Showing posts with label Churches. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Churches. Show all posts
Friday, July 10, 2026
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Saturday, April 11, 2026
Saturday, April 04, 2026
Trump Admin Signals Clarity on Church Speech
By Charlie McCarthy | Friday, 03 April 2026 12:23 PM EDT
The Trump administration announced Friday that it will "provide additional clarity and guidance" to religious organizations after a federal judge's decision this week to dismiss a case seeking to overturn the 70-year-old ban on political activity by houses of worship.
The Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service issued a statement saying the move is aimed at reinforcing First Amendment protections while helping churches better understand how existing law applies to their communications.
"Religious liberty is foundational to our Constitution," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, adding that the administration is committed to ensuring Americans can "practice one's faith openly and in community" while laws are applied fairly.
The new guidance will focus on clarifying how the Johnson Amendment, the 1954 law that restricts tax-exempt organizations from endorsing political candidates, applies in real-world settings, particularly within religious services.
According to Treasury, internal communications between houses of worship and their congregations, when delivered through customary religious channels and tied to matters of faith, may not constitute prohibited political activity under current interpretations of the law.
Thursday, March 12, 2026
Tuesday, September 30, 2025
Saturday, August 30, 2025
Sunday, July 06, 2025
ICE Goes After Church Leaders and Christians Fleeing Persecution
ANDY OLSEN
On Tuesday, Iranian asylum-seekers were detained in Los Angeles, adding to the count of church members taken despite lawful status.
Pastor Ara Torosian filmed ICE arresting Iranian members of his congregation.
CHRISTIANITY TODAYJUNE 26, 2025
Ara Torosian
On June 19, as Iran and Israel exchanged volleys of missiles and officials secretly finalized plans to dispatch American bombers to strike Iranian nuclear sites, pastor Ara Torosian published a letter to his church.
Torosian, an Iranian pastor at Cornerstone West Los Angeles, leads the church’s Farsi-speaking congregation. He came to the United States as a refugee 15 years ago after being imprisoned for his faith. He has always carried in his heart a prayer, Torosian wrote: “that Iran would be free.”
Now, explosions were rocking Tehran and other Iranian cities, wounding and killing children and grandparents, and Torosian was shouldering new burdens from halfway across the globe.
“There are people currently in Iran who were baptized in this very church and still listen to our sermons regularly. We are far from them,” Torosian wrote, urging Cornerstone’s English- and Spanish-speaking congregations to stand with and pray for the Persian worshipers. “We Farsi-speaking believers are living minute by minute with heavy hearts. We’re asking: Are our loved ones safe? Are they alive? What is happening to them?”
But five days later, the suffering of his loved ones came suddenly very close.
On Tuesday, the pastor recorded on his phone as masked federal immigration agents arrested two of his church members on a Los Angeles sidewalk. The Iranian husband and wife had pending asylum cases, according to Torosian. They fled Iran for fear of persecution for being Christians and had been part of his congregation for about a year.
On Tuesday, Iranian asylum-seekers were detained in Los Angeles, adding to the count of church members taken despite lawful status.
Pastor Ara Torosian filmed ICE arresting Iranian members of his congregation.
CHRISTIANITY TODAYJUNE 26, 2025
Ara Torosian
On June 19, as Iran and Israel exchanged volleys of missiles and officials secretly finalized plans to dispatch American bombers to strike Iranian nuclear sites, pastor Ara Torosian published a letter to his church.
Torosian, an Iranian pastor at Cornerstone West Los Angeles, leads the church’s Farsi-speaking congregation. He came to the United States as a refugee 15 years ago after being imprisoned for his faith. He has always carried in his heart a prayer, Torosian wrote: “that Iran would be free.”
Now, explosions were rocking Tehran and other Iranian cities, wounding and killing children and grandparents, and Torosian was shouldering new burdens from halfway across the globe.
