Maryland enterprise and religion reporter

Jonathan M. Pitts

Jonathan Pitts is an enterprise and religion reporter for the Baltimore Sun. In 25 years at the paper, he has covered everything from racial inequality and sex abuse scandals to jam band fandom and international oyster shucking. A native of St. Louis, he's a former English teacher, a University of Missouri journalism graduate, the co-author of a book on St. Louis Cardinals baseball legend Whitey Herzog and a Haverford College alum. You can reach him at jonpitts@baltsun.com.

Shae McCoy, a farmer at Strength To Love II Farm (S2L2) in Sandtown-Winchester, lays down mulch to create a path in one of 14 established hoop houses. The farm, part of Intersection of Change, is to host a fall festival Saturday.

Fresh produce, new art: West Baltimore nonprofit to host two celebrations Saturday

October 30, 2025 at 5:32 p.m.

Members of the public are invited to observe cooking demonstrations, take part in artmaking activities, and take home fresh produce such as cherry tomatoes, green peppers, and cucumbers at the...

A satellite photo of a portion of the lagoon on Nikumaroro Island that shows "the Taraia object," which expedition leader Rick Pettigrew believes is the wreckage of Amelia Earhart's downed plane. Pettigrew has reviewed photos of the site dating back to 2009 and says the object only became visible in 2015 -- shortly after a historic cyclone blew through the area. (Photo courtesy of Archaeological Legacy Institute)

Expedition to search for Amelia Earhart’s plane postponed

October 29, 2025 at 6:35 p.m.

An expedition to investigate the disappearance of Amelia Earhart's plane in the South Pacific in 1937 has been postponed until next year.

Archbishop William Lori, seen speaking at the launch of Catholic Charities' Greater Promise at Our Daily Bread, encourages those affected by the government shutdown to take advantage of the arc;hdiocese's charitable offerings.

Archdiocese encourages use of its free resources during government shutdown

October 29, 2025 at 5:09 p.m.

The leader of the Archdiocese of Baltimore has alerted those affected by the ongoing government shutdown that America's first and oldest diocese stands ready to help.

Friends Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt at the National Geographic Society in 1935. Earhart flew the then-first lady to Baltimore in a Curtiss biplane two years earlier. (Harris and Ewing)

Amelia Earhart made Maryland her runway — even with the first lady aboard

October 27, 2025 at 4:50 p.m.

Amelia Earhart was attending a formal dinner at the White House the night of April 20, 1933, when she decided it was time to do something more stimulating than talk...

A crowd cheers for Amelia Earhart as she boards her single-engine Lockheed Vega airplane in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, for the trip back to London on May 22, 1932. Earhart landed in Londonderry on May 21 after becoming the first woman to fly solo nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean when she finished her 2,026 mile journey in under 15 hours after departing from Newfoundland. (AP Photo)

Researchers 90% positive they will find Amelia Earhart’s doomed plane on remote Pacific island

October 28, 2025 at 12:32 p.m.

"We have a lot of evidence to go on, and I believe the chances are 9 out of 10 that it's Amelia's plane, but we won't know until we go...

Earl El-Amin, resident Imam of the Muslim Community Cultural Center of Baltimore. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Staff)

City mosque to hold open house on Islam and its importance in African American history

October 15, 2025 at 6:03 p.m.

A city mosque will kick off a five-day exhibition on the connection between Islam and Black history in the United States with a panel discussion at Morgan State University. The...

Archdiocese, Knights of Columbus to distribute winter coats

October 13, 2025 at 6:21 p.m.

The world's biggest Catholic fraternal service organization is set to make the winter warmer for about 500 Baltimore schoolchildren this year.

Rodney Hudson, pastor of Ames Memorial Baptist Church, speaks about the value of Safe Streets in the Penn North community. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)

Protecting the flock: A complicated challenge amid rising threats to churches

October 13, 2025 at 10:26 a.m.

"How many more warning signs do you really need to prioritize safety?"

New Shiloh Baptist Church pastor Rev. Dr. Harold Carter Jr., right, meets with head of security David Johnson before a Wednesday night service. The church uses both plainclothes and uniformed security for all church events.

‘I carry, and I don’t care who knows it’: Pastors pack heat in wake of church shootings

October 12, 2025 at 10:58 a.m.

"The pastor almost has to be a security guard."

A copy of the Star Spangled Banner on display at the Maryland Center for History and Culture. (Baltimore Sun File)

History museum adds curator to track state’s religious legacy

October 8, 2025 at 4:37 p.m.

The premier museum on Maryland's history has hired a curator to focus on one of the state’s proudest claims to fame: its profile as a haven for faith traditions. The...

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