Pastor John MacArthur on Sunday, Aug. 16, defied the mandate of the California Court of Appeal by holding an indoor worship service — further escalating a nationally watched fight over COVID-19 restrictions. MacArthur, a prominent Calvinist preacher and author, has…
MacArthur sues LA County, county countersues over COVID restrictions
California megachurch pastor John MacArthur has accelerated his fight with the County of Los Angeles and State of California over COVID-19 restrictions Aug. 13, filing suit against the state while claiming he’s not making people show up at his church,…
Americans want churches open but aren’t attending when they are open
Americans believe churches shouldn’t have special privileges to be open when other similar venues are closed, but they also believe their churches should be open already — even though few people are actually attending in-person worship. These seemingly contradictory views…
What’s going wrong in your church building while you’re gone?
Closing down church buildings could create serious repercussions not just for the people who miss gathering there but also for the facilities themselves. Imagine walking into a house that has been shut up or abandoned for a period of time…
John MacArthur retains Trump lawyer in fight over COVID restrictions
A personal lawyer to President Donald Trump has been retained by high-profile pastor John MacArthur and his Grace Community Church in a COVID-19 fight with California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the City of Los Angeles. Grace Community Church has defied…
Meredith Stone to lead Baptist Women in Ministry
Meredith Stone, a beloved professor and administrator at Logsdon Theological Seminary, has been named executive director of Baptist Women in Ministry. BWIM is a national nonprofit organization committed to drawing together women and men to advocate for and celebrate the…
Faced with coronavirus challenge, this Christian camp found a new way
In what Christianity Today has called “Christian camps’ weirdest, hardest summer,” David and Colleen Burroughs faced tough decisions about their own camping program, PASSPORT Inc., which typically engages 5,000 children and youth from about 350 churches in its programs. Back…
Americans want ‘moral, ethical’ president more than a religious one
Recent surveys show Americans care more about having a “moral, ethical president” than about having a religious president. And although only 32% of Americans describe Donald Trump as “morally upstanding,” 61% of white evangelicals say that term describes Trump. Meanwhile,…
Couple helps parents of LGBTQ kids come out of the closet
Greg and Lynn McDonald are evangelical Christians who want parents to love their LGBTQ children — without exception and without condition. That’s all. They’ll talk theology with you, but they’d rather sit down for a study of the Gospels. They…
Website to teach kids the Bible finds new life in pandemic
Wrestling uninterested kids in catechism classes gave Mosongo Osong an idea for a better way to teach children the Bible — but he had no idea how a coming global pandemic would accelerate his vision and take it beyond Catholic…
Why we must not look away in the current crisis
It was a sermon illustration I will never forget. Our pastor told the story of Father Michael Renninger, pastor of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Richmond, Va. While a college student on his way home one weekend, Renninger stopped to…
Church dismisses pastor who came out as transgender in Sunday sermon
June Joplin, the Canadian Baptist pastor who came out as transgender in her Sunday sermon June 14, has been dismissed from her pulpit at Lorne Park Baptist Church in suburban Toronto. Member Anne McKye, speaking on behalf of the church’s…