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Black Church

Gays, God And Gospel Music

Wallace Best, Ph.D. | Posted 05.25.2013 | Religion
Wallace Best, Ph.D.

Without the artistic and emotional contributions of gay people there would be no gospel music. This is the provocative and convincing claim made by Anthony Heilbut in his majestic new book, "The Fan Who Knew Too Much."

A Broken Heart And A Man Named Daniel

Alisha L. Gordon, M.Ed. | Posted 06.09.2013 | Religion
Alisha L. Gordon, M.Ed.

All of his heroic stories shaped who I am. I never questioned whether or not the miraculous things that occurred in the book of Daniel were really legit. Today, I found out that they were not and sat with my mouth agape and my heart tormented.

Another Tackle in the World of Homophobic Sports

Irene Monroe | Posted 06.05.2013 | Gay Voices
Irene Monroe

The African American community desperately needs openly LGBT public role models. We need them to come out and denounce anti-homophobic bullying, vitriol, and discrimination.

Easter: The Official 'Get Outta My Seat!' Day

Alisha L. Gordon, M.Ed. | Posted 06.01.2013 | Black Voices
Alisha L. Gordon, M.Ed.

What an oxymoron it is, of all weekends, to push people away from Christ because we don't want to be inconvenienced with the crowds, new faces, and long wait times at our favorite Buckhead restaurant!

A Story Worth Telling At A Time Like This

Richard T. Hughes | Posted 05.19.2013 | Religion
Richard T. Hughes

The black theologian James H. Cone ripped me open and laid me bare, not with a knife but with his book, "The Cross and the Lynching Tree." And what he exposed was my own personal story of faith connecting -- or failing to connect -- to the issue of race.

Gangs Or The Gospel: Competing For The Lives Of Our Youth

Rev. Romal J. Tune | Posted 04.29.2013 | Religion
Rev. Romal J. Tune

In order to connect with youth in our communities, we have to walk outside the church doors everyday and let the community know who we are and what we have to offer so they will choose us instead of a gang.

The Boy Scouts of America: Another Closed Door for Black GBTQ Youth

Irene Monroe | Posted 04.25.2013 | Gay Voices
Irene Monroe

The Boy Scouts of America's position on GBTQ scouts is unquestionably discriminatory, and its hesitancy to swiftly remove its ban dishonors the organization's goal and philosophy

Call and Response: What the President Did This Week

Jim Wallis | Posted 04.17.2013 | Politics
Jim Wallis

There is a tradition in the black church named "call and response." It's simply the experience of the preacher "calling" and the congregation "responding." Obama is ready to issue "calls" to the American people, over the heads of the Washington politicians and pundits. It's time for our response.

Want To Understand Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.? Read The Sermons

Rev. Dr. Raphael Gamaliel Warnock | Posted 01.21.2013 | Religion

The following forward, written by the Rev. Dr. Raphael Gamaliel Warnock, senior pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church, is an excerpt from the book 'A ...

They Know Not What They Do: The Bombing Of Birmingham's Sixteenth Street Baptist Church

Guideposts | Posted 03.22.2013 | Religion
Guideposts

Boom! The floor swayed. Glass fell at my feet. Someone shouted, "Hit the floor!" I dropped, flat on the ground. Silence. Then a stampede of feet. Police sirens. I looked up. There was a hole in the stained-glass window where Jesus' face had been.

Racism, The Church And The Fierce Urgency Of Now

Kathryn M. Lohre | Posted 03.20.2013 | Religion
Kathryn M. Lohre

While the truths The Rev. Dr. King spoke in 1963 endure, the churches and society are rapidly changing, raising new questions about what it means to uphold a vision for racial equality, equity and justice. There is urgency now, even as there was in 1963, to pray with our feet.

A Return To Big Words

William H. Lamar IV | Posted 03.18.2013 | Religion
William H. Lamar IV

As we go about serving God and participating in God's reign, let us use more big words: Peace. Justice. Hope. Love. Say these words. People everywhere are waiting to hear us speak them again.

