Faith Facts

• Harding University journalism student returns for second internship at a Christian news organization, bringing lessons learned from international study and campus ministry reporting
• Young writer credits mentorship from Christian journalism leaders with shaping her commitment to truth-telling and faith-based communication
• Student balances academic excellence with hands-on ministry through campus newspaper, broadcast work, and international study in historic Christian lands

OKLAHOMA CITY — Kenzie James, a senior multimedia journalism major at Harding University, has returned for her second summer internship with a Christian news organization, bringing with her fresh perspectives from international travel and a deepened commitment to faith-based journalism. Her journey from Florida to Arkansas to Oklahoma reflects the restless energy of a generation called to serve through storytelling.

James thrives on movement and purpose. At Harding, she divides her time between The Bison student newspaper, the campus broadcast station HU16, and her photography work—all while maintaining her academic studies. Her ability to juggle multiple responsibilities stems from a childhood spent traveling with family, learning early that life’s richest experiences often come from stepping outside comfort zones.

During fall 2024, James spent a semester studying abroad in Europe, visiting 13 countries in three months. The experience wasn’t merely tourism—it was an education in perseverance, cultural awareness, and appreciating both the new and the familiar. Greece particularly captured her heart during a two-week stay that included Porto Rafti, Athens, and Corinth—cities steeped in biblical history and Christian heritage.

When she returned to Greece for a spring break communication class, James discovered something unexpected: the calm of returning to familiar places didn’t diminish the excitement of new discovery. Instead, revisiting these ancient cities allowed her to see details she’d missed the first time, to understand the culture more deeply, to appreciate the layers of history where early Christians once walked.

That same blend of calm and excitement now defines her return to Oklahoma City. Last summer, James arrived as a nervous newcomer, uncertain about navigating an unfamiliar city and professional environment. Those concerns evaporated quickly as she found herself welcomed into a community that valued both her faith and her journalistic calling.

The internship transformed her writing. As news editor for The Bison during the following academic year, James found herself mentally consulting the lessons learned from her Christian journalism mentors. The discipline of clear, truthful writing—grounded in both professional standards and Christian integrity—became second nature.

“I can proudly say I’ve grown as a writer,” James reflects, noting the progress evident in her improved confidence and craft.

This summer brings new challenges and opportunities. James will focus on audio and video content, expanding her multimedia skills in service of faith-based storytelling. The digital landscape continues evolving, and Christian communicators must adapt while maintaining their commitment to truth and traditional values.

For young believers like James, journalism isn’t merely a career—it’s a calling. In an era when mainstream media often dismisses or distorts Christian perspectives, faithful journalists serve as essential witnesses to truth. They document how the church serves communities, celebrates life, and upholds the dignity of every person created in God’s image.

James’s international experiences inform her American perspective. Visiting lands where Christianity flourished for millennia reminds us that our faith transcends borders and generations. The apostle Paul walked streets in Greece that James photographed centuries later. That continuity of witness should inspire every Christian communicator to excellence.

The importance of Christian higher education shines through James’s story. Harding University, like other faith-based institutions, equips students not just with professional skills but with a biblical worldview that shapes how they engage the world. These schools remain vital for raising up the next generation of Christian leaders, journalists, educators, and ministers.

As James embarks on her second summer in Oklahoma City, she carries forward a tradition of Christian journalism that values accuracy, clarity, and service. Her willingness to embrace new roles while returning to familiar places models the balance believers must strike—remaining rooted in timeless truth while engaging contemporary challenges.

The enthusiasm James brings to her work reflects a generation that refuses to accept the secular narrative that faith belongs only in private spaces. Young Christians are reclaiming their voice in journalism, entertainment, education, and public life. They understand that retreating from culture means surrendering influence to those who don’t share our values.

James grew up attending Timberlane Church of Christ in Tallahassee, Florida, where she learned that faith isn’t passive—it demands active engagement with the world. Whether operating cameras at basketball games, interviewing sources for newspaper stories, or producing broadcasts, she brings her whole self to the work, integrating faith and profession seamlessly.

Her story encourages Christian families to support young people called to careers in media and communications. Too often, we cede these influential fields to those hostile to our values, then wonder why popular culture undermines Christian principles. We need more young believers willing to pursue excellence in journalism, committed to truth-telling that honors both professional standards and biblical integrity.

