Recent Articles
What Do I Get Out of Being a Christian?
Using rewards to motivate and shape behavior is common in nearly every area of life. In the religious realm, it becomes problematic as it often conflicts with essential teachings of a given faith tradition.
Annual International Remembrance Offers Powerful Message
Fear of being Jewish was never something I experienced growing up. But is it possible that the echoes of the past, those that we recall this week, are more front and center than we could have ever imagined?
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.
January 25, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Fighting ‘a holy war to preserve a Christian nation.’ For Many Who Marched, January 6 was Only the Beginning.; Anti-vaccine Activists March n D.C. – a City that Mandates Coronavirus Vaccination – to Protest Mandates; Robert P. Jones: The Sacred Work of White Discomfort; and more
Pointing Out the Church’s Hypocrisy
Contrary to alarmist claims, the church is not being attacked or persecuted. Rather, it is being carefully evaluated and closely interrogated, with many finding it lacking enough resemblance to the Jesus it proclaims.
Several Remembrances Needed on Holocaust Remembrance Day
The world again prepares to observe International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Jan. 27. There are at least three remembrances that are necessary to avoid a hazard of this solemn occasion.
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.
January 24, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Acclaimed Journalist Carl Bernstein Says US Democracy ‘Cased to be Working Well’ Before Trump Was Elected, Points to White Christians; An Architect of Critical Race Theory: ‘We Cannot Allow all of the Lessons From the Civil Rights Movement Forward to be Packed Up and Put Away for Storage; The Secure Community Network Has Been Building a Shield Over Jewish Communities. It Saved Lives in the Jewish Synagogue Attack; and more
Unsung Heroes: World, Meet Willie O’Ree
Everyone knows Jackie Robinson and how he broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball. But do you know who broke the color barrier in the National Hockey League?
Miracles or Maladies? A Review of “Midnight Mass”
“Midnight Mass” is a haunted limited series from Netflix. The show begs us to rethink the miracles of Jesus and how we understand disability, growing old and the complexities of life.
Praying for Unity with Catholics and the Whole Church
After a pandemic-related pause, Baptists and Catholics resumed ecumenical dialogue and engagement in 2021, with plans to continue their work in 2022.
January 21, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: With Congregation’s Blessing, Developer Will Demolish Church for $8 Million Housing Project; An Anti-Black Backlash – With No End in Sight; Tennessee Jewish Couple Claim Christian Adoption Agency Denied Them Services; and more
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.
Some Hope for Those Wearied by Headlines
It’s easy to get weary looking at the international headlines. Here are five under-reported things that are the result of the hard work of good faith people.
Increased Outdoor Activity Is Encouraging and Concerning
Record numbers of people have been venturing into the “great outdoors” during the pandemic. This positive, encouraging trend could have negative, long-term impacts.
January 20, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: People are Hiding that Their Unvaccinated Loved Ones Died of COVID; Pastor, Sister Say Rogue Alabama Police Force Sought Revenge; Will Catholic Universities Survive the Upheaval in Higher Education? The Next 10 Years Will Tell.; and more
Gone to the Dogs
College athletic expenditures raise many questions – both ethical and economic – about the value we place on sports and on education. What are some of the trends and issues that need to be explored?
Emerging Voices | Ministering to Christian and Non-Christian Athletes
There are many challenges facing college athletes these days, causing sports to seem more like a business than play. How can we minister appropriately and effectively to student-athletes?
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.
January 19, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Justice, Nationalism, Christianity and Race; New Website Illustrated and Interprets How Religion Intertwined with Events of January 6; Why the Nation’s Top Episcopalian Bishop and a Vanderbilt Historian Talked Democracy and Religion; and more
Should MLK Day Have Been Celebrated This Year?
The annual observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a federal holiday has taken place every year since 1983. But should it have been celebrated this year in light of efforts to dismantle what he championed?
Honoring Tradition and Departing from It
Resistance to change is a common response, particularly when it involves long-standing traditions. Yet, change is unavoidable, so how do we honor traditions of the past when we must depart from them?
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.
January 18, 2022
In today’s curated news and and analysis headlines: On MLK Day, Yellen Says U.S. Economy is Unfair to Black People; We Still Need Martin Luther King Jr.’s Aspirational Patriotism; Martin Luther King, Jr. Isn’t the Only Black Baptist Hero Being Honored on MLK Day; ‘Some People Just Don’t Like Us’: In a Texas Synagogue, 11 Hours of Terror; and more
Following in King’s Footsteps by Loving Our Enemies
Loving one’s enemies was a central teaching of Jesus and a core conviction at the heart of Martin Luther King Jr.’s leadership in the civil rights movement. Will we commit to follow in King’s footsteps?
Emerging Voices | Pastoral Care in the Midst of Natural Disaster
How should pastoral care be carried out in the wake of natural disasters and other crises? Taking the proper approach can tune the beliefs of those for whom we care.
Look Back | Selma’s ‘Turnaround March’ Was Turning Point
One of Martin Luther King Jr.’s lesser-known actions took place in Selma, Alabama, on March 9, 1965. Here is what he did and why it was so significant.
January 14, 2022
In today’s news and analysis headlines: Penn Researchers Study Why Conspiracy Theories are so Believable; A Cryptic Email, Then a Confession: How a Muslim Group Uncovered a Hate Group Mole; Prison Systems Insist on Banning Books by Black Authors. It’s Time to End Censorship.; Couple’s Plan to Turn Maine Church into a Cocktail Bar Derailed for Month’s by Deed Barring ‘Sinful’ Acts (and more)
The Ongoing Dream of Voting
Limiting the right to vote has a long, tragic history in the United States. Since the nation’s formation, some have sought to restrict ballot access while others have worked to expand it. The struggle continues today.
Do We Admire the Dream, or Are We Captured by It?
Once more the U.S. pauses to celebrate the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr. this weekend. We must consider whether we are merely admirers of his dream or are captured by it.