Recent headlines about churches accepting public funds for historic preservation have reignited the public debate about church-state separation. Though not expressly established in the Constitution, the separation of church and state is a value many Americans affirm. Yet this value can also have negative consequences; it tends to enforce the idea that church and state are fundamentally at odds, and that church-state collaborations ultimately undermine the integrity of one institution or the other. However, in reality, when faith-based organizations such as churches and nonprofits choose to partner with government it can benefit the organization, the government and the common good…

Christian colleges and universities can often find themselves on the defensive. They may be asked to explain their commitment to their Christian values, their high standards for faculty, staff and students, or how their sacred mission contributes to their academic goals. Although they are frequently scrutinized, the reality is that Christian colleges and universities make irreplaceable contributions to the common good not only in terms of advancing faith and intellect, but also in terms of economic impact…

When a local church is featured in the media, it isn’t usually to highlight its thriving ministry. Media consumers are more interested in church controversy than in the important work of small groups or outreach programs. Media organizations aren’t the only ones missing out on the important work of local churches; in fact, society often perceives the work of local churches as primarily taking place on Sunday mornings. However, many churches contribute extensively…

Religious freedom is a comprehensive issue that deals with a range of topics. Religious freedom protections have implications for whether an Orthodox Jewish community can build a temple, whether a Muslim man can retain a beard while imprisoned or whether a public university can host a Catholic club on campus. Today, conversations about religious freedom often revolve around the intersection of religion and sexual orientation/gender identity (SOGI). While religious freedom has to do with far more than…

Recent contentions surrounding the term “Evangelical” have forced Christians to reckon with the differences embedded in their faith community. As disagreements arise and counterpoints are exchanged, it is becoming increasingly clear that the terms “Evangelical” and “Christian” can mean a variety of things to different people. Yet despite political or theological divisions…

A new report on race and economic mobility in the United States exposes the stark racial divides between black and white American men with the same economic starting points. Using data from government sources to track the lives of 20 million Americans born between 1978 and 1982, the report indicates that...

On Tuesday, March 20, the U. S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in National Institute of Family and Life Advocates v. Becerra. The case concerns whether crisis pregnancy centers — often faith-based organizations — can be forced by California’s law, the Reproductive FACT Act, to advertise abortion to their patients.

According to this 2015 law, a licensed clinic providing primarily family planning...

The scriptural basis for caring for the orphan is clear: passages on the subject span the Old and New Testament and leave no room for interpretive error. Perhaps because of this, the Christian community has a history of caring for orphans through adoption agencies, foster programs, orphanages and other ministries. Yet while Christian communities are often generous...

Recent frustration over the government’s inability to preserve DACA has sparked renewed concern about immigration, especially as it involves youths and children. Stories about individual Dreamers who meaningfully contribute to U.S. society have circulated and amassed public, bipartisan support of DACA. But what if instead of having to come to the United States to succeed...

Criminal justice isn’t just a political issue. When over 2.7 million U.S. children have parents in prison, it’s also a family issue. When those single-parent families struggle to help their children succeed in school, it’s an education issue. When incarceration presents mental-health challenges, it’s a medical issue, and when returning citizens struggle to re-integrate into society, it’s a community issue. Finally, when the conditions in the criminal justice system lead to a sense of deep...

Most people can agree that our criminal justice system is flawed. There has been a 500% increase in prisoner populations over the last 40 years, with 2.2 million individuals in the United States living behind bars today. Severe racial and socioeconomic inequalities also pervade the criminal justice system; though people of color constitute 35% of the U.S. population, they make up 67% of the prison population. It is clear something needs to change. But what? ...

It’s no secret that nonprofit organizations — and faith-based organizations in particular — are being increasingly overlooked by the media and the public. According to FrameWorks Institute, one contributing factor is that the media tends to report on things on an episodic, rather than a thematic level. Media is much more likely to cover stories that highlight the individual tragedy or victory than the systems, structures and institutions that contributed to the individual’s story. This can be damaging for the faith-based nonprofit sector because it makes it all the more difficult for faith-based nonprofits to help frame the public discourse around the importance of...

How can faith-based organizations make themselves relevant to the particular cultural, political or news-cycle moment? The media often reports on what government is doing or what individuals are doing, but rarely focuses on all the communities and organizations in which we live our lives. These communities — family, church, school, neighborhood associations, civic groups, after-school programs, food banks — play a primary role in...

Apostle Angeloyd Fenrick was offered over one million dollars for the apartment building that she currently owns in Ward 8 of Southeast D.C, but she refused to sell. Why? Because this isn’t just any apartment building. This building is the home of Columbia Learning International Ministries (CLIM), a faith-based, Christ-centered non-profit organization located in DC that provides housing, case management services, and spiritual supports to the working homeless. CLIM’s sacred mission and vision calls it to...

Sacred Sector is a learning community for faith-based organizations and emerging leaders within the faith-based nonprofit sector to integrate and fully embody their sacred missions in every area of organizational life...