The African Methodist Episcopal Church has rejected a proposal to strike down its ban on same-sex marriage. At the AME Church's 52nd Quadrennial Session of the General Conference, held Aug. 21-28 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio, the historically black denomination voted down an amendment to its rules.
Generative artificial intelligence is here, shaping belief and providing advice. Synthetic content is flooding social media. Churches need shepherds able to navigate the new complexity well and guide others through the new territory and its tools with great discernment and faithfulness to God.
Exposed to unrestricted social media, our children can become paralyzed by their fear of all kinds of conflict, and as parents, we can become paralyzed in our own fear of guiding them toward peace. To combat false information, we need to teach our children the skills of critical thinking and media literacy.
"Disability isn’t what someone lacks, it’s whether the world makes room for them.” Imagine what it would take in your organization for you to work alongside someone with a disability. Imagine what they might have to overcome in order to thrive. Imagine what they might offer. Reflecting on this has the power to change lives.
For all the fears and frenzy around the emergence of generative AI, best selling author Jerry B. Jenkins maintains that "technology... can’t write from conviction, from the overflow of the passions of the heart." While generative AI is a powerful research tool on their devices, there will always be a place for skilled inspired writers.
For the past 25 years, Dr. David Traver has dedicated his career to working with children who have autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Throughout this time, he has been privileged to witness numerous remarkable stories, but a few have left an indelible mark on his heart. One such moment occurred during a Saturday soccer game when he saw a mother weeping on the sidelines.
Europeans are least likely to say that religion is very important in their lives, compared to other parts of the world, and only 42 percent of Americans claim that religion is personally crucial to them. Other parts of the world responded more affirmingly on the importance of religion, specifically within sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. The picture was less clear in South and Southeast Asia, compared to the polarized views in Europe and sub-Saharan Africa.
A leading evangelical organization in Canada is continuing to oppose the country’s euthanasia laws, which have seen thousands of legalized medically assisted deaths since 2016 and are on the verge of being expanded further. “People in vulnerable situations are ending their lives via MAiD because they feel they have no other choice – and some are pressured to do so,” stated the EFC.
American churchgoers appreciate a sense of community by attending a local fellowship, according to results from a new survey published by the American Bible Society (ABS) yesterday (Aug. 8). The fifth chapter of the ABS 14th annual ‘State of the Bible’ 2024 report focused on data determining positive or negative factors that either increase or decrease participating in a local church.
Hunter Armstrong of the U.S. Olympic swim team, who has won gold and silver medals at the 2024 Summer Olympics, says he makes God "a priority" and had no other choice but to turn to Him during one of the hardest times in his life.
![[Book review] Adoption Through the Rearview Mirror: Learning from stories of heartbreak and hope](/media/cache/thumbnail/0/08/882sp_240w_170h_1x_1y.jpg)
‘Adoption Through the Rearview Mirror’ by Karen Springs is both a sobering introduction to life with deeply troubled children and a passionate appeal to provide permanent family solutions for orphans and vulnerable children.
Police in Pakistan have declined to recover a 15-year-old Christian girl who was abducted at gunpoint, forcibly converted to Islam and married to the kidnapper, according to her father.
