For Les Ferguson Jr., writing a book was a way to deal with his own hurt and pain — and help others, too. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle A double murder. A destroyed family. A shattered faith. After the tragic deaths of his wife and 21-year-old son in 2011, minister Les Ferguson Jr. struggled not to believe that God existed but that he cared. … Continue reading In ‘Still Wrestling,’ minister whose wife, son were slain explores faith, doubt

Nationally, Lads to Leaders/Leaderettes and Leadership Training for Christ events draw more than 40,000 to 17 sites in 13 states. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Four families from the Northern Hills Church of Christ in western South Dakota drove more than 700 miles each way to attend the Heart of America Leadership Training for Christ (LTC) convention this past weekend. Alaethia Thompson — … Continue reading In Heart of America, LTC helps train church leaders from small congregations

By Bobby Ross Jr. | GetReligion

For residents of Austin, Texas, weeks of terror ended Wednesday when Mark Conditt — identified as the serial bomber responsible for killing two people and badly wounding four others — blew himself up.

As reporters began delving into the 23-year-old Conditt’s background, religious details — some more concrete than others — quickly emerged.

My thanks to GetReligion reader Deann Alford, a Texas-based journalist and author, who alerted us to crucial facts in an Austin American-Statesman story. The key: The religious questions linked to this story are valid hooks to investigate — right now. But authorities say they see no clues, so far, to motives in these acts.

The Austin newspaper interviewed Jeremiah Jensen, 24, who was homeschooled in the same community as Conditt:

Read the full column.

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All of my GetReligion columns (March 2018):

Continue reading “Reporters delve into the religion of Mark Conditt, the dead man identified as Austin’s serial bomber”