GuideStone, which provides insurance and retirement plans to pastors, is an entity of the Southern Baptist Convention, which last summer passed a constitutional amendment that bars member churches from having women in any pastoral role. That amendment, first proposed by Mike Law, an SBC pastor from Virginia, must be confirmed in 2024 to take effect. (Smietana, Religion News Service)
Read MoreMartin Luther King Jr. Day is approaching quickly – Monday, Jan. 15 — and this year, the federal holiday falls on the actual birthday of the celebrated civil rights leader who was assassinated more than a half a century ago. As the United States commemorates the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy, here are a few things to know about the holiday honoring the slain activist and his fight against inequality and racial injustice. (Romo, NPR)
Read MoreAmericans’ views of progress on racial equality, different forms of protest and what needs to change (Horowitz, Pew Research Center)
Read MoreAn evangelical kingmaker in Iowa warned that Donald Trump's campaign is doomed and is backing Ron DeSantis in the upcoming caucuses. Still, Trump seems poised for an easy win in Iowa and beyond. (Smietana, Religion News Services)
Read MoreThe death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI had been widely expected to clarify any muddiness about the hierarchy in Vatican City, leaving just one figure wearing papal white within its ancient walls. A year later, the voices questioning Francis’s basic authority have only grown louder, at the same time that bold, legacy-cementing moves by the 87-year-old pope have prompted broader backlash within the church. .(Faiola, Boorstein & Pitrelli, The Washington Post)
Read MoreHarvard University is being sued by Jewish students who have accused it of allowing its campus to become a bastion of rampant anti-Semitism. In a complaint filed on Wednesday, six students accused the US university of selectively enforcing its anti-discrimination policies to avoid protecting Jewish students from harassment, ignoring pleas for protection, and hiring professors who support anti-Jewish violence and spread anti-Semitic propaganda. (The Telegraph)
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