Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.
In today's edition:
- U.S. Episcopal Church Faces Another Showdown on Gays
- Swindolls to Be Honored with Bill Bright Award
- Study: Evangelicals Least Concerned about Global Warming
- Hindu Activists in India Attack Pastor and Family; Burn Down Church
U.S. Episcopal Church Faces Another Showdown on Gays
Reuters reports that leaders of the U.S. Episcopal Church face a tough decision in the coming days on whether to issue a clear-cut ban on allowing people in gay relationships to be bishops and on blessing same-sex unions. The issues have already fractured the global Anglican church and its liberal-leaning U.S. Episcopal branch, and threaten both with outright schism. The bishops of the U.S. church meet in New Orleans for six days beginning Thursday, including two days with Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, leader of the 77-million-member Worldwide Anglican Communion. At the top of the agenda is a "request" issued by the presiding Anglican bishops meeting in Africa earlier this year that the 2.4-million-member U.S. church, by September 30, clearly renounce the blessing of same-sex marriages and make it clear it will not allow more non-celibate gays to become bishops.
Swindolls to Be Honored with Bill Bright Award
Honoring lives dedicated to providing biblically-based teaching, Wycliffe Bible Translators has selected Chuck and Cynthia Swindoll as the recipients of the organization's Bill Bright Scripture Impact Award. The couple will receive the award at a Sept. 25 dinner in Orlando. The Bill Bright Scripture Impact Award was established by Wycliffe to recognize individuals whose contributions to Bible translation, literacy and Scripture proclamation reflect that of the late Campus Crusade for Christ founder, Dr. Bill Bright. The Swindolls have devoted more than five decades of their lives to communicating practical, biblical truth. Chuck Swindoll currently serves as the host of the radio broadcast ministry Insight for Living, in leadership at Dallas Theological Seminary, and as pastor of Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas, which he founded in 1998. Cynthia Swindoll serves as president of her husband’s broadcast ministry. Insight for Living now airs in every major Christian radio market in all 50 U.S. states and on more than 2,100 outlets worldwide.
Study: Evangelicals Least Concerned about Global Warming
The Christian Post reports that evangelical Christians are more skeptical than other Christians and American adults overall about the severity of global warming, a new study showed. Only 33 percent of evangelical Christians view global warming as a "major" problem facing the country compared to people of other faiths or of no religion in which over half say it's severe, according to The Barna Group. Among non-evangelical born-again Christians, 55 percent say global warming is a major problem and 59 percent of notional Christians agree. Overall, 51 percent of the nation's Christian community view global warming as severe while 42 percent assign the largely debated issue less importance.
Hindu Activists in India Attack Pastor and Family; Burn Down Church
A pastor and his family were attacked by 150 Hindu activists as they were traveling to their church in Bhadwadi village, ASSIST News Service reports. After accusing Pastor Virendra Singh, 50, of converting people to Christianity and severely injuring him, the attackers burnt down their church, which had more than 500 believers inside. “The 500-600, who were present in the church, ran out panicked, crying with fear. They somehow managed to help the sick believers escape from the church,” reported the Global Council of Indian Christians. Religious books, Bibles, Christian literatures, musical instruments, and other items, however, were completely destroyed.