“There are people currently in Iran who were baptized in this very church and still listen to our sermons regularly. We are far from them,” Torosian wrote, urging Cornerstone’s English- and Spanish-speaking congregations to stand with and pray for the Persian worshipers. “We Farsi-speaking believers are living minute by minute with heavy hearts. We’re asking: Are our loved ones safe? Are they alive? What is happening to them?”
But five days later, the suffering of his loved ones came suddenly very close.
On Tuesday, the pastor recorded on his phone as masked federal immigration agents arrested two of his church members on a Los Angeles sidewalk. The Iranian husband and wife had pending asylum cases, according to Torosian. They fled Iran for fear of persecution for being Christians and had been part of his congregation for about a year.
Thursday, June 26, 2025
Church Stormed by ICE Agents in California
Published Jun 26, 2025 at 9:52 AM EDT
Trump Administration Will Allow Migrant Arrests at Churches, Schools
By Billal Rahman
Immigration Reporter
Federal immigration agents conducted enforcement operations in and around several churches in Southern California.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents entered Catholic parish properties in Montclair and Highland on Friday, June 20, according to The San Bernardino Sun.
Newsweek reached out to ICE and the churches involved via email for comment.
Why It Matters
The Department of Homeland Security reversed the Biden administration's policy of prohibiting ICE agents from operating in or near schools, churches, and other "sensitive locations."
Churches in the United States play a key role in supporting migrants by offering resources, aid, and assistance. They often act as temporary shelters, especially for newcomers or those passing through. Many provide designated areas for rest and recovery, while also operating food banks, distributing clothing, and supplying other essentials to help migrants address their immediate needs.
What To Know
ICE detained several individuals in the parking lot of St. Adelaide Church in Highland, none of whom were parish employees or registered parishioners, according to The San Bernardino Sun.
ICE agents took one male parishioner into custody at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Montclair, the outlet reported.
"We have experienced at least one case of ICE agents entering a parish property and seizing several people. It should be no surprise that this is creating a tremendous amount of fear, confusion and anxiety for many. It is not of the Gospel of Jesus Christ – which guides us in all that we do," Bishop of the Diocese of San Bernardino, Alberto Rojas, said in a statement Tuesday.
A woman walks past Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Downey, California, where she said she witnessed masked federal agents detaining a person earlier this month, on June 20, 2025. AP/Damian Dovarganes
Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Tuesday, June 17, 2025
Saturday, April 26, 2025
‘Never turn people away’: In the spirit of Francis, Boston’s Catholic churches embrace immigrants
‘Never turn people away’: In the spirit of Francis, Boston’s Catholic churches embrace immigrants
Following the sexual-abuse crisis that badly damaged the Boston Archdiocese, a surge of committed, immigrant parishioners has given the...
Monday, October 21, 2024
Why Black Churches EMBRACE Politicians like Kamala Harris
Saturday, July 22, 2023
Ownership of Churches: Congregation, Neighbors, or the City?
Christopher Lingle
Janna Lu
– July 22, 2023
Once a vibrant church with a storied past, West Park Presbyterian Church has found itself in a battle over property rights. Established in the Upper West Side of New York City in 1852, it supported the LGBT movement as it gained popularity in 1978, and delivered meals during the AIDS epidemic.
Now church attendance has dwindled to 12 members, and the church leaders and congregation want to sell the building and grounds. Neighbors, including some celebrities, oppose it on the grounds that the church gives value to the neighborhood and have voiced their opposition to the sale.
Since the church owns the entire property, its congregation and leadership think they should have a final say in what happens to the building. The NYC Landmark Preservation Commission, however, designated the church as a historical landmark in 2010, thereby blocking the wishes of the church leadership.
With such a small congregation they cannot afford to maintain and restore the property. As owners of the property, they want to reclaim their rights over it so they can legally trade or transfer the building.
A landmark designation “preserves and protects these properties from being demolished or significantly altered in a way that would detract from their historical or cultural value.” Built in the late 19th Century, the building has been described as “one of the best examples of a Romanesque Revival-style religious structure in New York City.”