The Black Church and Same-Sex Marriage

Danielle M. Bennett | Posted 03.12.2013 | Religion
Danielle M. Bennett

The election is behind us and President Obama in the White House for another four more years. But the issue of same-sex marriage lives on. It is a matter of church versus state, reverends contend.

Watch Night Service In The Black Church In America: 150 Years After The Emancipation Proclamation

Rev. Joan R. Harrell | Posted 03.02.2013 | Religion
Rev. Joan R. Harrell

One hundred and fifty years later, African American Christians continue the faith tradition of their enslaved ancestors and gather at a designated meeting space, the church, tonight, Dec. 31, 2012, to celebrate

WATCH: 36th Kwanzaa Begins In Los Angeles

Posted 12.27.2012 | Religion

Happy 36th Kwanzaa! Celebrated in the week between Christmas and the new year (Dec. 26-Jan. 1), Kwanzaa is based on seven principles: unity, self-d...

Kneel-Ins And The Last Segregated Hour

Stephen R. Haynes | Posted 02.02.2013 | Religion
Stephen R. Haynes

The most concerted effort to challenge church segregation was launched during the first half of the 1960s, when the same young people who were integrating lunch counters, parks and libraries took aim at white churches.

A Different Kind Of King: John 18:33-37

Barbara Kay Lundblad | Posted 01.21.2013 | Religion
Barbara Kay Lundblad

Jesus is a king who never rose so high that he couldn't see those who were down low. If we would see Jesus, we will look in places kings seldom go.

Tongues Untied: Black, Gay And Sanctified?

Darnell L. Moore | Posted 01.19.2013 | Gay Voices
Darnell L. Moore

Many LGBTQ people desire spiritual communities, but many of us end up dispossessed because of others' refusal to accept us "as we are" within our communities. Thankfully, there are faith leaders who are facilitating the creation of affirming worship communities.

The Storm Is Passing Over

Rev. Adriene Thorne | Posted 01.12.2013 | Religion
Rev. Adriene Thorne

Some of us may not find our faith again -- not for a time. But Sunday will come just as sure as hurricane season, and people will need to gather and sing and pray. They will need to hold on to something real and stable and strong.

Toward An Irrelevant Faith: Reflecting on Conservative Christianity and the Elections

Andre E. Johnson | Posted 01.09.2013 | Religion
Andre E. Johnson

Not only did conservative Christians not adhere to their own principles embedded in their theology, but they also shirked their beliefs by acting in ways that were not "Christlike" because of their disdain for the president.

A Desperate God

Alisha L. Gordon, M.Ed. | Posted 01.04.2013 | Black Voices
Alisha L. Gordon, M.Ed.

In light of the monstrous storm battering the northeast, many have said that the storm is a "sign of judgment" from God. We need to "get right!", they say.

Historical Black Churches Celebrated With New Tourism Guide

Posted 10.21.2012 | Black Voices

The church has long been a fundamental pillar in the black community, and one organization is making an effort to preserve the rich history of an inst...

Will Obama's Support Of Marriage Equality Keep Some Blacks Home On Election Day?

Irene Monroe | Posted 11.25.2012 | Gay Voices
Irene Monroe

In this 2012 presidential election Obama's biggest support base will have dropped precipitously. And it will be because of both the Democratic Party's and Obama's pronouncement on marriage equality.

Homosexuality And The Black Church

William H. Lamar IV | Posted 11.09.2012 | Religion
William H. Lamar IV

The current debate over same-sex marriage in many churches gives me a feeling of déjà vu. We are running to third instead of first. How can we talk about same-sex marriage or homosexuality for that matter without talking about sex and sexuality first?

Prosperity Gospel Attracts Many African Christians

Samuel Okocha | Posted 11.02.2012 | Religion
Samuel Okocha

In a continent where many churches are growing by emphasizing both the material and spiritual benefits of faith, Segun Ilori and Tedius Makwari represent different faces of a religious movement that can evoke both spiritual revival and disillusionment.