Queer Christian cover band reclaims church space
Queer Christian cover band reclaims church space by Caroline Love Medill Reports It started as an idea on Twitter. Now, it has 1.6 million views on TikTok. HERE’S THE PITCH: An all queer Relient K/Switchfoot cover band and we tour the country and put on shows for kids who were done wrong by their youth […]
Welcoming the stranger: refugees in America
by Caroline Love Medill Reports There are 26 million refugees in the world today, according to the United Nations, but only a fraction of them will gain a new home. “Less than one percent will ever be resettled into a third country,” said Sue Horgan, the senior director of program operations at Exodus World Service. […]
Keeping the spirit: Religious groups adapt to COVID-19 but challenges persist
By Jake Holland Medill Reports Instead of preaching to a live crowd, replete with white-haired parishioners and toddlers wobbling up and down the nave, Pastor Ryan Kapple has found himself facing the empty pews, delivering sermons via livestream to no one in particular. High-definition cameras track and record Kapple’s every move and turn of phrase, […]
The man in the skyscraper church
By Alyk Russell Kenlan Medill Reports “An unexpected raise! #blessed,” the Rev. Dr. Myron McCoy, 64, told his congregation during a recent service. “You don’t want one?” he teased. From the tallest church in the world, he delivers messages of inclusivity and diversity every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. The pastor’s journey to the 23-story Chicago Temple […]
Defender of the faith: Skokie man devotes life to educating about Islam
By Alex Ortiz It didn’t take long for Dr. Sabeel Ahmed to feel unwelcome when he immigrated to the United States from India at 17. During his first gym class, students spat on him because he is Muslim. He was called into the principal’s office to tell who did it, but when asked if they […]
From divinity to discrimination: The story of Sikhs in America
By Nikita Mandhani When Tarlochan Singh moved to Chicago in 1980, there weren’t many Sikhs in the city. As the only two boys who wore turbans in school, he and his brother encountered endless questions and mistreatment.
God is secondary in New Hampshire primary
By Jay Bouchard MANCHESTER, NH—Tom Rettberg reflects the historical nature of New Hampshire voters—a fickle electorate notoriously tough to impress. Standing in a crowded gymnasium waiting to hear Marco Rubio speak, Rettberg, an undecided voter from Weare, NH, described how he has spent months creating a comprehensive spreadsheet ranking each candidate in the Republican primary […]
