Dr. Shannon Craigo-Snell literally co-wrote the book on becoming an ally in the struggle for justice. So when she states that’s easier said than done for white people trying to be allies with their siblings of color — as opposed to straight people looking to do something similar for their LGBTQ+ siblings — it’s time to take notice and take action.
Looking at our history — especially the sins of the past — is an invaluable way to move forward, says Dr. Heath W. Carter, Associate Professor of American Christianity at Princeton Theological Seminary.
As people began to see all of the Christian imagery present during the insurrection on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, they began to ask questions similar to the ones asked after 9/11.
“Who are these people?”
“Why do they want to destroy our country?”
About a year ago, Union Theological Seminary in New York City hired the Rev. Bertram Johnson as an interfaith minister. His call is to help students with their discernment process, including three students working as peer chaplains.
As dark December transitions into nearly-as-dark January and February, preachers in need of resources can serve both God and their hearers by preaching the psalms of lamentation.
After three experts on the topic of what’s known as the prison industrial complex had their say during a 90-minute webinar last week, Dr. Rodney Sadler summed up their critique and ideas with this sentence: “It’s almost like you’ve said we ought to take this faith we say we believe seriously.”
God’s mission clearly includes charity: a cup of cold water given in Jesus’ name; the Samaritan’s extraordinary care for the victim of highway robbery; the traditional “alms for the poor” that has characterized the institutional church through the millennia. Charity is clearly biblical and a hallmark of Christian faithfulness. After 35 years of working with Presbyterian congregations engaged in local and global mission, I have found that the overwhelming majority of congregations dedicate nearly 100% of their mission attention and budget to charity work. B
Union Presbyterian Seminary’s board of trustees has approved the creation of a $1 million endowment fund to recognize and repent the resourcing provided to the seminary through the labor of enslaved persons.
Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, has received a grant of $969,528 from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help establish the “reKindle: Congregational Development in a Post COVID-19 Era” program through its Center for Lifelong Learning.
