News
U.S. Charitable Giving Increased in 2021
Charitable giving in the U.S. rose nearly 9% last year, with faith-based organizations experiencing an 11-point increase, a new report found. Online giving increased as well.
Two New Titles Now Available From Nurturing Faith Books
Two new titles are now available for Nurturing Faith Books, the publishing imprint of Good Faith Media – a theological reflection, ‘Taking on the Cross,’ and a novel, ‘The Best Version of Alice.’
People of Good Faith: Molly T. Marshall
Molly T. Marshall is president at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities.
People of Good Faith: Maddie Grimes
Maddie Grimes is serving as a Good Faith Media Ernest C. Hynds Jr. Intern for the spring 2022 semester. She is a student at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee.
New Books ‘Spelunk’ Easter Texts, Reclaim ‘Clobber’ Passages
Two new books from Nurturing Faith Books dig into well-known biblical texts. One goes “spelunking” in the Easter narratives, and the other revisits so-called “clobber” passages and seeks to reclaim them.
Reaction and Response | U.S. Confidence in Pastoral Wisdom Low
Congregants and clergy agree that confidence in the wisdom of U.S. Protestant pastors is low, a report found. Good Faith Media asked several people who work with clergy and congregations to share a response to the findings.
Ukrainian Baptist Leader Shares On-the-Ground Insight
Igor Bandura, vice president of the All-Ukrainian Union of Associations of Evangelical Christians-Baptists, spoke with global Baptist leaders during a Feb. 24 Zoom consultation about the situation in Ukraine.
U.S. Divided on State Funding for Private Schools Teaching Religion
U.S. adults are evenly divided on whether taxpayer dollars should be used to fund private schools that teach religion, according to a YouGov / Yahoo survey published Feb. 11.
Slim U.S. Majority Has Confidence in Religious Leaders
A slim majority of U.S. adults expressed confidence in religious leaders in 2021, according to a Pew Research Center report published Feb. 15. It is the third survey in a row that shows confidence has declined.
People of Good Faith: Angela Grant
Angela Grant is currently an Ernest C. Hynds Intern at Good Faith Media and is a recent Yale Divinity School graduate.
‘Introducing the Raceless Gospel’ Webinar Next Week
The Raceless Gospel Initiative at Good Faith Media will host its first webinar, “Introducing the Raceless Gospel,” on Feb. 24, 2022, at 12 p.m. CST / 1 p.m. EST.
U.S. Adults Mostly Gloomy on State of Nation
The perception of U.S. adults on the state of the nation is predominantly one of dissatisfaction, a Gallup survey found. Satisfaction with organized religious remains at an all-time low.
People of Good Faith: Jon Roebuck
Jon R. Roebuck is the executive director of The Reverend Charlie Curb Center for Faith Leadership at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, and the author of four books.
Winston-Salem Church to Welcome Refugees With Housing, Hospitality
A conference presentation sparked an idea and new mission initiative for one North Carolina church. They are in the process of converting an unused parsonage to provide temporary housing to refugees.
Reaction and Response | Only One U.S. Faith Group Lacks Majority Support for Undocumented Path to Citizenship
A new report found that only one U.S. faith group lacked a majority who support a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. Which group was it? And what trends did the survey reveal about immigration views?
Life Satisfaction High Among Weekly Religious Service Attendees
U.S. adults who attend religious services weekly are more likely to express their satisfaction with life than those who attend less often. This was one of the findings from a recent Gallup survey.
U.S. Religious Life Diversifies Amid Overall Decline
Religious life in the U.S. remains vibrant and has diversified even amid an overall decline in religious affiliation. These are among the findings of a National Congregations Survey report published in mid-January by Duke University.
People of Good Faith: Lynn Brinkley
Lynn Brinkley is associate director of Baptist Women in Ministry.
U.S. Givers Plan to Maintain Giving Levels, Increase Selectivity
U.S. donors plan to maintain current giving levels while increasing their selectivity. This is one of several key findings from a new report on charitable giving from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.
Look Back | An Interview with Bob Abernethy
Bob Abernethy (1927-2021) hosted Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly on PBS from 1997 to 2017. He spoke with Jodi Mathews about religion, ethics and journalism in a 2002 interview.
‘Born Again,’ Evangelical Republicans Care Most About Trump’s Midterm Endorsements
“Born again” or evangelical Christians who affiliate with the Republican Party are most likely to say Donald Trump’s endorsement of 2022 midterm candidates is most important to them, according to a recent Yahoo News / YouGov survey.
Reaction and Response: Sixth Highest Average Global Temperature in 2021
The average global temperature in 2021 was the sixth highest since global records began in 1880, a new report revealed. Here is what several faith leaders had to say about the findings.
People of Good Faith: Fred Guttman
Fred Guttman is Rabbi Emeritus at Temple Emanuel in Greensboro, North Carolina, where he served as rabbi from 1995 to 2021.
Plurality of U.S. Adults Want Less Strict Abortion Laws
Three-in-10 U.S. adults want to see less strict abortion laws enacted, a survey found. This is the highest percentage of adults wanting less strict laws in polling history.
GFM Writers’ Retreat in Georgia Mountains Set for Oct. 2022
Good Faith Media will host its first writers’ retreat on Oct. 19-21, 2022. After the 2021 retreat was cancelled due to the ongoing pandemic, GFM worked with program guests and Amicalola Falls Lodge to confirm availability in 2022.
U.S. Drug Overdose Deaths Increased Significantly in 2020
The rate of drug overdose deaths in the U.S. increased 31% from 2019 to 2020, continuing a decades-long trend, according to a report from the National Center for Health Statistics.
People of Good Faith: Mark Wingfield
Mark Wingfield is executive director and publisher at Baptist News Global. He served previously as associate pastor of Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas for nearly 17 years.
Charitable Giving Increased, Volunteering Decreased in 2021
Charitable giving increased and volunteering decreased in 2021, a Gallup report found. Giving returned to near pre-pandemic levels, while volunteering continued a multi-year downward trend.
Perceived Ethics of Nurses High, Clergy at All-Time Low
Nurses remain among the highest-rated U.S. professions in honesty and ethics, a Gallup report found. Clergy remain in the middle, though they reached an all-time low in perceptions of ethics and honesty.
U.S. Divided on Good-Evil Dichotomy
U.S. adults are evenly divided when it comes to their assessment of whether something is good or evil, a recent survey found. Which groups were most likely to say the good-evil divide is clear?