Religion Today Summaries - Nov. 26, 2007

Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff | Crosswalk.com | Published: Nov 25, 2007

Religion Today Summaries - Nov. 26, 2007

Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.
 
In today's edition:

  • ORU President Resigns
  • Fort Worth Diocese Takes Steps toward Leaving Episcopal Church
  • West Bank Pastor Threatened with Violence Flees to U.S.
  • Indian Bible Students Beaten for Preaching 'Foreign Religion'

ORU President Resigns

The Christian Post reports that Oral Roberts University’s Board of Regents will meet Monday and Tuesday to begin the search process for a new president after former president Richard Roberts resigned effective immediately. Roberts has been facing allegations that he misspent money at the school founded by his father. Roberts sent a letter of resignation Friday to the Board of Regents, saying, “I love ORU with all my heart. I love the students, faculty, staff and administration and I want to see God’s best for all of them.” Amid the search for a new president, executive Regent Billy Joe Daugherty will continue to assume administrative responsibilities of the Office of the President. Roberts still faces a lawsuit filed by three former ORU professors who contend that they were wrongfully terminated from their positions at the university after reporting information regarding Roberts' alleged misuse of funds.

Fort Worth Diocese Takes Steps toward Leaving Episcopal Church

According to OneNewsNow.com, the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, Texas has taken initial steps toward leaving the denomination. The move is related to the growing rift over Scriptural interpretation and homosexuality facing the ECUSA. The dioceses of Pittsburgh, PA; San Joaquin, CA; and Quincy, IL have already approved measures to align with an overseas Anglican church.

West Bank Pastor Threatened with Violence Flees to U.S.

A West Bank pastor who fled to the United States this week following threats of violence from a Palestinian security official said he feels he is in as much danger stateside as he was in Ramallah. “We know they do have contacts here in the states, so I’m taking it as serious as I would if I were still in Ramallah,” U.S.-born Isa Bajalia, who has ministered in Ramallah since 1991, told Compass Direct News. Bajalia, 47, said that a Fatah security official from the Tanzim militia, Nader Dahoud Abu Dahoud, demanded $30,000 and registration in his name of property the pastor had inherited. Bajalia said Dahoud had raised objections to a team of Christian visitors, which he had brought from the United States, praying for Muslims in Ramallah. In a telephone interview, Dahoud denied making the threats and said he was seeking only repayment of money he had given Bajalia for property the pastor had failed to sign over to him. Bajalia, however, told Compass that when the Islamic security official began harassing him in August, he made reference to the ministry project by the Christian visitors in May.

Indian Bible Students Beaten for Preaching 'Foreign Religion'

The Christian Post reports that two Bible college students endured savage beatings from a mob of anti-Christian extremists in India’s Haryana state on Nov. 4. Vijay and Soman were ministering in Haryana during a school break when they went into a shop to witness to the owner. According to Gospel for Asia, the man acted interested in what they had to say, telling them to wait while he found some friends who would also be interested. Later, a crowd of extremists gathered outside the shop. The shop owner was the leader of a local anti-Christian extremist group. According to GFA, the extremists questioned the two boys about their reasons for wanting to preach a "foreign religion," and accused them of being anti-nationalistic and of forcing people to convert. The students responded by explaining that they were only distributing literature on how to be freed from sin, but the extremists began to beat them and dragged them into the street.

Religion Today Summaries - Nov. 26, 2007