNS) — The resolution’s approval ‘set the tone’ for the United Church of Christ’s Special Edition General Synod, which runs through Sunday (July 18).
As United Church of Christ takes on race and LGBTQ issues, consensus reigns
By Emily McFarlan Miller — July 7, 2021
(RNS) — The remaining Protestant denominational meetings this summer promise more comity than strife.
Study: More churches closing than opening
By Yonat Shimron — May 26, 2021
(RNS) — The study, which analyzed church data from 34 Protestant denominations and groups, found that 4,500 churches closed in 2019, while about 3,000 new congregations were started.
At second Easter under pandemic rules, Christians glimpse church’s future
By Adelle M. Banks, Emily McFarlan Miller, Alejandra Molina, Bob Smietana, and Yonat Shimron — April 2, 2021
(RNS) — The pandemic has 'redefined for me what church is going to be like and what the definition of membership is,' said one pastor in North Carolina.
Black Lives Matter banner outside University Christian Church in San Diego defaced
By Alejandra Molina — January 25, 2021
(RNS) — Senior Minister Caleb Lines said it’s not the vandalism that he finds heartbreaking: ‘It’s that some people truly don’t believe that Black lives matter or that the lives of LGBTQ+ people have value.’
Ahead of inauguration, faith leaders urge devotees in state capitols to take precautions
By Jack Jenkins — January 16, 2021
WASHINGTON (RNS) — ‘We strongly encourage you to be attendant to all safety concerns for ministers and congregations,’ read a statement from the United Church of Christ.
Cleveland club restores our faith that we — and baseball — have the power to change
By John C. Dorhauer — December 15, 2020
(RNS) — Chief Wahoo bought into the fiction that white people somehow honored Indigenous peoples by adopting them as mascots.
Poll chaplains plan to bring a ‘prayerful presence’ to precincts this Election Day
By Emily McFarlan Miller — October 27, 2020
(RNS) — The New Georgia Project is one of several groups training clergy to be precinct chaplains this Election Day at polling places across the country.
Maryland Episcopal diocese reparations fund gains $100,000 in community donations
By Adelle M. Banks — October 14, 2020
(RNS) — Maryland Bishop Eugene Taylor Sutton noted the development during a panel discussion on reparations at a National Council of Churches virtual meeting.
In Oregon, churches and anti-fascists unite to provide mutual aid to fire evacuees and others in need
By Alejandra Molina — September 22, 2020
(RNS) — Mutual aid groups are partnering with churches to set up donation drives and tent distribution centers with hygiene kits, school supplies, clothing and food.
Faith leaders around the country prepare for historic Juneteenth celebrations
By Alejandra Molina — June 18, 2020
(RNS) — Houses of worship are observing Juneteenth with Black Lives Matter demonstrations, anti-racist workshops and virtual celebrations.
National Day of Prayer, reshaped by pandemic, includes interfaith and online events
By Adelle M. Banks — May 6, 2020
(RNS) — In its 69th year, the observance — often predominated by evangelical Christians gathering in public places — will feature interfaith and even international voices on computer screens and cellphones.
During pandemic, small and aging churches face obstacles to adapt
By Alejandra Molina — April 6, 2020
(RNS) — With social-distancing guidelines in place to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, small churches with less income and older parishioners may struggle with declining weekly tithes and adapting to virtual services.
Democratic Party is at an inflection point when it comes to courting religious voters
By Ryan Burge — October 1, 2019
(RNS) — Will Democrats continue to try to court the rapidly growing group of religiously unaffiliated Americans, hoping they will offset the losses Democrats are sustaining among white Protestant Christians? Or do they try to make inroads among moderate Christians who have abandoned them in large numbers over the last decade? The answer may decide the 2020 presidential election.
