Most churches are overexposed. Even the ones with clean books and a strong trustee board. I recently sat with a pastor and his senior deacon: good people, thoughtful, trying to do right by everyone. The pastor had inherited an agreement: provide retirement payments to the former pastor. And to his credit, he honored it. For 10 years. Then we met. In a

This story was first published on Jan. 24, 1997. TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – As soon as Virginia walks through the door of the old building renovated for a special church group, she is greeting everyone in the room. “Good morning. God bless you. I love you,” she says more than a dozen times on Sunday mornings. Earnest is quick to lend his Bible

In Black church tradition, women and hats have long stood at the intersection of faith, culture and dignity. What may appear to outsiders as fashion is, for many, an act of reverence — a visible expression of inward devotion shaped by scripture, history and lived experience. The most-often cited biblical passage comes from 1 Corinthians 11, which

I am a survivor of intimate partner violence. I don’t remember the hitting, likely due to a protective habit of leaving a blank space in my memory where a traumatic event occurred. My mind can’t conjure up images of a closed fist, about to strike. I do, however, remember the physical and emotional pain. I remember being very afraid and feeling

The "pioneers" and elders from the mosque pose with the marker. DURHAM – Last weekend, North Carolina’s first mosque was honored with a state historical marker. Since 1956, the Ar-Razzaq Islamic Center has served as a hub of education, worship and outreach for Muslims statewide. Members of the masjid gathered for the ceremony on Chapel Hill

With great sadness, I'm sharing the passing of my prolific cousin Richard Smallwood, front and center. Although absent from us physically, his music lives on to bring us closer to God. RICHARD SMALLWOOD – THE HAYTI CONNECTION Gospel legend Richard Smallwood is known the world over for his prolific musical creations and his mesmerizing performances.

There are now over 100,000 Opportunity Scholarship recipients. The scholarship provides vouchers for K-12 students to attend North Carolina private schools. Last school year, more than 75% of the scholarship funds, or $329 million, went to faith-based schools. Some argue that tax dollars going toward religious private schools violates the principle of the

DURHAM – Faith communities with extra land may be able to help relieve the housing squeeze in the Triangle. Last week, faith leaders wanting to learn how they can help communities struggling with housing affordability got a crash course on all the requirements to getting more affordable housing built in the area. Thankam Rangala, a pastor at