It’s hard for fully dressed female rappers to find an audience—particularly those who claim to follow Jesus. A small sorority in an already niche music market, these Christian performers are up against the economic pressures of the industry as well as the cultural expectations often heaped upon women of faith.

Take Houston native HillaryJane for example. Earlier this year, the 20-year-old, once-homeless singer, who began leading preteens in church choirs when

Anthony Bradley

This summer I made a visit to Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia, and on a tour of churches, I heard a fascinating explanation of how society functioned when the church was the place where the poor had their material needs met, not the government. The Bruton Parish Church in Williamsburg is one example.

According to church records, Burton Parish formed in 1674 following the merger of several colonial parishes originating as far back as 1633. As a Church of England congregation

Lecrae made history with his brand-new single “All I Need Is You” this week, becoming the first Christian hip-hop artist of all time to ever reach the number-one spot on iTunes.

The rapper spoke with The Christian Post about the achievement this week and stated that he does not view it as something to brag about.

“I don’t look at it that way,” the rapper said to CP on Wednesday. “I think it’s phenomenal to make music that challenges people to think on morality, spirituality and the bettermen

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“Welcome to the Kingdom” messages have been pouring to actress LisaRaye McCoy after she posted a brief video clip of her at-home baptism online.

Though some remember the 46-year-old as Diamond from the Player’s Club, the single mom has, for a while, been a Bible-carrying member of the Jesus club.

In early 2011, during an interview with Steve Harvey, McCoy publicized her spiritual journey and solicited prayer as she worked to grow in her Christian faith.

Now, three years later, the

“If I close my eyes,” Jennifer Hudson says, closing her eyes, “I can almost remember what it was like, what I was like, 15 years ago. I was at home in Chicago, still in high school, singing in church, living with my family.” She opens her bright brown eyes again, stares straight at me to answer my question. “But generally, no, it feels like another Jennifer life. I don’t look the same. I’m a mother now. So many things have changed. I sometimes think the only constant is my voice. That hasn’t

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“Preachers of LA” star Deitrick Haddon has upset members of the faith community by saying on national television that co-habitation before marriage is okay.

During an Oxygen special last week, the 41-year-old argued that there are “different reasons” he deems acceptable for shacking up. But EEW Magazine’s President Dianna Hobbs weighed in, calling it “bad advice.”

During a network special that aired last week, ahead of the Season 2 premiere of the controversial reality show, th

Do you prompt the members of your congregation to invite people to church? (Lightstock)

Several years ago, more than one study showed large percentages of unchurched would consider attending a church if someone simply invited them. The problem is not the attitude of the unchurched; rather, it is often the failure of church members to invite others.

When my church consulting teams have asked church members about their reticence to invite others to church, here are 10 responses we have often h

Frustration with an all-white main cast in “Exodus: Gods and Kings” was voiced earlier this week in the hashtag campaign, #BoycottExodusMovie.

The Old Testament epic is directed by Ridley Scott and stars Christian Bale as Moses, Aaron Paul as Joshua, John Turturro as Seti, Ben Kingsley as Nun and Sigourney Weaver as Tuya. Earlier this month, Entertainment Weekly released initial photos of the film release, which Twitter users quickly point

JOJO WHILDEN / AP PHOTO/NETFLIX

The following post contains details from the first and second seasons of Orange Is the New Black. (Don’t say we didn’t warn you.)

I love my Don Drapers and Walter Whites, but we were long overdue for a Piper Chapman. She’s the main character of Orange Is the New Black, a Brooklyn yuppie serving time for crimes committed in her adventurous youth (based on the real-life Piper Kerman, whose memoir inspired the show). Her story is not, at least after two seasons, a

Christian hip-hop has made some notable inroads in the last few years, especially in the mainstream market. Popular rapper Lecrae has won Grammy, Stellar, and Dove awards, and he, along with other Christian artists, appear regularly on networks like BET and MTV. Does this mean the movement that emerged in the early ’80s as Gospel rap has finally arrived?

The question might be especially relevant after it was reported that recording artists Flame, Lecrae, and others filed a lawsuit ag