(RNS) — Future British kings and queens would be permitted to marry Catholics for the first time in more than three centuries under reforms proposed by British Prime Minister David Cameron. Writing to his fellow heads of government in the British…

OAKTOWN, Ind. (RNS) — Eleven-year-old Sarai Camacho of Donna, Texas, tears up when she tells why her mother let go the baby sitter for her and her younger sister this summer. It’s the same reason her father brought the family…

Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, will host a Lay Bible Institute on Islam from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 22. The workshop will offer participants information about Islam, including what Christians need to know about the beliefs and practices of Muslims. Leading the…

(RNS) — President Obama formally extended his ear to evangelicals ahead of the 2012 election, meeting with top leaders of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) in the White House for about 30 minutes on Oct. 12. International religious freedom was…

By James Heine At its meeting Sept. 17-20 in St. Louis, The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod Council of Presidents continued its ongoing conversation about ecclesiastical leadership in a post-church culture. The COP also heard reports from Synod Secretary Rev. Dr. Raymond L.…

LANSING, Mich. (RNS) – There’s a difference between a boisterous protest near a veteran’s funeral and an anti-war bumper sticker on a car parked near a funeral home — but not in the eyes of Michigan state law. A state Senate…

By James Heine More than 100 mission leaders and executives attended an LCMS national mission conference Sept. 20-22 in St. Louis. The conference was organized by the LCMS Office of National Mission (ONM) and the LCMS Office of the President. The goal…

(RNS) — Religion may not only save your soul, according to a new book, but could also have a real impact on your financial well-being. New research from “Faith and Money: How Religion Contributes to Wealth and Poverty” suggests that mainline…

The LCMS Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR) met Sept. 15-19 in El Paso, Texas — first for its regular quarterly meeting and then for an expanded “Consultation on Immigration Issues.”   At the consultation, the CTCR heard presentations from…

“Family Shield,” a weekly Christian radio program produced by Family Shield Ministries, St. Louis, expanded in September to 49 stations in 25 states.  The program was previously carried on four stations and Internet/satellite sites. The 15-year-old program — formerly an…

Concordia Theological Seminary’s Good Shepherd Institute will take an in-depth look at marriage and weddings at its Nov. 6-8 conference, “What God Has Joined Together: The Theology and Practice of Christian Marriage in Rite and Song.” “This conference is the…

Concordia University Texas, Austin, Texas, and the Lutheran Educational Conference of North America (LECNA) are co-sponsoring a “Symposium on Legacy and Leadership” Oct. 21 from 9 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. The “Wendish Heritage Week” event — which also will be…

WASHINGTON (RNS) — The U.S. Supreme Court will not hear a case involving three employees who were fired by the Christian humanitarian agency World Vision, allowing the relief group to maintain its mandatory statement of faith for its workers. World Vision…

ROME (RNS) — The Jews of old wandered the wilderness for 40 years before entering the Promised Land. For the exiled Jews of Libya, it’s already been 44. The struggle to reopen a synagogue in Libya, 44 years after the forced…

(RNS) — Radical American-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki may be dead, but the power of the Internet means he won’t soon be forgotten. And that, experts say, could make him just as dangerous dead as he was alive. Counterterrorism experts say…