Posts tagged Secondary feature
How LGBTQ-Friendly Churches Are Tackling The Trump Era

All Saints Church has a long history of supporting oppressed groups. In the 1940s, their chief pastor protested the deportation of Japanese Americans; in the 1960s, their White clergy stood alongside Martin Luther King Jr. at the Los Angeles “Rally for Freedom. In the 1970s, the church spoke out against the Vietnam War. Today, they are speaking out against Trump.

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Clergy Act Would Give Pastors Second Chance to Join Social Security

Ministers who regret opting out of Social Security may soon get to reverse that decision. In a move lauded by evangelical leaders, U.S. legislators have reintroduced the bipartisan Clergy Act. The act offers a way out for clergy experiencing buyer’s remorse after taking advantage of a special exemption in the tax code.

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Pastoral Team Urges IHOPKC Founder Mike Bickle Banned from ‘Public Ministry’

International House of Prayer-Kansas City (IHOPKC) founder Mike Bickle is a “chronic sexual predator” who should never serve in paid public ministry again, according to recommendations released yesterday, following an independent investigation by Firefly.

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What Happens To A Nonprofit’s Funds When It Goes Under?

From a donor’s perspective, it’s worth asking: Could a nonprofit’s dissolution introduce the temptation for its leaders to misappropriate assets or commit fraud? While documented cases of misconduct during dissolution are relatively rare, understanding the potential risks and implementing preventive measures are critical for maintaining public trust.

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‘Giving People Hope’: US-Based Congolese Christians Pray For DRC

March 8 holds painful memories for Ezekiel Batsi Batende, pastor of Swahili Baptist Church at Woodmont. On that day in 2008, he and his family fled their home in the Democratic Republic of Congo as rebels burned Machumbi village.

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Christians Among The 1,000 Civilian Deaths In Syrian Violence

At least 973 civilians were killed in the initial attack by Alawite gunmen and killings that followed as the military and security forces intervened, the independent monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported, in addition to 250 Alawite gunmen and 231 members of the Ministry of Defense and security forces.

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From Trump To $JESUS Coin: Spreading The Theology Of Crypto

There’s no doubt that like a religion, giving value to crypto requires faith. Those evangelizing for it certainly seem to be on a moral mission. For now, they seem unstoppable — and there’s more than the hard-earned savings of believers at stake. A glance at X is enough to demonstrate how much crypto has become not just another spurious get-rich-quick scheme, but a new way of life.

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New Data Reveals Complicated Picture Of Southern Baptist Churches

The average Southern Baptist church calls the South home, but the only region of the country where those congregations are growing is the Northeast. Churches are baptizing more people, but most churches remain small and fewer attendees are involved in small groups. Lifeway Research analysis of the 2023 Annual Church Profile reveals a more detailed look at the Convention and where evangelism and discipleship efforts have been most effective.

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Report Reveals Russia Seriously Violates Religious Freedom In Ukraine

Torturing and killing pastors and priests, prosecuting residents for exercising religious freedom, banning worship and entire religious communities, closing churches, prosecuting missionaries and banning Scripture as extremist literature are among the most egregious atrocities Forum 18 cited in its March religious freedom survey of Ukraine.

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Syrian Shia Refugees In Lebanon Battle Mounting Hardships

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has reported that several regions in Syria have witnessed an escalating wave of targeted killings and individual acts of retribution. The organization noted that direct executions are being carried out through various methods, from field executions to surprise assassinations by unidentified gunmen. 

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Ukrainian Christians Who Fled In The Early Days Of War Find Reasons To Return

At the start of the war, nearly 17 million Ukrainians fled the country, but fewer than 7 million remain abroad, Bloomberg reported. Among those who returned is Tatyana Pavlenko. She and her husband, Oleg, once worshiped with a Church of Christ in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, just a few miles from the Russian border.

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Former Southwestern Baptist Seminary Provost Sentenced In SBC Sex Abuse Probe

Former Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary interim provost Matt Queen received today a judgement of time served with one year of supervised release, six months of home confinement and a $2,000 fine related to a federal investigation of the Southern Baptist Convention regarding sexual abuse.

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Amid Sexual Misconduct Probe, Apologist Michael Brown Receives Ovation

Apologist Michael Brown, who’s under investigation for alleged sexual misconduct, was honored with a standing ovation at a conference last weekend at Mercy Culture Church, where Brown serves as an apostolic elder.

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Churches In Eastern DRC Forced To Shelter Fighters As Violence Escalates

Pastors have reported that they have been forced to shelter rebels inside their churches as well as within their surrounding communities. The rebels are well aware that hiding in these sanctuaries guarantees them protection, given the government’s longstanding commitment to ensuring that attacks do not target civilians, churches or hospitals.

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Federal Layoffs Shake Christians In Government

With 26,000 federal jobs axed and widespread layoffs in the name of government efficiency, pastors in the Washington, D.C., area and Christians working in civil service have seen morale plummet. Those who felt called to live out their faith and serve their country in federal jobs worry that the moves threaten their mission and livelihood.

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Former Liberty University Employee Suing For Discrimination, Retaliation

A former professor and investigator at Liberty University has filed a federal lawsuit against the school and its leaders for discrimination and retaliation under Title IX, the Uniformed Services Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), and the Virginia Whistleblower Protection Law.

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Lent Not On The Radar For Most US Christians

Lent may be on the calendar, but it’s not something most Americans are observing. A traditional 40-day window of fasting before Easter, Lent is celebrated by around a quarter of U.S. adults, according to a Lifeway Research study. Three in four Americans (74%) say they do not typically observe Lent, while 26% participate.

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