6 ideas for leading your church in pro-life ministry after Dobbs

The policy wonks among us watch the court drama and political fallout closely. But those questions are not the most important for pastors and local churches. What if a court decision does actually make a significant change? What will change, if anything, for a local church and its approach to the abortion issue in its community? How can pastors and ministry leaders lead their churches well in pro-life ministry? Here are 6 suggestions to guide intra-church chatter about Dobbs and this dramatic political moment.

TGC: Why we need the (local) church to disciple our politics

Is your church partisan or silent? The two most common models for how churches engage the political realm—partisanship or silence—present an impossible dichotomy…When our church remains silent, virtually all our opinions about how Christians should engage politics come from influences other than Scripture and the guidance of our church…Rather than avoiding politics for the sake of discipleship, might we try applying discipleship to our politics?

Racism is a sin. Here’s what we do about it. (Coauthored)

By: Leslie Copeland Tune and Matthew T. Hawkins

We are an African-American, progressive Christian woman and a white, conservative evangelical man. We join the outpouring of grief and calls for change following the senseless murders and killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Aubrey, Rayshard Brooks, and Breonna Taylor, and so many other unarmed black Americans. Peaceful protesters are still marching in cities across the country, and Americans from all walks are engaging in conversations about history and policy. Many are asking how American Christians can respond and participate…

VIDEO: Matt visits the Kent Lapp Podcast

Matthew Hawkins is a PhD student, podcaster, and writer. Most content focuses on the intersection of religion and politics. His current podcast projects include as cohost of Crossing Faiths: A Christian & a Muslim Talk Religion & Politics, and as associate producer of a forthcoming legal podcast from WORLD Radio.

Vantage Points: Crossing Faiths and Building Bridges

Two friends, Matt Hawkins (a former policy director for the Southern Baptist Convention) and John Pinna (former Executive Director of American Islamic Congress) talk religion and politics. The podcast delivers weekly episodes featuring commentary on news, politics, multifaith experiences, and expert guests. Their conversations build on almost a decade of their collaboration, advocating in Washington, D.C. for religious freedom domestically and around the globe. The two developed the podcast with a desire to share conversations that model friendship and collaboration despite deep differences in religion and background.

Let’s demand honesty in refugee rhetoric

“…some elected officials have called for dramatic changes to United States refugee policy. To be sure, there are legitimate security concerns in the United States, but when it comes how the debate about refugee policy is being framed, there’s an important element often missing.”