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As a "conservative" Episcopalian, I have a real problem with the church that may be difficult for others to understand. For those on the outside, the Episcopal Church's problems may seem like a mishmash of issues that society largely has moved beyond. From within, however, there is something more important going on. Contrary to what the more liberal elements of the church's leadership (and unfortunately much of the media coverage) would have you believe, what is happening within the Episcopal Church has nothing to do with sexual preference, same-sex marriage, female clerics or a host of other accusations hurled at...

Interview: Joel Osteen on the Future of America's Churches and Him Pastoring One Out of a cancelled storm watch in Houston and into sunny California, Pastor Joel Osteen of Lakewood Church - one of the largest churches in the nation - is getting a refresher before heading into another weekend of services with some 40,000 attendants. Thu, Feb. 15, 2007 Posted: 14:31:19 PM EST Out of a cancelled storm watch in Houston and into sunny California, Pastor Joel Osteen of Lakewood Church – one of the largest churches in the nation – is getting a rare refresher before heading into...

Scripture is God inspired truth. It is not semi-historical literature. There are absolutes, and it doesn't take a PHD in theology to recognize that America has profound problems with each and every one of God's 10 Commandments. America's churches have been our nation's lighthouses where our people could find spiritual meaning in life. Today the pews in many churches are far from being fully populated, and many preachers are financially stretched and under stress. The question is, why are so many people not feeling it important to attend services and worship God? What is becoming of the lost souls, the...

People have described some of the contemporary practices within evangelicalism as being driven by consumerism. We can see evidences of this with many of the popular devices that are employed, whether it be in the altering of vocabulary, the transition from preaching to conversations, the emphasis upon felt needs rather than spiritual needs, the polling of unbelievers as to how church should be conducted, a deemphasis upon doctrine, a redefinition of Jesus as weak and effeminate, and an idolatrous portrayal of a God who’s love is able to trump his righteousness. Regrettably, all of these things are common today. Even...

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. — At a recent board meeting, pastor Darrell Smith of Trinity Fellowship put a video game controller in each member's hands. Soon the 12 men were clobbering each other on an oversized TV screen as they played Altar Egos: Rumble in the Pew, the latest church staff craze. "I haven't felt this good about church in years," said one board member, smiling and sweating. Video game maker Electronic Arts created Altar Egos to test the market for Christian video games. The game, which EA describes as "Grand Theft Auto without the graphic violence and sex, and set...

Feel the love: The atmosphere at Saturday's 164th convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Florida was palpably different from the meetings of the past three or four years. Palpably better, said the Rev. Sandra Moyle, associate rector at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Jacksonville. Previously, she said, the annual sessions held to conduct diocesan business pitted those who wanted to remain Episcopalians against those who did not because of their denomination's "progressive" views on Scripture and homosexuality. Now that those unhappy factions have quit the Episcopal Church USA and Bishop John Howard's Jacksonville-based diocese, the mood at the convention is...

You would think that all Christians have a biblical view of the world around them. After all, we go to church, we’re a part of a small group, we’ve read The Purpose-Driven Life. Are you ready for a reality check? The research says just the opposite. Most Christians do not have a biblical worldview. Author and researcher George Barna made waves by citing statistics that show just 9 percent of all adults in America who claim to be “born again” have a biblical worldview. You didn’t read that incorrectly—it was 9 percent. Protestants as a whole could only manage 7...

Barbara Walters' most fascinating pastor, Joel Osteen, now tops the list of the 50 Most Influential Christians in America. Osteen heads one of the largest megachurches in the nation – Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas – and authors a #1 New York Times bestseller, Your Best Life Now. After Walters recently featured him as one of the 10 most fascinating people of the year, the Church Report announced the megapastor as the most influential Christian in its annual report. "Always humble, Pastor Osteen gives credit to his wife, his staff and his church family for his success and the many...

Rick Warren seems like a compassionate man; but one who is a late-comer to this issue of AIDS. He said on an interview with FOXNEWS this past week that the first priority was to "break the silence of the church on AIDS." I beg your pardon Mr. Warren, but there have been many churches over for the past 20+ years without fanfare, PR and national media attention have faithfully served the Lord and those that are HIV positive in very sacrificial and profound ways. It is good that Rick and Saddleback have finally broken the silence and are getting...

LAKE FOREST, Calif., Dec. 20 PRNewswire — Dr. Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Valley Community Church and author of the best-selling "The Purpose Driven Life," will bring a Christmas message of hope and peace during the international broadcast of "The Purpose of Christmas with Rick Warren" on the Fox News Channel and the Armed Services Television Network. "The message of this program is encouragement," Pastor Warren said. "Though Christmas is all about giving, hope, and joy, it is actually one of the loneliest times of the year for many people." "The Purpose of Christmas with Rick Warren" is currently scheduled...

As a sidebar to a story on the religious right, The Independent newspaper from the United Kingdom offers a brief review of some of the incredibly large Evangelical churches that are at the forefront of the movement: Radiant Church Surprise, Arizona; members: 6,000 Radiant spends $16,000 annually on Krispy Kreme donuts. Pastor McFarland told the New York Times: ''We want the church to look like a mall, so you come in and say, 'Dude, where's the cinema?' Brentwood Baptist Church Houston, Texas; members: 12,000 Has its own McDonald's, complete with golden arches and a drive-thru. Saddleback Church Lake Forest, California;...

Editor's note: Jay Bakker, son of former Praise The Lord leaders Jim Bakker and Tammy Faye Messner, is minister of Revolution Church and subject of a new documentary series, "One Punk Under God," on Sundance Channel. Marc Brown is a Revolution staff member. NEW YORK (CNN) -- What the hell happened? Where did we go wrong? How was Christianity co-opted by a political party? Why are Christians supporting laws that force others to live by their standards? The answers to these questions are integral to the survival of Christianity. While the current state of Christianity might seem normal and business-as-usual...

He is rich, famous, handsome, and adored by millions of fans on television each week, but he's not an actor. He's an evangelical pastor from Houston named Joel Osteen. They call him "the smiling preacher," and Osteen has a lot to smile about. He's the head of the largest church in America, the author of a best-selling book, and the religious leader for a following of faithful, often frenzied fans. He's achieved all that with an approach critics call "Christianity lite" — no sin, no suffering, no sacrifice, replacing fire and brimstone with a motivational message. Barbara Walters asked Osteen...

Reports in the national press that some modern megachurches are “closing” on Christmas in order to encourage families to “have a more personal experience on that day” have shocked many traditional Christians. The Chicago Tribune first reported this phenomenon on December 6, in an article about the godfather of megachurches, Willow Creek. Other articles followed, in USA Today and other papers, chronicling the trend throughout the United States. This is nothing new for Willow Creek, and the WillowCreeking of America is evidenced by the spread of this trend. Many, many churches, including Rockford’s Heartland Community Church (which recently purchased Colonial...

Forgive me for playing prophet, but I think this will be the last Christmas of the 20th century. Yes, I know that the 20th century actually ended a few years ago, but I'm thinking of it as an era. This Christmas a certain era will end. Call it the era of Christianity lite. Much popular religion of the century descended into mere feel-goodism. Gone was all serious reference to sin, repentance, suffering, atonement, evil, anything unpleasant. God was in heaven and all was rosy. Say your prayers, try not to hurt anybody, never be "judgmental," and everything will come out...