Missions

The church at the edges

Church supports families affected by war in Congo

United Methodist Committee on Relief distributes monthly food kits to 300 vulnerable families and a church orphanage in Goma.

Affirming Human Dignity Across the Board

During the introductory session for CT’s recent Big Tent Convening in Oakland, the And Campaign’s Chris Butler, World Relief’s Liliana Reza, and CT editor Haleluya Hadero sat down to discuss the church, politics, and immigration. In this video, the three delve into President Dona

A Note on the Elisabeth Elliot Article

I’ve always admired Elisabeth and Jim Elliot. Both are true heroes of the faith: Jim, a martyr, and Elisabeth, a woman of undaunted courage. After Jim’s death, Elisabeth took the baton, went to the Waorani, and successfully shared the gospel with the very people who had killed he

Rediscovering the works of John Wesley, in Spanish

This year marks the 25th anniversary of a special consultation focused on the Spanish translation of John Wesley’s works. Scholars are celebrating that milestone by publishing an upcoming volume of selected writings.

Computer training empowers South Sudanese refugees

A United Methodist project provides 50 young people in Ugandan refugee settlements with hands-on digital literacy training.

United Methodists, Korean church renew ties

Building on 141 years of shared missionary heritage, leaders of The United Methodist Church and the Korean Methodist Church signed a new covenant committing their mission agencies to regular dialogue and deeper cooperation.

A Baptist Brought Jesus to Burma. His Spiritual Descendants Bought His Birthplace.

Whenever diaspora Burmese Christians gathered in Boston, they would drive up to the 18th-century white colonial-style house on 145 Main Street in Malden, Massachusetts, where Baptist missionary Adoniram Judson was born and lived for the first four and a half years of his life. Th

Augustine had reservations about ‘just war’ claims L’Osservatore Romano

N.b. The official Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, has published a front-page article arguing that St. Augustine had reservations about just war. Vatican News, the news agency of the Dicastery for Communication, simultaneously published translations in English, German, Po

Columbus’ own writings reveal how tightly religion and conquest were intertwined from the start

(The Conversation) — The ‘Book of Prophecies’ shows how Columbus recast brutal colonization as a divine mission.

Communiqué from the Inaugural Symposium of the Anglican Communion Schools’ Network (ACSN)

From 30 September to 2 October 2026, leaders of Anglican schools and education systems from across the Communion met in London for the inaugural symposium of the Anglican Communion Schools’ Network (ACSN). We came from 11 Provinces and 12 countries and gathered under the theme An

50 years of turning faith into action

From disaster zones to mission fields around the world, United Methodist Volunteers in Mission marks a half-century of making a difference.

New Tools for Translation Present Opportunities

All sorts of Christians want to read the great tradition. We should remove the obstacles.

Why Translation Must Have Fingerprints

The shift from Christianity as a human-translated religion to an AI-translated religion is far from seamless and shouldn’t be overlooked glibly.

Episcopal Free Fellowship of America announces incardination of three Trinity North Shore clergy and appointment of Rev. Tim Clayton as Canon Missioner to the Earth

BEVERLY, Mass., Sept. 28, 2026 — The Episcopal Free Fellowship of America (EFFA) announced today that Bishop Joshua Lickter incardinated the Rev. Tim Clayton, the Rev. Wendy Dixon, and the Rev. Jen Keifer into the fellowship during a seaside service held Aug. 12 in Beverly, Massa

Western Gulf Coast sets Nov. 7 synod to elect Paul Donison as bishop; Great Plains transfer proposed

The Diocese of the Western Gulf Coast has called an electoral synod for Nov. 7 to choose its second bishop, with the Rt. Rev. Paul Donison standing as the sole nominee, while the Great Plains Missionary District is preparing to join the diocese if the election succeeds and the re

Before Your Church Plants, Ask How

Paul’s first missionary journey gives us nine practical principles for how we can plant churches.

Orthodox–Anglican Theological Dialogue focuses on witnessing Christ in the modern world

The International Commission for Anglican–Orthodox Theological Dialogue met in Alexandria, Egypt, from September 19 to 24, 2026, at the invitation of the Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa. The discussions focused on Christian witness in the contemporary world, mission, re

Better Together: Men and Women in the Church

When men and women work together toward a shared mission and vision in Christ’s church, we get a fuller representation of what it means to bear the image of God.

