Author: Gordon Govier

Following threats made to pastors in Iowa that sermons on political issues would lead to prison, a Christian legal group has renewed its assurance that pastors have the legal right to speak out on moral and political topics during the 2008 primaries without jeopardizing their churches’ tax-exempt status.Read more of this story.

Longtime Madison activist and minister Rev. Richard Pritchard, 94, participated in the March on Washington in 1963 and is hoping to connect with others who shared in that milestone during Monday’s tribute to Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. at the State Capitol.Read more of this story.

If you are interested in Huckabee’s efforts to woo evangelicals, you could do worse than read the latest from the Washington Post’s Perry Bacon and Juliet Eilperin. In a straightforward account, they explain how Huckabee isn’t just an economic populist, but a religious one, too:Read more of this story.

A cutting-edge church leader known for his innovative ideas on reaching a post-modern generation for Christ contends the reason why churches are declining in America is because they are self-centered.Read more of this story.

"Thomas Jefferson counted the freedom of worship as one of America’s greatest blessings. He said it was ‘a liberty deemed in other countries incompatible with good government, and yet proved by our experience to be its best support.’ On Religious Freedom Day, we celebrate the 1786 passage of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom.Read more of this story. Public Schools Largely Ignore Presidential Calls to Celebrate Religious Freedom Day

New College Madison (NCM) is holding a conference next weekend (January 25 & 26) entitled "C.S. Lewis and the Challenge of the 21st Century." A line-up of nationally known speakers will be presenting, including actor Tom Key, Gilbert Meilaender of Valparaiso University, David Downing of Elizabethtown College and Crystal Downing of Messiah College.NCM executive director Vern Visick explains the need to refocus on C.S. Lewis in this way: During the last part of the 20th century, C. S. Lewis was for many an important defender, interpreter, and exemplar of Christian faith in dialogue with a weakening and fallen world. Can…

On this Wednesday last year, Brent Hopkins and I drove his Civic (not my Civic) out I-15 to Las Vegas for the annual AVN Adult Entertainment Expo. I am fairly certain that will be the only time I spend 20 hours over two days at a porn convention. My excuse was that I was writing a big story about adult-industry Christian ministries for the LA Daily News’ then-upcoming porn series.Read more of this story.

Christians from evangelical, charismatic and Pentecostal movements have united across the country to fast and pray for a spiritual awakening in the United States this month.The first event this year is “21 Days for A New Awakening,” a 21-day national fasting that began Jan. 1. Thousands of people have already signed up to join the nationwide fast, organized by Awakening America Alliance (AAA), in which participants can choose a variety of ways to participate.Read more of this story.

FRANKLIN, Tenn. (BP)–"A lot of people will say, ‘This guy knows the whole Bible.’"Well, I really don’t," Rollin DeLap admits. "The reason they say that is because most people have memorized so little" of "the Word of God."Read more of this story.

The reputations of many Roman Catholic parishes have been tarnished in recent years, both by the priest sex-abuse scandals and a growing number of embezzlement cases. That has prompted a burgeoning movement to improve the management and leadership skills of church officials through new programs being offered primarily at Catholic universities.Read more of this story.