By LORETTA FULTON In March 2019, Bishop Michael Sis of the Catholic Diocese of San Angelo conducted Ash Wednesday services at all three of Abilene’s universities–and no one did a double-take. All three universities are affiliated with a denomination, but none has a Catholic connection. The campuses are affiliated with the Church of Christ (Abilene Christian), Baptist (Hardin-Simmons) and United
Read moreEditor’s Note: The following Lectionary to Life reflection, based on Psalm 145: 8-14, was written by Loretta Fulton for the Center for Congregational Ethics Facebook page. It was posted July 3. The center was founded by Bill Tillman, former ethics professor at the Logsdon School of Theology at Hardin-Simmons University. Psalm 145: 8-14, the appointed reading for today, is one
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By LORETTA FULTON Not long after the word “coronavirus” started popping up in the news, Brian Massey called social workers at Hendrick Medical Center to see if he could help. Some people are just like that–looking to help, not looking to hunker down. Massey, founder of Houses for Healing, is one of those. Over the past few years, he has
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By LORETTA FULTON Saturday morning, the day before Palm Sunday, was miserable. Cold and rainy, a perfect complement to the misery inflicted on society by the coronavirus pandemic. Traffic was light down Sayles Boulevard and onto South Seventh Street, to the parking lot of the Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest. Even if the weather had been warm and sunny,
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By LORETTA FULTON Second-semester students in the physician assistant program at Hardin-Simmons University were all set for a mission trip to Peru at the end of April when their plans were abruptly halted due to the coronavirus pandemic. The students were disappointed but quickly regrouped and turned their attention to people in need in Abilene or wherever the students are
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By LORETTA FULTON COVID-19 has turned the world upside down, creating havoc, shutting down schools, churches and some businesses, and leaving everyone wondering when “social distancing” will disappear from our vocabulary. One thing it hasn’t been able to do is stifle creativity. Nowhere is that more evident than in the children’s and youth departments at local churches. Sunday School teachers
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By LORETTA FULTON Everyone is learning to adapt on the fly to the coronavirus crisis, and local feeding ministries are no exception. By order of Gov. Greg Abbott, commercial restaurants are closed until at least April 3 except for drive-through pickup. Feeding ministries are moving to a version of that model. Breakfast on Beech Street (B.O.B.S), City Light Community Ministries,
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By LORETTA FULTON Once upon a time, Doug Mendenhall dabbled in politics before coming to realize that it is more fun to write about hot button issues from the sidelines than to be in the thick of the fight. He turned that realization into a popular column on “faith, values, and how Jesus would’ve done it” that was published in
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By LORETTA FULTON The church should be counter-cultural, but it has a lot of work to do in that area, the pastor of South Side Baptist Church said during the Feb. 4 chapel service at Hardin-Simmons University. Segregated worship services are evidence of that. In fact, Blake White, South Side’s pastor since 2017, said he had told his congregation they
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