Free Republic

A Chinese pastor living Wuhan — the epicenter of the deadly coronavirus outbreak — has penned a powerful letter urging the international faith community to pray as the number of confirmed cases rises above 20,000 in the country. The Christian leader, identified as "A Wuhan Pastor" by China Source, penned a lengthy letter in which he revealed that fellow pastors from around the world have been reaching out, asking how they can support him. “It is readily apparent that we are facing a test of our faith,” the pastor wrote. “The situation is so critical, yet [we are] trusting in...

A church congregation tired of sowing seeds and not being able to harvest anything have unleashed their wrath on their pastor who came to the church in a new range rover. The Ghanian pastor is said to have continuously asked his church congregation to give out tithe to receive more blessings. The church gave all they could but as days went by, their blessings showed no signs of knocking on their doors. The young pastor was nabbed while entering a government building compound with his wife seated at the passenger’s seat. The youth of his church pounced on the preacher...

American pastors who traveled to Hong Kong to support the months-long pro-democracy demonstrations say they faced tear gas and water cannons as they stood in solidarity with student demonstrators during one of the most dynamic five-day stretches of the protests. Rev. Bill Devlin of the Infinity Bible Church in New York City and Rev. Patrick Mahoney of the Christian Defense Coalition were in Hong Kong from Nov. 13 until Nov. 18. They were present as police besieged Hong Kong Polytechnic University where students barricaded themselves in and clashed with riot police. Devlin and Mahoney say they spent time between PolyU...

Kanye West has had several friends preach at his Sunday Service, but since he started making them public, one little-known pastor from Los Angeles has started catching the ear of many of those gathered -- but who is he? Adam Tyson is the senior pastor of Placerita Bible Church, 30 miles northwest of LA, and for the past few months, he's been leading West in a Bible study before sharing the gospel with thousands at Sunday Service events in Detroit, New York City and, this past Saturday, in Salt Lake City, Utah. "Kanye started visiting our church back in mid-May,"...

Since President Donald Trump took office, his administration has secured the release of 17 prisoners foreign governments had detained. “We’ve had 17 released, and we’re very proud of that record. Very proud. And we have others coming,” Trump said Saturday evening as he welcomed home Joshua Holt, an American citizen who had been detained in Venezuela for two years without trial. Unlike his predecessor, the president has managed to bring these prisoners home without freeing terrorists or paying millions of dollars in suspected ransom payments. 1. Sabrina De Sousa: Portuguese-American Sabrina De Sousa, a former CIA agent, was arrested and...

Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger (Ill.) on Sunday criticized President Trump for quoting a pastor saying impeachment could trigger a "Civil War-like fracture" in the country. "I have visited nations ravaged by civil war," Kinzinger tweeted. "I have never imagined such a quote to be repeated by a President. This is beyond repugnant." I have visited nations ravaged by civil war. @realDonaldTrump I have never imagined such a quote to be repeated by a President. This is beyond repugnant. https://t.co/a5Bae7bP7g — Adam Kinzinger (@RepKinzinger) September 30, 2019 The rare rebuke from a Republican member of Congress came in response to Trump...

Maybe he should convert to YouTube. A pastor and self-proclaimed “former homosexual” is suing Vimeo after the video-sharing website shuttered his account for posting clips lauding conversion therapy. Church United pastor James Domen’s Manhattan federal court suit says Vimeo shut down his account for posting five videos relating to “religion and sexual orientation” — but claims the video platform actually did it as part of an effort to silence him. “Church United’s account was deleted in an effort to censor James Domen from speaking about his preferred sexual orientation and his religious beliefs,” says the lawsuit, which says Domen spent...

A Maine jury ruled against a pro-life pastor Wednesday after he allegedly yelled so loudly outside a Portland abortion facility that he disrupted “the delivery of health care services,” including the killing of unborn babies. The jury’s decision is the latest action in a lengthy legal battle between pro-abortion state leaders and a group of pro-life advocates who regularly stand outside the Planned Parenthood in Portland. On Wednesday, a jury decided 6-3 that pro-life pastor Brian Ingalls, of Lisbon, broke a state civil rights law in October 2015, The Press Herald reports. The state sued Ingalls three years ago, alleging...

China has announced its decision to uphold a North Carolina pastor’s seven-year prison sentence for "organizing illegal border crossings" — a crime more commonly applied to human traffickers — despite his appeal. Pastor John Cao, who along with a fellow Christian teacher allegedly crossed the China-Myanmar border last March, filed an appeal for being wrongfully convicted of “organizing illegal border crossings” in 2018. After postponing Cao’s hearing several times, a court in China’s Yunnan province announced on July 25 it had decided to uphold the sentence, persecution watching group International Christian Concern reported. The court was “surrounded by a heavy...

President Trump stopped by McLean Bible Church, a megachurch near D.C., on Sunday on his way home from playing golf, where Pastor David Platt prayed for the president–a common Christian practice. Perhaps if Politico reporters and editors understood the biblical command of praying for all those in positions of authority, they might not have botched their coverage of the president’s pit stop so poorly. On Monday, Platt wrote to his church members with an explanation of Sunday’s prayer, but Politico reported that Platt “has apologized to his congregation after praying for the president during the unscheduled visit.”

