News
New Podcast Focuses on ‘Discovering Wholeness’
A new collaborative podcast will drop at Good Faith Media next week. “Discovering Wholeness: Healing Trauma, Unearthing Self” will focus on a variety of topics that address what it means to heal from trauma.
U.S. Confidence in Safe In-Person Worship Increases
A growing number of U.S. adults feel confident that they can safely attend in-person religious services. Yet, less than half of Christian churchgoers in the U.S. plan to attend an in-person Easter service this year, well below the 62% historical average.
Under Half of US Adults Affiliate with House of Faith
Fewer than half of U.S. adults now claim membership in a church, mosque or synagogue, a report found. It’s the first time in polling history when a majority has not done so, following a decades-long membership decline.
Good Faith Media to Host Writers’ Retreat in Georgia Mountains
“Open to anyone who loves words,” Good Faith Media will host its first Writers’ Retreat, Oct. 20-22, 2021, at Amicalola Falls Lodge in the colorful mountains of North Georgia.
Widespread Support in US for LGBTQ+ Rights
By Zach Dawes Jr – More than three out of four, or 76%, of US adults support the enactment of nondiscrimination laws to protect LGBTQ persons, a report found. The support crossed age, gender, political and religious demographics.
People of Good Faith: Ronnie Brewer
Ronnie Brewer is a retired pastor and campus minister living in Miramar Beach, Florida, near Destin. He is currently serving as the chair of the strategic advisory board for the Good Faith Media experiences division.
Five Things to Listen for in “Raceless Gospel” Podcast
Starlette Thomas – a womanist in ministry – treats these five episodes as five Sundays. Each episode is structured like a church service and features different elements of a Sunday worship hour: welcome, testimony, sermon, call to discipleship, offering and benediction.
People of Good Faith: Starlette Thomas
Starlette Thomas is a member of the Good Faith Media strategic advisory board and host of the forthcoming GFM podcast, “The Raceless Gospel.”
Most U.S. Protestants Plan In-Person Attendance Post-Pandemic
A new report found that most Protestant churchgoers planning to attend in-person worship when it is safe to do so. So, clergy can mostly breathe a sigh of relief regarding post-pandemic engagement.
Latest Nurturing Faith Book Focuses on Life Together
Jeff Hampton jumped at the opportunity to write a weekly church blog post, offering up his thoughts on matters of faith. Ten years later, he’s still at it, and has collected his writings on community into a book.
New GFM Podcast on Race, Religion and Politics Drops in March
Starlette Thomas is a womanist in ministry and the host of “The Raceless Gospel” podcast. Thomas and guests talk about that taboo trinity — race, religion and politics.
People of Good Faith: Rob Marus
Rob Marus is associate vice president for communications at the Association of American Universities in Washington, D.C. He serves on the Good Faith Media governing board and is an active member of The First Baptist Church of the City of Washington.
Fewer Protestant Churches Meeting in Person
The number of Protestant churches in the U.S. meeting in person declined in early 2021. Around three-quarter were doing so in January 2021, down from 87% in September 2020.
Majority of Black Americans Attend Predominantly Black Congregations
A majority of Black Americans who attend religious services do so at predominantly Black houses of faith, a report found. Nearly two-thirds of all churchgoers in the U.S. believe congregations should be more diverse.
Stephen Reeves to Lead Fellowship Southwest
Native Texan Stephen Reeves will become the executive director of Fellowship Southwest in mid-March. He comes to the organization from CBF global, where he served as associate coordinator for advocacy and partnerships.
People of Good Faith: Cynthia Holmes
Cynthia Holmes is an attorney in St. Louis, Missouri. She is an active leader in several faith-based organizations, including Good Faith Media where she serves on the governing board.
Springsteen Jeep Ad Echoes Themes He’s Sung about for Decades
The central message in Bruce Springsteen’s Jeep ad reiterates themes he’s been singing about for decades. It calls us to have faith that the ties that bind us, for all our faults, fears and shortcomings, are ultimately stronger than the walls others build to divide us.
White Evangelical Protestants Hold Divergent Religious Liberty, Discrimination Views
White evangelical Protestants in the U.S. hold views on religious liberty and discrimination that often diverge from the rest of the nation, a report found. Nearly three-quarters say religious liberty is being threatened, compared to only 42% of all adults.
People of Good Faith: Renée Owen
Renée Lloyd Owen is a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship-endorsed healthcare chaplain with more than 20 years of experience meeting the unique spiritual, religious, and cultural needs of patients, their families and healthcare providers.
Satisfaction with Organized Religion, Moral Climate Declines in U.S.
Perception of organized religion and the nation’s moral climate is declining among U.S. adults, a report found. Less than half are satisfied with organized religion’s influence, while eight-in-ten are dissatisfied with the country’s moral / ethical climate.
Look Back | Panelists Urge New Covenant Baptists to Fight Institutional Racism
The church’s struggle against racism is no longer primarily about skin color, but institutions that bestow privilege on some and penalties on others, panelists emphasized at the 2008 New Baptist Covenant gathering. We live in a racialized society.
Baptist Theologian Becomes Interim President at UCC Seminary
Molly T. Marshall, a retired Baptist theologian, will become the interim president of United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities on March 1. Established in 1962 and located in St. Paul, Minnesota, the school is affiliated with the United Church of Christ.
Safety Net Programs Have Reduced U.S. Poverty, Disparities Remain
Social safety net programs in the U.S. like SNAP, SSI and TANF have significantly reduced poverty levels, a report found. Yet, racial and ethnic disparities remain, which could increase further as a result of the pandemic.
White Evangelicals More Likely to Say Online Harassment Due to Faith
Nearly one-third of white evangelicals in the U.S. say the online harassment they have experienced resulted from their religious affiliation, a report found. This is the most of any religious group.
People of Good Faith: Jana Peterson
Jana Peterson, a self-described “homeschooling homemaker” for 15 years, is pursuing a master of divinity at the Seattle School of Theology and Psychology. She is a GFM Ernest C. Hynds Jr. intern for the spring 2021 semester.
US Prison, Jail Population Dropped Sharply in 2020
The U.S. inmate population declined in 2020, driven by a yearlong drop in prison inmates and a partial year decline in jail inmates. Still, the nation incarcerates more of its residents than any other nation.
Reaction and Response: US to Re-enter Paris Climate Agreement
An executive order signed on Jan. 20, 2021, set the U.S. on a path to re-enter the Paris climate agreement. Several faith leaders offered their reaction and response to the decision.
Reaction and Response | Conspiracy Theories Common in U.S. Protestant Churches
Conspiracy theories are heard frequently in nearly half of U.S. Protestant congregations, a report found. Four Protestant leaders shared their reaction and response with Good Faith Media.
People of Good Faith: Jessica McDougald
Jessica McDougald is a third-year master of divinity student at Campbell University Divinity School and youth minister at Millbrook Baptist Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. She is currently serving as an Ernest C. Hynds intern at Good Faith Media.
Pandemic Strengthened U.S. Faith More than Other Nations
U.S. adults were more likely than citizens of 13 other advanced economies to say that their religious faith, and that of the nation as a whole, has been strengthened during the global pandemic, a report found.