Category: Features

Bishop Payne warned us that “when the church ceases to think, the church ceases to exist.” Perhaps another truth deserves consideration: when the church ceases to prophesy, she risks forgetting why God raised her in the first place.

A faithful church must be willing to speak truth to power, advocate for vulnerable communities, and remain rooted in the gospel rather than partisan loyalty. Ultimately, the greatest challenge facing many congregations may not be financial or demographic. It may be theological. 

Republicans who want to see America great again are gearing up for the midterm elections in November. They are a nervous group right now because they can see the handwriting on the wall. It’s in big bold letters, and it simply says, “I’m cooked. Just stick a fork in me because I’m done.”

On the weekend of primary elections, thousands gathered throughout Selma and Montgomery, Alabama for “All Roads Lead to the South” and the National Day of Action for Voting Rights, where clergy, activists, organizers, students, elders, elected officials, and community voices assembled to confront ongoing attacks against voting rights, gerrymandering, and systematic efforts to silence marginalized communities, while reminding the nation that the struggle for Black dignity, Black political power, and full democratic participation did not end in 1965 and has never fully disappeared from the American landscape.

Ultra-processed foods, like soda and snacks, are derivatives of whole foods, created through formulations that enable mass, low-cost production. These foods have been chemically treated and contain high amounts of additives, like salt and sugar, to make them more pleasing to taste, while possessing little nutritional value. Further, UPFs are linked to numerous health dangers, such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. The growth of these foods has created an epidemic of malnutrition among Americans, which has caused the health of the nation to be in decline.

By Rev. Tameaka Reid Sims, 11th Episcopal District Seminary has a way of exposing assumptions. This spring, during a course on sexual ethics, I expected to sharpen positions I had… Read More »

Ten years ago, at the bicentennial gathering of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the now Dr. John Thomas III stepped into the role of the 21st editor of The Christian Recorder as the youngest general officer to hold this office and on the bench, and the publication has not been the same since. Over the next several days, TCR will celebrate this milestone with videos and testimonials from those who have walked alongside him in media and in the life of the AME Church. Before those stories begin to roll out, it is worth remembering who John is, what he ran on, and what he has stood for across this decade of leadership.