Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Peter Smith
Fear and vigilance rise as attacks on houses of worship intensify worldwide
Every week hundreds of millions of people around the world gather to worship in peace. But for some, deadly violence invades their sacred spaces and shatters that sense of sanctuary and safety. It happened recently at a synagogue in England and two churches in the United States. Those followed other high-profile attacks — violence that can intensify anxiety and outright fear among clergy and worshippers worldwide.
Some admirers of Charlie Kirk hope response to death signals start of religious revival
|
With Vice President JD Vance calling Charlie Kirk “a martyr for Christianity,” and a Catholic cardinal calling him “a modern-day St. Paul,” some Kirk admirers suggest his assassination will galvanize throngs of people — notably young conservatives — to become more engaged in evangelical and Catholic churches. Evocations of Kirk-inspired religious fervor surfaced almost immediately after his death on Sept.
By David Crary Verified, Peter SMith, Deepa Bharath Verified, Holly Meyer Verified, Peter SMith, Peter Smith, Holly Meyer
|
Arizona Daily Star
Verified
Church in flux: In the US, Protestant denominations try new ideas as they face declines in members and money
PETER SMITH, of Associated Press, reports on how mainline Protestant churches are grappling with the changing religious landscape in the US… United States AP When the Episcopal Church recently announced cuts to its national staff, it was the latest in a long-running cycle among historic US Protestant denominations – declines in members leading to declines in funding and thus in staff. And it wasn’t alone.
Explainer - Who are the Mennonites in a Texas community where measles is spreading?
AP The Mennonite population being affected by a measles outbreak in West Texas is part of a larger, loosely affiliated group of churches worldwide with varied beliefs and leadership structures – and with sometimes strained or distant relations with health officials and other public authorities. Who are the Mennonites? Mennonites are part of the wider Anabaptist family of churches, which emerged in 1525 as the radical wing of the Protestant Reformation in Central Europe.
"Ordo amoris": A short honeymoon for Catholics in DC as Vice President Vance clashes with bishops on migration
PETER SMITH, of Associated Press, reports that less than a week after the inauguration, US Vice President JD Vance has sparred with some senior Catholics… The sense of Catholic unity didn’t last long. Less than a week after Vice President JD Vance shared the inauguration stage with a senior Catholic cardinal, Vance picked a fight with the top American leaders of his church.
Saints of Past Ages: Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Amid ongoing controversy surrounding the German theologian executed by the Nazis, PETER SMITH, of Associated Press, looks at his life and legacy… AP Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a Lutheran pastor and theologian from Germany executed by the Nazis in 1945 at age 39 for his role in a resistance movement that included attempts to assassinate German leader Adolf Hitler. Bonhoeffer was born in 1906 in Breslau, Germany (present-day Wroclaw, Poland), one of eight children in a prominent, well-educated family.
Eucharist celebration: On heartland roads, and a riverboat, devout Catholics press on with two-month nationwide pilgrimage
PETER SMITH, of Associated Press, reports on the progress of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage in the US… Steubenville, Ohio AP “Bye bye, Jesus!” a child called out as the riverboat chugged away from shore into the Ohio River, a solemn bell tolling amid the thrumming of an old-fashioned sternwheel.
Pennsylvania bishop Sean Rowe elected new leader of Episcopal Church in US. He's the youngest since 1789
United States AP Sean Rowe, a 49-year-old bishop from western Pennsylvania, on Wednesday became the youngest person ever elected as leader of the Episcopal Church. He immediately issued a sobering call for the church, which has faced division and chronic membership loss, to confront an “existential crisis” that he compared with the steel industry collapse in his native Rust Belt.
Explainer: Alarmed by embryo destruction, Southern Baptists urge caution on IVF by couples and government
Indianapolis, US AP Southern Baptist delegates expressed alarm on Wednesday over the way in vitro fertilisation is routinely being practiced, approving a resolution lamenting that the creation of surplus frozen embryos often results in “destruction of embryonic human life.” They urged members to carefully weigh the ethical implications of the technology while also expressing sympathy with couples “who experience the searing pain of infertility.” Messengers stand for worship during a Southern...
Church under pressure: Scrutiny of Ukraine church draws praise, fear of overreach
PETER SMITH and VASILISA STEPANENKO, of Associated Press, report on the ongoing scrutiny of churches in Ukraine… Kyiv, Ukraine AP After its searches of holy sites belonging to Ukraine’s historic Orthodox church, the nation’s security agency posted photos of evidence it recovered – including rubles, Russian passports and leaflets with messages from the Moscow Patriarch.
US politics: Jesus is their Saviour, Trump is their candidate. Ex-President's backers say he shares faith, values
PETER SMITH, of Associated Press, reports on the continuing support for Donald Trump among some evangelicals and other Christians… United States AP As Donald Trump increasingly infuses his campaign with Christian trappings while coasting to a third Republican presidential nomination, his support is as strong as ever among evangelicals and other conservative Christians.
