The majority of senior megachurch pastors are male, according to research from the Hartford Institute for Religion Research. Read the research report.

The Roman Catholic Church says its doctrine that only men can be priests is infallible, which in Catholic teaching means that it is irreversible and without error. See a Nov. 19, 1995, New York Times story about the statement, issued with then-Pope John Paul II’s approval by the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which was headed […]

Read an undated explanation of why the Southern Baptist Convention’s Faith and Message was revised in 2000 to say, “While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.” The explanation was written by the executive committee of the SBC, the largest Protestant denomination in […]

The National Day of Prayer Task Force is a private organization headed by Shirley Dobson, wife of Focus on the Family founder James Dobson. The group, whose mission is to “publicize and preserve America’s Christian heritage,” organizes National Prayer Day events.

This April 22, 2010, Washington Post article discusses how Franklin Graham, son of popular evangelist Billy Graham, was left off the program for a National Day of Prayer event due to his remarks on Islam.

James K. Kelley is director of development for the Diocese of Charlotte in North Carolina and president of the board of directors of the International Catholic Stewardship Council. Kelley is the author of “Stewardship Manual: A Guide for Individuals and Parishes Developing Stewardship as a Way of Life” and the book Sustaining and Strengthening Stewardship.

The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability was formed in 1979 in response to a wave of church financial scandals. Based in Winchester, Va., the ECFA has 2,000 member evangelical Christian organizations that adhere the ECFA principle, or Standards of Responsible Stewardship, which “focus on board governance, financial transparency, integrity in fund-raising, and proper use of charity resources.” […]

Wall Watchers is a evangelical-oriented ministry that encourages financial accountability and increased stewardship among Christian churches and organizations. Founded in the 1990s, Wall Watchers expanded with an adjunct group: MinistryWatch, which aims to provide “the donating public with access to organizational and financial profiles on 400 of the largest Christian ministries in the United States.”

The Lake Institute on Faith and Giving is a public forum for exploring connections between faith and philanthropy. It is part of the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. David H. Smith is the chair of the Board of Advisors to the Lake Institute.