Dallas-based Gateway Church announced to staff this week that donations have dropped 35%-40% and staff reductions are imminent. The announcement comes five months after the resignation of founding pastor Robert Morris due to an allegation of child sex abuse.
Read MoreA church in Wisconsin has announced it will disaffiliate from the Network, a nondenominational network of churches accused of operating like a cult. Citing an inability to “address issues and resolve concerns,” the church is the first to leave the controversial group since recent allegations of misconduct.
Read MoreDisgraced Hillsong founder Brian Houston and his wife, Bobbie, are asking for money for an online church venture. The longtime pastor says they’ve “got desperate needs” for a TV studio, while glossing over recent scandals and a government probe into past church spending.
Read MoreAfter more than four decades, 87-year-old Ed Young has announced he is stepping down as senior pastor of the prominent, multi-site Houston megachurch, Second Baptist Church. Young’s son, Associate Pastor Ben Young, will take on the leadership role.
Read MoreSpeaking recently at a church conference, popular author and pastor-teacher John MacArthur told attendees that mental illness doesn’t exist. He also implied that a child who takes medications due to mental health diagnoses is turned into “a potential drug addict” or “potential criminal.”
Read MoreSilent Discos in Incredible Places has hosted events with live DJs, LED lights and fully stocked mobile bars in museums and other landmarks. Leaders of several historic cathedrals view the disco events as a means to attract younger congregants and help cover rising maintenance costs. But for many of the faithful, holding discos in cathedrals goes too far.
Read MoreAs the war between Israel and Hamas escalates, many U.S. evangelicals are debating whether current events are related to biblical prophecy. A main factor influencing evangelicals’ views on the current conflict is their opinion of Israel. Is it merely a modern state without spiritual significance? Or, is Israel the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy that factors into end times events?
Read MoreAndy Stanley’s sermon on Sunday, which sought to clarify his stance on LGBTQ+ issues, is evoking condemnation from nonaffirming Christian leaders and praise from ones that affirm same-sex relationships.
Read MoreA new memoir by another child of Jim Bob Duggar contains some stunning revelations about the former “19 Kids and Counting” TV family. According to Jill Duggar Dillard, the fourth-eldest Duggar sibling, her parents treated her worse for exposing their verbal abuse and control than they treated her brother Josh for his pedophilia.
Read MoreThe former president of a prominent Southern Baptist seminary in north Texas spent $1.5 million in home renovations and tens of thousands more in unchecked spending, according to a report from the institution.
Read MoreAn investigation into embattled Hillsong Church by the top-rated news outlet in Australia has uncovered new revelations of financial and sexual misconduct, as key sources go on the record for the first time. “Hellsong: Hillsong Church Global Investigation” first aired on Australia’s 7News on April 23 and released Friday on YouTube.
Read MoreAfter first pleading not guilty to drunk driving charges, disgraced Hillsong founder Brian Houston has pleaded guilty to the charges and received three years’ probation, $140 in fines, and other penalties.
Read MoreThe Christian movie “Jesus Revolution,” which has surpassed the $50 million mark in theaters, premieres today on digital platforms and soon on Blu-ray. Released by Lionsgate, the movie telling the story of the 1970s Jesus People movement earned more than $51 million in box office receipts. That makes it the ninth highest-grossing faith-based film of all time.
Read MoreAs churches large and small seek to draw in infrequent worshippers on Easter Sunday, helicopter egg drops have become an increasingly popular strategy. But some observers of evangelical culture question the tactic.
Read MoreDisgraced Hillsong founder Brian Houston has been charged with drunk driving in southern California, the latest of several legal charges facing the former megachurch pastor.
Read MoreWhen it comes to public perceptions of religious groups, a new poll finds that U.S. views of evangelical Christians are increasingly negative among those who aren’t themselves “born again” believers.
Read MoreWell-known author and columnist Karen Swallow Prior has announced that she will leave her faculty position at a prominent Southern Baptist seminary, saying that she does not “share the same vision for carrying out the Great Commission.”
Read More(REVIEW) A new documentary by the BBC on Hillsong Church reveals new insight into the global evangelical church network’s celebrity culture, sex scandals, and questionable financial dealings.
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