When the Landmark Commission deliberated conferring landmark status to the church building in 2010, they believed the community would fund the needed renovations. But due to high estimates for renovation costs—the church leaders filed a petition to remove the landmark designation on hardship grounds in June 2022.
The church leadership was given an estimate for repair costs that exceed $50 million, including $17 million to repair the exterior. Over the past 7 years, the church has spent more than $1 million in repairs, funded by the sale of some assets, including a manse.
Once a vibrant church with a storied past, West Park Presbyterian Church has found itself in a battle over property rights. Established in the Upper West Side of New York City in 1852, it supported the LGBT movement as it gained popularity in 1978, and delivered meals during the AIDS epidemic.
Now church attendance has dwindled to 12 members, and the church leaders and congregation want to sell the building and grounds. Neighbors, including some celebrities, oppose it on the grounds that the church gives value to the neighborhood and have voiced their opposition to the sale.
Since the church owns the entire property, its congregation and leadership think they should have a final say in what happens to the building. The NYC Landmark Preservation Commission, however, designated the church as a historical landmark in 2010, thereby blocking the wishes of the church leadership.
With such a small congregation they cannot afford to maintain and restore the property. As owners of the property, they want to reclaim their rights over it so they can legally trade or transfer the building.
A landmark designation “preserves and protects these properties from being demolished or significantly altered in a way that would detract from their historical or cultural value.” Built in the late 19th Century, the building has been described as “one of the best examples of a Romanesque Revival-style religious structure in New York City.”
When the Landmark Commission deliberated conferring landmark status to the church building in 2010, they believed the community would fund the needed renovations. But due to high estimates for renovation costs—the church leaders filed a petition to remove the landmark designation on hardship grounds in June 2022.
The church leadership was given an estimate for repair costs that exceed $50 million, including $17 million to repair the exterior. Over the past 7 years, the church has spent more than $1 million in repairs, funded by the sale of some assets, including a manse.
Sunday, July 02, 2023
Wednesday, June 21, 2023
The Largest and Fastest Religious Shift in America Is Well Underway
June 21, 2023
Credit...Eleanor Davis
By Jessica Grose
Opinion Writer
This is the fourth newsletter in a series about Americans moving away from religion. Read part one, part two and part three.
In previous newsletters about Americans falling away from religion, I’ve talked about why so many Americans’ religious identities now fall in the category known as “nones” when, just a half-century ago, nearly all Americans had some kind of affiliation. (It’s complicated and multifaceted, but to summarize, it’s largely a combination of Christianity’s association with far-right politics and the fact that being unreligious has become more socially acceptable over time.)
But it’s not just how Americans identify that has greatly shifted. In their new book “The Great Dechurching: Who’s Leaving, Why Are They Going and What Will It Take to Bring Them Back?” Jim Davis and Michael Graham with Ryan Burge argue that the most dramatic change may be in regular attendance at houses of worship. “We are currently in the middle of the largest and fastest religious shift in the history of our country,” they postulate, because “about 15 percent of American adults living today (around 40 million people) have effectively stopped going to church, and most of this dechurching has happened in the past 25 years.”
While the authors find that there is some variation in the rates at which different demographic groups are dechurching (Hispanic Americans are dechurching at the lowest rate, for example), every group is trending away from traditional worship. As Davis, Graham and Burge put it: “No theological tradition, age group, ethnicity, political affiliation, education level, geographic location or income bracket escaped the dechurching in America.”
By Jessica Grose
Opinion Writer
This is the fourth newsletter in a series about Americans moving away from religion. Read part one, part two and part three.
In previous newsletters about Americans falling away from religion, I’ve talked about why so many Americans’ religious identities now fall in the category known as “nones” when, just a half-century ago, nearly all Americans had some kind of affiliation. (It’s complicated and multifaceted, but to summarize, it’s largely a combination of Christianity’s association with far-right politics and the fact that being unreligious has become more socially acceptable over time.)
