Author: Gordon Govier

Religion now looms larger than economic class as a source of political division.The United States is the world’s most religious advanced industrial nation. More Americans say they believe in God, go to church regularly, and take the Bible literally than do people in any other Western country. The explanation lies in U. S. history. Many people came to colonial America seeking religious freedom after having been at odds with the state church in their home countries. The immigrants’ religious traditions, which stressed piety and personal salvation, have flourished.Read more of this story.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will again face the potentially volatile issues of same-sex blessings and whether to allow people who are in committed, homosexual relationships to serve in ministry when 1,071 voting members gather for its national assembly Aug. 6 to 11 in Chicago.Read more of this story.

The gestures are sweet, but modest:One husband carried his wife’s purse. Another made his wife breakfast. And another taped a note to her mirror telling her he liked her haircut.Nothing earth-shattering there. And yet the Roman Catholic Church is counting on publicizing these small acts of everyday kindness to revitalize the institution of marriage.Read more of this story.

With humor, chutzpah and heart, the Oprah-like inspirational road show, Women of Faith, integrates "girl talk" with the spiritual walk.Read more of this story.

Pamela Moss worships every Sunday at Messiah Baptist Church in Grand Rapids, Mich., where they preach the Bible straight up, sing the old hymns "and then let me get on with my day."But her son, George, 24, is a fervent Evangelical, witnessing to strangers and praying "in a church that looks like a gym. To me, he’s just out the gate," his mystified mom says. Read more of this story.

Rich Sicard’s trips abroad with students in the health professions are all about connections: making connections between training and experience, making connections with the local church, making connections between students and advisers, and making connections with God’s mission.Rich is an InterVarsity staff member working with graduate students on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.Read more of this story.

After reviewing more than 100 résumés over six months, the pastoral search committee for a key pastoral spot on the church’s ministry team could not decide on a candidate. Then a copy of that one, unexpected application package appeared in each of their boxes. The candidate appeared to have stellar qualifications: the right experience, the right theology, the right education, the right recommendations and connections. It appeared as if he would fit very nicely into the complex dynamics and demands of the multi-staff ministry at our large church. The committee met and agreed to act quickly. However, the question soon…

How do wealthy ministries spend the millions of dollars that Americans give them? Many of them won’t say, and few donors seem to know. That’s where Rusty Leonard and Wall Watchers come in.Read more of this story.

When a pickup truck backed out of a driveway into the side of James Giles’ passing Saturn Vue this spring, his FaithGuard insurance policy waived the $250 upfront deductible because the Kenosha man was driving to a Sunday morning service at First Christian Church in the Town of Bristol.Read more of this story.

ATLANTA — Here at the International Christian Retail Show it is, to borrow a phrase from Charles Dickens, the best of times or the worst of times, depending on whom you ask.Read more of this story.