(RNS) — A long-lost letter has surfaced that describes President Abraham Lincoln’s belief in God. The Raab Collection of Philadelphia plans to sell a recently discovered letter written in 1866 by William Herndon, a Springfield, Ill., lawyer and Lincoln confidant.…
Diver searches for St. Paul's shipwreck
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (RNS) — Even long before the times of Jesus and the Apostle Paul, Malta was the rocky knob at the western edge of the Roman Empire, the place where the leftovers of the Mediterranean Sea washed up and…
Germans leaving Catholic Church in droves
BERLIN (RNS) — The number of Germans leaving the Roman Catholic Church rose dramatically in 2010 as Pope Benedict XVI’s homeland wrestled with reports of systematic sexual abuse of minors and attempted cover-ups, according to a study by a German…
LCMS donors give $1.3 million for Japan relief
As of April 28, donors had given $1,317,385.73 for The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod and its partners in Japan to aid those affected by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. But, by the time you read this, that figure will have…
2011 LEA convo reflects global 'crossings'
By Joe Isenhower Jr. CINCINNATI — The10th triennial Lutheran Education Association (LEA) Convocation here March 24-26 reflected a global perspective as 2,600 educators from 10 countries explored the event’s “Crossing Over” theme. The theme evokes this city’s bridges and its…
Spring storms damage LCMS churches, members' homes
By Sarah Schafer LCMS churches and congregation members saw damages as a string of severe spring storms wreaked havoc across the United States: a tornado in Iowa, another tornado in Wisconsin, flooding in North Dakota and wildfires in Texas. LCMS…
Ries accepts Concordia, St. Paul, presidency
LCMS Foundation President Rev. Tom Ries has accepted a call to serve as the ninth president of Concordia University, St. Paul, Minn., beginning June 1. Ries, 56, succeeds Dr. Robert Holst, who is retiring after serving in the post since…
LCMS member commands Wyoming's National Guard
Major General Luke Reiner, a member of Our Savior Lutheran Church, Cheyenne, Wyo., was promoted April 1 to adjutant general of the Wyoming Air and Army National Guard. He succeeds Major General Ed Wright, who served as the state’s senior…
ELCA's Paulson to speak at Fort Wayne seminary
Dr. Steven D. Paulson, associate professor of Systematic Theology at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minn., will offer two presentations April 26-27 at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Ind. Speaking during a “fireside chat” at 7:30 p.m. April 26…
Concordia, St. Paul, to host grant-writing workshop
Concordia University, St. Paul, Minn., will host a workshop on Strategic Grant Development April 27-28. The workshop, led by instructors from the Institute for Strategic Funding Development (ISFD) in Pasadena, Calif., is designed to teach the basics of grant writing…
Supreme Court takes dim view of church-state challenges
WASHINGTON (RNS) — The Supreme Court on April 4 rejected a challenge to an Arizona school tuition credit program critics contend was principally benefiting religious institutions. The 5-4 decision, combined with a 2007 ruling rejecting a similar challenge to the…
Group says Park Service stalling on religious displays
(RNS) — A national alliance of public employees is accusing the National Park Service of “leadership paralysis” for not addressing questions about religious displays at federal parks. The group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility had asked the Park Service last…
Court says Adventist postman can't get Saturday off
(RNS) — Neither snow nor rain nor Saturday Sabbaths should keep a Missouri mailman from his appointed rounds, a federal appeals court has ruled. Seventh-day Adventist Hosea Harrell argued he was the victim of religious discrimination when the U.S. Postal…
Hajj suit raises host of questions
WASHINGTON (RNS) — In 2008, Safoorah Khan, a math teacher in Illinois, asked for 15 days of unpaid leave (19 days, including weekends) to make a pilgrimage to Mecca, an obligation for all Muslims. The local school board refused, but…
TSA, airlines tread carefully on religious expression
(RNS) — Air travelers want to feel safe, and federal security officials want to make sure they actually are safe. If only it were that simple. Misunderstandings over religious expression have led to recent incidents that prompted apologies from airlines.…
Church bans employees' social networking with minors
MOBILE, Ala. (RNS) — The Archdiocese of Mobile has told staff and volunteers who work with children that electronic communication with minors must be limited to “providing information related to a ministry or event and not for socialization or other…
