WASHINGTON (RNS)—At the First Baptist Church of Suitland, just across the District of Columbia border in Maryland, a typical Sunday service includes coffee and pastries, warm greetings and a sermon delivered by Pastor Quintin Few Sr., in an auditorium with a full band and speaker system.

At the side of the stage as the service proceeds are two people translating Few’s words into American Sign Language to help Deaf and hard of hearing parishioners. They are part of a program at the church known as the Holy Hands ministry.

With their hands flowing from one sign to the next, the interpreters bring the pastor’s words to life, which can be no easy task.

“One missed sign or one missed concept can prevent others from working out their salvation on that day,” said Bronte Stewart, who founded the program with the church’s leadership and music director in 2014.

Because Stewart sees every service as an opportunity to strengthen one’s faith, the ministry, she believes, offers more than access. It is inspired by a shared conviction among members that including anyone who might walk through the church’s doors is a fundamental part of living their Christian values.

“We were intentional in making sure that the Deaf community was integrated into the life of the church and to see them as part of us, irrespective of their disability,” said Few. “I think that is so important when you are ministering to any community.”

Interpreted services rare

Churches that offer interpreted services are still relatively rare in the United States. The Deaf Bible Society, a nonprofit that works to make the Bible accessible to Deaf people, lists nearly 30 houses of worship in the state that are “Deaf Churches” (led by Deaf people) or “Interpreted Churches.”

That’s likely an undercount—First Baptist doesn’t appear on its list—but with more than 5,000 churches in the state, it’s most likely only a tiny minority provide ASL services. Meanwhile, estimates put the share of Americans who are Deaf or hard of hearing at 11 million, or about 3.6 percent.

Responding to the call

At First Baptist Suitland, the Holy Hands ministry was born out of a conversation that took place in January 2014, when a Deaf woman named Sharone Ligon walked into First Baptist Suitland, interested in joining the church.

“There was a woman there explaining how the Sunday school works,” said Ligon, who was in a group with other prospective members but could not hear what was being said. A church member noticed Ligon had not been speaking much and approached her.

“He said, ‘Are you deaf?’ And I said, ‘Yes, I am.’ And so that’s when he called Bronte to come over,” Ligon recalled.

Stewart, a long-time church member, said: “I knew basic sign language. I wouldn’t even say at a ‘101’ level. It was probably like a level 99,” explained Stewart.

Others in the church encouraged Stewart to learn more sign language in hopes she could become an ASL interpreter, but she was hesitant.

“You know, when the Lord taps you on your shoulder, sometimes you miss it,” she said. “I thought to myself: ‘Oh no, not me, Lord. You couldn’t possibly be calling on me to do this task.’ I didn’t hear that.”

But not long afterward, one of First Baptist’s ministry directors approached her to say the church would send her to school to learn ASL if she would interpret at services.

“I said, ‘Oh, OK, if the Lord’s going to equip me, yeah, I’m going,’” said Stewart, who then enrolled in ASL classes at a local community college.

Standards for ASL interpreters

Becoming a certified ASL interpreter can take years of rigorous examinations, and interpreters are required to meet standards set by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, a body that provides guidance for those interpreting in various settings, including religious ones.

RID’s Standard Practice Paper, a document that “provides a framework for basic and respectable standards,” outlines the specialized skills needed for interpretation in religious settings.

“Knowledge of a source language of an original text found in scripture such as Arabic, Hebrew, Latin or others would enhance the overall interpretation,” it points out. “It is ideal for the interpreter to have familiarity with the sacred text; however, the interpreter may need to work with an English translation.”

Due to the intimate nature of religious services, the Standard Practice Paper encourages interpreters to “enhance their skills by working with a religious mentor who is a seasoned and/or certified interpreter before working independently.”

Starting the ministry

Stewart would go on to receive a bachelor’s degree in interpretation studies and gain certification, but in the early days of the Holy Hands ministry, Stewart and Ligon worked to understand the Bible better.

“If she wanted to know about certain signs, she would find words, and then we would talk about how they were meant to be communicated. She would ask me, ‘What’s the sign for this?’And I would show her, and then we would keep going from there,” said Ligon.

Eventually the two collaborated to teach a course at the church for members interested in learning ASL.

Stewart remains steadfast in her goal to interpret in church because of three core values: “community, culture, language, that’s what’s playing out in my head, those three things,” she said. “Before understanding the culture, you need to know that this language is communication access for that community. Without those three things, your message is not going to come across clearly in a religious setting.”

New leadership

There are now seven church members working in the Holy Hands ministry, carrying on Stewart’s legacy of service, though Stewart has turned leadership over to a member of the congregation named Sharon Ford. A hearing woman who joined Holy Hands early on, Ford witnessed the moment when Ligon and her husband were baptized in the church, as Holy Hands members interpretated.

“They came to know the Lord and have a relationship with him. They joined the church and were baptized here,” she said. “So, the congregation got to see that we were doing God’s work by spreading the gospel and making sure that everyone could understand it regardless of any differences.”

In reflecting on her journey, Stewart often punctuates her sentences with the phrase: “Look at God.”

“God has laid out a plan for his people, and every time something happens in my life or the lives of others, I hearken back to his promises. He will never leave us nor forsake us. He always lights our pathways, and so anytime God shows up, I give him the glory, and I say, ‘Look at God.’”

PHILADELPHIA (BP)—The Bible protects against what the U.S. surgeon general has termed an “epidemic of loneliness” as harmful to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, the American Bible Society said in releasing its latest chapter of the 2024 State of the Bible.

Bible engagement, forgiveness and church attendance all offer individual antidotes to loneliness, decreasing the malady by more than 50 percent, the American Bible Society said.

Scripture engagement offers interaction with a God who loves “with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3) and a God whom the Psalmist in Psalm 139:3 said was familiar with all of his ways, the American Bible Society stated, and encourages church attendance that provides avenues for meaningful relationships.

Statistically, nearly 75 percent of all Americans report moderate to high levels of loneliness that lead to poor health outcomes. It also costs employers an estimated $154 billion annually in absences attributed to stress created by loneliness, the surgeon general said in 2023, and it costs $6.7 billion annually in excess Medicare spending among socially isolated older adults.

But when the Bible enters the equation, only 11 percent of Scripture-engaged respondents reported high levels of loneliness, compared to 22 percent of those considered Bible-disengaged, with Scripture engagement defined as those who score 100 or higher on a scale judging the frequency of Bible readership and its impact on and centrality to a reader’s daily life.

Among churchgoers, only 12 percent of those who attend church weekly report high levels of loneliness, compared to 25 percent of those who never attend.

Regarding forgiveness, 16 percent of those strongly able and somewhat able to forgive reported high levels of loneliness, compared to 36 percent of those strongly unable to forgive, and 22 percent of those somewhat unable to forgive.

Otherwise, loneliness varied by generation and gender. In American Bible Society research, 37 percent of Gen Z females reported high levels of loneliness, compared to 18 percent of Gen Z males; with 49 percent of Gen Z females reporting moderate levels of loneliness, compared to 59 percent of males of that generation. Only 14 percent of Gen Z females reported low levels of loneliness, compared to 23 percent of Gen Z males.

Lowest levels of loneliness were found among older Americans, whom the American Bible Society grouped in the Boomer-plus category.

Here, males and females equally reported high levels of loneliness at 11 percent, followed by 53 percent of female and 49 percent of males reporting moderate levels of loneliness, and 36 percent of females and 40 percent of males reporting low levels of loneliness.

And while wealth widely is considered limited in achieving mental well-being, annual income levels above $100,000 correlated with lower levels of loneliness, researchers found, with 13 percent of those in that income bracket reporting high levels of loneliness, compared to 33 percent of those earning less than $20,000.

