News
Five Years Later, Pew Research Analyzes Current U.S. Opinion on the COVID-19 Pandemic
Despite a few weeks of national unity at the beginning of the pandemic, almost three-quarters (72%) of Americans believe the pandemic did more to drive the country apart. Slightly more than a tenth (11%) said it brought the country together, with 16% saying it had little effect either way.
‘In Every Way’: Baptist Layman Jimmy Carter Became U.S. President and Much More
The 39th U.S. President, who died on December 29, 2024, in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, lived out those opportunities with faithfulness and fullness for 100 years.
2025 Q Christian Fellowship To Be Held In Atlanta
January 23, 2025, will mark the twenty-first Q Christian Fellowship Conference, when LGBTQ+ Christians and allies from around the world will gather together. This annual hybrid conference aims to provide space for LGBTQ+ Christians, along with their parents and allies, to worship, fellowship and dig deeper into their faith without questioning whether they belong in the space because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Americans Increasingly Concerned About Quality and Cost of Healthcare
According to a recent Gallup poll, less than half of Americans (44%) feel good about the quality of healthcare in the country. Only 28% are satisfied with healthcare coverage. These indicators are down from a high in 2012, when 62% were happy with healthcare quality, and 41% were satisfied with coverage.
Northside Baptist Church in Clinton, Mississippi Receives BWIM’s ‘Church of Excellence’ Award
Baptist Women in Ministry (BWIM) recently announced that Northside Baptist Church in Clinton, Mississippi has received the organization’s Church of Excellence award. The award, given out yearly, celebrates a church that has “broken barriers and set new standards for empowering ministers and leaders,” according to its website.
Thousands Call On Biden to Commute Death Row Sentences Before Leaving Office
Those calling for this released letters today through more than a dozen organizations across the political, religious and social spectrum. These include pro-life conservatives, former corrections officers, civil rights advocates, and those who have lost loved ones to homicide, among others.
Republican Voters Confidence In Election Integrity Soars Between 2020 and 2024
Confidence in how well the 2024 elections were administered soared from their 2020 lows. A Pew Research analysis of voter confidence in elections over the past six years found that Republican voters’ massive swing in perceptions over election integrity fueled the change.
Americans Retain Belief In Media’s Watchdog Role
Despite a growing distrust of journalists and the decades-long dismantling of traditional news outlets, a near-record number of Americans believe the media acts as a check on politicians’ worst impulses.
“Fire in the Whole”: An Interview with Robert G. Callahan, II— Part 3
“Fire in the Whole: Embracing Our Righteous Anger with White Christianity and Reclaiming Our Wholeness” is a new book by Robert G. Callahan, II. In the final part of this interview trilogy, we discuss the call to truth-telling around the wounds of white Christianity, the empowering nature of lament, rest as an act of resistance, the future of the North American church and steps you can take after reading his book
“Fire in the Whole”: An Interview with Robert G. Callahan, II— Part 2
Robert G. Callahan, II is the author of “Fire in the Whole: Embracing Our Righteous Anger with White Christianity and Reclaiming Our Wholeness.” In part two of our interview, we discuss the role of righteous anger, why it remains difficult to talk about race and what the presidential elections taught him about the North American church.
“Normal Lives” Chronicles the Mutual Admiration Between Jimmy Carter and His Washington Church
“Normal Lives” widens the focus of the former peanut farmer’s relationship with the church that became his and his family’s home congregation during their four-year stint in Washington.
“Fire in the Whole”: An Interview with Robert G. Callahan, II— Part 1
Robert G. Callahan, II is an accomplished attorney in his practice at Callahan & King, PLLC in Waco, Texas. He is also the author of a new book, “Fire in the Whole: Embracing Our Righteous Anger with White Christianity and Reclaiming Our Wholeness.” This is part one of our interview.
All-Time High in U.S. Dissatisfied With Gun Laws
Nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults say they are dissatisfied with the nation’s current gun laws, according to a Gallup report. This is an all-time high in the two decades of polling this question.
