From Rome to Silver Spring, too many expect faith leaders to echo partisan identities. But the church’s mission is spiritual, not ideological. Photo by the author – June 18, 2025 By Michael Peabody – On May 8, 2025, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost—an Augustinian missionary and canon lawyer from Chicago—was elected the 267th Bishop of Rome….

In September 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York dismissed a lawsuit brought by dozens of former New York City employees who had refused to comply with the City’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Now on appeal, the case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit combines questions of…

On August 14, 2025, Mobile County deputies arrested Pastor Robert Michael Wagley of the St. Elmo Seventh-day Adventist Church on three counts of intimidating a witness. According to jail records and witness accounts, several church members who had assisted law enforcement in a separate criminal investigation were subsequently stripped of their church duties and escorted…

Written rules ease pastoral burdens and protect congregations from confusion A pastor facing a request to endorse a candidate or handle the presence of a known sex offender is caught in the middle of competing pressures. Congregants may expect one response, the law may require another, and personal instincts may pull in yet another direction….

by Michael Peabody, Esq. When an Alabama pastor was arrested last week on three counts of witness intimidation, the details raised immediate concern among churchgoers and legal observers alike. According to authorities, several members of the congregation had reported that a registered sex offender was working near minors and holding responsibilities at the church. Those…

The case involving the arrest of the pastor of St. Elmo Seventh-day Adventist Church continues to stir conflicting accounts within the congregation. On August 14, the pastor was taken into custody and charged with three counts of witness intimidation. Witnesses had told deputies that church members lost responsibilities and were escorted from the property after…

Fifth Circuit reviews punishment retrial where Satanism affiliation was introduced by prosecutors. When Irving Alvin Davis was sentenced to death in Texas for the 2002 rape and murder of 15-year-old Melissa Medina, the brutality of the crime itself was not in dispute. Medina was sexually assaulted, strangled, and dismembered. Davis later admitted he killed her…

On August 20, 2025, a federal judge in San Antonio issued an order granting a preliminary injunction against Texas Senate Bill 10, a law requiring public schools to display a Protestant version of the Ten Commandments in every classroom . The case, brought by parents and religious leaders of various faiths, challenged the statute under…

From counseling rooms to national airwaves, his parenting advice and advocacy shaped late twentieth century family ministry and public debate. James Dobson’s life and legacy: from counseling rooms to national debates A psychologist turned broadcaster built Focus on the Family into a counseling and media hub, then carried family concerns into politics. Supporters say claims…

Court allows nondiscrimination rules for state-funded youth work but blocks enforcement on unfunded initiatives. Analysis below. On August 18, 2025, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals handed down a decision in Youth 71Five Ministries v. Williams, a case testing the boundaries between government grant rules and religious freedom . Youth 71Five Ministries is a nonprofit…