Check out Christian Chronicle journalists’ favorite stories of 2024

Besides serving as editor-in-chief of The Christian Chronicle, I write a Friday column for Religion Unplugged.

For the past five years, I’ve enjoyed asking some of the nation’s top religion journalists to share their favorite or most important story from the previous 12 months.

More than 60 of my Godbeat friends — representing a wide variety of secular and faith-based publications — responded to my 2024 survey.

In case you’re curious, here are the picks made by Chronicle staff members:

A flood scene is shown in Houston. The insurance maelstrom has hit Texas and Louisiana hard.

• Cheryl Mann Bacon: Imperfect storms: Flood of insurance cancellations wreaks financial challenges for churches in Texas, Louisiana and beyond, published Jan. 22.

Read all of Cheryl’s stories.

Jeremie Beller, opinions editor for The Christian Chronicle, speaks on faith and politics during a Norton Colloquium panel discussion at Harding University in Searcy, Ark.

• Calvin Cockrell: Kingdom over country: Amid a tense election, ministers remind Christians where their allegiance lies, published Aug. 15.

Read all of Calvin’s stories.

The main sanctuary and two overflow rooms of the East Baltimore Church of Christ were packed during a monthly song service that brought together 22 congregations from the Mid-Atlantic area.

• Hamil R. Harris: ‘What a fellowship, what a joy divine’ from Baltimore, published April 15.

Read all of Hamil’s stories.

• B.T. Irwin: Live in Michigan: A church for the sake of world, published Oct. 2.

Listen to all of B.T.’s podcasts.

An İlk Umut Derneği worker stands on what remains of an apartment building in Antakya, Turkey.

• Audrey Jackson: Amid rubble, Turkish churches build foundations from Antakya, Turkey, published April 15.

Read all of Audrey’s stories.

Bright yellows bathe Lindsley Avenue’s worship space as the congregation stands to sing.

• Ted Parks: Preserving to serve: Historic church balances maintenance needs and its mission from Nashville, Tenn., published Feb. 27.

Read all of Ted’s stories.

Draped in Ukrainian flags, young men in Riga’s Old Town seek to raise awareness among Latvians about the war in Ukraine.

• Erik Tryggestad: As Christians in the Baltics watch Russia’s war in Ukraine, they ponder: Are we next? from Ogre, Latvia, published Oct. 16.

Read all of Erik’s stories.

Joel Erkkila and his son-in-law, Josh Pitman, walk along the reef that borders Redlands College’s campus in Vanuatu.

• Bobby Ross Jr. (hey, that’s me!): No phones allowed, but machetes OK: Global program aims to build teens’ faith from Port Vila, Vanuatu, and Brisbane, Australia, published Jan. 18.

Read all of my stories.

Be sure to check out my full column on the best religion journalism of 2024.

BOBBY ROSS JR. is Editor-in-Chief of The Christian Chronicle. Reach him at [email protected].

Filed under: 2024 year in review best reads Christian Chronicle staff Godbeat Inside Story News religion journalism Top Stories