Recent Articles
Michael Brown’s Murder Ten Years Later
As Good Faith Media joins the Ferguson community, St. Peter’s United Church of Christ, and others worldwide to commemorate Michael Brown Jr.’s death this weekend, we want to challenge you to engage in the struggle for equality and justice for individuals and communities often marginalized and forgotten.
Megan Basham Needs to Learn More Black Church History
If Meghan Basham thinks my encouragement to Christian college students to get involved in the struggle for racial justice today is too “activist” or “political,” then she’s really not going to like the historic Black Christian tradition.
“Starve Gaza” is not an Option
As the devastating attacks continue in Gaza, we must show compassion and call for a ceasefire. Along with a ceasefire, we must ensure food reaches Gaza so its people can live and not perish.
Advocacy Beyond Election Years
Whether political change is on the table or not, public witness through protest, prayer, speaking out, and showing up has the important pastoral impact of letting our neighbors know they aren’t alone.
Military Most Favorable U.S. Institution
The U.S. military is the most highly respected institution in the country, according to results from the July 2024 Harvard CAPS/Harris poll.
If We Want to Do Ministry, We Should Start by Paying Attention
But since we need to be fully present to do effective ministry, we might benefit from being more attentive to the here and now. Attention is the first step in sensing the needs of others, recognizing opportunities to speak truth and acting when we see suffering.
The Places Where God Meets Us
The church isn’t the building. But whether intentional or not, our choices about where and how the church gathers are important. They say something about who we are and what we value.
A Pastor’s Reflection on Tim Walz: Governor and Colleague for the Common Good
I didn’t start out as a Tim Walz fan. It took me a while to get there.
Wisdom Wherever You Find It | A Redemptive Life
It is impossible for one individual, however motivated, to undo the suffering and misery sown by another during a lifetime. For the child of such a perpetrator who has made the difficult choice to continue the family name, there is a particular frustration in witnessing the poisonous fruit of the family tree consumed to such ugly effect.
Look Back | Biles Champions Mental Health
After an awkward landing at the vault during the team competition, Biles walked off the mat and decided to withdraw herself from the remaining events. She put on her sweats and cheered on her teammates from the sidelines, later disclosing to reporters that she withdrew for mental health reasons.
The Value of Becoming
We can’t fully celebrate the incarnation without valuing new ways of life that other people experience. Whether or not they align with our perspectives, being inclusive and accepting is essential.
What if Trump Wins?
The Civil Rights movement of the 60’s is an example of faithfully speaking the truth to power. This movement was not an effort to usurp the government’s role but to persuade the institutions of our political life to be just and fair in dealing with all people.
Saint James Baldwin One Hundred Years Later
“Go tell it on the mountain!” James Arthur Baldwin would have been 100 years old on August 2nd. A century later, he has no equal.
What a Good Singer Can Teach a Preacher
My colleague and I grew up in churches where some didn’t think a man–and believe me, it was always a man–had preached unless he was hoarse and soaked in perspiration when he finished.
Americans Split on Ukraine Support
Almost half (48%) of Americans believe the U.S. has a responsibility to continue aiding Ukraine in defense of Russia’s continuing invasion. However, a recent Pew Research survey shows a wide partisan gap.
Faith and Democracy: The Tired Trope of Voter Intimidation
While representation has always been at the forefront of the American experiment, the right to vote has been difficult to secure for everyone except white landowning males. The ongoing battle for equality in the United States is underscored by the historical struggle for voting rights, particularly for marginalized groups.
What Trump’s NABJ Comments and Outrage Over Imane Khelif Have in Common
A gracious interpretation of Trump’s comments is that, as he nears the end of his eighth decade on earth, he is just now learning that people with different racial identities can have children with each other. A more likely reading, given his history, is that he’s had the comments about Harris’ identity in his back pocket, just waiting for an opportunity to introduce Birtherism 2.0 into political discourse.
God’s Olympic Team
The reality is that our entire current understanding of what makes a nation is a relatively new phenomenon. It is a European invention of the 16th century that developed over a few hundred years and was forced upon the rest of the world, mainly through violence.
GFM is Hiring!: Director of Development and Grants
Good Faith Media is accepting resumes through August 31, 2024, for the Director of Development and Grants position. The director will develop and implement a multilayered advancement and grant-acquisition strategy.
Trump Officially Disavows Project 2025, but Does He Reject Its Vision for America?
Trump has been desperately trying to duck questions about Project 2025 over the last few weeks, claiming “I know nothing about Project 2025” and “I have no idea who is behind it.” But of course, we’ve heard this kind of denial before.
A Brief History of the “Cat-Lady” Trope
Regardless of intention or attempt at humor— Vance’s comments highlight a misogynist attitude that goes back centuries. From witch trials to the suffragette movement and beyond, this sentiment reemerges whenever women’s rights are on the table.
Olympic Outrage: Attack or Accountability?
If the church is to be attacked, let it be because we have loved too extravagantly. Let it be because we have been courageous in challenging unjust systems, even when those systems contribute to our own comfort.
They Lost God and Found Trump: A New Conservative Wave
For America to be cleansed of its past, it must realize that racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia and the establishment of a pigmentocracy are demonic. America must define itself once and for all as either an Anglo-Saxon nation or a melting pot for all people.
Public Perception Trails Data on Border
A Harvard CAPS-Harris survey finds many Americans believe elected Democrats are keeping the southern U.S. border open. Yet U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data suggests that border crossings have reached a three-year low.
More Than One Kind Of Parent
Although they (my boys) gave me a reality check on the rigors of parenting, stepparenting didn’t discourage me from having children. Instead, it caused me to ponder, “Maybe my ultimate vocation is to help parent other peoples’ children?”
Ordination in the Wild (Goose): Invoking the Spirit of Will Campbell
The stars aligned, as they sometimes do. Organizers from the Goose called and I answered. And so, in early July, my family and I headed south from New England toward Union Grove— back home to North Carolina to refamiliarize ourselves with the heavy humidity of southern summers.
Where Injustice Lies
Thomas Watson, a 17th century Puritan minister wrote, “Injustice lies in two things: either not to punish where there is fault or to punish where there is no fault.” His words are fitting considering the murder of Sonya Massey.
Emerging Voices | Narrowing the Generational Gap in Churches
It is common to attend Sunday worship services and have no idea who the people next to us are. By bringing generations together, congregations can be stronger and more unified, improving each member’s quality of life.
How Can America Be Born Again If the Church Is Not?
This nation is on the precipice of a dystopian future. The church must reclaim its prophetic voice and unshackle itself from diabolic ideologies to foster a society that genuinely embodies the radical, transformative teachings of the gospel.
Enjoying Olympic Beauty
What if we could simply appreciate a glimpse into the different cultures of the world while remaining true to our own identity?