Researchers also graded respondents with a loneliness score based on the University of California at Los Angeles Loneliness Scale, resulting in an overall score of 5 to 20, with the average for all respondents settling at 11.9.

State of the Bible is based on a nationally representative survey conducted for the American Bible Society by NORC at the University of Chicago, using the AmeriSpeak panel. Findings are based on 2,506 online interviews conducted in January 2024 with adults in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Did you know the stress level of mothers who have a child with special needs has been compared to that of combat soldiers? Often, families of those with disabilities feel hidden within faith communities because they’re simply not there or not included in the activities. What can we, the church, do differently to provide times of respite for these families? How can we build relationships, offer support and provide rest?

What is respite?

Respite is a short period of relief or rest from something difficult or unpleasant. Family relationships are often strained as a result of the parents’ time being monopolized by the special care necessary for a child with a disability. Siblings of children with special needs may have little time with their parents.

Offering times of respite can be an opportunity for parents to reconnect with their other children and for spouses to spend time together. Churches can play a crucial role in providing this support and rest.

What does respite look like?

There are three approaches to respite care: group-centered, family-centered and church-centered respite. These approaches will focus on drop-off/child care, relief for the family and caregivers, and support while the child with special needs is at church.

Group-centered respite

Many families who have children with special needs struggle to find acceptance, often feeling their child does not “belong.” The church can provide that “belonging” and share God’s love with them through nights of respite.

A night of respite can be a once-a-month experience for children with special needs that gives parents a much-needed evening out. This parents’ night out provides fun activities for the kids and some free time for the adults.

What does a church need to make a “Night of Respite” a success?

• Volunteer team

This team will consist of directors and coordinators who ensure the night runs smoothly, from registration to clean up. This team will need an overall director, a volunteer coordinator, a medical coordinator and an activities coordinator.

The volunteer coordinator will manage the number of attendees and the number of volunteers needed to care for the children attending the respite night.

The activities coordinator will let their creative juices flow as they plan theme activities, from bingo and scavenger hunts to crafts and photo backdrops.

The medical coordinator will know the medical needs of the children attending and lead a group of medical volunteers to meet those needs.

Insider tip: Churches typically have success finding volunteers through special education teachers, the medical field, student ministry, college partnerships and homeschool groups.

• Medical plan

It’s wise to recruit, train and organize a group of professional medical personnel to volunteer their services for the respite event. Establish clear guidelines for what services the volunteer respite medical team will be responsible for based on the comfort level and expertise of those recruited—such as tube feeds, medicine administration, suctioning of airways and other services.

• Intake forms

Having records of important information on each child at the respite event is essential. This record includes all pertinent information for the guest, including emergency contact information, a list of medications and any other information the parents offer. This record should stay with the child at all times.

• Themes/Bible story

As a church, we seek to advance the gospel through our events and activities. A respite night should be a place where the gospel, Scripture and Bible stories are shared. Theme nights can bring a fun spin to a Bible story—such as weather night/Jesus calms the storm, Valentine’s/Jesus loves you.

Family-centered respite

The family-centered respite approach allows church members to rally around a special needs family to provide care and support. One way this has been successful is by developing a team of volunteers who play a specific role in that family’s rest and care.

What does this team look like?

• Family support team member

This person assists a specific family through one of the following: monthly meal delivery, home projects, child care/respite care, transportation, child mentorship, etc. This is an ongoing volunteer role.

•  Respite care/child care

Parents may need an occasional break from the stresses associated with providing for a child with special needs. This break may be a simple two-hour slot for a mom to go grocery shopping or an overnight stay while a couple gets away for the weekend. This can be a consistent or sporadic volunteer role.

• Prayer and encouragement 

The role of prayer can mean a world of difference for a family. Acts of encouragement, such as notes, are also essential to the family’s well-being. This is an ongoing volunteer role.

Church-centered respite

A church-centered approach refers to the regular support and care provided to a child with special needs during weekly worship and small group time. This support allows families to leave their child in a children’s ministry equipped and ready to care for that child.

What can a church do on Sundays and Wednesdays during weekly services?

• Sensory rooms

A sensory room is a space that provides a child with personalized sensory input that helps children calm and focus themselves to be better prepared for learning and interacting with others. Sometimes, children need a calm place to regulate. Other times, it provides a location for learning in a room with the least restricted environment.

Tip: Multiple websites help a church set up its sensory room. Fun and Function is a great resource.

• Worship rooms

Some churches can attach a parent/child room to the back of the worship center to allow a parent and child to slip away during worship. This side room enables the parent to engage in worship while allowing the child the space to move and play freely.

• Buddies

Not every child with special needs requires a buddy, but a buddy is an excellent way to provide kids with the extra support they need to feel safe, understood, and accepted. Those who fill the role of a buddy understand the child’s circumstances and provide appropriate support and care for that child.

What is the first step?

The first step is to simply start the conversation. What would a time of respite look like at your church? Half the battle is the church body realizing the need. Some studies show nearly half of special needs parents refrain from participating in a religious activity because their child was not included or welcomed.

These families often worry about their child making a scene, disrupting or being a burden to others. Many of these families have daily struggles and challenges. If going to church is one of those struggles, why go?

So, start the conversation today. You can do this. Be a difference maker in the lives of these families by building relationships, offering support and providing rest through times of respite.

Lauren Brown is the children and family minister at Brookwood Baptist Church in Shreveport, La. This article originally appeared on LifewayResearch.com and was republished with permission.

VENTURA, Calif. (BP)—Christian men and women use pornography more today than in 2016 when Barna spotlighted the sin among pastors and congregants, an updated study found.

This time around, Barna teamed with Pure Desire Ministries and its partners in presenting “Beyond the Porn Phenomenon: Equipping the Church for a New Conversation About Pornography, Betrayal Trauma and Healing.”

The report tracks and defines the problem, calls on the church to offer a healing balm and offers practical guidance to that end.

“The average Christian is not experiencing freedom in this area; 75 percent of Christian men and 40 percent of Christian women report that they are viewing pornography at least occasionally,” wrote Pure Desire Ministries Executive Director Nick Stumbo, a former pastor who overcame porn use more than a decade ago. “The numbers for today’s youngest adults are even worse.

“But what may be more troubling is that well over half of Christians who use porn say they are comfortable with their porn use.”

In the general population, porn use has increased 6 percentage points among U.S. adults in the past eight years, rising to 61 percent, Barna reported, with use increasing to 44 percent among women from a 2016 mark of 39 percent.

For Christians, 54 percent reported viewing porn in the latest study, compared to 68 percent of non-Christians, a disparity of 14 percentage points that narrows when considering frequency, Barna reported.

Nearly a quarter of practicing Christians, 22 percent, view porn at least weekly, compared to 31 percent of non-Christians.

Churches not addressing the issue

But most churches are not addressing the problem, respondents said. Only 10 percent of Christians and churched adults said their churches offer programs to help those struggling with porn use and addiction, but 58 percent of Christian or churched adults want their church to do so.

Despite the low percentage of churches addressing the problem, 75 percent of pastors said they individually are ministering to those struggling with porn, and 51 percent of those seeking help are married men, pastors said.

Among pastors themselves, 18 percent cite porn use as a current personal struggle, and 67 percent have a history of porn use. Most of them, 86 percent, believe porn use is common among Christian pastors, study authors wrote.

When churches do address the issue of pornography, they often overlook the full problem, said Sam Black, an expert in pornography recovery with Covenant Eyes. Churches often don’t see past the spiritual harm, he said in a roundtable discussion included in the report.

