The Long Read: Why the US Navy is deploying more chaplains for suicide prevention
GIOVANNA DELL’ORTO, of Associated Press, reports on moves to deploy chaplains as regular members of the crew on more ships…
Jack Hayford, prominent Pentecostal pastor in Southern California, has died
United States RNS Rev Jack Hayford, a popular Pentecostal leader and pioneer of the megachurch movement, often regarded as a “pastor to pastors,” died on Sunday (8th January) at age 88. Hayford died peacefully in his San Fernando Valley home in Southern California, according to a statement from The Church on the Way, a church in Sherman […]
US midterms: Faith plays central role in Republican efforts to win Latino votes
ALEJANDRA MOLINA, of Religion News Service, reports that Pew Research Center data looking at the 2022 midterm election preferences of Latinos shows that some of the sharpest differences in candidate choice are by religion…
Abuse conviction aftermath: Will La Luz Del Mundo persist with leader behind bars?
ALEJANDRA MOLINA, of Religion News Service, reports on what experts are saying about the future of the La Luz del Mundo church following the jailing of its leader…
Faith online: Charismatic TikTok divided over praying in tongues
RENÉE RODEN, of Religion News Service, reports on how praying in tongues has made its way onto social media platforms and how not everyone agrees it’s the right place for the practice…
Essay: Joel Edwards’ passing leaves a “colossal vacuum”
TIM COSTELLO, executive director of Micah Australia, pays tribute to UK Christian leader Joel Edwards, who died recently at the age of 70…
Postcards: In Los Angeles, a pair of art exhibitions put the Black worship experience at their centre
ALEJANDRA MOLINA, of Religion News Service, reports on how two new exhibitions in LA are exploring Black spirituality and worship, coinciding with the 115th anniversary of a series of revival meetings in the city which are considered to be the launch of the Pentecostal movement…
Lifestory: Carman, beloved by ’90s evangelical kids, was a Pentecostal showman at heart
LEAH PAYNE, associate professor of American religious history at Portland Seminary, and DARA COLEBY DELGADO, assistant professor of religious studies and Black studies at Allegheny College, reflect on the impact of the late Pentecostal music icon Carmen…
John Legend credits childhood in Pentecostal church for his choice to pursue music
RNS Singer-songwriter John Legend, known for his contributions in the R&B realm, says he’d never have become a recording artist without the influence of his childhood church. “I grew up in a Pentecostal church in Springfield, Ohio,” the 11-time Grammy Award-winning artist said Friday, during a virtual news conference for the upcoming PBS documentary series […]
Some California churches hold indoor services after ruling
Los Angeles, US AP Some California churches opened their doors to worshippers on Sunday, after the state revised its guidelines for houses of prayer following a US Supreme Court ruling that lifted a ban on indoor services during the coronavirus pandemic. “This morning we declare that this house will be a house of freedom,” announced […]