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  Americans pray for ‘me and mine’ when trouble comes, rarely praise God

  Americans pray for their friends, families and sometimes their enemies. They ask for divine help in times of trouble but rarely praise God’s greatness, according to a new survey from Nashville-based LifeWay Research.

  10/02/2014 - By John Rutledge

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  Religiously unaffiliated less likely see seek funerals led by ministers

  The “Nones” — Americans with no religious affiliation — are are increasingly turning from traditional funeral services to do-it-yourself and home funerals that often involve digital media.

  09/26/2014 - By John Rutledge

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  Mental illness remains taboo topic for many pastors, study shows

  Two-thirds of Protestant senior pastors—66 percent—seldom speak to their congregations about mental illness, a recent study of faith and mental illness by Nashville-based LifeWay Research revealed.

  09/25/2014 - By John Rutledge

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  Downbeat forecast for church choirs

  Choirs stand strong in black Protestant congregations, where 90 percent of regular worshippers say there’s a choir at the main service. The same is true for 76 percent of Catholic worshippers. But among white conservative evangelicals, only 40 percent of worshippers say they hear a choir at services, down from 63 percent 14 years ago.

  09/18/2014 - By John Rutledge

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  Big churches, big bucks: Southern senior pastors take top salaries

  Large churches in the South tend to pay their senior pastors the highest salaries, a new survey finds.

  09/12/2014 - By John Rutledge

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  Hispanic Christians launch initiative to boost student achievement

  With minority students making up a majority of public school enrollments, a national group of Hispanic evangelicals is calling for strong ties between churches and schools to encourage better academic results.

  09/09/2014 - By John Rutledge

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  Churches need to rethink service options for retiring baby boomers

  Many churches rely on retirees as volunteers to keep some programs and activities vital and growing. But what happens when they no longer show up?

  09/04/2014 - By John Rutledge

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  Faith Digest: Turbans no substitute for helmets, Ontario official insists

  Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne informed Sikhs in her province they are not exempted from motorcycle helmet laws.

  08/29/2014 - By John Rutledge

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  God at Nuremberg: How an American pastor came to comfort Nazis

  A new book tells the story of Lutheran chaplain Henry Gerecke, who witnessed to and prayed with Nazi defendants throughout the Nuremberg Trials, and accompanied some of them to the gallows.

  08/29/2014 - By John Rutledge

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  Feelings of persecution run deep, even when ill-founded

  The steady cultural shift away from church and faith may spell persecution for traditional Christians, Matt Cook often hears from fellow Baptists. But while sometimes unsettling, such developments are a far cry from persecution, he says.

  08/20/2014 - By John Rutledge

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  Faith Digest: Civil rights groups urge feds to purge anti-Muslim materials

  Civil rights and religious groups say efforts to rid federal agencies of anti-Muslim bias have faltered, and prejudice against Muslims persists, particularly in training anti-terrorism officers.

  08/20/2014 - By John Rutledge

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  Faith Digest: Acts 29 Network removes Driscoll

  The Acts 29 Network board of directors removed Seattle megachurch pastor Mark Driscoll from the church-planting network of more than 500 churches he helped found after a pattern of “ungodly and disqualifying behavior.”

  08/15/2014 - By John Rutledge