Author: Gordon Govier

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, is investigating several major church-based ministries known for their leaders’ lavish lifestyles and prosperity teachings.Read more of this story.

MADISON — Bella, the movie, interweaves the stories of a rising soccer superstar, a pregnant waitress, and his loving, but sometimes volatile, family. You can take your family and friends out to this great movie for free!Read more of this story.

COMMENTARYAmerican evangelicalism has been the most potent force for the Christian faith in contemporary American culture. Historian Martin Marty once noted that to look at American religion and overlook Evangelicalism "would be comparable to scanning the American physical landscape and missing the Rocky Mountains." This past week New York Times reporter David Kirkpatrick penned a cover story for the New York Times Magazine with the provocative question, “End Times for Evangelicals?” emblazoned on its front, followed by the following: “They don’t have a natural presidential candidate. They don’t have a unified leadership. They no longer seem to share even the same political beliefs.” The actual…

Bishop Morlino says he doesn ‘t court controversy, but needs to speak the truth.For a man given to quiet reflection, Bishop Robert Morlino often finds himself at the center of noisy controversies.Read more of this story.Read the full interview.

NEWS RELEASEMadison, WI – Madison will mark the conclusion of the nationwide 40 Days for Life campaign to end abortion with a prayer service outside of the East Side Madison Planned Parenthood located at 3706 Orin Road, at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, November 4th.

Live ultrasound images of a baby squirming in a mother’s womb were shown to attendees at last night’s annual banquet of the CareNet Pregnancy Center of Dane County. The demonstration highlighted the services offered free to women facing unplanned pregnancies, using state of the art digital equipment that was received and installed earlier this year at CareNet’s facilities on the east side of Madison.

Last Friday, I joined five other evangelical Protestant leaders for an intense and rewarding half-hour conversation with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Our goal was to assure her of our support as she navigates the treacherous waters of Middle East politics—particularly as she arm-wrestles the various parties toward the summit planned for the beginning of December in Annapolis. The Bush Administration is hoping that foundations can be laid for an enduring, peaceful two-state solution in Israel-Palestine conflict.Read more of this story.

One church building is home to a congregation that is the oldest in Madison, tracing its origins to a downtown lodging house in 1837. And now First United Methodist Church has just renewed its commitment to be, in its words, "Downtown for Good."Another church building is about to be home to one of the city’s younger but fastest-growing congregations. Blackhawk Church currently is moving into a new facility at the west edge of the city, renewing its commitment to provide a spiritual home for people on the move.Read more of this story.

On Sunday, about 70 million Lutherans around the world, joined by Christians of many Protestant denominations, commemorated the Reformation.This liturgical festival, marking Martin Luther’s 16th century challenge to papal authority by nailing 95 theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, inspired the Protestant Reformation that changed the course of Western civilization.Read more of this story.

The Lake Edge United Church of Christ on Buckeye Road was filled with celebrants yesterday afternoon, attending the ordination of Phil Haslanger. Haslanger comes to the clergy after serving 35 years in journalism. "We came to celebrate the transformation of a man of many beautifully written words into a man of the Word," said Rev. Jerry Hancock, who knows a little bit about career changes.