Recent Articles
Civic Engagement
International Religious Freedom: Fighting for the Common Good
Guest blog post by Rev. Mel Caraway and Rev. Phil DiekeWe had a great meeting today with a delegation from Tajikistan on "International Religious Freedom." Their visit was sponsored by the Department of State and the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth. ...
March 5: Where Do We Go From Here?
For ten years, the Texas Legislature has been a divided body. The extreme wing of the Republican Party controlled the Senate and the traditional wing of the Republican Party controlled the House. That ended on Tuesday. A House Speaker’s job is to “protect the...
Texas Public Schools Are Still Safe for Every Faith
Since last summer, our members have been urging their local school boards not to create a “new school chaplain program” as required by SB 763. Overwhelmingly, Texas school boards have agreed. Today is the deadline for school boards to vote, and we are pleased to...
Climate Justice
Climate Change Drives Change on Maine Coast
I am taking a break this week from talking about the Gulf of Mexico to spend a few minutes talking about my summer family travel to another gulf, the Gulf of Maine. Like the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf of Maine is experiencing rapid environmental change driven by climate...
Journey to Ghana
Imagine a room filled with the brightest minds in contemporary theology, vibrating with excitement and sharing groundbreaking ideas. This was the atmosphere at Sankofa Conference 2024, held in Legon, Ghana, where Pastors, Professors, Scientists, and Activists alike,...
US Supreme Court Stays Good Neighbor Rule
At the end of June the US Supreme Court issued a stay in a case called Ohio v. EPA that blocks the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from enforcing the Good Neighbor Rule, also known as the Cross State Air Pollution Rule. The Good Neighbor Rule addresss transport...
Economic Justice
Reproductive Health Policy
Reproductive Health Policy Texas has a long history of short-changing women's health, especially for women of color and low-income women. Recent extreme bans on abortion have created an environment of fear and anxiety that is impacting all of women's...
Texas Public Schools Are Still Safe for Every Faith
Since last summer, our members have been urging their local school boards not to create a “new school chaplain program” as required by SB 763. Overwhelmingly, Texas school boards have agreed. Today is the deadline for school boards to vote, and we are pleased to...
Texas’s March Primaries: What’s at stake
Texas’s March Primaries: What’s at stake The future of public education in Texas will be decided in the party primaries. The next month is particularly crucial. Early voting for the March 5 primary will begin on February 20th. In the March 5 primary,...
Human Rights
The Sanctity of Public Space
Photo by Everytown of advocates calling for gun violence prevention measures at Dallas City Hall.Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing the State Fair of Texas for banning firearms at its annual event. The State Fair of Texas, which has historically allowed those...
Inextricably Linked: Faith, Religion, and Migration
Migration has occurred since biblical times and is not a new phenomenon. People migrate for a multitude of reasons. One of these reasons is for religious persecution which is a protected ground under the refugee convention and in U.S. asylum laws. Today there...
Common Concerns: Let’s Talk about the Texas Abortion Ban
A few weeks ago I attended our first Common Concerns Listening Circle. The program, “Common Concerns: Shared Stories for Texas Women,” provides resources and optional facilitation for small group discussions. Our Common Concerns initiative is an opportunity for you to...