Free Republic

A retired minister, David Zandstra, who was arrested in Georgia earlier this week, charged with murder in the slaying of an eight-year-old girl whose remains were found in Pennsylvania almost a half-century ago, is now being investigated over the disappearance of a four-year-old girl from California. Fairfield Police Department are reexamining a 1991 California cold case which saw the disappearance of Amanda 'Nikki' Campbell in the Bay Area. Campbell's case is extremely similar to that of Gretchen Harrington, who vanished while heading to Bible school in Pennsylvania in 1975. Zandstra, 83, was arrested for her kidnapping and killing on Monday,...

A retired minister in Georgia has been charged with murder in the slaying of an eight-year-old girl - who vanished while heading to Bible school in Pennsylvania nearly a half-century ago. David Zandstra, 83, of the Atlanta suburb of Marietta, was charged Monday with criminal homicide, first, second- and third-degree murder, kidnapping of a minor and a related count in the 1975 death of Gretchen Harrington in Delaware County. Harrington, the daughter of a Presbyterian minister and his wife, disappeared in mid-August 1975 while walking from her Marple Township home to Bible school at Trinity Church Chapel, where Zandstra was...

Christian entertainment company 4HisGlory Amusements has announced an exciting new escape room experience based on Calvinist theology. Participants will be entirely unable to do anything to escape the room and instead must wait for an actor playing Jesus to unlock the door and let them out.

American Presbyterians have seen a series of splits and mergers for the past century that have resulted in a multitude of smaller denominations with different interpretations of the Bible and the Creeds. Issues of gender identity, sexuality, and abortion have contributed to divisions in these denominations. Here is a quick overview of the five largest Presbyterian denominations in the United States and where they stand on key issues of abortion, sexuality, marriage, and the persecuted church. Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) The Evangelical Presbyterian Church split from the United Presbyterian Church (a predecessor to the PCUSA) in 1981. The EPC strongly...

The spreading of the gospel is one of the most important responsibilities of the church. What are some common reasons why many churches and many Christians are slacking in their evangelism?

Well I finally got around to it – I am reading through some of the Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin. I say “some” because the complete work spans more than 1500 pages and deals with some of the most weighty and complex theological issues known to mankind. I have chosen for now to plod my way through the most controversial aspects of Calvin’s writings; the topics of predestination and election. Most of my friends who call themselves Calvinists are eager to disassociate themselves from the doctrine of “double predestination”. They state that God has predestined some to...

A Turkish born, German citizen, Seyran Ates, has done something that needed to be done. She has tried to drag Islam into the 21st century by opening a Mosque that is open, inclusive and genuinely Liberal in its outlook. There is only one problem standing in her way…Since opening its doors, she has been the subject of a mass death threat and hate mail campaign and is now under 24-hour Police Protection. The Ruschd-Goethe Mosque (named after the Islam scholar and philosopher Ibn Ruschd, and the German poet Goethe), opened doors in mid-June and set out to preach Religious freedom...

The World Communion of Reformed Churches has accepted that Joint Declaration on Justification that was originally signed by the Catholic Church and the World Lutheran Federation in 1999, and later by the World Methodist Council in 2016. The World Communion of Reformed Churches will formalize its assent to the statement at an ecumenical prayer service to be held in Wittenberg, Germany, on July 5. The Pontifical Council for Christian Unity welcomed the acceptance of the statement by the Reformed Churches as an “important milestone” in ecumenical affairs. The Vatican body said: One of the crucial issues of dissent between the...

truthXchange just finished a marvelous conference on the important issue of “Gay Christianity,” in which we thoughtfully examined the biblical content that informs our decisions about homosexual practice in relation to the Church. We also heard powerful testimonies from some who have lived and left the gay lifestyle. Very few Millennials attended. This is disconcerting, since 75% of them accept homosexuality as normative. A recently converted Millennial, who works for a student Christian ministry and attended the conference, observed that almost all Millennials (including Christians) resist controversial subjects. If Christian Millennials will not think or talk about this, the future...

“Covenant College has elected to forfeit the Women’s Tennis USA South Conference championship match, scheduled for April 17, 2016. The championship match takes place on a Sunday, and as an institution owned and operated by the Presbyterian Church in America we observe the Sabbath by not competing in athletic events on Sunday. This conviction is clearly stated in our Student Handbook and is informed by the Bible, the Westminster Confession of Faith, and the PCA Book of Church Order. In national tournaments, the NCAA makes accommodations for institutions that do not compete on a particular day for religious reasons. Bylaw...

Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again. For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? For I would not,...

