‘Father Stan’s Our Man’: Farm town honors hometown hero on path to sainthood
By Bobby Ross Jr. | For Religion News Service OKARCHE, Okla. — Past the grain elevator and the bar famous for its fried chicken, Oklahoma Highway 3 leads to a century-old church where the Rev. Stanley Francis Rother served as an altar boy. A tall, white steeple atop the red-brick Holy Trinity Catholic Church — which opened in 1903, four years before Oklahoma became the 46th state — points … Continue reading ‘Father Stan’s Our Man’: Farm town honors hometown hero on path to sainthood
Amid partisan din, Sen. James Lankford walks a fine line: Pastor and politician
Second Place, Election Reporting, Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalists By Bobby Ross Jr. | For Religion News Service OKLAHOMA CITY — As music plays softly and the Quail Springs Baptist Church prepares to sing “Jesus Is Tenderly Calling,” the guest speaker urges the crowd to bow and pray. “Here’s my very simple invitation,” the fill-in preacher tells the congregation. “There’s a God who loves you … Continue reading Amid partisan din, Sen. James Lankford walks a fine line: Pastor and politician
The pope praised him for providing for his parents; now Texas may want to deport them
By Bobby Ross Jr. | For Religion News Service FORT WORTH, Texas — For the past two years, Mexican immigrant Ricardo Ortiz felt he had an advocate. Pope Francis, speaking via satellite, had praised Ortiz for “the way you gave everything you could as a boy, when you supported your family.” Now, the 21-year-old Ortiz — like numerous other Hispanics in Texas — worries about how the Lone … Continue reading The pope praised him for providing for his parents; now Texas may want to deport them
Under new Texas law, faith-based adoption agencies win protections
Despite opposition from gay-rights groups, Lone Star lawmakers passed the Freedom to Serve Children Act. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle ABILENE, Texas — At age 17, Jennifer Griffith discovered she was pregnant. The daughter of a pro-life advocate, Griffith knew she couldn’t abort her baby. Instead, the unmarried teen turned to Christian Homes and Family Services for help. The 55-year-old ministry — based … Continue reading Under new Texas law, faith-based adoption agencies win protections
Absolutely shocking news! Sarah Huckabee Sanders reads Christian devotionals
By Bobby Ross Jr. | GetReligion
Shocking!
Absolutely shocking!
Perhaps you saw the news today — via a tweet by the New York Times to its nearly 39 million followers — about White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
In case you’re standing, I’ll hold on just a second so you can sit down.
OK, brace yourself. Here it is. Deep breath, everyone!
Without further weeping and gnashing of teeth, the tweet from the Times:
Did you catch that!?
To repeat, Sanders IS AN EVANGELICAL WHO READS A CHRISTIAN DEVOTIONAL BEFORE NEWS BRIEFINGS.
Stop the presses!
I kid. I kid. But more than a few folks on Twitter chuckled at the Times’ characterization of Sanders’ spiritual discipline:
• • •
All of my GetReligion columns (August 2017):
Continue reading “Absolutely shocking news! Sarah Huckabee Sanders reads Christian devotionals”
The high costs of an abuse claim: Five guidelines to help churches of all sizes
Prevention, right coverage are critical to protecting churches. By Bobby Ross Jr. | For Church Finance Today Sexual abuse of a minor is the number one reason churches end up in court. It’s a statistic that’s been true for a number of years, according to attorney Richard R. Hammar. And churches must do all they can to prevent this type of tragedy. But churches also … Continue reading The high costs of an abuse claim: Five guidelines to help churches of all sizes
Amid scandal, Baylor’s first woman president brings fresh start to Baptist university
Linda Livingstone has a history of bucking tradition. By Bobby Ross Jr. | For Religion News Service WACO, Texas (RNS) Two decades before she took office as the first woman president in Baylor University’s 172-year history, Linda Livingstone helped break down a different barrier in this Central Texas city. Then and now, Livingstone — who first nurtured her Christian faith in a little white church building in … Continue reading Amid scandal, Baylor’s first woman president brings fresh start to Baptist university
After his wife died in a fire, this single father found hope in an unexpected place
Children’s home expands its mission to serve fast-growing segment of the U.S. population. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle MOUNT DORA, Fla. — In an instant, Neil Zierden’s world fell apart. An accidental explosion at Firepoint Products Inc., the Florida business Zierden co-owned with his 40-year-old wife, Rhonda, killed her and an employee, George Harthman, 54. Zierden was lost in his own grief … Continue reading After his wife died in a fire, this single father found hope in an unexpected place
As major cities crack down on panhandling, many wrestle with their consciences
In a number of cities, the ordinances are sparking legal battles with civil liberties advocates, who accuse communities of treating the homeless as ‘human blight.’ Third Place, Government Reporting, Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalists By Bobby Ross Jr. | For Religion News Service OKLAHOMA CITY (RNS) Driving to his downtown clothing business, Hans Herman Thun finds it impossible to ignore the beggars. They catch his … Continue reading As major cities crack down on panhandling, many wrestle with their consciences
Faith. Family. Fastballs. 