Lifewatch is the quarterly newsletter published by the Taskforce of United Methodists on Abortion and Sexuality (TUMAS), which was founded in 1987 with the goal of promoting pro-life thought within the United Methodist Church and providing support for abortion-prevention activities. Lifewatch is edited by the Rev. Paul T. Stallworth, who lives in Whiteville, N.C.

Concerned Methodists was founded in 1990 in response to what its founders perceived as the increasingly liberal priorities and direction of the United Methodist Church. Its members work to promote a “restoration of Christian values” informed by a commitment to the church’s Wesleyan heritage. It is based in Fayetteville, N.C.

Laura Vance is a professor of sociology and women’s studies at Warren Wilson College in Asheville, N.C. She is the author of Women in New Religions. She is also an expert on Mormon women.

Vivianne Crowley is a council member of the Pagan Federation and a priestess of the Fellowship of Isis. She is the author of Wicca: A Comprehensive Guide to the Old Religion in the Modern World and A Woman’s Guide to the Earth Traditions: Exploring Wicca, Shamanism, Paganism and Celtic Spirituality. She was a professor of psychology of religion […]

Girlfriends in God is a national Christian ministry that focuses on fostering women’s spirituality through a Christian lens. It is headed by three women, Sharon Jaynes, Gwen Smith and Mary Southerland. They are based in Huntersville, N.C., and hold conferences nationwide. Contact via the website.

Lisa A. Keister is a professor of sociology at Duke University in Durham, N.C. She has written several books examining the link between religion and poverty as well as prosperity.

J. Kameron Carter is an associate professor of systematic theology and black church studies at Duke Divinity School. He recently participated in a panel on Black Lives Matter hosted by the school.

Unity Fellowship Church, Charlotte, is an all-inclusive church in Charlotte, N.C. Its mission statement specifically calls for no gender-based discrimination and for inclusion of LGBT people. It is a member of the Unity Fellowship Church Movement, a growing network of like-minded churches throughout the South. The church has worked with the Human Rights Campaign to […]

Sumi Loundon Kim is the Buddhist chaplain at Duke University and teacher for the Buddhist Families of Durham. She has published two anthologies about young Buddhists: Blue Jean Buddha and The Buddha’s Apprentices. Originally brought up in a Soto Zen community, she has been following the Theravada lineage for the past 20 years.