(ANALYSIS) It’s worth pausing to note a couple of “behind the headlines” moments from the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting. If you think there is deep division in the Southern Baptist Convention, you have to ignore a lot of hard data that suggest a strong consensus — on abuse reform, on women pastors, and on cleaning up decades of financial profligacy.
Read MoreThe chairman of the Bob Jones University board of trustees has resigned following pressure from the school’s students, alumni and donors. The decision is a surprise to many BJU watchers, since Lewis appeared to have had the upper hand in a conflict with BJU President Steve Pettit.
Read More(ANALYSIS) David Oyedepo founded a church in Nigeria in 1981 that has come to be called The Winner’s Chapel. It is now in about 150 countries and claims 6 million members. Meanwhile, it looks like the closure of The King’s College in New York City is all but inevitable, and that will be a huge loss for the city, and for American evangelicalism.
Read MoreIn an email to parents on Feb. 6, The King’s College announced it was experiencing a “funding shortfall of approximately $2.6 million for the spring semester, due primarily to the timing of pending income.”
Read More(ANALYSIS) Now, missiologists — the people who study missionary efforts and their effectiveness — are weighing in on the He Gets Us campaign, and they’re finding flaws, or at least gaps, in the Jesus the campaign is pushing.
Read MoreBible translation organizations in the United States receive more than $500 million in donations per year. So how many Bibles actually get translated? And how much does a Bible translation cost? Remarkably, the answer to that question is — nobody really knows.
Read More(ANALYSIS) With Lighten Group and RZIM shut down, important questions remain unanswered. First, how much money went from RZIM to Lighten Group? How was that money spent? How much remains? Meanwhile, American Bible Society has been plagued with turmoil for years. The organization has had five presidents in the past 10 years.
Read MoreA series of articles published by the Springfield News-Leader May 26 tells the stories of previously silent sex abuse victims and others who say Missouri-based Kanakuk Kamps did not do enough to protect them when they were campers there.
Read More(OPINION) The idea that pro-lifers don’t care for babies after they are born has been a convenient slander hurled against pro-life Christians. But more than 2,500 pro-life pregnancy resource centers are committed to helping women make life-giving choices, and they often support these women for years after their babies are born.
Read MoreIs it hard to be a Christian and a journalist? Is it possible to be a Christian and a journalist? This week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights recent first-person pieces that explore these questions. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith?
Read More(OPINION) Along with assorted financial and moral scandals, Warren Cole Smith of MinistryWatch.com has been examining what he calls the “Bible translation industry.” This is a very popular cause among U.S. Protestants, with revenues of around $500 million a year. The biggest group, Wycliffe Bible Translators, took in $227 million in 2020.
Read MoreWhen crisis hits around the world, as it has in Ukraine, Christians are often first in line to help. Here are a few principles and tips to keep in mind as you give to Ukrainian relief efforts and assessments of some ministries that are raising funds for Ukrainian relief.
Read MoreThe Bible translation industry takes in about $500 million per year in donations. With all that money, it produces about 15 completed Bible translations each year. But Strategic Resource Group has embarked on an experiment to see if a secular company — a translation service provider — can translate the Bible faster and cheaper.
Read MoreAllegations of sexual misconduct began surfacing against televangelist Perry Stone last year. But a few months later, Stone was back in the pulpit. Now, new accusations have been made public, and — according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press — the FBI has been questioning people in connection with Stone’s behavior.
Read More(EXCERPT) “Faith-Based Fraud,” by Warren Cole Smith, is a new book on financial and other scandals in the church. Almost a chapter centers around Bernard Madoff, who confessed to one of the largest Ponzi schemes in history.
Read MoreKanakuk Ministries is one of the largest Christian camps in the United States. An analysis of new financial statements reveals that founder Joe White and his wife Debbie-Jo were paid $2.6 million by Kanakuk from 2014-2017.
Read MoreAnother week. Another mass shooting. Another round of questions concerning the 21-year-old suspect's religion. This week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights the massacre at a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, and highlights other top headlines and best reads in the world of faith.
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in delves into questions surrounding Christian financial guru Dave Ramsey’s multimillion-dollar Tennessee company and its sarcastic response to a religion reporter’s questions. Plus, catch up on all the faith-related angle from inauguration of President Joe Biden.
Read MoreRavi Zacharias, who was well-known Christian apologist who died in May at age 74 from cancer, has been accused of additional incidences of sexual harassment. His foundation is opening an investigation into his behavior.
Read MoreMany evangelical Christians are giving money to International Fellowship of Christians and Jews despite the fact that the fellowship does not promote the Gospel and pays its leaders large salaries. Do they know what organization they’re giving to?
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