⛪️ ‘The pope is dead!’: How news outlets prepared in advance to cover Francis’ passing 🔌

Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-in” meets readers at the intersection of faith and news. Click to join nearly 10,000 subscribers who get this column delivered straight to their inbox. Got feedback or ideas? Email Bobby Ross Jr. By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged “The pope is dead!” Religion writer Kelsey Dallas shouted those words to her husband — or something to that effect — when she awakened to a push … Continue reading ⛪️ ‘The pope is dead!’: How news outlets prepared in advance to cover Francis’ passing 🔌

📝 ‘We Will Never Forget’: How covering the biggest story of my life changed me 🔌

Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-in” meets readers at the intersection of faith and news. Click to join nearly 10,000 subscribers who get this column delivered straight to their inbox. Got feedback or ideas? Email Bobby Ross Jr. By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged OKLAHOMA CITY — The last week or two, I started feeling stressed. Agitated even. For no apparent reason. Then it hit me: The anniversary. Saturday marks 30 … Continue reading 📝 ‘We Will Never Forget’: How covering the biggest story of my life changed me 🔌

🚊 Meet Clemente Lisi, Religion Unplugged’s executive editor: 7 things to know 🔌

Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-in” meets readers at the intersection of faith and news. Click to join nearly 10,000 subscribers who get this column delivered straight to their inbox. Got feedback or ideas? Email Bobby Ross Jr. By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged WASHINGTON — Ordinarily, an Amtrak ride from Penn Station in Manhattan to Union Station in Washington takes about three hours. But last week, New York-based journalist Clemente Lisi’s … Continue reading 🚊 Meet Clemente Lisi, Religion Unplugged’s executive editor: 7 things to know 🔌

🤖 #RNA2025: What the nation’s top religion writers — and AI — are talking about 🔌

Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-in” meets readers at the intersection of faith and news. Click to join nearly 10,000 subscribers who get this column delivered straight to their inbox. Got feedback or ideas? Email Bobby Ross Jr. By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged ARLINGTON, Va. — I’m hanging out this week with 169 of my closest Godbeat friends. The Religion News Association kicked off its annual three-day meeting Thursday at the … Continue reading 🤖 #RNA2025: What the nation’s top religion writers — and AI — are talking about 🔌

🔥 After monster storm, the story can’t be told without recognizing faith 🔌

Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-in” meets readers at the intersection of faith and news. Click to join nearly 10,000 subscribers who get this column delivered straight to their inbox. Got feedback or ideas? Email Bobby Ross Jr. By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged STILLWATER, Okla. — I planned to drive 400 miles to south-central Nebraska last weekend for a story on rural churches. But about 75 miles up Interstate 35 from … Continue reading 🔥 After monster storm, the story can’t be told without recognizing faith 🔌

😷 ‘That escalated quickly’: Five years ago, COVID turned the world upside down 🔌

Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-in” meets readers at the intersection of faith and news. Click to join nearly 10,000 subscribers who get this column delivered straight to their inbox. Got feedback or ideas? Email Bobby Ross Jr. By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged OKLAHOMA CITY — To quote Will Ferrell’s character in the original “Anchorman” movie, “Boy, that escalated quickly. I mean, that really got out of hand fast.” The fictional … Continue reading 😷 ‘That escalated quickly’: Five years ago, COVID turned the world upside down 🔌

⛪️ $171 million for better sermons: National program blesses preachers 🔌

Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-in” meets readers at the intersection of faith and news. Click to join nearly 10,000 subscribers who get this column delivered straight to their inbox. Got feedback or ideas? Email Bobby Ross Jr. By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged MALIBU, Calif. — Fun and sun in Southern California. Pizza and drinks on the beach. Thirty-one active and aspiring Christian preachers experienced these tangible benefits during a … Continue reading ⛪️ $171 million for better sermons: National program blesses preachers 🔌

😲 Surprise! What we learned (and didn’t) from a big new study on religion in America 🔌

Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-in” meets readers at the intersection of faith and news. Click to join nearly 10,000 subscribers who get this column delivered straight to their inbox. Got feedback or ideas? Email Bobby Ross Jr. By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged What can 36,908 U.S. adults tell us about the state of religion in America? A whole lot, actually. This week, the Pew Research Center released the findings … Continue reading 😲 Surprise! What we learned (and didn’t) from a big new study on religion in America 🔌

😷 COVID miracle: At the pandemic’s five-year anniversary, it’s time to tell the story 🔌

Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-in” meets readers at the intersection of faith and news. Click to join nearly 10,000 subscribers who get this column delivered straight to their inbox. Got feedback or ideas? Email Bobby Ross Jr. By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged ATOKA, Okla. — To Tod Dillard, COVID-19 was no big deal. Until it nearly killed him. The Air Force veteran and longtime law enforcement officer spent 115 days … Continue reading 😷 COVID miracle: At the pandemic’s five-year anniversary, it’s time to tell the story 🔌