Why the speech by Kansas City Chiefs kicker was embraced at Benedictine College's commencement
Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker may have stirred controversy in some quarters for his proclamations of conservative politics and Catholicism on Saturday, but he received a standing ovation from graduates and other attendees of the May 11 commencement ceremony at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas.
In the US, United Methodists vote to remove anti-gay language from their official teachings on societal issues
Charlotte, North Carolina, US AP United Methodist delegates on Thursday removed a 52-year-old declaration from their official social teachings that deemed “the practice of homosexuality…incompatible with Christian teaching” – part of a wider series of historic reversals of the denomination’s longstanding disapproval of LGBTQ activity.
Explainer - United Methodists open first top-level conference since breakup over LGBTQ inclusion
United States AP Thousands of United Methodists are gathering in Charlotte, North Carolina, for their big denominational meeting, known as General Conference. It’s a much-anticipated gathering. Typically it is held every four years, but church leaders delayed the 2020 gathering until now due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Catholic news site Church Militant agrees to pay $US500,000 in defamation case and is expected to close
United States AP A far-right, unofficial Catholic media website has agreed to pay $US500,000 to a New Hampshire priest who sued for defamation over a 2019 article that it now disavows. The website also is planning to shut down soon, the priest’s attorney says. The apology by Church Militant came after the organisation agreed last week to a federal court judgment in favour of Rev Georges de Laire, an official with the Diocese of Manchester.
Christian-nation idea fuels US conservative causes, but historians say it misreads founders' intent
The U.S. Constitution doesn't mention Christianity or any specific religion. The Declaration of Independence famously proclaims that people's rights come from a "Creator" and "Nature's God" — but doesn't specify who that is. Yet large numbers of Americans believe the founders intended the U.S. to be a Christian nation, and many believe it should be one. Such views are especially strong among Republicans and their white evangelical base.
The Explainer: What does it mean to claim the US is a Christian nation, and what does the Constitution say?
United States AP Many Americans believe the United States was founded as a Christian nation, and the idea is energizing some conservative and Republican activists. But the concept means different things to different people, and historians say that while the issue is complex, the founding documents prioritize religious freedom and do not create a Christian nation. A statue of Benjamin Franklin is seen at The Franklin Institute, on Tuesday, 10th February, 2015, in Philadelphia.
Saints of Past Ages: Who was St Brigid and why is she inspiring many 1,500 years after her death?
Devotees of St Brigid celebrated her Sunday with the return of a relic associated with the so-called matron saint of Ireland. The festivities came about a millennium after her remains were removed from the town of Kildare, where she founded a prestigious abbey and inspired a host of colorful, miracle-filled legends.
The Explainer: Orthodox Christmas - why it's celebrated by some believers 13 days after 25th December
AP While much of the world has Christmas in the rearview mirror by now, people in some Eastern Orthodox traditions will celebrate the holy day on Sunday. Certain Eastern Orthodox churches, including those in Russian and other traditions, follow the ancient Julian calendar, which runs 13 days later than the Gregorian calendar, used by Catholic and Protestant churches as well as by much of the secular world for everyday use.
United Methodist Church: One fourth of churches in US have left in schism over LGBTQ ban. What happens now?
United States AP A quarter of US congregations in the United Methodist Church have received permission to leave the denomination during a five-year window, closing this month, that authorised departures for congregations over disputes involving the church's LGBTQ-related policies. This year alone, 5,641 congregations received permission from their regional conferences to leave the denomination as of Thursday, according to an unofficial tally by United Methodist News.
Evangelical conservatives cheer one of their own as Mike Johnson assumes Congress’ most powerful seat
Evangelical Christian conservatives have long had allies in top Republican leadership in Congress. But never before have they had one so thoroughly embedded in their movement as new House Speaker Mike Johnson, a longtime culture warrior in the courthouse, in the classroom and in Congress. Religious conservatives cheered Johnson’s election Wednesday, after which he brought his Bible to the rostrum before taking the oath of office.
The ‘nones’: America’s nonreligious a growing, diverse phenomenon. They really don’t like organized religion
Mike Dulak grew up Catholic in Southern California, but by his teen years, he began skipping Mass and driving straight to the shore to play guitar, watch the waves and enjoy “the beauty of the morning on the beach,” he recalled. “And it felt more spiritual than any time I set foot in a church.” Nothing has changed that view in the ensuing decades. “Most religions are there to control people and get money from them,” said Dulak, now 76, of Rocheport, Missouri.