“Churches often miss the physical healing that is necessary. They miss that spouses need healing from their partner’s betrayal. And they often completely miss that women watch porn,” Black said. “Leaders often fail at providing people with an understanding of how pornography can be damaging.

“Most churches fail to recognize that pornography undermines every ministry of the local church.”

While churches offer children’s ministry, host marriage seminars, date nights and weekend retreats, inappropriate content is available to children as never before, Black said, and porn is cited as a contributing factor in many divorces.

But Christian respondents disagree on whether porn use is problematic, researchers found. Most Christians, 62 percent, said a person can regularly view pornography and live a sexually healthy life.

While research shows a correlation between porn use and poor mental health and well-being outcomes, researchers were slow to confirm a causal relationship.

“This data doesn’t tell us if porn use leads to lower well-being scores, or if people with lower well-being scores are more likely to use porn,” researchers wrote.

“Further research is needed to explore potential cause-and-effect relationships. If porn consumption contributes to diminished well-being, it’s concerning; conversely, if lower well-being prompts individuals to turn to porn, that’s also undesirable.”

Prevalent among younger generations

Porn use is more common among younger generations including Christians, researchers found. Among practicing Christians ages 18-38, more than half—53 percent—have sent a nude image of themselves via text, email, social media or app. Usually, they send nude images to their boyfriend or girlfriend (87 percent) or a friend (24 percent), and 89 percent of the time it was a nude image of themselves.

Most youth leaders, 89 percent, say they wish parents would teach teenagers about sexual health and behaviors, but most youth leaders (69 percent) believe teens are learning such things from friends or social media.

How can the church make a difference?

Black hopes the church will provide a safe place for honesty, vulnerability and grace in community.

“The Church is God’s plan A. It is within the Church where God seeks to restore those who have become ensnared. God isn’t embarrassed, fearful or ignorant of our sin,” Black said in the report. “Today, the local church has choices. It can largely ignore the problems of pornography because they are too unseemly. It can chastise, rebuke and cast out, which will send more people into hiding.”

Key tips for pastors and Christian leaders:

• Insights from the study call on pastors and Christian leaders to intentionally cultivate vibrant faith communities that empower individuals to live with sexual integrity, confront the challenges of the digital age and experience the fullness of God’s design for sexuality.
• Prioritize equipping congregations with a comprehensive understanding of the complexities surrounding porn. With the data in mind, this could look like biblical teaching and support groups, but also partnering with counselors and other medical professionals for a combined approach to reconciling (or preventing) the damages of porn use.

The findings are based on an online survey of 2,976 U.S. adults, with an oversample of Christians, conducted Oct. 20-30, 2023; a survey of 462 U.S. senior Protestant pastors conducted Sept. 27-Oct. 9, 2023, and a survey of 205 U.S. Christian youth leaders conducted Nov. 16, 2023-Jan. 16, 2024.

BRENTWOOD, Tenn.—American churchgoers are looking for more than biblical explanation from their pastor each week. Many say they expect the sermons to help them understand and address modern cultural issues.

Four in 5 U.S. Protestant churchgoers (80 percent) say they believe a pastor must address current issues to be doing their job, according to a Lifeway Research study. Few (16 percent) disagree, and 4 percent aren’t sure.

Churchgoers seem to distinguish between addressing cultural issues and endorsing political candidates. A previously released Lifeway Research study of Americans found only 29 percent believe it is appropriate for pastors to endorse candidates for public office during a church service.

Christians who attend a worship service at least once a month are more likely than other Americans to believe endorsements during church services are acceptable, but still, only around a third (35 percent) agree.

If Protestant churchgoers are looking for direct endorsements at church, they’re going to be disappointed. Just 2 percent of pastors say they have endorsed a political candidate during a church service this year, according to an additional Lifeway Research study of U.S. Protestant pastors.

But for churchgoers wanting pastors to address issues, most feel like their church meets those expectations. Around 3 in 5 say their pastor addresses current issues within a sermon weekly, including 27 percent who say that happens every week and 35 percent almost every week. Another 23 percent say it happens at least once a month.

Only a handful of churchgoers say broaching modern topics happens less frequently. Around 1 in 14 (7 percent) say they hear a sermon addressing current issues several times a year, while 6 percent say that rarely happens. Just 1 percent say their pastor never addresses those topics in a sermon, and 2 percent aren’t sure.

“Churchgoers notice that most pastors are not just preaching from the Bible as an historical document,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research.

“Pastors seek to explain the original meaning and context, but then apply those principles to issues and situations today. Such application of the biblical text helps churchgoers recognize its relevance.”

Churchgoers under the age of 50 are more likely to hear their pastors broach modern topics each week. Those aged 18-34 (34 percent) and 35-49 (41 percent) are more likely than those 50-64 (25 percent) and 65 and older (17 percent) to say their pastor’s sermons address current issues every week.

African American churchgoers (40 percent) are also among the most likely to say they hear culturally relevant issues in sermons every week.

Those at the largest churches, with 500 or more in worship attendance, are among the most likely to say their pastors rarely address current issues (13 percent).

While 80 percent of churchgoers believe pastors must touch on these topics as part of their role, some are more likely to see this as necessary.

Methodists (96 percent) and those who attend Restorationist Movement churches (89 percent) are among the most likely to believe pastors must address current issues to be doing their job.

White churchgoers (82 percent) and those of other ethnicities who are not African American or Hispanic (87 percent) are also among the most likely to see this as a requirement.

Older churchgoers, those 65 and older, are among the most likely to disagree that pastors must address current issues as part of their job (22 percent).

High level of trust in pastors

Congregants may want to hear from their pastors on the concerns of the day because they broadly trust those leading their churches.

More than 9 in 10 U.S. Protestant churchgoers (91 percent) say they completely trust the pastor of their church. Only 5 percent disagree, 2 percent aren’t sure and 2 percent say they currently do not have a pastor. Of those who have a pastor at their church, 92 percent of churchgoers trust them.

“It can be assumed from these numbers that most of those who have lacked trust in their pastor have either found a new church or no longer attend their church once a month or more,” McConnell said.

“Yet, almost half of churchgoers with a pastor (47 percent) indicate their trust in their pastor could improve since they did not strongly agree that they completely trust the pastor of their church.”

Some churchgoers are more trusting of their pastor than others. Men are more likely than women to completely trust their pastor (93 percent v. 89 percent). Churchgoers with evangelical beliefs are also more likely than those without such beliefs to be trusting (95 percent v. 87 percent).

White churchgoers (93 percent) and those aged 50-64 (95 percent) are among the most likely to completely trust the pastor of their church.

Additional education can raise distrust among churchgoers. Those with a graduate degree (9 percent) are more likely than those who have a high school diploma or less (4 percent) to say they don’t trust their pastor.

The online survey of American Protestant churchgoers was conducted Sept. 19-29, 2023, using a national pre-recruited panel. Analysts used quotas and slight weights to balance gender, age, region, ethnicity, education and religion to reflect the population more accurately.

The completed sample is 1,008 surveys, providing 95 percent confidence that the sampling error from the panel does not exceed plus or minus 3.2 percent. This margin of error accounts for the effect of weighting. Margins of error are higher in sub-groups.

PHILADELPHIA (BP)—The percentage of U.S. adults not affiliated with a religion has flatlined at 26 percent since 2022 after decades of growth, the American Bible Society said in its latest release from the 2024 State of the Bible.

But the diverse group of 70 million Americans designated as “Nones,” 10 percent of whom say they’ve made a personal commitment to Jesus, are reachable by the church, said John Plake, American Bible Society chief innovation officer and State of the Bible editor in chief.

“One of the things that we think is really useful in ministering to people with no religious affiliation is just to recognize that they’re not against you,” Plake told Baptist Press. “And they’re not against the church, or God or the Bible. They’re in this place in between.

