A Maryland appeals court has rejected a challenge brought by 37 churches against the United Methodist Church’s Baltimore-Washington Conference over property and financial requirements connected to leaving the denomination. A three-judge panel of the Appellate Court of Maryland unanimously ruled in 'The Methodist Church of Cape St. Claire et al. v. The Baltimore Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church, Inc., et al.'
U.S. Protestant pastors are delivering somewhat longer sermons than they did several years ago, while most churchgoers remain generally satisfied with the amount of time their pastors spend preaching, according to Lifeway Research. Four in five pastors, or 80%, said their typical sermon lasts less than 40 minutes. About half, or 52%, said they usually preach for under 30 minutes, while 28% reported messages lasting between 30 and 40 minutes.
The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has launched a humanitarian effort to bring at least 500 Nigerians home from South Africa. The first 100 returnees arrived at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Sept. 24 after flying from Johannesburg.
The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) marked its 180th anniversary with online gatherings. Founded in London in 1846, the WEA represents more than 650 million evangelicals through nine regional alliances spanning 160 countries. Hundreds of participants from more than 20 countries joined two Zoom events on Sept. 23, scheduled at different times to accommodate multiple time zones.
Chinese authorities have detained multiple pastors and church workers from Beijing Jiaquan Church, an independent house church that has operated in the capital for more than two decades. ChinaAid founder and President Bob Fu said his organization is “urgently concerned for the safety, health and legal rights of every Jiaquan pastor and church co-worker who has been taken away.”
Asbury Theological Seminary plans to leave the federal student loan program and stop processing Title IV loans beginning in May 2027. Title IV governs federal student aid under the Higher Education Act. The Kentucky seminary said the move reflects a desire to reduce student debt and concerns that a future administration hostile to its beliefs could use federal funding as leverage against the school.
Nearly 100 students have been baptized during five periodic worship gatherings held at a Christian high school in Colorado after athletic competitions. Valor Christian High School in Highlands Ranch launched the 5th Quarter gatherings in fall 2024 and holds the student-focused worship and testimony events twice each academic year.
The Church of England has withdrawn an interfaith award from a Pakistani Muslim cleric after past comments praising Osama bin Laden resurfaced. Lambeth Palace announced Thursday that it had rescinded the Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation presented to Maulana Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi on Sept. 11.
A performance of Handel’s “Messiah” blending Western and Eastern music took place Sept. 12 at Mukawir, the hilltop fortress in Jordan traditionally associated with the beheading of John the Baptist. The concert was held under the patronage of HRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal.
American Bible Society research suggests that Christians who are more active in their faith and Bible reading are less likely to struggle with forgiving themselves and others. Overall, 29% of respondents said “It is really hard for me to accept myself once I’ve messed up” was “true of me,” while 56% said it was “not true of me.”
Director Alejandro Monteverde, best known for “Sound of Freedom,” is bringing the Nativity to the big screen this Christmas season with “Zero A.D.: The Birth of Christ,” a biblical epic highlighting the courage and faith behind the birth of Jesus. Distributed by Angel Studios, the drama-thriller opens in theaters Dec. 11 and depicts Mary and Joseph’s struggle to protect the newborn Messiah amid political turmoil.
The Anglican Diocese of the Western Gulf Coast has chosen the Rev. Paul Donison as its next bishop, ending months of uncertainty following an inconclusive election in May. The Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) announced Wednesday that the Texas-based diocese elected Donison on Nov. 7.
Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice-elect Maggie Ellis has announced plans to overturn a rule protecting judges who decline to officiate same-sex weddings because of their religious beliefs.
A law that came into effect this year gives the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) increased powers to restrict religious practice even as several Christians remain imprisoned for carrying out their ministries, according to an advocacy group’s new report. In the past year freedom of religion in China has deteriorated with the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress coming into effect on July1.
Several pastors affiliated with the Calvary Chapel movement have publicly criticized Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa’s affirmation of women serving as pastors, following an announcement by Char Brodersen at the church that once served as the movement’s flagship congregation. The Calvary Chapel Association (CCA), through its Heartland Regional Team, reaffirmed its opposition to appointing women as pastors or elders.
