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Fred Phelps Sr., the former head of the Westboro Baptist Church, died late Wednesday night, according to a family member. Phelps' son, Timothy told 13 News that his father died just before midnight. Timothy Pheps works at the Shawnee Co. Jail. Ironically, another son who is a member of the church, attorney Jonathan Phelps told us Thursday morning, "Pastor Phelps is doing just fine." That, of course, could have been a spiritual reference. Over the weekend, we learned that Phelps was reportedly "on the edge of death." In a statement on his Facebook page, Nathan Phelps, who has been estranged...

-snip- After telling the congregation at the Miracle Faith World Outreach Church that he had been unfaithful to his wife, Bishop Bobby Davis died. "After the service on Sunday the bishop's family asked us to remain in the church and the bishop confessed to us something that happened long ago," church elder Judy Stovall told the Connecticut Post. "He wanted to come clean with all of us. He wanted to ask our forgiveness." Before he died, church members were screaming at Davis to show him their support. "We were shouting, 'We forgive you, we love you,' but the stress of...

You know Fred Phelps. You loathe Fred Phelps. You despise everything he stands for, like his family members’ infamous protests at soldiers’ funerals with their awful “God Hates Fags” signs. They’ve been a symbol for many years of the religion-based animosity against the LGBT community — to the point that they’ve been labeled a “hate group” and even the most fundamentalist Christian groups denounce his church’s activities.... /snip/... Tonight, on Facebook, Nate (one of Fred's sons, excommunicated from the church) posted this: I’ve learned that my father, Fred Phelps, Sr., pastor of the “God Hates Fags” Westboro Baptist Church, was...

The estranged son of the founder of the Westboro Baptist Church said his father is "on the edge of death." Fred Phelps Sr. became famous for organizing picket lines of brightly-colored signs carrying hateful messages against tolerance during the funerals of military personnel and famous figures. His actions led to at least two federal and several state laws restricting protests during military funerals. In a statement on his Facebook page, Nathan Phelps, who has been estranged from his father for 30 years, said the senior Phelps was dying in hospice care in Topeka, Kan., and that he had been ex-communicated...

Frozen, the Oscar-winning Disney cartoon adapted from Hans Christian Andersen, is a vehicle for pro-gay propaganda as well a promoting bestiality, according to a Christian radio show in Colorado. Pastor Kevin Swanson of the Reformation Church, who hosts Generations Radio, denounced the film as "very evil", and that Disney was "one of the most pro-homosexual organisations in the country". Swanson said: "You wonder sometimes if maybe there's something very evil happening here ... I wonder if people are thinking: 'You know I think this cute little movie is going to indoctrinate my 5-year-old to be a lesbian or treat homosexuality...

In the past decade, many Evangelical churches across the country have increasingly had to wrestle with how to engage members of their congregation who identify as LGBT. But this dilemma has not remained only at the lay level. In 2012, the leadership staff at the southern California megachurch, Calvary Community Church (CCC), had to grapple with their church's convictions on homosexuality, when Kevin McCloskey, one of the members of the executive team revealed that he was gay and that he would be also be divorcing his wife of 17 years. Executive Pastor Curtis Johnson declined to speak specifically with The...

In the past decade, many Evangelical churches across the country have increasingly had to wrestle with how to engage members of their congregation who identify as LGBT. But this dilemma has not remained only at the lay level. In 2012, the leadership staff at the southern California megachurch, Calvary Community Church (CCC), had to grapple with their church's convictions on homosexuality, when Kevin McCloskey, one of the members of the executive team revealed that he was gay and that he would be also be divorcing his wife of 17 years. Executive Pastor Curtis Johnson declined to speak specifically with The...

Critical self-introspection is necessary in order to be an effective leader, Bishop T.D. Jakes said during the 2014 International Pastors and Leadership Conference in Orlando, Fla.. The megachurch pastor added that an individual's effectiveness can only be measured by how much they multiply their gifts and talents. "If God gave you two or five talents and He comes back and you still have what he gave you, you didn't lead…if you're not making any change, you're taking up space," said Jakes during the conference Friday. Aimed at helping leaders strengthen their church infrastructure, Jakes' message focused on reevaluating the qualities...

Ulf Ekman The pastor of Sweden’s largest non-denominational megachurch shocked Christians in his own community and around the world this weekend, by announcing that he is entering the Roman Catholic Church.* * * * *Several times in the last month, I wrote about bold initiatives in ecumenism, most notably the exchange of greetings and blessings between Pope Francis and evangelical pastor Kenneth Copeland, brokered by Anglican Bishop Tony Palmer. Perhaps I spoke too soon, though—for this latest surprise is just as remarkable in the Christian world, once again pointing toward a quest for unity which would have seemed impossible just...

During his Sunday morning service, Ulf Ekman announced the he and his wife, Birgitta, are converting to Roman Catholicism.Ekman is the founder of Word of Life, a megachurch in Uppsala, Sweden. News reports and blogs coming out of the nation reveal congregation was “partially stunned” after hearing what was packaged as a “special announcement.” The theme was “follow the Lamb wherever He goes."“For Birgitta and me, this has been a slow process were we have gone from discovering new things, to appreciating what we have discovered, to approach and even learn from our fellow Christians,” Ekman says on his ministry...

