Southern Baptist Convention
Southern Baptist Convention President J. D. Greear holds a Bible as he speaks during the denomination's annual meeting Tuesday, June 15, 2021, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Southern Baptists pick president who worked for racial unity

By Travis Loller And Peter Smith Jun. 15, 2021 06:41 PM EDT

FILE - In this Sunday, June 28, 2020 file photo, Senior Pastor Dr. Robert Jeffress addresses attendees at First Baptist Church Dallas during a Celebrate Freedom Rally in Dallas. Jeffress believes a majority of his congregation welcome the COVID-19 vaccines, while some have doubts about their safety or worry they have links to abortion. Jeffress is among numerous religious leaders who say the leading vaccines are acceptable given their remote, indirect links to lines of cells developed from aborted fetuses. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Vaccine skepticism runs deep among white evangelicals in US

By David Crary Apr. 05, 2021 01:46 PM EDT

FILE- In this Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021 fiel photo, President Joe Biden, accompanied by first lady Jill Biden, places his hand over his heart during a performance of the national anthem, during a virtual Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service in the State Dinning Room of the White House, in Washington. Donald Trump's departure from the White House and the start of Biden’s presidency have stirred new hopes among many religious leaders in the United States, while causing dismay among others. For leaders of the two largest Christian denominations — the Roman Catholic Church and the Southern Baptist Convention — the paramount concern about the Biden administration is its strong support for abortion rights. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
A mix of hope and dismay as religious leaders assess Biden

By David Crary And Elana Schor Feb. 01, 2021 02:12 PM EST

FILE - In this Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2020 file photo, a Catholic pastor receives the first of the two Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccinations at a hospital in Chicago. In a growing consensus, religious leaders at the forefront of the anti-abortion movement in the United States are telling their followers that the leading vaccines available to combat COVID-19 are acceptable to take, given their remote and indirect connection to lines of cells derived from aborted fetuses. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Anti-abortion faith leaders support use of COVID-19 vaccines

By David Crary Jan. 10, 2021 09:10 AM EST

FILE - In this March 29, 2020 file photo, the Rev. Steven Paulikas, rector at All Saints Episcopal Church, delivers an evening prayer service over Facebook Live in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Even amid a mass coronavirus vaccine distribution effort, religious communities will continue to wrestle with the pandemic’s impact on in-person worship. (AP Photo/Emily Leshner)
After turbulent 2020, faith in America faces more big issues

By David Crary And Elana Schor Dec. 18, 2020 10:30 AM EST

FILE - In this March 29, 2020 file photo, the Rev. Steven Paulikas, right, and curate Spencer Cantrell deliver an Evening Prayer service over Facebook Live in the Brooklyn borough of New York, amid the global COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Pastors across the country say they and their congregations have responded with creativity and resiliency — and invigorated community spirit — even as the outbreak forced widespread cancellations of in-person services. (AP Photo/Emily Leshner)
Amid pandemic challenges, houses of worship show resiliency

By David Crary Oct. 03, 2020 09:05 AM EDT