Over the last two decades, more than three-fourths of Iraq’s Christians have fled the country, driven out by a combination of Muslim fanaticism and economic and social collapse. Iraq, however, isn’t the only place to experience a mass Christian exodus in recent years. Look at the Presbyterian Church (USA), the 10th largest denomination in this country. But you’d better look fast. The PC(USA), which is the nation’s largest Presbyterian denomination (at least for now), is driving out members through its own brand of leftist fanaticism. From a high of more than 4 million members back in 1965, the Louisville-based PC(USA)...

The Presbyterian Church USA has voted to endorse Kermit Gosnell. Delegates meeting in Detroit at the 221st General Assembly of the 1.8 million–member Presbyterian Church (USA) voted down a measure that would have the church endorse care for babies born alive after abortions.From World Magazine: Also Thursday, 78 percent of the PCUSA General Assembly struck down a resolution condemning the killing of babies born alive during abortions, as occurred with notorious abortionist Kermit Gosnell. Initiated by the South Alabama presbytery, it called for inclusion of pro-life Presbyterians and an investigation into doctrinal and financial support of abortion. Dissenters cited pro-abortion...

Actions of the 42nd General Assembly of the PCA Overtures dealing with homosexuality, pro-life, child abuse, Insider Movement, theistic evolution, and others discussed and voted on Written by Staff | Monday, June 23, 2014 The 42nd General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) has adjourned in Houston, Texas. There were many issues considered including Insider Movements, child abuse, and prayer for Christians facing penalties for their stance on abortion and homosexuality. What follows is an overview of some of the main actions of this year’s GA. Unlike previous years, there was very little discussion or debate over the...

At one point during this this week’s General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA), the hundreds of delegates, known as commissioners, gleefully bounced scores of red balloons in the air. At another point, they collectively broke into dance, confirming that most Protestants, especially if they’re old, white and Anglo, don’t look so great wiggling around. (Here’s a video, for mature viewers only.) Mainline Protestantism, at least in its official curia, has been liberal for nearly 100 years. But for most of that century it was a thoughtful, dignified liberalism that still roughly adhered to historic Christianity’s moral architecture, even if...

Presbyterian Church (USA) on guns: Among other things, the Assembly’s action calls for: formation of support, healing and advocacy groups for those who have experienced gun violence in their families; opposition to legislation that exempts gun manufacturers and marketers from legal liability and/or financial accountability for the medical and security costs of predictable gun misuse and availability to criminals, the unstable, and the self-destructive; opposition to “stand your ground” and other legislation that may entitle gun owners to shoot before taking alternative measures (such as relying on law enforcement and/or other de-escalation techniques) in perceived defense of persons or property;...

In terms of giving insight into the current battles raging within the PC (USA) and the exodus of evangelical churches, the report is quite helpful. Consider the following statement: “only followers of Jesus Christ can be saved.” Among pastors, 45% disagreed or strongly disagreed. 41% agreed or strongly agreed. Among our clergy, there is a clearly demonstrable variance about a fundamental tenet of Christian belief that is central to the mission of the church—the proclamation of the Gospel. The Presbyterian Church (USA) recently released the findings of its “Religious and Demographic Profile of Presbyterians 2011” (the report). More than 6,000...

A deeply-divided gathering of U.S. Presbyterian Church elders and ministers narrowly voted on Friday to divest the religious group's holdings in three American companies it says have ties to Jewish settlements in occupied Palestinian Territories. As a result of the vote the church will divest holdings worth roughly $21 million in Caterpillar Inc., Hewlett-Packard, and Motorola Solutions. "We as a church cannot profit from the destruction of homes and lives," said Reverend Gradye Parsons in a statement about the decision at its meeting in Detroit. "We continue to invest in many businesses involved in peaceful pursuits in Israel." Members of...

The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA), one of the United States’ leading Protestant denominations, has voted to allow its pastors to perform “any such marriage they believe the Holy Spirit calls then to perform, where legal by state law.” The motion, which passed by a 61%-39% margin, takes effect immediately. By a 71%-29% margin, the assembly also recommended that the church’s Book of Order be amended to describe marriage as a “unique commitment between two people, traditionally a man and a woman.” This change will go into effect when it approved by the majority of the church’s presbyteries....

The top legislative body of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) voted Thursday to redefine Christian marriage in the church constitution as the union of "two people" instead of only "a man and a woman." The amendment requires approval from a majority of the 172 regional presbyteries, which will vote on the change over the next year. But in a separate vote that will take effect immediately, the Presbyterian General Assembly allowed ministers to preside at gay weddings in states where gay marriage is legal. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia recognize same-sex marriage. Alex McNeill, executive director of More Light...