“It’s this liminal place in between for a lot of Americans, and that gives us hope that we can reach out to those people, and we can communicate the gospel clearly and biblically.”

Researchers aren’t sure why the Nones category grew steadily in the last quarter of the 20th century, spiked three percentage points from 2021 to 2022, and now appears to be stabilizing, Plake said. But he cited a trend of Americans becoming less religiously brand affiliated, which the American Bible Society has documented since the late 1990s.

“Denominations in America are sort of less brand-aligned than they used to be,” he said. “When I was growing up … the denominational brand was on the marker of the church. Today, that’s less popular, even if those churches are still affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, or the Assemblies of God, or the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America), they may not actually say that on the sign or make a very big deal about it.

“So, often people are attending churches,” Plake said. “But they actually don’t know what kind of church they’re attending.”

Not all Nones are the same

The American Bible Society explored Nones in the 7th chapter of its latest State of the Bible, released Oct. 10th. The Bible society links to an audio interview with Ryan P. Burge, whose groundbreaking 2021 book “The Nones” traces public data from the General Social Survey back to 1972, when only 5 percent of U.S. adults said they were religiously unaffiliated.

“Dr. Ryan Burge has helped us understand that just because someone says they have no religious affiliation, that kind of doesn’t tell us enough about them,” Plake said. “They’re not all the same group of people.”

Along with the 10 percent of Nones who’ve accepted Jesus are 25 percent who are open or curious about Jesus or the Bible. Conversely, 64 percent of Nones are not curious about the Bible or Jesus, and 40 percent are hostile to the Bible.

“We’ve been concerned that this movement towards no religious affiliation would then become a further movement towards becoming atheist or people who are really opposed to the gospel,” Plake said. “And we’re not really seeing that.”

Rather, many Nones are still exploring their faith, and others will come to a place of exploration, researchers believe.

Churches can reach out to Nones by recognizing they’re receptive to the gospel at key areas in their lives, including during periods of disruption or when they’re struggling with anxiety or emotional needs.

“As a former pastor, I’m thinking, ‘OK, how can we do church in a way that reaches out to our community,’” Plake said, “and welcomes people who might be struggling with these issues.”

Among other characteristics of Nones:

• 7 percent read the Bible three to four times a year.
• 3 percent agree “the Bible is totally accurate in all of the principles it presents,” compared to 38 percent of the general public.
• 8 percent say their religious faith is very important in their life today, compared to half of the general public.
• 40 percent believe the Bible was written to control or manipulate people.

State of the Bible is based on a nationally representative survey conducted for the American Bible Society by NORC at the University of Chicago, using the AmeriSpeak panel. Findings are based on 2,506 online interviews conducted in January 2024 with adults in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Additional chapters scheduled for release this year focus on loneliness and philanthropy.

(RNS)—In recent years, author and radio host Eric Metaxas and other conservative Christian supporters of Donald Trump have compared themselves to the famed German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was put to death for taking part in a plan to assassinate Adolph Hitler.

In a recent interview on Flashpoint, a Christian television talk show on the Victory network, both Metaxas—author of a bestselling biography of Bonhoeffer—and the show’s host called the current election a “Bonhoeffer moment” and urged Christians to rise up and oppose evil.

That evil, in Metaxas’ eyes, is the Democrats, who, he has argued, stole the 2020 election and whom he often compares to Nazis. For him, if Democrats win the next election, it could mean the end of America as we know it.

Metaxas has argued and has claimed in the past Trump is God’s chosen candidate and those who oppose him oppose God.

His newest book, Religionless Christianity—a phrase used by Bonhoeffer—describes America’s current politics as a spiritual war and sign of the end times.

‘Dangerous misuse of Bonhoeffer’s life and lessons”

A group of Bonhoeffer scholars and the theologian’s descendants have had enough.

In a statement issued Oct. 18, members of the International Bonhoeffer Society called on Metaxas and others to stop comparing the current election to the rise of the Nazis. The statement, in particular, called out Metaxas for social media posts featuring a gun and a Bible and his support of Jan. 6 rioters.

“This portrayal glorifies violence and draws inappropriate analogies between our political system and that of Nazi Germany,” the scholars said in a statement, which has been signed by more than 800 Bonhoeffer scholars and other Christian leaders. “It is a dangerous misuse of Bonhoeffer’s life and lessons, particularly in this election season in the United States.”

The scholars and relatives of Bonhoeffer also objected to the mention of Bonhoeffer’s work in Project 2025, a controversial plan from the Heritage Foundation and other Trump supporters, which has been criticized for promoting Christian nationalism.

“From Project 2025 to violent political rhetoric, the legacy of German pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer is being invoked this election season on behalf of Christian Nationalism,” the scholars said in their statement. “It is a dangerous and grievous misuse of his theology and life.”

New Bonhoeffer biopic released in November

The statement was prompted in part by the upcoming release of a new Bonhoeffer biopic, which will be out in theaters in late November. One of the posters for the film shows Bonhoeffer with a gun, and a trailer for the film shows his involvement in the plot to kill Hitler.

Some of the early social media tweets about the film included messages about the “battle against tyranny” and a line from the trailer, “My country was invaded from within.”

During Metaxas’ Victory Channel interview, the trailer for the movie—which is being distributed by Angel Studios, the studio behind the hit film Sound of Freedom, was shown. After the trailer, Metaxas and other guests urged Christians to wake up to the evil of their political enemies.

In an interview for a German news publication, relatives of Bonhoeffer criticized that depiction of the theologian. Relatives also released a statement rejecting the idea that Bonhoeffer would have embraced Christian nationalism.

“He would never have seen himself anywhere near the right-wing extremist, violent movements that are trying to appropriate him today,” family members said in a statement passed on by Bonhoeffer scholars. “On the contrary, he would have criticized these very attitudes.”

Metaxas’ press contact did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Lori Brandt Hale, professor of religion at Augsburg University and president of the English language section of the International Bonhoeffer Society, said scholars understand filmmakers need to take artistic license, and they do not believe the filmmakers intend to send Christian nationalist messages.

‘Strongly oppose’ any call for political violence

Hale, who has seen the film, said the movie—and, even more so, the marketing material—exaggerates the theologian’s role in the conspiracy against Hitler and plays up the idea of him being an “assassin.”

She and other scholars worry that may give viewers the wrong message—especially if they already hold Christian nationalist views or are sympathetic to Metaxas’ claims—and they may use Bonhoeffer’s opposition to Hitler to justify political violence.

Hale said Bonhoeffer’s theological and ethical reflections in the face of the evils of the Nazis are distorted by American Christian nationalists. In America’s current politics, she fears Christian nationalists miss the real comparisons with Nazi Germany, including “threats to political enemies, the free press, and the Constitution, and calls to dehumanize certain groups of people, especially immigrants and refugees.”

“The people who make comparisons with Nazi Germany and contemporary realities, they are just not doing the work,” she said.

The statement from the Bonhoeffer Society makes a similar point.

“Any attempt to invoke Dietrich Bonhoeffer and his resistance against Hitler as a reason to engage in political violence in our contemporary context must be strongly opposed,” it says. “Moreover, while Bonhoeffer supported the coup, he refused to offer a Christian or theological justification for it. He understood the dangers of such a rationale.”

The promotional site for the film includes a call to reject racism and antisemitism and calls on supporters to practice civil discourse and peacemaking. A “Bonhoeffer Declaration” linked to the site also calls for fans to “stand with Israel” and is endorsed by a number of Christian pastors, including some with Christian nationalist ties.

‘A singular voice of love, grace, justice and courage’

Makers of the new Bonhoeffer biography reject the idea that the film has a Christian nationalist message.

