QASR EL-YAHUD, West Bank (AP) – Israel has opened the traditional baptism site of Jesus to daily visits. The location, where John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the waters of the Jordan River, has only been opened several times a year in coordination with the Israeli military. That area still has land mines from the [...]
PRINCETON, N.J. (FR) – Americans still hold a strong belief in the Bible. The latest Gallup Poll found that three in 10 say it is the literal word of God, while 49 percent say it is the inspired word of God but should not be taken literally. Only 17 percent believe it is an ancient [...]
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (AP) – The four astronauts flying aboard the shuttle Atlantis got a wakeup call today with the sound of “More” by Matthew West. The music was requested by astronaut Rex Waldheim. The lyrics read: Take a look at the mountain, stretching a mile high, Take a look at the ocean, far as [...]
UNDATED (FR) – With the price of copper rising…thieves are targeting air conditioners at churches. Jeff Hawkins of the Christian Security Network says losses nationwide are already over tens of millions of dollars. He says a church can easily end up with a $60,000 loss. The price of copper has gone from $2,000 a ton [...]
GAITHERSBURG, Md. (AP) _ The president of Sovereign Grace Ministries is taking a leave of absence to deal with charges made against him by former ministry leaders and pastors. In a letter on the denomination’s web site, C.J. Mahaney says the charges do not involve “immorality or financial impropriety.” But he says former colleagues have [...]
JUBA, Sudan (AP) _ The Rev. Franklin Graham arrives in South Sudan today, where he’ll help celebrate Saturday’s official birth of the world’s newest nation. Ken Isaacs, vice president of Graham’s Samaritan’s Purse Ministry, says the atmosphere is already euphoric in the Nile River city of Juba, which will be the capital of the [...]
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) _ The Southern Baptist Convention has approved a resolution advocating a path to legal status for illegal immigrants. The measure passed overwhelmingly at the denomination’s annual meeting in Phoenix. It calls on Southern Baptists to minister to all people and to reject bigotry and harassment toward immigrants, regardless of their country of [...]
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) _ Kansas officials say they want to get faith-based groups engaged with criminal offenders to help reduce the number of ex-convicts who return to prison for committing new crimes. Kansas Corrections Secretary Ray Roberts opened a statewide conference on prison ministry Monday by encouraging religious volunteers to increase their efforts to help [...]
ATLANTA (AP) _ Chick-Fil-A founder S. Truett Cathy says all of his restaurants are closed on Sunday for two reasons: to honor God and to give his employees a day to worship or spend with their families. The 90-year-old Cathy says he believes the Bible is “the roadmap and blueprint” for life. His own life [...]
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (AP) _ Large crowds carrying candles and wearing white have marched in a weekend demonstration organized by churches against Alabama’s tough new law cracking down on illegal immigration. Saturday’s protest in Birmingham began with a mass prayer for kindness and mercy in a park where people signed a petition against the law, which [...]
