Free Republic

BIG TIMBER, Mont. — Without their consent or knowledge, a pastor in rural Montana has sold his church and congregation on eBay for $3 million. "I finally got good and sick of them," says Tad Marshall, pastor for 15 years who completed the secret sale last week. "This serves them right. All of them." But many in the church are stunned by the Marshall family’s sudden departure. "We had such a good relationship," says Winifred Barnes. "Whenever I called him in the middle of the night to pray for my psoriasis, he was happy to help. I’m surprised he would...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — When Franklin Graham arrived at a poor village in Turkmenistan to film a segment for an upcoming World Wide Pictures release, he and his film crew were pelted with rocks, sticks and other detritus. "Borat makes difficult tapings of missionary work among formerly friendly peoples," quips a World Wide Pictures crew member who was chased out of the village with Graham. Nobody was seriously hurt, but Graham and the team confronted an uncomfortable new reality. Fearing ridicule like the kind portrayed in the film Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, some...

BAGHDAD — Henry Anderson hopes for a speedy end to the Iraq war — for the sake of his tour business. "As soon as the hostilities go down to Holy Land levels, I'm launching," he says of his Eden Tours, which will purport to take visitors to possible Garden of Eden sites. Many church groups have developed "Galilee fatigue" and are tiring of repeat trips to Israel, so travel companies are banking on a new destination: Iraq. "I've been to Jerusalem sixteen times, preached from the Mount of Beatitudes and did the Paul's journeys cruise," says one pastor whose church...

DAVENPORT — Bryan O'Keefe, 16, has never left the state of Iowa, but lately has worked himself into a state of outrage over world poverty and climate warming. "I've stopped being part of the problem, and now I'm part of the solution," says the high school student. But his latest phase is harming the family name around town, says his mother. "We quit taking him to Sam's Club because he calls it 'the mother teat of capitalism' loud enough for other patrons to hear," she says. Trips to McDonald's are out because he berates employees who throw away unsold hamburgers....

CLEVELAND — A city-wide upswing in salvations and spiritual awareness is being credited to housewife Sandy Donadio's Scripture checkbook. Donadio ordered a box of flowery Scripture checks in May and soon began using checks that read, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart," and "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Within days, the city broke into revival. "She left a trail of new converts behind her, at the 99 Cent store, Kroger, the auto shop, the dry cleaner," says one pastor whose congregation has grown by 30 percent. "I heard stories of grown men...

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — Sam Brobst took a "Learning Your Spiritual Gift" course at Full Life Center, a charismatic church, and felt the Lord leading him to prophesy during meetings. But when Brobst opened his mouth the first time, he and others were surprised by what came out: pirate speak. "We were in the middle of worship, when this voice rings out, 'Yar! Hear the word of the Lord — the Lord of the mighty seas!'" says one witness. "It was straight out of a Disneyland ride." Brobst says he can't help it: when the Spirit moves upon him, he...