Nurturing Faith Commentary Year A, Volume 3 Now Available
Nurturing Faith Commentary: Year A, Volume 3 by Tony W. Cartledge is now available. This release is part of a planned 12-volume commentary series that will cover every designated text for every Sunday in the three-year cycle of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Global Christian Population Projected to Reach 3.3 Billion by 2050
There will be over 2.6 billion Christians worldwide by the middle of 2023 and around 3.3 billion by 2050, according to a report published in early January by the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary.
People of Good Faith: Amy Butler
Amy Butler is founder of Invested Faith. She previously served as pastor of several churches, and she is a contributing correspondent at Good Faith Media.
EJUSA Evangelical Network Is ‘Locked in Solidarity’ With the Mass Incarcerated
A February 9 webinar hosted by the Equal Justice USA Evangelical Network focused on mass incarceration and how churches can respond. The presenters were Jamila Hodge, executive director of Equal Justice USA, and Sam Heath, manager of the EJUSA Evangelical Network.
U.S. Adults Continue to Be Dissatisfied with Nation’s Morality, Ethics
U.S. adults continue to express dissatisfaction regarding the morality and ethics of the nation, according to a Gallup report published February 2. The level of dissatisfaction is near the poll’s all-time high.
White Evangelical Protestants Most Likely Religious Group to Support Christian Nationalism
A majority of most U.S. religious groups reject or express skepticism about Christian nationalism, according to a Public Religion Research Institute and The Brookings Institution report. Two groups were outliers.
Second Annual Confronting Whiteness Conference Held at Myers Park Baptist Church
Participants gathered over two days at Myers Park Baptist Church for the Confronting Whiteness conference. They listened to African American thought leaders and sought to discern what it means to confront whiteness in our lives, churches and the world.
Inaugural Good Faith Advocates Meeting Focuses on Countering Christian Nationalism
The first Good Faith Advocates meeting focused on countering Christian nationalism. The hour-long meeting featured three GFM staff members and special guest Matthew Dowd.
Moral, Ethical Business Conduct a Priority for Younger Workers
U.S. adults under age 30 want to work for businesses committed to making a positive impact on society and the environment, according to a report published January 26 by Gallup and Bentley University.
U.S. Parents Value Children Being Honest More Than Holding Similar Religious Views
Most U.S. parents do not place a high priority on their children sharing their religious views, according to a Pew Research Center report. They’re far more concerned that their children grow up to be honest and ethical.
Interfaith Alliance and Their Battle Against Online Hate
Technological advances create countless opportunities that come with many negative consequences. This was an emphasis in a new report published by Interfaith Alliance, as well as a primary focus in an online panel discussion about the report’s findings.
U.S. Majority Says Religion Important, Minority Attend Services Regularly
Most U.S. adults say that religion is important in their lives, according to a YouGov / The Economist report. Prayer is a more common expression of faith than religious service attendance.
GFM Managing Editor Zach Dawes Headed to the Classroom
Zach Dawes Jr., the managing editor for news and opinion at Good Faith Media (GFM), will leave later this year to pursue a long-held interest in teaching. He is praised for his work ethic and commitment to responsible journalism.
People of Good Faith: Randall Balmer
Randall Balmer is the John Phillips Professor in Religion at Dartmouth College, an Episcopal priest, and the author of more than a dozen books, with commentaries appearing in newspapers across the country. He is a contributing correspondent at Good Faith Media.
People of Good Faith: Demetrius Sadler
Demetrius Sadler is Good Faith Media’s Ernest C. Hynds Jr. intern for the spring 2023 semester. He is a recent graduate of the University of Rochester, holding a degree in digital media studies and audio engineering.
Few U.S. Adults Encounter Chaplains Outside Hospitals, Most Report Positive Interactions
A minority of U.S. adults report having an interaction with a chaplain. A strong majority of those who do describe the encounter in positive terms. These are two findings from a recent Gallup report.
Demetrius Sadler Serving as GFM’s Spring 2023 Intern
Demetrius Sadler is Good Faith Media’s Ernest C. Hynds Jr. intern for the spring 2023 semester. A recent graduate of the University of Rochester, he holds a degree in digital media studies and audio engineering.