Friday, December 24, 2021

Church ministries expand and adapt during pandemic

Lead story

Volunteers unload a Northern Illinois Food Bank truck for distribution in a parking lot of St. Anne’s Episcopal Church in Woodstock, Illinois, Nov. 22, 2021. RNS photo by Bob Smietana

Editor's note:

COVID-19 has dramatically impacted the life and work of many congregations. For nearly two years, we have been hearing the negative fallout as in-person services were cancelled, ministries thrown into disarray and clergy caught in the middle of an increasingly politicized pandemic response. And hanging over all of that, the massive loss of life suffered in every community. 

Yet, a new study of American congregations also reveals a resilience in churches, with many starting new ministries as they adapted to the changing landscape. RNS national reporter Adelle Banks reports on the findings, which show almost three-quarters (74%) of churches have offered social support during the pandemic and close to two-thirds of congregations say they have been involved in new ministries. Additionally, in the wake of the racial justice protests of 2020, there is a marked increase in churches that say they are striving for diversity.

A picture of Roxanne Stone, Managing Editor at Religion News Service.
 

Religion News

How Ohio’s Indigenous sacred sites became a religious flashpoint

A battle for access to sacred sites is taking place, from mountains in Arizona to rivers in North Dakota, aimed at fending off developers or government agencies to preserve the physical integrity directly linked to their spiritual value. By Diana Kruzman/Religion News Service

In tornado’s wake, a church and pastor turn to God, service

A pastor and his family rode out the tornado that devastated Mayfield, Kentucky, in a tunnel under their church. Later, his daughter had a question he couldn’t answer, “Why would God let this happen?” By Holly Meyer/The Associated Press

Captive missionaries in Haiti found freedom last week by making a daring overnight escape, eluding their kidnappers and walking for miles over difficult, moonlit terrain, according to the agency they work for. By Peter Smith/The Associated Press

24 inmates awarded BA degree in pastoral ministry will serve NC prisons as ministers

A push to rehabilitate prisoners through education is quietly taking root across the nation and in North Carolina. By Yonat Shimron/Religion News Service

Amina Ahmed, the wife of Muhammad Mubarak Bala, an atheist who has been detained since April 2020, is photograph in her home in Abuja, Nigeria, Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021. Bala was held incommunicado in police custody for so long — eight months — that Ahmed was sure he was dead. “I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t sleep. The emotional torture was too much for me,” she says. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

Nonbelievers across Africa risk freedom and family support

Across Africa, faith is a central part of life. It is taboo – and often risky – to be nonreligious. Those who are public about their lack of belief can lose their jobs and freedom. By Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu/The Associated Press

 

Commentary and Analysis

Figuring out whether to celebrate holidays, and how, is tricky for lots of interfaith families – but thoughtful communication makes a difference. By Samira Mehta for The Conversation

'A Visit from St. Nicholas' is one of the most famous American poems. But who wrote it? By Melissa Chim for The Conversation

Trump continues to reassemble his faith coalition ahead of 2024. By Jacob Lupfer/Religion News Service

In 2019 a scholar visited the Iraqi Kurdistan, where Yazidis have been resettled. He explains their religious beliefs and their current conditions. By Houman Oliaei for The Conversation

 
A blown out window in front of a crucifix is seen in the First Baptist Church, in the aftermath of tornadoes that tore through the region, in Mayfield, Ky., Monday, Dec. 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Holly Meyer)

A blown out window in front of a crucifix is seen in the First Baptist Church, in the aftermath of tornadoes that tore through the region, in Mayfield, Ky., Monday, Dec. 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Holly Meyer)

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  • This Week in Religion is a publication of the Global Religion Journalism Initiative, a collaboration among the Religion News Service, The Associated Press and The Conversation U.S.
  • The three news organizations work to improve general understanding and analyze the significance of developments in the world of faith.
 
 

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