But it’s not just how Americans identify that has greatly shifted. In their new book “The Great Dechurching: Who’s Leaving, Why Are They Going and What Will It Take to Bring Them Back?” Jim Davis and Michael Graham with Ryan Burge argue that the most dramatic change may be in regular attendance at houses of worship. “We are currently in the middle of the largest and fastest religious shift in the history of our country,” they postulate, because “about 15 percent of American adults living today (around 40 million people) have effectively stopped going to church, and most of this dechurching has happened in the past 25 years.”
While the authors find that there is some variation in the rates at which different demographic groups are dechurching (Hispanic Americans are dechurching at the lowest rate, for example), every group is trending away from traditional worship. As Davis, Graham and Burge put it: “No theological tradition, age group, ethnicity, political affiliation, education level, geographic location or income bracket escaped the dechurching in America.”
Sunday, May 07, 2023
Saturday, April 08, 2023
Friday, June 11, 2021
Manhattan church celebrates Pride Month with eye-catching lights display
By Lauren Glassberg
Friday, June 11, 2021 5:45PM
Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in Manhattan is celebrating Pride Month big time -- with a huge, eye-catching lights display.
MORNINGSIDE HEIGHTS, Manhattan (WABC) -- A cathedral in Manhattan is celebrating Pride Month big time -- with a huge, eye-catching lights display.
At a cathedral where there are depictions of saints and civil rights leaders, it may be no surprise that during the month of Pride, the columns are lit up.
"It's the bringing together of the ancient and the modern," Malloy said.
Construction of the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine began in 1892, when LGBTQ were just letters.
But at its foundation, this Episcopal cathedral in Morningside Heights has always been for everyone, according to Reverend Patrick Malloy.
"This cathedral has a history of being supportive of LGBTQ, and that's nothing new -- how we do that from time to time changes," Malloy said.
The lights were first turned on in June of 2019, for a week. And they're back this year for the entire month of June.
A decision that was both popular and important.
"For many people, so unexpected that the church would be this affirming of LGBTQ people," Malloy said.
Mass is often said in front of triptych of Christ -- Keith Haring's last major work before he died from AIDS. It's a piece that sits proudly in a cathedral where lights now also illuminate an inclusive path.
"This huge huge place has room for everybody including LGBTQ people," Malloy said.
In-person services are on hold for a few more weeks because of the pandemic, but the cathedral is open every day to the public for prayer and reflection and to take in the Pride lights while they shine.
Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in Manhattan is celebrating Pride Month big time -- with a huge, eye-catching lights display.
MORNINGSIDE HEIGHTS, Manhattan (WABC) -- A cathedral in Manhattan is celebrating Pride Month big time -- with a huge, eye-catching lights display.
At a cathedral where there are depictions of saints and civil rights leaders, it may be no surprise that during the month of Pride, the columns are lit up.
"It's the bringing together of the ancient and the modern," Malloy said.
Construction of the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine began in 1892, when LGBTQ were just letters.
But at its foundation, this Episcopal cathedral in Morningside Heights has always been for everyone, according to Reverend Patrick Malloy.
"This cathedral has a history of being supportive of LGBTQ, and that's nothing new -- how we do that from time to time changes," Malloy said.
The lights were first turned on in June of 2019, for a week. And they're back this year for the entire month of June.
A decision that was both popular and important.
"For many people, so unexpected that the church would be this affirming of LGBTQ people," Malloy said.
Mass is often said in front of triptych of Christ -- Keith Haring's last major work before he died from AIDS. It's a piece that sits proudly in a cathedral where lights now also illuminate an inclusive path.
"This huge huge place has room for everybody including LGBTQ people," Malloy said.
In-person services are on hold for a few more weeks because of the pandemic, but the cathedral is open every day to the public for prayer and reflection and to take in the Pride lights while they shine.
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