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WASHINGTON (RNS) Washington National Cathedral announced dramatic cuts to its budget, programs and staff on Wednesday (Nov. 19) as the faltering economy continues to hit religious institutions nationwide. The landmark cathedral, which welcomes nearly 700,000 visitors a year and has hosted the state funerals of three presidents, will slash its budget by 40 percent next…

Frederick Douglass once worshiped in the fifth pew on the 16th Street side of Metropolitan AME Church. President Bill Clinton prayed in the front pew before both of his inaugurations. Come January, members hope President-elect Barack Obama and his family pick a pew at the historic black church located walking distance from the White House.…

A last-minute Bush administration plan to grant sweeping new protections to health care providers who oppose abortion and other procedures on religious or moral grounds has provoked a torrent of objections, including a strenuous protest from the government agency that enforces job-discrimination laws. The proposed rule would prohibit recipients of federal money from discriminating against…

Washington – Clergy and congregants from more than 40 states gathered in front of the Department of Treasury on Tuesday (Nov. 18) to pray for Secretary Henry Paulson and members of Congress to put an end to the home foreclosure crisis. PICO, a network of faith-based community organizations that helps provide affordable housing, is demanding…

The Colorado-based Focus on the Family will reduce its staff by about 200 positions, citing economic conditions. “There’s still a great demand for the resources we offer,” said Focus spokesman Gary Schneeberger on Tuesday (Nov. 18). “It’s simply a fact that the economy is affecting our donors and, therefore, affecting us.” The staff reductions, which…

Los Angeles – The wildfires that have burned approximately 40,000 acres and hundreds of homes in Southern California have also destroyed a historic Episcopal monastery set on a hill in Santa Barbara. Nancy Bullock, guesthouse director for the Mount Calvary Monastery and Guesthouse, said because the 20,000-square-foot Spanish-style home was situated on a hill, residents…

DHARMSALA, India – Tibetan exile leaders opened weeklong discussions Monday over the direction of their movement to win autonomy from China, after the Dalai Lama, the region’s exiled spiritual leader, expressed frustration over years of fruitless talks with Beijing. The meeting in northern India, called by the Dalai Lama, follows the exiled Buddhist leader’s comments…

(RNS) The Diocese of Fort Worth, Texas, became the fourth to secede from the Episcopal Church Saturday (Nov. 15), when delegates voted to align with a more conservative branch of the Anglican Communion. Nearly 80 percent of clergy and lay delegates from the North Texas diocese voted to join the Anglican Province of the Southern…

NEW YORK (RNS) Famous — and infamous — American Jews associated with the election season and the ongoing problems in the kosher meat industry dominated The Forward newspaper’s list of 50 influential Jews this year. The Forward, the largest national Jewish weekly in America, published its “Forward 50” on Nov. 15, grouping its entries into…

WASHINGTON — A South Carolina Roman Catholic priest who had warned Barack Obama voters not to take Communion without first confessing their sin said Friday (Nov. 14) he will not deny the sacrament based on “political opinions or choices.” But the Rev. Jay Scott Newman of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Greenville reiterated his belief…
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