Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.
In today's edition:
- Church of England Prepares for Heated Women Bishops Debate
- Nashville Churches Aid Flooded School
- Nepal Rebels End Strike, Ministry Resumes
- Church Gun Bill Shot Down in La. House
Church of England Prepares for Heated Women Bishops Debate
The Christian Post reports that the Church of England will again debate opening the clergy ranks for female bishops. "The status quo, with women able to minister as priests but not as bishops, no longer accords with the wish of the majority of the Synod," states the 142-page report, released Sunday. "But the journey to a new destination remains contested and challenging." The revision committee acknowledged, however, that they "have not been able to come up with a set or proposals that everyone now says that they can live with." The committee received almost 300 submissions to amend the proposal, many of them requesting provisions for more traditional Anglicans who do not believe Scripture supports female bishops. The new draft will be debated at the General Synod in July.
Nashville Churches Aid Flooded School
Baptist Press reports that Donelson Christian Academy (DCA), a private school with more than 850 students, had nine portable classrooms and its main building flooded as a result of last weekend's torrential rain in middle Tennessee. After requests from the headmaster's administrative assistant, Deleen Cooper, DCA moved its students and operations into two Tennessee Baptist churches in the Donelson area. First Baptist Church in Donelson, which previously housed the school during a 1984 flood, was requested to become the site for the preschool, extended daycare and the DCA administrative office. Two Rivers Baptist Church, where Cooper is a member, readily became the site for the DCA middle and high schools. Scott Hutchings, Two Rivers Baptist executive pastor, said, "We just wanted to help out a local school that was flooded and share the love of Christ."
Nepal Rebels End Strike, Ministry Resumes
Mission News Network reports that Maoist rebels ended a violently-enforced strike late Friday, allowing the country and ministries to breathe again. "It (the strike) kind of cripples the country until they get what they want," said Danny Punnose with Gospel for Asia. "Basically, they want absolute power so that whatever they say goes, so they'll keep calling strikes until they get what they want." The enforcement ensures that everyone complies. The Maoists are now calling for the resignation of the prime minister and pushing officials to finish a lagging constitutional draft. Punnose says the strikes make travel impossible, and Gospel for Asia-supported missionaries can't work. "A lot of our church services had to be temporarily canceled because of the danger of actually making it to church alive."
Church Gun Bill Shot Down in La. House
Religion News Service reports that a bill that would have allowed people to carry concealed weapons to their places of worship died in the Louisiana House on Thursday (May 6). Lawmakers voted 45-39 for the bill, eight votes short of what is needed to get a bill through the lower chamber. Rep. Henry Burns, a Republican, said he will bring the bill back for reconsideration. "Times have changed," Burns said, referring to shootings at houses of worship in recent years. He said his bill is designed to give church officials a chance to allow weapons at their worship sites as a way of protecting innocent worshipers from criminals. Burns said the religious leaders of each church, mosque or synagogue would have to approve the individuals as part of a security plan and inform congregants in the weekly newsletter, bulletin or from the pulpit.
