Do not be afraid to be God's instruments

West Virginia Catholic parishes rally to support communities hit by flash flooding

The flooding that swept through north-central West Virginia killed at least two people, authorities said.

Pope Leo XIV to Peruvian youth: Do not be afraid to be God's instruments

“Many people need that joyful and contagious witness that a young person in love with Christ can convey,” Pope Leo XIV observed.

Michigan ends restriction on Catholic counselors who treat kids with gender dysphoria

A Catholic Charities affiliate sued Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and other state officials after the governor signed into law a ban on “conversion therapy.”

Countdown to World Youth Day Seoul 2027 begins: Here’s what we know so far

WYD Seoul 2027 will take place Aug. 3–8, 2027, in Seoul, South Korea.

There’s no right way to pray

Seminary helped me understand sacred activism; now I teach it to my high school students BY KHRISTI LAUREN ADAMS Formational listening tools help young people connect to their faith BY JOSH PACKARD

3 reasons I support public education as a pastor and parent BY SUZANNE PARKER MILLER

Political, prophetic and pastoral: The church’s response to miseducation BY KAREN CROZIER

‘Doing Well by Doing Good: The Missional Benefits of Church-Based Economic Enterprises’

By Brendan J. Barnicle

In his new book, a priest highlights the hopeful message churches can offer when they change their missional and financial models.

What happens when the pastor’s family isn’t perfect?

By Shaina Ciaccio

For ministers who carry private family pain, shame can be overwhelming. But our difficult lives might make us better clergy, writes a pastor and mother of a child with emotional and behavioral challenges.

What does community require of us?

By Angela Thorpe Mason

Throughout her life, the Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray’s writing, teaching and preaching made clear that true community demands the work of radical social transformation.

Beyond the offering plate: How to measure generosity in ways other than money

By Robert Rueda

When congregations reduce giving to a financial transaction, they ignore the generosity happening all around them in other forms, a pastor writes.

There’s no right way to pray

Q&A with L. Roger Owens and Mary Clare Owens

Father-daughter duo L. Roger and Mary Clare Owens have written “Praying Their Way: 24 Prayer Practices for Kids and the Adults Who Love Them,” a guide for parents on how to introduce the concept of prayer to their kids, and for kids on how to navigate their faith journey as obstacles occur.

A group of volunteers offers a faithful presence in San Diego’s immigration court

By Kate Morrissey

After an effort tied to World Refugee Day, a Catholic diocese organically grew a program for faithful people to be witnesses for immigrants.

Seminary helped me understand sacred activism

Seminary helped me understand sacred activism; now I teach it to my high school students By Khristi Lauren Adams

Formational listening tools help young people connect to their faith By Josh Packard

3 reasons I support public education as a pastor and parent By Suzanne Parker Miller

Political, prophetic and pastoral: The church’s response to miseducation By Karen Crozier

The liturgy wars are back. Spoiler: They never left.

The liturgy wars are back. Spoiler: They never left.
Religion News Service: As prominent prelates clash over the traditional Latin Mass, Pope Leo XIV’s response may reveal his deepest instincts about authority, unity and tradition.

 

Jerusalem’s most important Muslim religious site facing ‘imminent’ threat of Israeli takeover, says Jordan
The Guardian: The country convenes an emergency meeting of ministers from the Arab and Islamic world, fearing such a move could “trigger a religious conflict.”

 

As progressives seek to take on inequality, some cite religion as a motivating factor
The Associated Press: Progressive Democratic politicians have won major electoral victories across the country in recent months amid growing frustrations surrounding inequality, affordability and potential threats to job security posed by artificial intelligence.

 

Black Protestant clergy responses to LGBTQ+ nondiscrimination protections
PRRI: Alongside advocates of many faiths, Black Protestant clergy account for a significant portion of the moral and political leaders whose perspectives directly shape civic engagement, public theology, and community organizing across the nation.

