Court rejects faith-based prison program. An Iowa prisoner rehabilitation program run by evangelicals oversteps church-state boundaries and should not receive government funds, a federal appeals court has ruled. InnerChange Freedom Initiative runs a program “dominated by Bible study, Christian classes, religious revivals and church services,” according to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit. While participation in the program was voluntary, prisoners who signed up got better cells, were allowed more visits from family members and had greater access to computers than other inmates, the court found. The prison program, affiliated with Chuck Colson's Prison Fellowship Ministry, received state funds from Iowa beginning in 2000. Part of that money must be returned to the state, the court ruled, but it reversed the decision of a lower court that would have required InnerChange to repay the entire $1.5 million it received in government funds.
Religion website acquired by Fox. Beliefnet.com, one of the country's leading websites devoted to religion and spirituality, is under new management as part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. and the Fox Entertainment Group. The acquisition adds to News Corp.'s $64 billion media empire, including the 20th Century Fox film studios, the Wall Street Journal, MySpace, the Fox Faith film division, and HarperOne and Zondervan, two of the biggest names in Christian publishing.
Christian broadcaster's son takes reins of network. Gordon Robertson, 49, son of religious broadcaster Pat Robertson, has been elected chief executive officer of the Christian Broadcasting Network. The elder Robertson told CBN directors that he would remain as board chairman but wanted to relinquish his duties as CEO of the network. Pat Robertson, who will turn 78 in March, has been the ministry's CEO since he founded it in 1960.
Missouri Synod Lutherans report membership decline. The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod has reported a drop of 22,867 members in 2006, bringing membership to just over 2.4 million. The denomination saw decreases in the number of children baptized and the number of teenagers and adults who were confirmed, but the church saw increases in the numbers of students attending weekday religion classes and enrolled in Sunday school. Despite the lower membership numbers, giving and average weekly worship attendance have increased, church officials said.
Mardel founder conditionally pledges $70 million to ORU. Mart Green, founder and CEO of the Mardel store chain, and his family gave troubled Oral Roberts University $8 million to help with immediate needs and pledged an additional $62 million in 90 days—but only if an in-depth business review confirms that ORU has straightened out financial, leadership and governance concerns. The pledge was announced after the university's regents unanimously accepted the resignation of embattled President Richard Roberts and began a search for a new president.
Compiled from Religion News Service