I am re-running an article I did two years ago, because the following story Evangelical Pastor Turns Pro-GAy illustrates my warning that there are many within evangelicalism who are not prepared to stand and bear witness to the Biblical teaching of marriage, in the face of the coming onslaught of propaganda and emotional bullying on the issue of ‘gay’ marriage. But of course He doesn’t do the decent thing and resign the church to follow his new convictions. Read the article and weep, as the ‘Pastor’ is applauded for seeking to bring the church into His new (Heretical) “compassion”. (It...

Oleksandr Turchynov, a well-known Baptist pastor and top opposition politician in Ukraine, took office on Sunday, Feb. 23, as acting president after the Parliament voted to oust President Yanukovych.... ...... Monday night in Kiev, Turchynov, 49, spoke publicly for the first time since taking office as acting president. According to an unofficial translation, he said, "Unprecedented cruelty and brutality of the dictatorial regime did not stop citizens. They selflessly gave their lives to defend their rights—and won.... "Our first task today is to stop the confrontation, to regain control … to ensure peace and tranquility, to prevent new victims, local...

(RNS) A Southern Bapitst megachurch pastor in North Carolina, already under fire for buying a $1.6 million house, is in the spotlight again for “spontaneous baptisms” that turn out to be not nearly so spontaneous. Steven Furtick, 34, routinely draws about 14,000 worshippers to several campuses of Elevation Church in and around Charlotte. The church, launched in 2006, have been listed by Outreach magazine as one of the top 100 fastest-growing churches in the country. Part of that growth has been attributed to Elevation’s flashy baptism ceremonies, particularly as the Southern Baptist Convention grows increasingly concerned about declining baptism rates...

LAKEWOOD, TX - Joel Osteen Ministries announced this week it has finalized its purchase of the entire Catholic religion which includes all assets, facilities, employees, and intellectual property. The purchase was accomplished using revenues received from corporate sponsors, member donations, and Osteen's book sales. Osteen announced the purchase to his followers at the Lakewood Church during his weekly nationally televised service saying, "Please join me in welcoming our Catholic brothers and sisters with open arms. A purchase of this magnitude takes tremendous resources so I ask you to help us fund this wonderful acquisition by calling the 800 number at...

A former member of the Potter’s House church in Dallas has allegedly been stalking its pastor, Bishop T.D. Jakes, for the last three years. A judge extended a temporary restraining order until next Monday. Jakes sued Karleisha Tarver last month, and a court hearing Monday will determine whether a temporary injunction should be issued, ordering her to stay away from the pastor, reports the Star-Telegram. The restraining order says Tarver cannot come within 500 feet of the pastor, his family and employees. “I would love to comment, but I can’t because this case is pending,” says Jakes’ attorney, Faith Johnson,...

Full Title: Joel Osteen's $10.5 Million Mansion, Cross-Less Church and Other Surprising Facts About the Mega-Pastor Joel Osteen, pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, and the bestselling author of books like Your Best Life Now and I Declare: 31 Promises to Speak Over Your Life, has been dubbed "the smiling preacher" due to his toothy smile and upbeat attitude. Here are a few facts about Pastor Osteen and his ministry you might not know. 1. Joel Osteen Met Victoria Osteen in a Jewelry Store Pastor Osteen and his wife Victoria Osteen met in 1985 when he went to a...

Full Ttitle: Pastor Ron Carpenter's Wife, Hope, Returns to SC Megachurch as He Rebukes Christian Leaders Who Supported His Desire for Divorce _______________________________________________________________ Hope Carpenter, co-founder of Redemption World Outreach Center in Greenville, S.C., was enthusiastically welcomed back by congregants on Sunday months after her marital infidelities were exposed at the pulpit by her husband, Pastor Ron Carpenter. Carpenter, this time around, took other Christian leaders to task for supporting him when he declared he would be seeking a divorce. With his wife and family sitting in the very first row of the sanctuary, Pastor Carpenter manned the pulpit not...

The snake-handling pastor starring on the reality show "Snake Salvation," has died from a snake bite, according to Middlesboro Police. Police believe Jamie Coots died after a rattlesnake bit his right hand during a church service Saturday night. Coots was found dead in his home about 10 p.m. after refusing medical help, according to police. "The snake that bit him, we've been carrying it for four months. It's been carried hundreds of times and handled at all kinds of times," said Cody Coots, Coots' son. "When it's your time to go. It's just your time to go. " Coots was...

Dr. David Jeremiah, senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon, California, in his book entitled "I Never Thought I'd See The Day," which is listed as a "# 1 New York Times Bestseller," engages in historical revisionism as he attempts to portray William Tyndale as a "martyr" for the Bible. On page 161 of his book, Dr. Jeremiah asserts that, "..because TYndale believed that every English-speaking person deserved to have access to the Bible in English, he labored to produce the first complete New Testament (and part of the Old Testament) in English translated directly from the...

Ghostly Figure In Photo A Sign From God? Pastor Thinks So February 6, 2014ANAHEIM (CBSLA.com) — A pastor and his wife believe a ghostly figure that appeared in the background of a photograph is a sign from a higher power.CBS2’s Stacey Butler reports that a man named Radu, who didn’t want to appear on-camera, took a photo of a co-worker two weeks ago at an Irvine warehouse.The picture, which Radu said he did not retouch, showed a veiled woman in the corner behind the co-worker.“I can clearly see the face. I can even see long hair. I can see, like...