As summer unfolds, James will continue developing skills that serve both her immediate assignments and her long-term calling. The audio and video projects ahead will challenge her creativity while deepening her ability to communicate truth across multiple platforms. In an age of soundbites and short attention spans, multimedia storytelling reaches audiences who might never read long-form articles.

From international explorations to Oklahoma internships, from campus newspapers to professional development, James’s journey illustrates how God prepares His people for service. Every experience, every challenge, every return to familiar places—all contribute to forming faithful witnesses equipped for the work ahead.

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Faith Facts

• Lord David Alton of Liverpool is urging the UK government to take meaningful action against dictatorships using slave labor and committing genocide
• The British peer is calling for legal classification of mass atrocities against Christians and other groups as genocide in international courts
• Lord Alton challenges the government to demonstrate genuine strength on the world stage by aligning trade policies with human rights principles

A prominent voice in the House of Lords is issuing a direct challenge to the United Kingdom’s government, demanding action that matches rhetoric when it comes to human rights and religious freedom. Lord David Alton of Liverpool is calling on British leadership to demonstrate true courage by severing economic dependencies on regimes that perpetrate genocide and exploit slave labor.

The seasoned parliamentarian’s appeal centers on a fundamental question: Will the UK stand by its stated values, or continue facilitating relationships with dictatorships that systematically abuse human dignity? Lord Alton is urging officials to “mean what it says” regarding international human rights commitments.

At the heart of Lord Alton’s message is a call for the government to support survivors of mass atrocities—including persecuted Christians—by ensuring their suffering receives proper legal recognition. He advocates for the formal classification of these experiences as genocide in international courts, a designation that carries significant legal and moral weight.

The British peer’s concerns extend to the nation’s trade relationships. He is challenging policymakers to examine how international commerce may be inadvertently supporting or enabling regimes that employ forced labor and commit atrocities against religious and ethnic minorities.

Lord Alton’s message resonates with Christian conservatives who believe that economic policy and foreign relations should reflect moral principles, not merely financial convenience. The question of whether Western democracies will prioritize human rights over economic expediency has become increasingly pressing as evidence of religious persecution and modern slavery continues to mount globally.

The call to “show strength on the world stage” represents more than diplomatic posturing. It challenges the UK to lead by example, demonstrating that democratic nations can and must hold tyrannical regimes accountable—even when doing so comes at an economic cost.

For Christians and other religious minorities facing systematic persecution around the world, formal genocide recognition carries profound significance. It validates their suffering, creates pathways for international intervention, and establishes historical records that prevent denial and revisionism.

Lord Alton’s advocacy reflects a growing recognition among faith leaders and human rights champions that passivity in the face of genocide is itself a moral failing. His challenge to the UK government echoes a biblical principle: that true strength is demonstrated not through convenience, but through standing firmly for righteousness and justice.

The question now facing British leadership is whether they will heed this call and align the nation’s policies with its professed commitment to human dignity and religious freedom.

Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Faith Facts

• Iranian morality police reportedly shot a woman visiting her parents’ graves after she refused to wear a traditional head covering.
• The incident highlights the brutal enforcement of strict Islamic dress codes for women in Iran.
• Iran’s religious regime continues to suppress basic freedoms, particularly targeting women who resist oppressive religious mandates.

Iranian authorities are once again demonstrating the brutal consequences of their oppressive religious regime. According to reports, the country’s morality police shot and killed a woman who was visiting her parents’ graves after she refused to wear a traditional head covering.

The tragic incident underscores the severe restrictions placed on women in Iran, where Islamic dress codes are enforced with deadly force. This represents the kind of religious tyranny that stands in stark contrast to the religious freedom Americans cherish.

The Iranian government’s morality police have long been a symbol of the regime’s oppressive control over personal freedoms. Women in particular face harsh penalties for refusing to comply with strict Islamic dress requirements, including arrest, imprisonment, and now apparently execution.

This killing comes as part of a broader pattern of the Iranian regime’s brutal enforcement of religious law. The Islamic Republic continues to deny its citizens basic human rights and freedoms that Americans hold dear.

The incident serves as a stark reminder of what happens when religious law is enforced by government power without regard for individual liberty or human dignity. It stands as a testament to the importance of protecting religious freedom while maintaining separation between religious authority and state enforcement.

For Christians and all people of faith who value freedom, Iran’s actions represent a cautionary tale about the dangers of theocratic government overreach. The woman’s death while honoring her parents at their graves is particularly heartbreaking and reveals the depths of cruelty possible under such regimes.

Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.