Trump administration again omits refugees fleeing religious persecution from US program

(RNS) — The Trump administration set the refugee cap for 2027 at 17,500, the same as this year. That would make it the second year in a row of historically low admissions — made up primarily of white South Africans.

Missionary’s Killer Denied Early Release Amid Christian Calls for Justice

Odisha officials have rejected the premature release of the man serving life in prison for the 1999 murders of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two young sons. The State Sentence Review Board refused to recommend remission for Rabindra Kumar Pal, better known as Dara

4 Missionary Insights for Workplace Evangelism

How would closed-country missionaries evangelize if they were placed in my job, in my secular workplace?

A Statement from The Council of Anglican Episcopal Churches in Germany (CAECG) on the recent election results in Saxony-Anhalt

At our September 18 – 19 meeting in Hamburg, the member churches of the CAECG gathered todiscuss how migrants and refugees are confronted with increasing anxiety and even hostility in oursociety and how we can and should respond as international churches. We had not realised when

How Tim Keller Rearranged His Life in His Final Years

A few years ago I visited a friend who serves as a pastor in Hawaii. The moment I stepped off the plane, I understood why they call it paradise. Warm breeze. Turquoise water. Lush mountains draped in greenery. I said to my friend, “Everything is so great here! If people are livin

How to Grieve When Loved Ones Leave for the Mission Field

These wonderful people in your life aren’t yours to keep. They’re God’s gift to you, and they’re his to send on mission.

Church expands access to clean water in Liberia

Through its Water for Life initiative, the Liberia Conference is installing wells and sanitation facilities throughout the country to help reduce waterborne diseases and improve safety and equity for women and girls.

African churches offer critical response to refugees and statelessness

At least 45 million people are displaced and 1 million are stateless on the continent, according to the UN Refugees Agency, for reasons including war, conflict, persecution, colonial legacies, discrimination, and displacement. Statelessness is highest in Coté d’Ivore where the nu

Six and a Half Years Kidnapped by Terrorists

On the evening of October 14, 2016, armed Islamic terrorists from the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) descended on American missionary Jeff Woodke’s home in Abalak, a town in northern Niger. They shot two house guards and abducted Woodke as he tried to escape, then mo

Hispanic-Latino caucus reviews mission, structure

MARCHA sets priorities at annual meeting, including reviewing bylaws, strengthening ties with Latin America, advocating for immigrant communities and developing the Elías Galván Endowment Fund.

New Bishop of Warwick announced

The new Bishop of Warwick will be the Revd Canon Dr Tim Lomax Downing Street has announced today, after his nomination was approved by the King. Tim is currently Director of Mission and Ministry in the Diocese of St Albans and Residentiary Canon at St Alban’s Cathedral. He succee

James Laney had big impact on Africa University

The late pastor and missionary was at the helm of choosing where the pan-African university would be built, and his network proved invaluable.

It’s Not Loving to Withhold Truth from an Apathetic Church

Growing up, I often heard one statement in my church youth group: “The most loving thing you can do is tell someone the truth.” The statement became especially potent whenever we gathered for a weekend at the Youth Evangelism Conference in my home state of Oklahoma to be reminded

How a Kidnapping Shaped a Missionary Couple’s Ministry

Sitting alone in a tepee-like shelter made from sticks collected by a dry African riverbed in 1974, 24-year-old Debbie Dortzbach stitched the words of Psalm 34:4 onto a white bandage from her captors’ helicopter first aid kit. The phrase “I sought the Lord and he heard me” altern

A chapel near ground zero was a relief center after 9/11. Now, an exhibit honors its victims.

NEW YORK (RNS) — A new origami installation strings 2,977 paper cranes: one for each person killed in the attacks. The 'Ever Present' exhibition also features artifacts left there in the months after 9/11.

