Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.
In today's edition:
- Anglican Primate 'Disturbed' by New Rival Body
- India: Missionary Chased Down for Voting
- NYC Churches Ordered Not to Shelter Homeless
- Haggard's Return May Be Too Early, Some Say
Anglican Primate 'Disturbed' by New Rival Body
Christian Post reports that new plans to create a rival Anglican body to the Episcopal Church in America has been met with revulsion by at least one bishop. "What's quite disturbing, in my opinion, about this proposal is the determination to create a province based on theological grounds," rather than based on mission and geographic location, Archbishop Fred Hiltz, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, said earlier this week, according to the Anglican Journal. Conservative Bishop Robert Duncan, formerly of the Pittsburgh diocese before being ousted for his role in the diocese's secession from the national church, has said the Episcopal Church is guilty of departing from orthodox teaching and tradition, including its support of same-sex unions.
India: Voting Missionary Chased Down
ASSIST News Service reports that Gospel for Asia missionary Jadesh Kour faced an array of opposition and never got to cast his ballot when he returned home to vote in provincial elections in India. Jadesh currently serves as a missionary near the border of Orissa, India, and returned to his hometown 19 miles away to wait in line and vote, where villagers tried to intimidate him. A youth gang threatened to burn the house where Jadesh and his family hid, and police refused to protect him or return his confiscated bike. “You became a Christian, and the villagers are not happy,” the village leaders told Jadesh. “This is election season, and we can’t do anything to help you.” Jadesh is pastor of a church and has started seven fellowship groups.
NYC Churches Ordered Not to Shelter Homeless
CBS reports that 22 churchs in New York City were ordered to stop sheltering homeless this weekend, apparently in violation of a city ordinance that requires faith-based shelters to be open at least five days a week or not at all. Hundred of people therefore lost their usual sleeping places, said Arnold Cohen, president of the Partnership for the Homeless, a nonprofit mediator between the churches and city. The city reportedly had 8,000 beds waiting for those who faced below freezing temperatures this weekend - enough to house all those turned away from the churches. "We really don't want people sleeping on the streets, on grates, on church steps. We want people sleeping in beds," said Homeless Commissioner Robert Hess.
Haggard's Return May Be Too Early, Some Say
The Associated Press reports that former pastor Ted Haggard's appearance at Open Bible Fellowship in Morrison, Ill., comes too soon for many who remember the "sex-and-drugs scandal" leading up to his resignation from his Colorado megachurch. Appearing now as a Christian businessman, Haggard apologized for his failings but did not contact the oversight team from his former church. "To sit on the sidelines for a person with that kind of personality and gifting is probably like being paralyzed," said H.B. London, who counsels pastors through a division of Focus on the Family, the Colorado Springs-based conservative Christian group. "If Mr. Haggard and others like him feel like they have a call from God, they rationalize that their behavior does not change that call."
