RNS Morning Report: William Barber departs pulpit of Greenleaf Church

Top Stories William Barber departs pulpit of Greenleaf Church with an ode to the power of disability The sermon, which capped his 30-year tenure as pastor of the Disciples of Christ church in Goldsboro, North Carolina, was unusually personal.   Christian Reformed synod orders church to rescind deacon in same-sex marriage The CRCNA has been dealing with tensions over questions of sexuality since last year's synod, when delegates affirmed that 'homosexual sex' should be considered sinful.   ‘Still alive’: Pope Francis leaves hospital with few signs of slowing down The 86-year-old pope underwent an abdominal surgery and recovered at the hospital for 10 days.   Bishops begin process that could ban gender-affirming care in Catholic hospitals The vote doesn't ban gender-affirming care outright but sets in motion a process that could end up barring the practice at Catholic health care facilities.   RNS Opinion Juneteenth isn’t about the past. It’s about our future. We can’t just remember the evils of our past.   The US Catholic bishops’ spring meeting, or Clericalism 101 Meeting in Florida, the bishops ignore a synod meant to listen to the people. ICYMI     Pope Francis’ message for peace now orbits the Earth, to be heard across all borders A nanobook version of the pope’s words of unity during the pandemic are now orbiting Earth.   Four historically Black churches awarded grants to preserve work of pioneering architects To date, 5,550 of the United Methodist Church’s approximately 30,000 US churches have disaffiliated from the country’s second-largest Protestant denomination since 2019. In Other News A New Orleans priest confessed to abusing children. He returned to work and was never charged 'Miracle' exhumed nun draws pilgrims to rural Missouri   Talk to Us We want your feedback on the RNS Morning Report — what you think we're doing right and what we should be doing differently. Send us an email at Comments@ReligionNews.com Subscribe to other RNS Newsletters. Forward this email to a friend. View the archive of past newsletters. Religion News Service is free to read, but it's not free to produce. If you value our reporting, please consider making a donation today at religionnews.com/donate. If you prefer to mail a donation, please address to: Religion News Foundation, PO Box 1808, Columbia, MO 65205. Yes, I support the work you're doing! Forward this email to a friend