CT Daily Briefing – 05-11-2026

May 8, 2026
Christianity Today
May 8, 2026
CT Daily Briefing

This edition is sponsored by Gloo

Today’s Briefing

Christian colleges are sounding the alarm about a proposed federal regulation that could label most religious studies programs as “failing” based on graduates’ earnings, Emily Belz reports.

A pastor at a branch of one of Brazil’s largest megachurches is accused of involvement in a billion-dollar bank-fraud scheme.

Kelsey Kramer McGinnis on her 90-year-old grandmother leading worship at her retirement home.

How should Christians react to the Supreme Court decision that struck down part of the 1965 Voting Rights Act? From The Bulletin, a Q&A on gerrymandering.

Behind the Story

From CT correspondent Franco Iacomini: I like the band U2, and every now and then I find myself listening to “Cedars of Lebanon.” I think there’s a professional bias in that preference: The lyrics are written from the perspective of a journalist, a war correspondent in the Middle East. What gets me is the line “Spent the night tryna make a deadline / Squeezing complicated lives into a simple headline.”

Every journalist has likely experienced working all night on an article, trying to compress the vastness of lives and events into a space measured in a handful of words. Writing in international contexts makes everything harder.

When I write for a Brazilian audience, there is a lot of context and background that I don’t need to spell out, as it’s a shared reality for my readers. Yet when writing for foreign readers who may not know much about the country, I need to explain things in detail. 

This is especially complicated when covering developing stories. Brazilians have been following for months the news about the financial fraud surrounding Banco Master and the ties between some key figures in that story and local churches. To explain all of that to someone who has never heard of Igreja Batista da Lagoinha or its significance in the country’s Christian music scene, you need to, as U2 says, “squeez[e] complicated lives into a simple headline.” Check out my attempt to do just that in today’s article.

Paid Content

The faith and flourishing ecosystem is massive, with more than 450,000 organizations across the US. But most are operating in silos without the tech they need to expand their mission. 

Gloo is changing that with a values-aligned AI platform that modernizes systems, workflows, and data, plus marketing and donor solutions that expand reach and long-term giving. When missional organizations get the right tools, something powerful happens: communities thrive, and people flourish. Learn how at gloo.com.

Advertise with us

In Other News

Today in Christian History

May 11, 330: Roman emperor Constantine, the first Christian emperor, inaugurates Constantinople as his capital on the site of the Greek city of Byzantium.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Sudan’s Civil War Destroyed Hospitals and Churches

Nearly every building in Khartoum, Sudan, bears the marks of war—bullet holes, shattered glasses, empty windows, broken fences, shelled walls, and looted apartments. The presidential palace is in ruins. The…

Are Near-Death Experiences Evidence for Heaven?

This piece was adapted from CT’s books newsletter. Subscribe here. Dane Ortlund, Finally Home: The Christian Hope of Heaven (Crossway, October 2026) availableatamazon Finally Home: The Christian Hope of Heaven Dane…

Thrifting to the Glory of God

A high schooler stood in the checkout line at my local thrift store. He wore dress pants, a tweed vest, collared dress shirt, and round wire glasses. His buddy wore…

‘No-Kids Zones’ Abound in South Korea. But Kids Aren’t Pests.

While working at a large electronics conglomerate in Seoul in the early 2010s, none of my colleagues had more than two children. A supervisor explained to me that while he…

IN THE MAGAZINE

Cover of the May/June issue

Throughout Scripture, God calls his people to be faithful and steadfast as we abide in him. Isaiah reminds us our faithfulness is fleeting “like the flowers of the field,” yet our hope is secure when we place it in God, so our strength is renewed (Isa. 40:6, 31). In this issue, we consider stories of resilience. Historian Thomas S. Kidd shares missionary Adoniram Judson’s hardship and fortitude in Burma (now Myanmar). Emily Belz reports on Minnesota churches today that are supporting persecuted Karen Christians, also from Myanmar. Haleluya Hadero reports on groups who are determined to help Gary, Indiana, achieve a more resilient future. We also consider Tish Harrison Warren’s new book and feature an interview with her. Rooted in the person of Jesus Christ, Christian resilience is about more than having grit or bouncing back.

CT Daily Briefing

Get the most recent headlines and stories from Christianity Today delivered to your inbox daily.

Delivered free via email to subscribers daily. Sign up for this newsletter.

You are currently subscribed as no email found. Sign up for more newsletters like this. Manage your email preferences  or unsubscribe.

Christianity Today is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
“Christianity Today” and “CT” are the registered trademarks of Christianity Today International.

Copyright ©2026 Christianity Today, PO Box 788, Wheaton, IL 60187-0788 
All rights reserved.

addApple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseellipseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squarefolderGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastprintremoveRSSRSSSaveSavesaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube