NEW YORK — The former longtime president of a church planting organization headquartered in New York has decided to live as a woman. Paul Williams led the Orchard Group from 1989 to 2009, an organization that has planted churches throughout the Northeast, and especially the New York City area, since the 1940’s. “Orchard Group has […]
PHILADELPHIA – A lesbian woman who is frustrated by the lack of homosexual-friendly material available in Christian bookstores has created what she describes as “the first LGBT Bible app,” featuring resources that celebrate homosexuality and do not condemn same-sex sexual behavior as being sinful. “This app is for people who identify as ‘spiritual but not […]
OMAHA, Neb. — A groundbreaking was recently held as part of a Nebraska building project that will erect a church, synagogue and mosque side by side on the same property. Temple Israel, the American Muslim Institute and Countryside Christian Church claim that they are being led by God to create the multi-faith location in Omaha. “We believe […]
CHICAGO — The Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church has commissioned as deacon a woman who identifies as “non-binary,” only uses the letter M for a first name, and prefers the pronoun “they.” Sally Dyck, the bishop of the conference, commissioned M. Barclay on Sunday, along with three other women approved to serve as provisional deacons. […]
An Orange County jury Monday awarded $2 million for past and future damages to the granddaughter of a founder of the Trinity Broadcasting Network, finding that her grandmother acted “outrageously” to allegations that the plaintiff was molested when she was 13 by a TBN employee. Jan Crouch died in May of 2016. Carra Crouch will […]
LAKE FOREST, Calif. — A volunteer youth worker at Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church has been arrested on allegations that he committed lewd acts with two teenage boys. According to reports, officials at the church called police after being informed that mentor Ruven Meulenberg, 32, had engaged in indecent behavior with a 14-year-old boy. An investigation […]
(The Christian Institute) — The Church of Scotland has taken steps to allow its ministers to perform same-sex “weddings,” after debating a report in its General Assembly. The report, put forward by the influential Theological Forum, acknowledged that the Bible condemns same-sex acts, but claimed Scripture was framed by cultural context. Marriage was redefined in […]
ALBANY, N.Y. — A group known as “Concerned Clergy for Choice” and others recently gathered in the New York state capital to advocate for access to abortion and contraception, and to express support for the sexually-centered organization Planned Parenthood. “As pastors, we believe in New Yorkers’ ability to get the health care that is supported […]
FATIMA, Portugal — Jorge Bergoglio, the Roman Catholic leader known as Pope Francis, has “sainted” two of three Portuguese shepherds who purportedly saw an apparition of Mary a century ago and are credited with two miracles following their death. The occasion, which is widely accepted among Catholics worldwide, is rejected by evangelicals, who note numerous conflicts with […]
Iowa City, Iowa — A campus minister at the University of Iowa is facing possible censure from United Methodist leadership for officiating a same-sex ceremony for another female clergy member. Anna Blaedel, the executive director of the university’s Wesley Student Center, presided over the ceremony in Oklahoma on April 4, despite knowledge that doing so […]