ROME — Pope Francis visited a cemetery in Rome last Friday in observance of the Roman Catholic holiday All Saints’ Day to pray for the dead and bless the graves of the departed. The occasion marked 20 years since a pope had visited a Roman cemetery for All Saints’ Day, and according to reports, Francis […]
A new report released by NPR outlines that a number of congregations across America are now using beer as a way to attract new members. The effort is an experiment in finding methods that will appeal to those who otherwise would not set foot in a church. Some beer-based gatherings are held right in the […]
SALEM — A pastor who was expelled from his denomination for forming close friendships with witches took issue on Thursday with a number of evangelists who were preaching repentance on the streets of the Halloween capital of the world. Phil Wyman and his group “The Gathering” have been attending Halloween celebrations in Salem for nearly […]
WASHINGTON — The dean of the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. claimed during his weekly address this past Sunday that it is a sin to oppose homosexuality. The message was part of a weekend tribute to the homosexual youth at the National Cathedral, and a commemoration of the death of Matthew Shepherd, whose slaying sparked the […]
In a recent interview with the Huffington Post, megachurch speaker and author Joel Osteen advised that he believes God accepts homosexuals, and that he doesn’t want to “tell everybody what they’re doing wrong.” Osteen sat down this week with host Josh Zepps to promote his new book Break Out: 5 Keys to Go Beyond Your Barriers […]
WICHITA — A homosexual advocacy group is recruiting volunteers to influence churches nationwide to embrace homosexuality. The Reformation Project describes itself as “a Bible-based, Christian non-profit organization that seeks to reform church teaching on sexual orientation and gender identity.” Based in Wichita, Kansas, the organization aims to “accelerate the acceptance of LGBT people in the […]
MEMPHIS — A pro-life group in Memphis, Tennessee is expressing concern that a local Presbyterian church is set to donate funds from their upcoming 5K race to an abortion facility in the city. John Brindley with the Abolitionist Society of Memphis recently told reporters that one of the pastors at Shady Grove Presbyterian Church in […]
LEBANON, Penn. — A United Methodist minister from Pennsylvania has been summoned to stand before the Eastern Pennsylvania Methodist Conference for officiating his son’s same-sex ‘wedding’ against the denomination’s prohibitions against it. Frank Schaeffer, 51, oversees Zion United Methodist Church of Iona in Lebanon. In 2007, he traveled to Massachusetts to officiate a ceremony between […]
EUGENE — A minister in Oregon has a launched a sermon series entitled ‘Church S*cks,’ and is announcing seeker-friendly changes to his Sunday services, as a way to attract people who dislike church. Tony Crank, who leads One Love Church in Eugene, claims that churches talk too much about sin, and are not welcoming enough to […]
Rob Bell, author of the best-selling and controversial book Love Wins, which challenges Christian teachings on Hell, is set to appear on Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul Sunday to discuss his new book What We Talk About When We Talk About God. The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) has announced that Bell recently sat down with Winfrey […]