Faith, justice and queer leadership take center stage at TFAM conference

Charlotte will host faith leaders, activists and LGBTQ+ advocates from across the country this week as The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries (TFAM) brings its annual Leadership Conference to the city from July 22–25. The conference is centered on the theme “Practicing Ubuntu: Resist. Repair. Regenerate.” Through worship, workshops and panel discussions, organizers hope to demonstrate…

South Carolina Presbyterian church hires transgender minister in Anderson

A small, struggling Presbyterian church in Anderson, South Carolina, has taken the bold step of hiring an openly transgender woman as its new pastor. North Anderson Community Church, Presbyterian (NACCP), a member congregation of the mainline denomination, Presbyterian Church (USA), has hired the Rev. Laura Bethany Buchleiter as its stated supply pastor (a temporary minister…

Myers Park church replaces ‘Baptist’ with ‘Covenant’

What’s in a name? Sometimes, nothing; sometimes, everything. That applies to churches as well. Since the 1980s, the trend has been for churches to drop denominational identifiers from their names.  For example, in the South Carolina Upstate region, New Covenant Church has a significant presence. It is a Presbyterian congregation with ties to the Presbyterian…

Our People: Amanda Weatherspoon

Nestled in East Charlotte, there’s a kitten-loving optimist who is consistently “working towards bringing more love into the world.” From social worker to clergy member, Amanda Weatherspoon is a self-love enthusiast who lives a life defined by running an organization with the hope of finding things that make her heart sing.  Originally hailing from Tennessee,…

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Outer Banks Pridefest is celebrating 15 years of Pride on the beach with a weekend of drag, live music and LGBTQ+ community Sept. 11–13. The weekend begins Friday, Sept. 11, with the Out at Sea Sunset Cruise aboard the Crystal Dawn. The cruise departs Pirate’s Cove Marina at 5 p.m. for a two-hour trip around…