Clergy & Congregations
Churches shifting summer worship from Sunday to Wednesday nights
(RNS) More and more churches are rediscovering Wednesday -- a traditional midweek church night -- as a prime time to gather the flock for casual worship in summer. By G. Jeffrey MacDonald.
Study: Pastors’ concerns for others may harm their own health
(RNS) Studies of United Methodist pastors found high rates of chronic disease and depression, and researchers worry it can be difficult to convince clergy -- who tend to care for others first -- to seek help. By Chris Lisee.
COMMENTARY: New survey brings good and bad news for Jewish community
(RNS) A new survey brings both good and bad news for America's largest Jewish community: New York City, Long Island and Westchester County. By A. James Rudin.
Famed American Archbishop Fulton Sheen moves closer to sainthood
VATICAN CITY (RNS) Archbishop Fulton Sheen moved one step closer to sainthood as Pope Benedict XVI recognized his "heroic virtues" and declared him "venerable." By Alessandro Speciale.
Pool of American imams too small to meet the demand
SHARON, Mass. (RNS) It will be at least 5 to 10 years before the pool of American imams becomes large enough to meet demand from mosques. In the meantime, Muslim communities will continue to depend on imams from abroad -- and that creates challenges for a community that increasingly wants to assimilate. By Omar Sacirbey.
Evangelical group proposes code of ethics for pastors
WASHINGTON (RNS) The National Association of Evangelicals is urging pastors to unite under a consistent code of ethics. NAE leadership says the code will provide uniform guidance to church leaders across 40 denominations. By Chris Lisee.
Oregon mosque under FBI scrutiny says it’s being pushed to adopt Americanized Islam
PORTLAND, Ore. (RNS) The largest mosque in Oregon stands out for its traditional focus and charismatic imam. The imam has been at the center of a mysterious FBI probe, and he's suing over being placed on a no-fly list. Many at the mosque suspect the government is trying to harass people into a more westernized Islam. By Helen Jung.
Former preacher becomes a poster boy for unbelief
NEW ORLEANS (RNS) Jerry DeWitt is beginning to develop a national profile in the small universe of organized unbelievers as a former Pentecostal preacher who little by little lost his faith right there in the pulpit. Now DeWitt is out of the pulpit, and public about his nonbelief. By Bruce Nolan.
Crystal Cathedral to move to smaller Catholic church
(RNS) In a down-the-street building swap, the Crystal Cathedral has announced it will move its congregation to a smaller Catholic church after the Protestant megachurch was sold to the Catholic Diocese of Orange, Calif. By Adelle M. Banks.
10 years after Catholic sex abuse reforms, what’s changed?
(RNS) When the nation's Catholic bishops gather in Atlanta this month, they'll hear an assessment of the reforms they adopted 10 years ago as the sex abuse scandal consumed the church. Has anything changed in the past decade? By David Gibson.
Mosque construction continues to attract opposition across U.S.
CHICAGO (RNS) Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks animosity toward Muslims sometimes has taken the form of opposition to construction of mosques and other Islamic facilities. In the last five years, there has been ``anti-mosque activity'' in more than half of U.S. states, according to the ACLU. By Judy Keen.
Israel agrees to recognize non-Orthodox rabbis
JERUSALEM (RNS) The Israeli government's decision to pay the salaries of 16 non-Orthodox rabbis has thrilled Reform and Conservative Jews both in Israel and abroad. At the same time, it has instilled fear in the country's ultra-Orthodox, who say non-Orthodox Judaism isn't Judaism at all. By Michele Chabin.
Sidebar: For female clergy, respect often has to be earned
Stained glass ceiling remains a hurdle for female clergy
Parents take teaching Hinduism into their own hands
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (RNS) When Mudita Bahadur started looking for excuses not to take her children on a 45-minute trip to the Hindu temple every Sunday, she knew she had to make a change. So Bahadur and other parents decided to take their children's religious education into their own hands. By Megan Sweas.