Washington's National Cathedral replaces windows honouring Confederacy with stained-glass homage to racial justice
Washington DC, US AP The landmark Washington National Cathedral unveiled new stained-glass windows on Saturday with a theme of racial justice, filling the space that had once held four windows honouring Confederate Generals Robert E Lee and Stonewall Jackson. The new windows depict a march for justice by African Americans, descendants of the very people who would have remained in slavery after the Civil War if the side for which the officers fought had prevailed.
Californian bishop acquitted in first United Methodist court trial of its kind in nearly a century
United States AP A United Methodist Church court acquitted a California bishop Friday of all charges in the first trial of one of the church’s bishops in nearly a century. Bishop Minerva Carcaño, the first Latina bishop in the denomination and a prominent voice on behalf of immigrants, faced four charges of violating church law. They were for alleged harassment, fiscal malfeasance, disobedience to the order and discipline of the UMC and the undermining of another pastor’s ministry.
US Catholic bishops' president calls for better border management, continued care for immigrants
16 June 2023 PETER SMITH Orlando, Florida, US AP The leader of US Catholic bishops weighed in on ongoing immigration issues Thursday, calling for effective border management while emphasising the church's need to help migrants - and questioning political leaders who are transporting them to faraway states.
Women in leadership: In a last-ditch effort, longtime Southern Baptist churches expelled for women pastors fight to stay
13 June 2023 PETER SMITH Louisville, Kentucky AP The robed choir performed a rousing missionary chorus, the worshippers sang from the Baptist Hymnal, and the pastor preached on the need to listen to God before inviting people to come forward and profess faith in Jesus. If there was ever a blueprint for a traditional Southern Baptist worship service, Fern Creek Baptist Church followed it to a tee on a recent Sunday. Except for one key detail. The pastor is a woman.
In the US, search for top Southern Baptist leader fails amid dispute
02 May 2023 PETER SMITH United States AP A powerful Southern Baptist committee was looking to appoint a new leader Monday who could navigate controversies over its handling of sexual-abuse reforms and the ousting of churches with women serving as pastors. Instead, the Executive Committee found itself tangled in yet another dispute, voting down a recommendation to make its own former chairman its president in what had become a racially fraught decision.
"A model for reparations": How historic Pittsburgh Black church and hockey team reached an historic land-use accord
15 April 2023 PETER SMITH Pittsburgh, US AP More than 60 years ago, a historic Black church was forced to give up its sanctuary, compensated for what it says was a fraction of its value, to an urban renewal project that wiped out the heart of an African American neighbourhood known as the Hill District. Now, Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church is poised to recoup some of that loss and reclaim a spot near its former home.
Reconciliation and community-building: Grassroots faith leaders navigate a Northern Ireland in flux
05 April 2023 PETER SMITH Belfast, Northern Ireland AP Teenagers from Catholic and Protestant youth groups lit candles on a Belfast street in memory of those who perished in the Holocaust, then listened solemnly to a warning about the dangers of Northern Ireland's own infamous religious bigotries. “We all know what prejudice is,” said Stephen Hughes, leader in charge of St Peter’s Immaculata Youth Centre, his voice robustly carrying over the twilight rush-hour traffic.
In the US, Saddleback Church doubles down on support for female pastors
02 March 2023 DEEPA BHARATH and PETER SMITH United States AP The woman pastor at the centre of the Southern Baptist Convention's decision to oust Saddleback Church - the California megachurch founded by pastor and best-selling author Rick Warren - says she will continue to serve as a ministry leader despite her longstanding ties to the nation's largest Protestant denomination. Saddleback has yet to say if it will appeal its expulsion.
In the US, Southern Baptists oust Saddleback Church over woman pastor
22 February 2023 PETER SMITH United States AP The Southern Baptist Convention on Tuesday ousted its second-largest congregation - Saddleback Church, the renowned California megachurch founded by pastor and best-selling author Rick Warren - for having a woman pastor.
US Catholic bishops to elect new leaders, mark abuse reform milestone
15 November 2022 PETER SMITH, HOLLY MEYER and DAVID CRARY United States AP US Catholic bishops began their fall meeting Monday where they will be electing new leaders - a vote that may signal whether they want to be more closely aligned with Pope Francis ' agenda or not.
US midterms: Christian voter trends reinforced on abortion, GOP
12 November 2022 DAVID CRARY, PETER SMITH and NUHA DOLBY United States AP In the midterm elections, evangelical Christians across the nation reconfirmed their allegiance to conservative candidates and causes, while Catholic voters once again showed how closely divided they are - even on abortion.
"More difficult than ever": US faith groups curb Haiti work due to chaos, 2021 kidnapping
17 October 2022 PETER SMITH and DAVID CRARY, AP A year after 17 North American missionaries were kidnapped in Haiti, beginning a two-month ordeal before they ultimately went free, the agency that sent them hasn't made a permanent return, and several other international groups have also scaled back their work there.
