Excavation has begun on graves found at a site where one of the oldest African American congregations in the United States once stood. The project is examining three burial sites at the ruins of First Baptist Church in Williamsburg, Va., whose building is believed to have been built around 1818. Members of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation attended an "ancestral blessing" ceremony before the excavation began. Colonial Williamsburg Foundation's director of archaeology, Jack Gary, told The Christian Post that he considered the event to be "a moving ceremony in honor of those whose names are known only to God." The church's origins date back to the 1770s when slaves and ex-slaves held secret meetings at the Green Spring Plantation, near Williamsburg. In 1781, the congregation became an official church and was led by Gowan Pamphlet—an enslaved man who was the first African American to be ordained a Baptist preacher. Read more.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. John’s, based in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, will sell 43 properties, including 13 church properties, as part of a financial settlement with victims of sex abuse. More sales are expected to come later. A report by Ernst & Young, a law firm that served as a court-appointed monitor for selling the properties, noted that there were "42 sub-parcel sales" of the properties to various entities, including the Basilica Heritage Foundation Inc., Rocky Hill Holdings Inc. and Emerald Atlantic Group Inc. Notable properties on the list included the Basilica Cathedral and Pastoral Centre, St. Bonaventure's College and St. Bon's Forum, which will be historically preserved. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reports St. Paul's Parish was later added to the list, bringing the total to 43 properties. Read more.

Michael Brown writes about "progressive Christianity" and traces its definition to descriptions provided by leaders in the PC movement, which includes beliefs such as the denial of the absolute authority of Scripture, the denial of salvation and redemption only through Jesus, and the affirmation of same-sex marriage and a woman's right to an abortion. "[I]t may call itself 'Christian,' it may espouse many excellent causes based on the ethical teachings of Jesus, and it may even reveal blindspots and failings among conservative Christians. But it is not, itself, 'Christian.' It has 'progressed' beyond (and outside of) the Word of God," Brown asserts. Read more.

Pastor Dan Delzell writes about the differences between being a believer in Jesus Christ and being religious and utilizes Scripture to show that being religious does not automatically mean that one is saved. "God’s Word reminds believers: 'For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast' (Ephesians 2:8,9)," he writes. Read more.

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In a recent interview with The Christian Post, evangelist Sean Feucht called on the Church to address four issues he says are key to combating an increasingly secularized culture. Among the bunch: gender confusion and sexuality identity and repentance. Feucht also discussed the lack of courage among many church leaders due to social pressure, highlighting the recent example of the Church's response following the overturning of Roe v. Wade. "[I]t was a horrible response. I think people should have been celebrating and thank God that this 50-year prayer that we've been asking for, the reversing of this death decree, there should have been a whole lot more praise and a whole lot more thanks and a whole lot more pointing to God's faithfulness," he stated. Read more.

Brittni De La Mora recently joined her husband and "Let’s Talk Purity Podcast" co-host Richard De La Mora to address how not being able to discern one’s identity can have a dire impact on personal purity. The former adult film star shared how she tried to use drugs to numb her pain until finding Jesus, who set her free. Listen now.

Sight & Sound Theatres' production "David" is coming to their new streaming platform sight-sound.tv for a special live-streaming event in September. "DAVID-Live" will take audiences inside the biblical account of young David who killed a Philistine giant and later became the king of Israel. The broadcast will also include a 15-minute behind-the-scenes look at the production. "The incredible story of ‘DAVID,’ the shepherd boy who would eventually become the most famous king in Scripture, is a story full of unexpected adventure. The production explores all of the complexities of his life, and how through his triumphs and failures he persevered as a man after God’s heart," Producer Ryan Miller told The Christian Post. Learn more.