A stressful, challenging ‘new normal’
HENDERSON, Tenn. — When students returned to the Freed-Hardeman University campus in August, the Christian school’s administrators knew balancing safety with “normal” student life would be…
COVID-19
In virus-stricken Native America, church shares food and light
Three months after they were baptized, Evan and Crystal Todachine endured terrible suffering. Their 18-month-old son, Chase, contracted bacterial meningitis and died within a week.…
Ministers struggle under weight of pandemic stress
Many ministers are stressed and exhausted. The profession may be divine, but it takes a toll. “It’s all consuming,” said Celeste Smith, a licensed marriage…
In this crazy year, giving thanks for my mother
FORT WORTH, Texas — For decades, my mother, Judy Ross, has made the best Thanksgiving feast on the planet. I’m talking about a mammoth spread…
‘Prayers of perfect strangers’ uplift minister, wife in COVID-19 battle
In full PPE gear, Dr. Brent Dennis entered the home of Mitch and Shannon Wilburn. Mitch Wilburn, minister for the Park Church of Christ in…
COVID-19 blamed for closing of Christian school in Idaho
COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — After 40 years of operation, Coeur d’Alene Christian School has closed — a victim of COVID-19. The K-8 school, accredited by…
Finding peace in ‘The Great Alone’: A phone call with Bailey McBride
Don’t worry about Bailey McBride. “I bought five books yesterday,” he told me, “so I’m good through March.” I called Bailey, editor emeritus of…
Voices only: An incredible mash-up of hymns — and a song about COVID-19
Welcome to Voices only, your weekly dose of awesome a cappella. This week we return to East Africa. (We featured this beautiful rendition of "The…
Infectious disease doc fights ‘life’s final war’
Had the COVID-19 pandemic arrived a few years earlier, Carl Brandt might have been on the front lines of the battle against the deadly virus. …
A long, lonely lockdown
‘Mom, it’s me.” The young woman stood outside Tealridge, an independent living facility in Oklahoma City, and talked to her mother through a window. But…