Jared Geesey, chief distribution officer of Angel, said the film is being released at a time when antisemitism is on the rise and that the film calls audiences “to stand up against evil and love our neighbor—no matter who that neighbor is.” He also downplayed any connection to Metaxas and defended the poster promoting the film.

“The film is not based on the Eric Metaxas book, even though the titles may look similar,” he said. “The movie poster is simply a representation of the film. This is a spy thriller, and we believe the artwork captures the tension inherent in the story.”

Todd Komarnicki, writer and director of the Bonhoeffer movie, said he “could not be further from being a Christian nationalist.”

“The fact is, Bonhoeffer doesn’t belong to any group,” he said. “He is a singular voice of love, grace, justice and courage, and his voice is just as clarion now as it was during WWII.

“We should be listening to him (which our movie does) and not to all the voices trying to steal him for their own cultural grievances.”

WAXAHACHIE—Carla Cochrane said she first felt a call to learn more about asylum seekers in May 2019.

She said it was a time when the news was paying quite a bit of attention to the increase of asylum seekers at the southern border.

“And for some reason, I remember that caught my mind,” she said, and she began to study and learn about it.

Her church, The Avenue Church in Waxahachie, was doing a Bible study on Gideon, Cochrane explained.

“I remember thinking, ‘What do I have in common with Gideon?’” she recalled.

When they finished the study, Cochrane said, “It was like, I felt God saying: ‘This is what I want you to do. You are to advocate on their behalf.’”

God opens doors

Though she was in her late 50s with grown children and grandchildren, once she said “yes” to God, and began to research and learn about refugee ministry, God began opening doors, Cochrane said.

“That’s why I say, ‘Just say yes [to God],’” she explained, noting no matter how old someone is when God calls, he will use and bless those who say “yes” and are faithful.

Cochrane visited the border for the first time in November 2019.  She visited refugee camps in Reynosa and Matamoros filled with asylum seekers. Her mission friend Sheri Short, who she credits for helping her turn the calling to action, accompanied Cochrane on this trip.

The women met migrants who were waiting for an opportunity to present themselves for asylum at ports of entry in McAllen and Brownsville. They went into Mexico with missionaries from Texas Baptists River Ministry, who took them to the migrant camps in Reynosa and Matamoros.

God continued to open doors, Cochrane said. And, she was able to return to those same camps in November 2020.

When Cochrane grew up in a Fundamental Baptist church in “small town Texas,” she explained, caring for immigrants wasn’t a focus of the church in that community.

She has stayed in “small town Texas” as an adult, so her environment has not shifted much in its lack of commitment to refugee ministry. She explained this has been one of the hardest things she’s faced in following this calling.

Cochrane thought when God gave her the heart for this ministry, the people she loves would be excited for her to have found her place in God’s mission, but that is not what she experienced.

Finding a team

While her family and friends support her involvement, their understanding of why it matters so much to her has a limit. So, she was glad to find a community, Women of Welcome, of like-minded women devoted to understanding God’s heart for immigrants.

It was in this community on Facebook where in 2021 she met a sister who would play an important role in the ways that God was leading her, Alma Ruth, founder and director of Practice Mercy Foundation.

Cochrane began to learn about Ruth’s mission work at the border through her nonprofit. And in May 2022, she joined Practice Mercy for an immersion trip to visit Senda De Vida refugee shelter in Reynosa.

Then in July 2022 she returned to the border with a mission group from her church. The group met Ruth on one of the days. Ruth took them on a boat tour of the Rio Grande River, where they saw a portion of the border wall that separates the United States and Mexico.

She and Ruth stayed in close touch, and in October 2022, Cochrane became a board member for Practice Mercy Foundation, serving as treasurer until January 2024.

During that time, an in-person board meeting in McAllen provided an opportunity to help with an eyeglass clinic at a Haitian camp in Reynosa in December 2023.

On that same visit, Cochrane met a young Russian pastor and his family staying in Reynosa, who had contacted Ruth for help when they fled Russia because their advocacy against the war in Ukraine made them targets.

God appointments

One evening, the group tagged along with a local reporter. Spending time with him allowed the group to interact with asylum seekers who crossed over “and turned themselves in to Border Patrol for a chance to claim asylum.”

Cochrane said about 50 individuals crossed the border that evening.

“There were teenagers, families, mothers and their children, unaccompanied siblings and several older men and women,” she said.

“They were processed to be taken to a detention center by bus. Border Patrol allowed us to speak with them, give them water and snacks, blankets and to pray over them.”

The group felt “this was a moment only God could have orchestrated, for us to have this amazing experience,” Cochrane recalled.

Cochrane went on two additional immersion trips with Practice Mercy in 2023. In May, they visited a Haitian camp in Reynosa, where they spent most of their time with the children. Then in September, they went to a refugee camp in Matamoros, where they conducted an eyeglass clinic, spent time with the children and provided personal hygiene items for the women.

“This trip was life changing for me,” Cochrane recalled, “because God had it planned out to the smallest detail.”

She explained her job was to put lenses into eyeglass frames, and she was struggling a little to get them to go in.

The world’s best hug

Juan, a 15-year-old from Venezuela, came and stood beside her to help with the glasses.

“He didn’t speak English, and I don’t speak Spanish. But when God is in the middle of it, all that really doesn’t matter,” Cochrane observed.

Juan stuck around helping for about three hours, Cochrane wondering all the while, “Why would this teen boy want to spend so much time with a 61-year-old woman?”

After the eyeglass clinic concluded an interpreter came over, so she learned more about Juan.

Cochrane learned he and his 18-year-old brother were both in the camp “awaiting an appointment, through the CBP app, to present themselves for asylum at the port of entry.”

They were hoping to make it to their father, who was in New York. Their mother remained in Columbia.

Jaun told her he missed his mom. But the saddest thing for him was leaving his grandparents in Venezuela, because he likely would never get to see them again.

“It was at that moment that I knew exactly why God had brought me to this camp at this day and time” Cochrane said. Juan needed a grandmother.

“I asked if I could hug him, and that embrace will be a wonderful memory for me the rest of my life. I attempted to release our hug three times before he finally let go of me. Only God!”

Cochrane said she will continue to visit the border to serve, walk alongside and hear stories from asylum seekers to advocate on their behalf, for as long as God makes it possible.

“I always tell others that the greatest take-away for me is that God has allowed me to see others through the eyes of Jesus, and therefore my heart is forever changed.

“He has filled it with so much love, compassion and joy.”

 And, she said she heard from Juan’s dad. Juan was in New York City. Both boys made it to asylum and to family.

(RNS)—Whether it was wearing a “True Love Waits” ring, reading I Kissed Dating Goodbye or awaiting a fairy-tale marriage, as a teenager Camden Morgante was all-in on what is often referred to as “purity culture,” a set of beliefs and accompanying resources that emphasize saving sex until marriage.

The culture that developed around these teachings—books, rings, conferences, branded Bibles and more—had a particular heyday within evangelical circles in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Now a mental health professional with a doctorate in psychology, she understands the emotional, physical and spiritual repercussions that can result from what she describes as purity culture’s false promises.

But rather than causing her to leave Christianity behind, reckoning with the negative impact of purity culture has only made her more certain of what she believes and why.

That’s in part why she has written a book.

“My main goal was to help readers see that they can heal from purity culture and hold onto their faith,” Morgante told RNS.

Written with the firsthand knowledge of a onetime purity culture proponent and the insight of a psychologist, Recovering from Purity Culture: Dismantle the Myths, Reject Shame-Based Sexuality, and Move Forward in Your Faith is a new release from Baker Books that offers practical tools for stepping toward healing.

