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October 3, 2025

This edition is sponsored by Kim Engelmann

Today’s Briefing

Amid fractures over same-sex blessings, evangelicals in the Church of England call on new Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally to recommit to the church’s historic doctrines.

Pro-life Christians decry the FDA’s approval of another generic abortion drug after the Trump administration pledged to review its safety.

Good night, Port William: Russell Moore dives into the grief and gratitude in what might be Wendell Berry’s last novel.

Robert Morris, founder of one of the biggest megachurches in Texas, pleaded guilty to child sexual abuse. He will serve six months of a ten-year suspended sentence and register as a sex offender.

Texas writer Carrie McKean wanted a pandemic reckoning. After a meeting with a Christian CDC official, she’s finding something more.

Behind the Story

From contributing writer Jordan Monson: Last week, one of the greatest missionaries in church history passed away. Her name was Katharine Barnwell. Her colleagues called her Katy. Those she served called her “Mama Katy.”

In October of 2022, I had the honor of telling her story for the cover of Christianity Today. She lived a full and incredible life. Hundreds of millions of people follow Jesus as a result of her work. And she’s revolutionized missions more than just about anybody.

I first brought this idea to CT in 2017, and like the 15 ideas I’d brought before, it received a “pass.” Did you know that only the tiniest percentage of pitched stories make it through? I’m so glad that as the years went on and I began writing in its pages more regularly, CT took the risk it did on her story!

After the article did so well and won awards, B&H contracted a full biography. The publishing house was gracious enough to send me to Katy’s home village in the UK, Goring-on-Thames.

For one week straight, Katy and I spent 12-hour days together. We researched her life down to the month. I looked through all her files and pictures. I read all her correspondence. I made her meals. I did her dishes. I became not just her biographer but her friend. I doubt I’ll ever again meet anybody like her.

I invite you to read her story, to read her biography. Be encouraged about what God is up to.

paid content

Joona is a fabulous land of beauty, color, and music—and in Kim Engelmann’s fiction trilogy, young adults can journey to this Narnia-like land through the power of story. After Margaret loses her mom, she moves to a new town and struggles with school and friendships. That is, until she meets Laurel the magic swan. Each book in this innovative trilogy takes Margaret and Laurel on magical adventures, epic journeys, and battles between good and evil.

Kim Engelmann is a chaplain, pastor, wife, and mother who loves to write in her spare time. Whether you’re an adult who still loves a good fantasy story or you’re looking for the perfect stocking stuffer for the young adult reader in your life this Christmas, the Joona trilogy offers the perfect escape into a magical world. Purchase your copies today!

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In Other News

The 10th Circuit ruled that religious schools in Colorado’s universal preschool program are required to abide by the state’s nondiscrimination laws. Appeals courts have been wrestling with the tension of religious beliefs and nondiscrimination statutes in several cases around the country.
A Reformed Baptist pastor faces more than a dozen child pornography charges, including a charge for creating AI child pornography.
How religious is your state? Pew Research Center released a state-by-state tool.

The Future of the Church Can’t Wait

What do you hope the Church will look like in 20 years? In a time when the Church is often seen as divided, the future depends on what we do now. That’s why Christianity Today launched The Next Gen Initiative—to equip tomorrow’s pastors, writers, artists, and storytellers with wisdom, creativity, and Christ-centered vision.

This week, during CT’s Week of Giving, you can help raise up the next generation of leaders—and, good news, this week only your gift will be matched dollar-for-dollar. The Church of tomorrow starts today. Give now.

Today in Christian History

October 6, 1536: English reformer William Tyndale, who translated and published the first mechanically-printed New Testament in the English language (against the law at the time) is strangled to death. His body is then burned at the stake (see issue 16: William Tyndale).

John Cornyn’s MAGA-land Challenge

Look, the legislative staffer said, all Ken Paxton has to do is go down to South Texas and say women are “crazy,” and he’ll have the divorced men’s vote in…

FDA Approves Generic Abortion Pill

Today’s primary abortion battleground is the prescription pad. Now that most abortions are chemical rather than surgical, pro-life advocates have amped up pressure on lawmakers and officials to restrict access…

Gateway Church Founder Robert Morris Pleads Guilty to Child Sex Abuse

The former pastor of one of the biggest churches in Texas has pleaded guilty to child sex abuse that took place over 30 years ago. Robert Morris, the founder of…

Fighting Korea’s Loneliness Epidemic with Cafés and Convenience Stores

During the day, 30-year-old Hae-ri Jeong seemed busy and cheerful as she taught English and served as a youth group leader at her church in Seoul. Yet at night, she…

in the magazine

The Christian story shows us that grace often comes from where we least expect. In this issue, we look at the corners of God’s kingdom and chronicle in often-overlooked people, places, and things the possibility of God’s redemptive work. We introduce the Compassion Awards, which report on seven nonprofits doing good work in their communities. We look at the spirituality underneath gambling, the ways contemporary Christian music was instrumental in one historian’s conversion, and the steady witness of what may be Wendell Berry’s last novel. All these pieces remind us that there is no person or place too small for God’s gracious and cataclysmic reversal.

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