Cruel or harmless? US pastors mixed on Republican migrant transports
16 September 2022 PETER SMITH United States AP As Republican governors ramp up their high-profile transports of migrants to Democratic-run jurisdictions, the practice is getting a mixed reaction from Christian faith leaders - many of whom, especially evangelicals, have supported GOP candidates by large numbers in recent elections.
Papal trip: Indigenous Canadians wary, hopeful as Pope prepares apology
24 July 2022 PETER SMITH Maskwacis, Alberta, Canada AP To this day, Flo Buffalo doesn’t drink milk - not since two nuns force-fed her the sour milk she had refused at the Catholic-run Ermineskin Indian Residential School for Indigenous children that she attended in the 1960s. Holding out her right hand, she showed how she has never been able to fully straighten it out since a nun severely beat her with a stick. “The nuns, they were real mean,” Buffalo said.
Who is Bart Barber, new Southern Baptist president?
15 June 2022 DEEPA BHARATH and PETER SMITH Anaheim, California, US AP Bart Barber is a staunch Southern Baptist conservative who would welcome bans on abortion, opposes critical race theory and believes only men should serve as pastors. Yet Barber, elected Tuesday as the new president of the Southern Baptist Convention, says he has a track record of dialogue with those who disagree on those and other issues.
In the US, Southern Baptists agree to keep list of accused sex abusers
15 June 2022 DEEPA BHARATH and PETER SMITH Anaheim, California AP The Southern Baptist Convention voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to create a way to track pastors and other church workers credibly accused of sex abuse and launch a new task force to oversee further reforms in the nation’s largest Protestant denomination.
ANAHEIM, California (AP) — The newly elected leaders of a top Southern Baptist Convention committee had all supported a more transparent investigation into allegations the denomination mishandled sex abuse reports and mistreated survivors. They defeated candidates who had opposed that move.
A withering report on sexual abuse and cover-up in the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S. A viral video in which a woman confronts her pastor at an independent Christian for sexually preying on her when she was a teen. A TV documentary exposing sex abuse of children in Amish and Mennonite communities.
In the US, woman buoyed by support after viral pastor confrontation
06 June 2022 PETER SMITH United States AP Bobi Gephart hadn’t planned to go to church that Sunday - not to the worship service where the pastor intended to make a confession about the oppressive secret she had carried for so long. But she quickly changed her mind, realising she couldn’t trust the pastor – the man she says began sexually preying on her as a teenager – to share the whole truth. In this undated photo provided by Bobi Gephart, Gephart and her husband, Nate Gephart, pose for a picture.
A new Interior Department report on the legacy of boarding schools for Native Americans underscores how closely the U.S. government collaborated with churches to Christianize them as part of a project to sever them from their culture, their identities and ultimately their land.
PITTSBURGH (AP) - The caretakers of the Tree of Life synagogue intend to transform the site of the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history and expand its mission. Newly released design plans show a revitalized complex housing a sanctuary, museum, memorial and center for fighting antisemitism -- unified symbolically and physically with a dramatic skylight running the length of the structure.
Cite Afghanistan for religious persecution
Afghanistan should join a list of the "worst of the worst" violators of religious freedom in the wake of the Taliban's return to power, a U.S. advisory body is recommending to the State Department. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, in its annual report issued Monday, says religious minorities have "faced harassment, detention and even death due to their faith or beliefs" since the Taliban reimposed its harsh interpretation of Sunni Islam on Afghanistan.
Church schools: First Pope, now US churches face boarding school reckoning
07 April 2022 PETER SMITH As Native Americans cautiously welcome Pope Francis’ historic apology for abuses at Catholic-run boarding schools for Indigenous children in Canada, US churches are bracing for an unprecedented reckoning with their own legacies of operating such schools. Church schools are likely to feature prominently in a report from the US Department of the Interior, led by the first-ever Native American cabinet secretary, Deb Haaland, due to be released later this month.
Minority faiths at risk if Russia wins, says US Ukrainian Archbishop
01 April 2022 PETER SMITH RNS The top-ranking Ukrainian Catholic cleric in the United States warned Thursday that religious minorities in the Eastern European country stand to be “crushed” if Moscow gains control, as fighting raged on more than a month after the Russian invasion began. Groups at risk include Catholics, Muslims and Orthodox who have broken away from the patriarch of Moscow, Archbishop Borys Gudziak said.
War concerns: In the US, Ukrainian clergy, flocks show support amid Russia crisis
16 February 2022 LUIS ANDRES HENAO and PETER SMITH AP Yuriy Opoka prays his wife and young daughter will be safe in Ukraine as he closely follows the massive buildup of Russian troops on the country's borders and dire warnings that they could invade at any time. The 33-year-old journalist often calls his family from Philadelphia, where he’s attending an English course, and recently joined others in the city’s Ukrainian community at a rally calling for peace back home.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Peter
Contact Peter, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack