Church Archives - Universal Life Church Monastery Blog

NJ Town Threatens to Seize Church Homeless Shelter to Build Pickleball Courts

May 7th, 2025

Retaliation or redevelopment? Toms River, New Jersey is hoping to seize a local church via eminent domain and replace it with pickleball courts after the church announced their desire to build a modest homeless shelter.

Political & Religious Controversy 45 Comments

California Tells "Church on the Beach" to Pound Sand

March 19th, 2025

For 18 years, Church on the Beach has regularly gathered for worship at Redondo Beach. Now, LA County says they must move indoors, igniting a legal clash over faith and worship in public spaces.

Political & Religious Controversy 75 Comments

Would Jesus Offer Sanctuary to Vulnerable Groups?

February 19th, 2025

Would Jesus welcome undocumented immigrants and LGBTQ+ people? Faith leaders nationwide are saying yes, and are backing laws to defend them. When it comes to these vulnerable communities, what would Jesus do?

LGBTQ & Human Rights 186 Comments

Do You Trust Your Pastor? You Might Be Alone

January 24th, 2025

Trust in clergy has plummeted, with only 30% of Americans viewing them as ethical—a 26% drop since 2000. Why is confidence in religious leaders declining, and can they rebuild trust?

Political & Religious Controversy 98 Comments

Why Are Gen Z Men More Religious Than Women?

October 4th, 2024

Among Gen Z, evidence shows that for the first time in history, men are more religious than women. Now, many experts are trying to figure out why – and what a majority-male future means for churches.

Political & Religious Controversy 66 Comments

WA Church: "Religious Discrimination" to Prevent Church From Caring for Homeless

September 6th, 2024

A Washington state church argues that forcing them to get a permit to host a homeless encampment is religious discrimination. Do Christian churches have a constitutional right to care for the homeless?

Political & Religious Controversy 111 Comments

Venture Capital Comes to the Pews: How Churches Are Using Investment Money to Succeed

May 24th, 2024

Similar to Silicon Valley venture capital firms, Christian investment firms like the Association of Related Churches are bankrolling scores of startup churches with the promise of a cut of future church venue.

Christian 41 Comments

Black Clergy Say It's Time for "White Churches" to "Pay Up" on Reparations

March 29th, 2024

Should reparations be given to the black community? A group of Boston clergy are asking the city and local churches to pay out $15 billion in reparations to atone for the city's role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

Christian 181 Comments

Atheists in the Pews? The Rise of the Secular Church

January 29th, 2024

Across the country, secular 'churches' are sprouting up left and right, as nonreligious youth search for community. Some Christians, however, decry these new churches are cheap imitations of the real thing.

Progressive Spirituality 130 Comments

Crypto Pastor: "God Told Us" to Pocket $1.3 Million From Investors

January 26th, 2024

A pastor and his wife are facing charges that they defrauded hundreds of Christians out of millions of dollars in a crytocurrency scheme. They're mounting an interesting legal defense: They say God told them to.

Political & Religious Controversy 82 Comments

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