RNS spoke to Morgante about alternatives to purity culture’s sexual ethic, the connections between purity culture and sexual disorders and how to avoid perpetuating purity culture in adulthood. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What are some similarities between purity culture and the regency-era approach to marriage and sex in shows like Bridgerton?

I define purity culture as a largely evangelical movement that peaked in the 1990s to 2000s that attempted to persuade young people to avoid sex. But certainly the belief in virginity, especially for women, has been present for hundreds, if not thousands of years, and in many cultures.

When I started watching Bridgerton, a show that I really like, the similarities really stuck out to me. Women’s virtue is tied to their virginity and desirability as a partner, and they’re considered unclean or damaged if they are even alone with a man. You also see the flip-switch myth perpetuated in that show, this idea that once you get married, sex is just automatically going to be amazing. And the truth is that sex is a learned skill that we have to work on together.

You write that purity culture can contribute to rape culture. How so?

Purity culture includes this modesty culture of policing women’s clothing choices and caring about what the opposite sex thinks about your clothing. The whole purpose of being modest is to prevent men from lusting after you.

It’s not a big jump from that to rape culture, where you blame women for their sexual assault by questioning, ‘What were you wearing? Who were you with?’ Certainly we see rape culture not just in the church; it’s part of our society as well.

And the ‘Me Too’ movement has brought a lot of needed attention, but we need more attention to that in the church, too, and the ways that these well-intentioned teachings about purity have inadvertently contributed to allowing sexual abuse to occur and to be covered up in the church.

Can you explain how, from your perspective, a sexual ethic based on consent can trade one form of legalism for another?

In my chapter on reconstructing your sexual ethic, I am taking a middle perspective of criticizing both an ethic of shame, which is what I call purity culture, and an ethic of consent, which is a dominant perspective in our society today, and also the dominant perspective often in progressive Christianity as well.

The reason I criticize that is because it doesn’t do the work to discover the deeper “why” of one’s sexual ethic. Even if you no longer hold to a traditional Christian sexual ethic of waiting until marriage and faithfulness between the two spouses, there’s still more to your sexual ethic than just, as long as it’s legal and consensual, it’s fine.

I really wanted to challenge people to dig deeper and to see that when you swing the pendulum and exchange purity culture for what society is offering you, you’re still not doing the work of discovering your own beliefs and values and then making choices aligned with those beliefs.

What might be an alternative to both purity culture and the ethic of consent?

A values-congruent sexual ethic is the middle path I recommend. And I recognize that can look different to people. I wanted to be honest about where I landed, but I want you to have your own process. I encourage people to figure out their own values and make choices aligned with those values.

As you note in your book, Sheila Wray Gregoire and her team found that Christian women report vaginismus at more than twice the rate of the general population. What does that have to do with purity culture?

Vaginismus is a sexual pain disorder for women that makes sex extremely painful or even impossible, because the vaginal walls spasm and clench up. I conceptualize purity culture as a form of trauma for some people, because it can lead to a traumatic response in your body.

I have clients who’ve been married for 15 years to a healthy spouse who’s safe and loving and faithful, and yet their body still cringes. They still feel shame about sex. They’re in their head, instead of in their body during sex.

There are all sorts of physical responses even after people have intellectually left behind the myths of purity culture. Because purity culture uses fear and shame as tools of control to persuade people to avoid sex before marriage, that doesn’t just get turned off once you’re married.

And so, I think vaginismus is a response to that where the body is recoiling and reacting to attempted penetration by clenching up and closing off, literally, because you’ve been taught to avoid sex for so long and suppress your sexuality.

As a psychologist, what are some initial recommendations you might give to someone experiencing the physical consequences of purity culture?

I start off by validating their experience. These symptoms are normal, and I see them a lot in my clients. Research shows that the sexual responses of people who come out of purity culture look very similar to the sexual responses of sexual assault survivors. I help them understand these reactions in their body, so they’re not carrying that shame of thinking there’s something wrong with them.

And then one of the best tools I have found in my practice is mindfulness meditation. People can start to develop a relationship with their body that helps the embodiment process begin. Instead of suppressing and avoiding, denying, my goal is to help them embrace and connect and integrate to the different parts of themselves.

Purity culture doesn’t just impact people physically—it can have spiritual repercussions, too. What has that looked like for your clients?

I wanted to also destigmatize the process of deconstruction in the book. Rethinking your beliefs really goes hand in hand with recovering from purity culture, because it’s going to open up broader questions about the purpose of sex, our theology of suffering, gender roles, singleness, sin and grace. I want people to know it’s healthy.

I cite James Fowler’s theory of spiritual development in the book. His theory shows how, as our abstract thinking develops, our spirituality will also have more complexity. Those who remain in more black-and-white thinking, they’re going to remain at earlier stages of faith development. So while deconstruction is normal, it can be painful and isolating, and for that reason, we need community. And we need to know that we don’t have to lose our identity as Christians.

I use the analogy of house repairs in the book. It doesn’t have to mean demolishing one’s spiritual house. It can be a renovation of your faith house, and Jesus can be with you in that process.

What advice do you have for how Christians might avoid passing purity culture on to future generations?

In the book, I offer strategies and scripts for parents. That can look like having ongoing conversations and starting early, talking about their bodies, talking about and modeling consent in shame-free ways.

Embed the conversation about sexuality in broader conversations about values. How do we show respect for others and their bodies? How do we show respect for our own bodies and our own desires or boundaries?

Help your kids think through different moral dilemmas that come up on TV or with friends. That way, they’re learning how to think, and it’s not just you telling them what to think.

Panelists in a webinar sponsored by Baylor University explained hyper-politicization from philosophical, psychological and theological perspectives. Then they offered concrete strategies for political desaturation.

David Corey, director of Baylor in Washington, moderated the Oct. 15 webinar on “Political Desaturation: How to Thrive Before, During, and After the 2024 Election.”

Joining him were panelists Robert Talisse, a political philosopher from Vanderbilt University; psychiatrist and author Curt Thompson; and theology-trained leadership coach Elizabeth Oldfield, who joined from the UK.

Framing the discussion, Corey posed the question: If political engagement is a virtue in democracy and it’s a “good thing” for people to be active in politics, how can there be such a thing as political oversaturation?

Talisse responded the idea of having “too much of a good thing” is readily accepted in other areas.

“You know, the 12th bite of a cheesecake is really just not as good a thing as the first three bites,” he noted.

As a “better example,” he described a friend of his who set a goal to become physically fit.

The goal was a positive one, but the commitment to becoming physically fit took over. She lost sight of virtually everything else in her life in pursuit of that goal. The woman became so focused on workouts and her physical health project, it began to affect relationships and isolate her from friends.

He pointed out fitness didn’t stop being good, but “what fitness was good for” got lost in the hyperfocus on fitness itself.

Similarly, he observed, “There’s a good that is achieved in being an active democratic participant. But when that project becomes the center of everything that we do, it becomes a little bit like my friend in the gym.”

Diminishing common life

The politicization of institutions and relationships that aren’t intrinsically political did not previously exist to the extent it does now, Oldfield noted. It’s a development she attributes to “the retreat of other forms of common life.”

Psychology and theology, she said, always have known about deeper needs.

“We need belonging. We need to be part of something. We need a story that is bigger than us. We need meaningfulness and a stable sense of self,” she said.

In the past, those had been formed locally in multiple connections—to family, guilds based on common types of work or types of people, faith and religious identity, and stability in these areas. But all those ways people used to find meaning and identity have eroded, she said.

“So, all of that weight, all of that longing, all of that need doesn’t have as many places to go,” Oldfield asserted.

Her feeling is that it now either “goes into trying to stabilize ourselves as a consumer,” or it goes into “trying to give ourselves a sense of identity as a political animal,” and “finding ourselves” in a broader political story.

