
Christianity Today
Christianity Today, also referred to as CT Magazine, is an evangelical Christian magazine founded by the late Billy Graham in 1956. It is one of the largest evangelical Christian publications in the United States, and has been referred to as evangelicalism’s “flagship” publication by The Washington Post and a “mainstream evangelical magazine” by The New York Times.
Upon its founding, Graham said that he wanted to "plant the evangelical flag in the middle-of-the-road, taking the conservative theological position but a definite liberal approach to social problems."
In 2023, the magazine says its mission is “To elevate the stories and ideas of the kingdom of God.” Christianity Today promises to “deliver an exceptional experience that is biblically rooted and beautifully orthodox, globally engaged and thoughtfully diverse, exquisitely crafted and surprisingly creative, always inspired by a love for Christ and his church.”
Previously, Christianity Today supported the impeachments of both Democratic President Bill Clinton and Republican President Donald Trump, whom outgoing Editor-in-Chief Mark Galli described as "profoundly immoral" in a 2019 editorial.
Most churches have some type of security measures in place during worship services. Pastors point to intentional plans and armed church members more than other measures, but compared to three years ago, fewer say they have plans and more say they have gun-carrying congregants.
Numerous fatal shootings have occurred at churches in recent years. In March, an armed assailant killed six people at The Covenant School, a Christian school in Nashville, Tenn. Shootings have also occurred at other places of worship like Jewish synagogues and Sikh temples.
When asked about their protocols when they gather for worship, around 4 in 5 US Protestant pastors (81%) say their church has some type of security measure in place, according to a study from Lifeway Research. Still, more than 1 in 6 (17%) say they don’t use any of the seven potential measures included in the study, and 2 percent aren’t sure.
“Churches are not immune to violence, disputes, domestic disagreements, vandalism and burglary,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “While loving one another is a core Christian teaching, churchgoers still sin, and non-churchgoers are invited and welcomed. So real security risks exist whether a congregation wants to acknowledge them or not.”