Weekly religion news roundup (December 5-11, 2025)
Photograph by Utsav Srestha via Unsplash
Rev. Dr. Anna Piela
Jasmine Crockett’s pastor jumps into race for her North Texas seat. Frederick Haynes III of Friendship-West Baptist Church wants to succeed Crockett in Congress. (Chron)
Florida governor declares Muslim civil rights group a terrorist organization. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday designated one of the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy groups in the U.S. a “foreign terrorist organization,” following a similar step by Texas last month. (Associated Press)
African Methodist Episcopal bishop, social justice advocate Reginald Jackson dies at 71. Political leaders from states where Jackson served over his five decades of ministry responded to his death along with religious officials. (RNS)
How one conservative Christian family is pushing back against ICE. A coalition of activists, everyday citizens and people of faith — including theologically conservative Christians — who have pooled resources and learned new technologies to mount an effort they say is designed to protect immigrants in their neighborhoods and around Chicago. (RNS)
5 Baptist schools among Lilly grant recipients. Five Baptist-affiliated schools have received grants of $7 million to $10 million apiece from the Lilly Endowment through its Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative. (Baptist News Global)
Each Friday in The Christian Citizen, we publish a Religion News Roundup with summaries of religion news stories and links for those who want to read more.
Trump’s ‘garbage’ comment met with disappointment in Somalia. This week, after saying he was cutting down on immigration from “third world countries” in the wake of the deadly attack on two National Guard members by an Afghan national, President Trump turned his wrath on people from Somalia, calling them “garbage.” (NPR)
Inside the push to bring mental health care into American mosques. American Muslim communities are working to reduce stigma around therapy by bringing mental health services into mosques and making counseling easier to access. (NPR)
Striking findings from 2025. As we do every year, we’ve gathered data around some of the most pivotal news stories of 2025, including President Donald Trump’s return to the White House, the changing U.S. immigration landscape and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence worldwide. (Pew Research Center)
Religion Holds Steady in America. Recent polling shows no clear evidence of a religious revival among young adults. (Pew Research Center)
What The GSS Tells Us About American Religion. One of the most important cyclical events in my life as a data analyst of American religion is the semi-regular release of the General Social Survey. (Religion Unplugged)
Rev. Dr. Anna Piela is senior writer at American Baptist Home Mission Societies and assistant editor of The Christian Citizen.
The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of American Baptist Home Mission Societies.
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