Neither of those is “supposed to take that weight,” Oldfield noted. “They are not designed for that.”

Addiction and idolatry

From a psychological standpoint, Thompson suggested hyperfocus aptly could be termed “addiction.” Or it could be described biblically as “idolatry”—the idea that “I’m going to commit myself to something at the expense of all other good things.”

It’s not always easy to determine when the line between healthy participation and addiction or idolatry has been crossed.

“Most people who are addicted find that their power in that addiction has everything to do with their isolation,” Thompson said. “The more isolated I am, the more likely I am to need something to cure me of my isolation.”

The addiction is the attempt to cure the isolation. But the data shows community is the most helpful way for addiction to be resolved and healed, Thompson asserted.

“We find ourselves weighted with our grief, weighted with our fear, weighted with our shame.”

But individuals don’t turn to deeper modes of healing for these issues “that we all really have in common as humans—the Democrats and the Republicans both have lots of grief,” he noted.

“But we turn to our different addictions,” isolated from those things that “actually bring us the most health and regeneration”—relationships, faith and religious institutions.

Talisse pointed out the level of disagreement or division on political topics hasn’t increased since the 1990s, but “the level of animosity toward perceived political opponents has skyrocketed.”

“We don’t disagree more severely, but we dislike each other more,” to the point of liking to dislike each other. “We’re addicted to negative affect toward perceived outsiders.”

Whereas politics once was viewed as something necessary but not deserving of passion, with the retraction of local forms of common life, politics has taken on a “sacred weight,” Oldfield said.

Politics has become the “only way that we know how to negotiate these goods. The only way we know how to actually be together, and increasingly seems to be cannibalizing our common life and our ability to hold each other as really human.”

Thompson asserted, culturally, “we are accounting for our collective grief over a period of many, many years.”

Ways to push back division

One way to overcome divisions when “things get testy,” Thompson suggested, is to ask the questions: “What is it you really want? … Do you want to be angry with me? … “What are you afraid of?” These questions, asked with vulnerability, help focus on what is held in common between people of differing positions.

Our two-party, “fairly zero-sum” political system “trains us to win” and “defend our own,” which is theologically problematic, Oldfield noted, “leading us to not know how to have a common life.”

But healthy societies find ways to keep in check the natural tendency to prefer “people like me” so all the members can recognize the humanity of others and take others’ needs into consideration in decision making, she claimed.

To desaturate from hyper-politicization, Thompson suggested inviting one person who thinks “differently from you” to coffee and ask that person questions in “genuine curiosity.”

Take “steps of embodiment” to form a relationship—actually get in the room “with someone who is different from you,” and ask: “What is it like to live with someone like me?”

Ask these types of questions that will lead to finding the many things two people, even of opposing viewpoints, invariably will have in common, he said.

Oldfield agreed, suggesting people must get out of comfort zones and “unclench a little bit from our fear,” knowing a “fight or flight” sensation is to be expected, but can be pushed through.

In these efforts, banish contempt, she urged, consciously resisting the impulse to view a person who disagrees with an angry disgust that will trigger shame and lead to rejection of the bridge-building efforts.

Additionally, to achieve political desaturation, she suggested withdrawing from political news and conversation, if one has already come to a decision about a vote—with the caveat one shouldn’t become so far removed as to miss new information that might change that decision.

We cannot “Save ourselves, with the capital ‘S’” through politics, panelists asserted. Theologically, politics isn’t the answer.

Desaturation does not equal political disengagement, but it is a necessary action to combat some of the political dysfunction, they agreed.

“We have to do the work,” to keep in check the impulses that would drive toward deeper division and away from community, Thompson noted.

That’s true even when the opposing viewpoint seems “abhorrent,” Oldfield agreed, so that learning to see political opponents as fellow human beings with a common set of needs becomes a possibility again.

(RNS)—America’s pastors are tired.

The decline of organized religion, the aftermath of a worldwide pandemic, political polarization—and the burden of caring for their congregation’s soul—have left many clergy feeling burned out and wondering how long they can hang on.

The title of a 2024 report from the Hartford Institute for Research summed up what clergy are saying: “I’m Exhausted All the Time.”

Small wonder that about half of clergy had thought about leaving their congregation—or the ministry altogether—in recent years.

“This is a challenging time for all congregations. They’re getting smaller, they’re getting older, they’re not as vital as they once were, and then the pandemic traumas of closing and opening,” said Scott Thumma, director of the Hartford Institute and leader of a five-year study of how COVID-19 affected congregations.

Racial divides and political issues have disrupted faith communities, Thumma said. All these factors have undermined the relationship between religious leaders and their congregations, leading to clergy burnout and discouragement.

Pay attention to mental health

That has made it crucial for clergy to pay attention to their mental health, experts say.

While burnout and poor mental health for clergy may often be gradual, the recovery process requires a lot more intentionality, said Rae Jean Proeschold-Bell, director of the Duke Clergy Health Initiative at Duke University.

That’s why it’s important for clergy to monitor feelings of being overwhelmed so they can be addressed before becoming a larger issue, she said.

Making plans for incorporating intentional practices can help clergy decrease stress and regain spiritual well-being. During the pandemic, the Duke Clergy Health Initiative partnered with the United Methodist Church for a study on mindfulness practices.

Clergy took eight classes on mindfulness techniques. They participated, on average, for 28 minutes a day for six months. They saw a reduction in stress and an improvement in their heart rate variability—the heart’s ability to recover.

Proeschold-Bell recommended clergy try a practice called the Daily Examen, which has been practiced by Catholics and other contemplative Christians.

“There’s a little bit of gratitude. And then review the last 24 hours of the day with gratitude, but also to notice what emotions came up for them during that review,” Proeschold-Bell said.

“Pray on that with God, and if they felt like they needed forgiveness for anything, to ask for forgiveness from God. And if they needed guidance, pray for that guidance. And then they closed it out with, again, gratitude for the day.”

Other intentional practices include exercise, taking time to eat nourishing foods and getting enough sleep. The most important thing is taking time away from work and its stressors so clergy can connect and meet their physical and psychological need, experts say.

Therapy can be helpful

Therapy also can help, said Gary Gunderson, professor of faith and the health of the public at the Wake Forest School of Divinity. Therapists can be great resources for clergy to talk about the issues they are facing without judgment for struggling.

“Pastors and priests, people in ministry, people in caring professions, they carry a lot of suffering,” said Mary Beth Werdel, director of the Pastoral Mental Health Counseling program at Fordham University.

“It becomes heavy, and we can’t hold that alone. Having a person or community to talk to is really important,” said Werdel.

Thumma said clergy who were experiencing poor mental health often overlooked spiritual practices such as making time for prayer.

“Rather than run to God or to spiritual practices, they retreated from them,” he said.

Having a clear plan for an intentional health or well-being practice can lead to flourishing when it comes to mental health for clergy. Clergy dealing with poor mental health may feel a lack of agency within their work life, Gunderson said. Engaging in these practices can bring back a sense of agency and the capacity to choose good things for themselves.

Make time for fun

This includes making time for things that are fun. It’s easy to remove a movie night with a friend from your busy schedule, but to be proactive against burnout, it’s important to have time away from work and invite play into your life, Werdel said.

Conflict between clergy and their congregation can also lead to poor mental health.

“There’s a real strong relationship that, in some ways, is probably more than many other vocations, between what’s going on at work and how well the person feels,” Thumma said.

Having a space where the congregation and the clergy can be honest about their feelings and process issues together can help repair the relationship between them. Conflict around the pandemic in many congregations has not been resolved.

“I think there’s some compensatory grieving that needs to happen and rebuilding of people’s trust,” Thumma said.