Games reach an incredibly diverse set of people across national, linguistic, and social barriers, and that goes for religion, too. Last week, we noted that Ninja was taking meals off-screen out of respect for Ramadan, and it should be little surprise to see religious groups taking up residence inside virtual spaces. One Christian pastor now holds church in VRChat, and that even includes baptisms – no matter how ridiculous a person’s avatar. Pastor D.J. Soto is the subject of a new video from YouTuber Syrmor (via Polygon), and the whole process is equal parts earnest and absurd. Soto describes his...

FULL TITLE: Tennessee pastor who was facing 72 years in prison for repeatedly raping his adopted daughter, 14, is jailed for just 12 after dozens of parishioners show up to court to support him A former Tennessee pastor who repeatedly raped his adopted teenage daughter has been given an effective 12 year prison sentence after dozens of parishioners showed up to court to support him. Prosecutors had sought the maximum term of 72 years behind bars for 41-year-old David Richards, The Knoxville News Sentinel reports. But a judge cited his longtime ministry and the support he still receives as mitigating...

ASHBURN, Ga. (BP) -- A Georgia pastor has confirmed the termination of a church staff member who allegedly "admitted to assaulting several young people years ago." The pastor also apologized to the Southern Baptist Convention and SBC President J.D. Greear for having "failed my duty as a pastor in not taking action sooner." "My greatest failure during this time has been to the God I serve who gave His Son for me," Pastor Rodney Brown of Trinity Baptist Church in Ashburn, Ga., said March 7 in a statement to Georgia Baptists' Christian Index newsjournal. "This situation has greatly changed my...

A former Pentecostal bishop has admitted stealing nearly $160,000 by fraudulently soliciting loans from parishioners and religious associates in New Jersey. Steven Parrott of Newark pleaded guilty Friday to misconduct by a corporate official.

Lutheran pastor and author Nadia Bolz-Weber has argued that there should be no shame in consuming pornography, especially if it is "ethically sourced." In a recent interview with the New Jersey-based LGBT publication Out In Jersey, Bolz-Weber discussed her upcoming new book on the issue of sexual ethics and the church. In discussing pornography, Bolz-Weber explained that while she recognizes that there are "issues of justice and exploitation within the porn industry," she still does not believe that the "consumption of pornography should be shamed." "There is ethically sourced porn. There are people who say it's sexual immorality, but if...

On October 12, 2018, a Turkish court freed U.S. pastor Andrew Brunson whose arrest on terrorism charges just over two years ago had fueled a diplomatic crisis. Since July, President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence had collectively tweeted about Brunson’s case almost two dozen times. Even in hyper-partisan Washington, Brunson’s plight received bipartisan support. In a quiet meeting only later disclosed, Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)  met  President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to lobby for Brunson’s release. Brunson’s release reportedly comes after a  deal  negotiated by National Security Advisor John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike...

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump welcomed American pastor Andrew Brunson to the Oval Office on Saturday, celebrating his release from nearly two years of confinement in Turkey that had sparked a diplomatic row with a key ally and outcry from U.S. evangelical groups. Brunson, who returned to the United States aboard a military jet shortly before their meeting, appeared to be in good health and good spirits. He thanked Trump for working to secure his freedom and then lead his family in prayer for the president. "You really fought for us," he told Trump. "From a Turkish prison to...

Freed American pastor Andrew Brunson met and prayed with President Trump in the Oval Office Saturday, thanking him for having "really fought for us" -- a day after his release from house arrest in Turkey.

On Friday, Turkish officials released U.S. pastor Andrew Brunson, who has been imprisoned for the past two years on alleged charges of conspiring with illegal groups. Brunson was released upon a ruling that said the 24-months the U.S. pastor spent in detainment was sufficient for the courtÂ’s three-year sentence. The imprisonment of Brunson has been a sore spot in U.S.-Turkey relations, with the U.S. applying pressure through increased tariffs and sanctions against Turkey over the summer, resulting in a rapid devaluation of the Turkish lira. While this may seem like a positive development in bilateral relations, the Brunson case fatally...

Why Latina Pastoral Leaders Believe Judge Kavanaugh's Appointment Will Protect Religious Freedoms Contact: Karon Smedley, 480-320-8547, Karon@i360.Consulting; www.i360.Consulting WASHINGTON, Aug. 28, 2018 /Christian Newswire/ -- Reverend Eve Nunez, President of the National Latina/Latino Commission (NLLC), is praising President Trump's nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh for Justice of the Supreme Court. Rev. Nunez and Latino pastoral leaders are united in their support of President Trump's nomination. Rev. Nunez said: "We're thrilled with President Trump's nomination. Judge Kavanaugh is a Christian who's devoted his life of faith to public service, gives his time to advance religious liberty, and to serve God...