BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — Many churchgoers say their church connects financial blessings with personal generosity, but most pastors see those ideas as bankrupt. A Lifeway Research study of U.S. Protestant pastors finds few hold or teach beliefs connected to the prosperity gospel, the theological movement that teaches God wants to make followers materially wealthy and will do so if individuals hold certain beliefs or perform specific actions. A previous Lifeway Research study, however, found … [Read more...]
Open Doors: Violence, civil wars drive global Christian persecution up 4.1 percent
BRIDGEVILLE, Pa. (BP) – Africa, with more Christians than any other continent, has in Nigeria the deadliest nation for believers at the hands of Islamic terrorists and suffers persistently high violence in a dozen countries in its sub-Saharan region. Add to that the civil war in Sudan that has created the largest displacement crisis in the world, as well as lingering civil wars elsewhere, and it’s no wonder that an additional 15 million Christians are suffering high levels of persecution … [Read more...]
MBC apologist confronts counterfeit faiths
MACKS CREEK – To stand for truth and share Christ with people who embrace counterfeit forms of Christianity is a challenge. Colten Wright, pastor of Linn Creek Baptist Church and a member of the Missouri Baptist Apologetics Network, relishes this challenge as he shares the gospel with people in his Lake of the Ozarks community. Wright often asks questions to clarify other people’s beliefs and gently point them to the truth of Jesus Christ. In particular, he specializes in witnessing to … [Read more...]
Baptists in Mexico still displaced after Catholic leaders renege on agreement
HIDALGO, Mexico (BP) – About 150 Baptists forcibly displaced from their homes in Hidalgo, Mexico, since April have sought refuge in a neighboring state after Catholic village leaders reneged on an agreement that would have welcomed the Protestants home. According to a Nov. 21 report from Christian Solidarity Worldwide, the members of Great Commission Fundamental Baptist Church began moving to Chalma, Veracruz, after it became clear that the Sept. 27 agreement would not be … [Read more...]
‘The Israel Dilemma’ film ties Scripture, archeological evidence to current strife
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (BP) – Defending itself against Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu noted the nation of God’s chosen people is at war on seven fronts, not only against Iran, but also Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, terrorists in the West Bank and Shiite militias in Iraq and Syria. Are there biblical prophecies – along with corroborating archeological evidence – foretelling the nation’s predicament? That is the answer investigative Christian filmmaker Tim Mahoney sets … [Read more...]
‘Nones’ flatlines third year running, reachable by church, State of the Bible says
PHILADELPHIA (BP) – The percentage of U.S. adults not affiliated with a religion has flatlined at 26 percent since 2022 after decades of growth, the American Bible Society (ABS) said in its latest release from the 2024 State of the Bible. But the diverse group of 70 million Americans designated as ‘Nones,’ 10 percent of whom say they’ve made a personal commitment to Jesus, are reachable by the Church, said John Plake, ABS chief innovation officer and State of the Bible editor in … [Read more...]
China has no religious freedom, USCIRF says, days after release of U.S. pastor
WASHINGTON (BP) – China has tightened its control of religion, creating such crimes as genocide, mass arrests and enforced disappearances, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said in a Sept. 23 fact sheet, days after China released long-imprisoned American Protestant pastor David Lin. “Sinicization, or the complete subordination of religious groups to the CCP’s (Chinese Communist Party’s) political agenda and Marxist vision for religion, has become the core … [Read more...]
Religious pluralism fails, only Jesus saves
Not for the first time, the head of the Roman Catholic Church sparked debate earlier this month after apparently preaching religious pluralism to crowds gathered in the southeast Asian nation of Singapore. “All religions are a path to God,” Pope Francis said, according to a Sept. 13th report from The Catholic Herald. He added, “They are like different languages in order to arrive at God.” According to the news report, the pope used “similar language at an interfaith meeting during a 2022 … [Read more...]
Gen Z most fearful, anxious, but Scripture halves anxiety, study shows
PHILADELPHIA (BP) – Generation Z, the first to grow up with smartphones and tablets, is the most fearful and anxious of any age, the American Bible Society (ABS) said in its latest release from the 2024 State of the Bible. But regular Bible engagement, a practice that attracts only 11 percent of Gen Z, reduces anxiety by half and can improve other markers of emotional health, study authors said in releasing chapter six of the study Sept. 12. “Our youngest adults (ages 18-27) have more … [Read more...]
UCLA discriminated against Jews during Israel-Hamas war protests, judge rules
LOS ANGELES (BP) – The University of California at Los Angeles blocked Jewish students from portions of campus when protests erupted in response to the Israel-Hamas War, a district judge has ruled, citing their faith as the sole factor. “Jewish students were excluded from portions of the UCLA campus because they refused to denounce their faith,” U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi said in granting a preliminary injunction Aug. 13 in the lawsuit filed by three Jewish students against the … [Read more...]
Lifeway Research: Churchgoers may be overconfident in Old Testament knowledge
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. (Lifeway Research) — If you ask someone at church to name their favorite story from the Old Testament, they may mention Moses or Noah, but they might also talk about Jesus or Paul. Some may even begin describing a story from outside the Bible. When asked about their favorite story from the Old Testament, around 4 in 5 U.S. Protestant churchgoers share one from the first section of the Bible, according to a Lifeway Research study. More than 1 in 10 (11%), however, offer a … [Read more...]
Barna, CRC Research finds America’s evangelicals are fewer, less biblically grounded and politically disengaged
GLENDALE, Ariz. (Cultural Research Center) — New research from the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, led by veteran researcher Dr. George Barna, highlights a significant transformation within the evangelical community over the past 30 years and paints an alarming portrait of modern American evangelicals. The cultural awareness sparked by the COVID pandemic and the 2024 presidential campaign has awakened millions of Americans to the pervasive depravity within … [Read more...]
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