This can be for other issues the congregation is facing as well.

“The most important thing a congregation can do is to create a safe culture,” Gunderson said. “The congregation should be healthy for everyone in the congregation, including clergy, to find a voice and to be able to talk about what’s actually going on in their life.”

It is particularly healthy for the clergy person to be able to voice doubts and stresses, instead of being viewed as the mascot.

“What is healthy for the clergy is healthy for everyone else in the congregation,” Gunderson concluded.

Find better ways to collaborate

Post-COVID, clergy and their congregations may need to reevaluate their relationships—and find better ways to collaborate. That might include a shift in expectations, Werdel said.

“There’s a sense that you are the one that’s going to fix everything, that you are the one… that you alone are essential in solving all the problems of the world,” Werdel said. That is too much pressure on one person.

“Have you lost the ability to delegate? Are you micromanaging? These experiences will lead to burnout because they have to do with the belief of control that is not healthy,” she said.

Therapy can help identify these expectations, and having a supportive team within the leadership of the ministry can also help remove some of those beliefs by sharing the load of the labor.

Werdel cautions clergy not to ignore their emotional well-being.

“Our emotional worlds matter, they matter deeply, and they’re connected right to our spiritual experiences,” she said. Pushing through feelings of overwhelm and burnout will affect both your mental and spiritual health.

WASHINGTON (RNS)—After 10 years of leading the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, Shirley Hoogstra has a new title: president emerita.

One of her last tasks as president involved her frequent role as a speaker in a higher education setting.

“You often don’t know what God is up to until later,” Hoogstra recalled saying at the recent convocation for a new class at Michigan’s Handlon Correctional Facility that was participating in a program of Calvin University.

“And I said to the inmates: ‘Pay attention. This particular opportunity to be a college graduate may be something that in your rearview mirror turns out to be very clear that God had a particular purpose in giving you this opportunity.”

In an Oct. 2 interview in the building housing the new headquarters of the Christian college association, Hoogstra said she looks back herself and sees how her former career as a Connecticut law firm partner prepared her to lead CCCU through a decade of high-profile religious freedom fights around LGBTQ rights on campuses.

Hoogstra, who has been succeeded by David A. Hoag, former president of Warner University in Florida, said she has “no regrets” about her shift from litigator to aiding 180 CCCU member institutions worldwide as they pivoted to hybrid classes and continue to determine effective ways to finance education and encourage the faith of their students.

Hoogstra, who is in her 60s, spoke with RNS about leading CCCU over the last decade, supporting diverse leadership in Christian education and increasing interfaith dialogue among officials of faith-based colleges and universities.

The interview was edited for length and clarity.

How is the period of transition going as you work with your successor, David Hoag, before retiring on Oct. 31?

Well, of course, you don’t get a playbook for these things. Early on in the year of 2023 I proposed a formal three-month transition period. I thought I would remain the president during those three months, and (my successor) would be president-elect. But on the day of Dr. Hoag’s appointment, July 7, I realized no, we need to have him step into the president role after 30 days, and then I’ll be president emerita. Two salaries, right? The board approved that budget.

David has already made good changes in terms of meeting structures and new promotions. But we’re walking side by side in meetings, before and after meetings, and I am able to give him play-by-play insights and play-by-play conversations as they are in real time.

You have overseen a decade of leadership for the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. How would you sum up the state of Christian higher education, especially in North America?

Christian higher education is a growing sector because Christian higher education has a distinctive, which is the education with a moral compass. It’s also growing, because there’s been a huge equalizing effect amongst colleges and universities.

With the internet and with people offering online, in-person, graduate, undergraduate, parents and students have lost the need for the hierarchy of institutions generally, unless it’s maybe the top 10, and are now going for fit. So families of faith or students who want a particular major or minor or student experience feel freer to pick a campus that matches their values.

Is there any specific action CCCU has taken since an appeals court in August upheld the Hunter v. U.S. Department of Education decision in a lower court that dismissed claims by LGBTQ students? They unsuccessfully sought removal of a religious exemption in Title IX gender discrimination rules for federally funded religious institutions.

The Title IX exemption is more secure today than it’s ever been. The importance of the case cannot be understated. This was a unanimous decision, and the decision found that the Title IX exemption is fully constitutional. The plaintiffs in this case may, in fact, try to get a further review in the 9th Circuit. We are hopeful that, because it was a unanimous decision, they will not take it up for review.

Do you consider this one of the successes of your time leading CCCU? And why or why not?

Yes. It’s a success. The Title IX exemption, which allows religious institutions—Christian colleges and universities prime among them—to live according to their mission, is a cornerstone of our work. And the CCCU, under my leadership, has had a three-part strategy. We had the court strategy, where we have been a leading voice in amicus briefs around religious freedom. The second one was this legislative effort (leading to the 2022 Respect for Marriage Act) where we have basically been part of changing the dynamic of a both/and approach: If you’re going to do LGBTQ civil rights, you’ve got to do religious freedom. And then this is an executive branch strategy. And in the executive branch, the Title IX exemption and other religious exemptions found in other titles allow the day-to-day operation to go unimpeded.

There have been, it appears, some CCCU member institutions that have been caught between conservative stakeholders, like parents and donors, and faculty who’ve expressed support for gay marriage or been accused of being “woke.” How does CCCU advise or take a role in those situations?

CCCU does not advise campuses on HR matters. And the cases that happen always have more to the story than is ever revealed in newspaper articles. That being said, the CCCU has been long on the record about saying that diverse views in classroom situations are important.

Compared to other private higher education institutions, we have more diverse conversations and more and different perspectives are more often raised in Christian college campuses than in secular campuses. So I think our campuses are doing a good job in making sure our students are prepared for world-class conversations.

In the wake of the death of George Floyd, Christian colleges got pushback for statements about racial justice by critics who said prayers and panel discussions were not sufficient. At the time, you committed yourself to help keep the “next generation of leaders” from giving up the possibility of concrete actions. Are there ways CCCU and its institutions have sought to address concerns about diversity and inclusion?

Yes, since George Floyd’s murder, there has been an intentional effort to make sure leaders of color are fully supported in our Multi-ethnic Leadership Development Institute, a key support mechanism where leaders of color come together, talk about their situations, learn from peers and come away refreshed and encouraged.

In our (quadrennial) 2022 International Forum, our speaker array reflected the CCCU’s commitment to have voices of leaders of color on the plenary stage to make sure this could be a central conversation in the very important set of conversations following George Floyd’s murder and the subsequent tragedies of other men and women of color.

Since 2019, you have worked to bring together presidents and other leaders of colleges and universities who have a different faith perspective than CCCU, which is an evangelical organization. What have been some specific outcomes of those gatherings with leaders of institutions affiliated with Catholics, Mormons, Jews and Muslims?

This ability to convene national voices with institutions that have common cause is one of the more significant successes of the CCCU in the last 10 years. Prior to 2014 there was an insider’s approach to Christian education, and since 2015 there has been a larger aperture about finding partners and allies who believe faith matters in higher education.

One of our newest outgrowths of early panels, which happened at the (CCCU) Presidents Conference, is a new Commission on Faith-based Colleges and Universities out of the American Council on Education, where members across higher education can be part of a group that is thinking concretely about the value of religious education in America.

What’s ahead for you when your retirement officially begins on Oct. 31?

I’m going to be writing the history of this decade at the CCCU. I am going to be doing some speaking and moderating of some conversations, which I have loved doing since my role at “Inner Compass” (a public television series) at Calvin University years ago, and I would like to spend more time understanding how prison education can advance the Matthew 25 imperative: “When I was sick you looked after me and when I was in prison you came to visit me.”