Widow Forgives as Killer of Missionary Graham Staines and His Sons Seeks Early Release

More than 25 years after a Hindu nationalist mob burned Christian missionary Graham Staines and his two young sons alive in India, the man primarily responsible for their deaths is seeking an early release from prison. Rabindra Kumar Pal, better known as Dara Singh, petitioned In

Farewell to the Anglican Aboriginal Bishop and a gift from Canterbury

Bishop Chris McLeod laid up his staff as the Anglican National Aboriginal Bishop on Saturday morning in Adelaide’s St Peter’s Cathedral, where he continues as dean. ”Bishop Chris has been a courageous, outspoken, wise and diplomatic leader for First Nations Anglicans and will be

From 29,000 to Zero: Persecuted Christian Refugee Admissions Plunge

WASHINGTON – The U.S. is on track for a historic first: an entire year without resettling a single Christian refugee from the countries where believers face the most persecution. Roughly one in seven Christians, globally, are persecuted for their faith. For decades, those forced

Happy 25th Birthday, ESV: Reflections from John Piper

John Piper explains why he likes the ESV, how many copies he has, and what Bible translation he uses for his personal devotions.

Christian Camp Evicted From Burning Man After Hundreds Reportedly Accept Jesus

A Christian missionary camp was expelled from Burning Man after organizers accused its members of repeatedly violating festival policies while sharing the gospel and conducting baptisms in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. Federal officers and volunteer Black Rock Rangers ordered Shift

Stunning Find Emerges Along Waters Where Jesus Performed a Famous Miracle

Falling water levels in the Sea of Galilee have exposed part of an ancient Roman-era port that once connected Capernaum to the lake during the time of Jesus. The structure emerged along the lake’s northern shore in November 2025, revealing rows of enormous stones arranged to crea

As the far-right in Germany aims to take power, churches are fighting back

BURG near Magdeburg, Germany (RNS) — The AfD may gain power on Sept. 6 in Saxony-Anhalt, posing a direct threat to refugees and the German churches that serve them. Inspired by past resistance in East Germany, faith leaders are doing everything they can to stand in the way of the far-right group.

A Message from the ADOSC Standing Committee on the Porter-Gaud affair

The following letter was sent to the clergy of the ADOSC on September 2, 2026. Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Grace and peace to you in our Lord Jesus Christ. Tuesday morning at 8:45 a.m., Bishop Edgar submitted a letter to Bishop Julian Dobbs, Dean of the Province, indicating v

Trump Taps Christian Pastor for Role with CDC

President Donald Trump is putting a pastor at the table at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and he’s making it clear that reaching America’s overlooked communities is part of the mission. Pastor Darrell Scott, a longtime Trump ally and outspoken Christian leader, h

Died: Wendell Berry, Kentucky Poet and Novelist Who Loved God’s Creation

When Wendell Berry’s despair woke him in the night, he would go and lie down in the “peace of wild things,” he wrote. He’d find a wading duck, a feeding heron, and a stream of rushing water and “rest in the grace” of creation. To counter the world’s troubles, he engaged the earth

Old Age Is Not a Problem to Be Solved

On the cover of Lucy S. R. Austen’s biography of the late Elisabeth Elliot, she looks—well, old. The black-and-white photograph, from 1986, shows the wife of the martyred missionary Jim Elliot in a kind of wry pose, perhaps a little amused. Her gray hair has been styled in the ma

The Religious Freedom Showdown at a Nude Spa in Seattle

The water of the soaking pool I’d chosen at the Olympus Spa was pretty perfect: 104 degrees and gently bubbling with hot tub jets. It was delightful, but I was exhausted, jet-lagged from a redeye flight, and in the heat of battle between two powerful instincts. One was to people-

I Blocked My Search Engine So I Could Wait on God

I began to find unexpected joy and relief in the fact that I simply couldn’t know.

Samaritan’s Purse turns down $300M from State Department for humanitarian relief

(RNS) — Franklin Graham, one of President Trump’s most stalwart evangelical allies, did not offer any reasons for rejecting the federal funds, which would have been used for ‘immediate life-saving assistance to people affected by natural disasters.’

Mission Partnerships Need Deeper Relationships

Because gospel influence, like water, flows downhill along channels of relationships, Paul was confident these churches would spread.

CIA and Vatican visits converge in Moscow amid rising tensions over Ukraine

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — As the CIA director quietly carried warnings to Moscow, Pope Leo’s foreign minister arrived offering dialogue and humanitarian cooperation — two contrasting missions that one Vatican expert likened to a 'good cop, bad cop operation.'

Churches mobilize after deadly Nepal-Tibet floods

Churches and mission partners are responding after catastrophic floods along the Nepal-Tibet border, as Asian Christian leaders call for prayer, humanitarian support and sustained solidarity with affected communities.