People
Jean-Louis Tauran, Vatican interfaith leader, dies at age 75
In a decade in the post, he built relationships of respect with leaders of many religious groups.
Fred W. Meuser, Lutheran theologian and leader, dies at age 94
Meuser, a scholar of Martin Luther and American Lutheran history, also served on a multidenominational council and as a seminary president.
Daniel Lehmann to be first Jewish president of Graduate Theological Union
The consortium in Berkeley, California, includes research centers and seminaries of multiple faith traditions—but has been previously led by Christians.
Beth LaNeel Tanner becomes dean at New Brunswick Theological Seminary
She will continue as professor of Old Testament at the school, one of two Reformed Church in America seminaries.
Fidon Mwombeki to lead All Africa Conference of Churches
Mwombeki, a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania, will head the largest association of Protestant, Orthodox, and indigenous churches in Africa.
After a fire destroyed his life’s work, an artist renews quest to paint Torah
Yoram Raanan lost hundreds of paintings. But from high-quality prints that remained, Meira Raanan created a book, Art of Revelation: A Visual Encounter with the Jewish Bible.
Since before #MeToo, Boz Tchividjian has held abusers in church accountable
Tchividjian, a grandson of Billy Graham, founded GRACE as the Catholic abuse scandal was emerging in the early 2000s—alerting Protestants to the issue in their churches.
King of Jordan wins Templeton Prize for fostering Muslim, interfaith cooperation
The Templeton foundation praised Abdullah II for building on "the power of principled pluralism."
Theodore McCarrick charged with sexual abuse
Catholic officials required the retired archbishop to stop ministry activities. McCarrick maintained his innocence.
Vilmarie Cintrón-Olivieri and Cindy Kohlmann become PCUSA comoderators
The "bold, unapologetic women" will share the second most important position in the 1.4 million–member denomination for two years.
Beverly Lapp will be vice president, academic dean of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary
The school's board of directors praised her “exceptional background in pedagogy.”
Philip Wingeier-Rayo will be academic dean of Wesley Theological Seminary
Wingeier-Rayo is a fourth-generation missionary, having spent 15 years in Cuba, Mexico, Nicaragua, and the Rio Grande Valley.
Alice Hunt to lead AAR as Jack Fitzmier retires
The American Academy of Religion is committed to helping its members face an uncertain field, the leaders said.
Alton B. Pollard III to lead Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary
The scholar of religion and culture will become president in September.
Michael Curry's sermon at royal wedding imagines 'when love is the way'
The Episcopal presiding bishop wove in references to Teilhard de Chardin, Martin Luther King Jr., and the composers of African American spirituals.
Edwin Mulder, Reformed church leader, dies at age 89
As general secretary of the Reformed Church in America, he led his denomination in standing against apartheid.
Peter Borgdorff, who brought global Reformed churches together, dies at age 78
Borgdorff was also the first executive director of the Christian Reformed Church in North America.
Loren Mead, founder of the Alban Institute, dies at age 88
The author of The Once and Future Church was part of the shift to looking at congregations in their contexts—not just the church in general.
In historic votes, Lutherans elect two African American women bishops
Patricia A. Davenport and Viviane Thomas-Breitfeld will each lead a regional body in the predominantly white mainline Protestant denomination.
Indonesian entrepreneur donates $5 million to divinity school for global Christianity studies
Tandean Rustandy, a business graduate of the University of Chicago, is funding scholarship at the Divinity School to broaden how Christianity is taught.