 

‘Stark example of brutality’: Trump’s ICE used court orders in plan to force-feed at least 10 hunger strikers in detention
The Guardian: Court records reviewed show medical procedures included force-feeding, intravenous forced hydration and involuntary blood draws.

As a Catholic, can you attend an SSPX Mass?

EWTN News explains: As a Catholic, can you attend an SSPX Mass? The Vatican this week issued a decree declaring that the bishops involved in the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X’s illicit... Read more

Vatican clarifies pope’s role ‘as universal shepherd’ in wake of US ambassador’s comments  When the pope speaks out on matters of war and peace, is he doing so as a religious authority or a political leader?.... Read more

Don’t Let a Priest’s Failure Cost You Your Faith  People will disappoint you, and priests are people. They are also in persona Christi — in the person of Christ... Read more

Elizabeth Ann Seton: The Saint America Needs at 250 America does not suffer from a lack of opinions. It suffers from a lack of saints. At nearly every level of national life, Americans are exhausted by... Read more

One Day After Baptizing 175 People, This Young Priest Was Gunned Down A 36-year-old Catholic priest known for his peace initiatives in the Central African Republic was killed by gunmen just one day after baptizing 175 people. Father Crépin Martial Monga, vicar of St. John the Baptist Parish in Zémio...  Read more

Did George Washington Convert to Catholicism on His Deathbed? More than 200 years after George Washington's death, historians continue to debate whether the nation's first president... Watch

The Philadelphia Catholic Church Where George Washington Worshiped Mark Irons tours "Old St. Mary's" in Philadelphia, the site of the first public religious commemoration ... Watch

The Vatican's 325-Year-Old Diplomatic Academy | How Papal Nuncios Are Formed  Go inside one of the Vatican's oldest and most prestigious institutions: the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy... Watch

PCUSA PASTOR AND LESBIAN CONVERTS

 

Aug 3, 2026  

Kim Zember Here I AM Stories - Podcast

In this powerful conversation, Dr. Elizabeth Woning shares her deeply personal journey through identity, theology, mental illness, and radical redemption. After identifying as a lesbian for over 15 years and attending seminary as an openly gay student, Elizabeth was searching for answers while struggling with severe mental breakdowns and a diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder Type 1. Heavy psychiatric medications dominated her 20s, but a unexpected encounter with God at a small rural Pentecostal youth service altered the course of her life forever. Through a plain reading of Scripture, deep intercession, and experiencing God's love directly, Elizabeth began deconstructing her identity, walking away from lesbianism, and experiencing total physical and emotional healing from Bipolar disorder. Today, as a fresh doctorate graduate and co-founder of The Changed Movement, she advocates for truth, grace, and total kingdom restoration.

Annual Men's Day Service

 

Greater Woodlawn Park Church of God in Christ exists for the purpose of continuing the mission of our Lord Jesus Christ in seeking to save those who are lost.

We accept this charge with joy, proclaim, praise, and practice the good news of Jesus Christ to liberate men from sin. Thus, we train, nurture, and equip the members of the Body of Christ.

Young Latinos abandoning churches to be “nones”

Young Latinos abandoning churches to be “nones”
Axios: The declining religious affiliation of Latinos ages 18 to 29 — particularly among Catholics — is challenging long-held assumptions that their explosive growth would boost traditional religious values in American culture.

 

Is America becoming more religious? Look at the data.*
The Washington Post: Being pro-religion is easy. Real devotion isn’t.

 

Abandoned by the US: Palestinian Americans trapped in a surge of Israeli settler violence
The Guardian: After visits by US ambassador Mike Huckabee to the nearby Israeli settlement of Shilo, Palestinian Americans in Turmus Ayya have witnessed a terrifying rise in attacks.

 

Arizona clergy who learn of child abuse in confessions aren’t required to report it, court rules
The Guardian: The state supreme court rules in a case of two bishops who were silent about three children abused by Mormon parents.

 

Houston mothers challenge Texas Ten Commandments law under state religious freedom protections
Religion News Service: The lawsuit is the latest challenge to Senate Bill 10 — this time under Texas law.