Author: Gordon Govier

Madison-based InterVarsity Christian Fellowship’s 23 chapters on 19 of the California State University (CSU) campuses will once again be recognized student groups, according to CSU and InterVarsity.  InterVarsity chapters were not recognized at CSU campuses for the 2014-2015 academic year.

For the past year, Marshall resident Steve Coleman, a retired mechanical engineer and lifelong Catholic, has been giving occasional presentations at area parishes in hopes of convincing his fellow faithful that global warming is real and its consequences dire. He senses his work just got easier. On Thursday, Pope Francis, who has a 90 percent approval rating among U.S. Catholics, issued a major teaching letter on the environment.

The Generosity Movement has arrived in Madison and the City Reaching Gospel Movement may not be far behind. These two movements are spreading across the country, according to Linda Maris, president of the National Christian Foundation Wisconsin, who spoke at the Launch Celebration of the Madison Christian Giving Fund which was held this evening at the Upper House on the UW-Madison campus.The Madison Christian Giving Fund is a way for Christians in the Madison area to pool their resources so that collectively they can have more of a positive impact on the Madison community. “Think of it as a new…

Osseo (WQOW) – A young woman, who is running across Wisconsin to raise awareness for human trafficking, ran through Osseo Monday. Hannah Redders is currently on a 10-day run from Superior to Milwaukee that she calls The Rescue Run. Each day she runs 20 miles.

The Rev. Alex Gee doesn’t want to “bash Madison.” Nor does he think “we’re fine just the way we are.” His coalition of influential African-American residents, called Justified Anger, just released its “Our Madison Plan” to address racial disparities in education, incarceration and the economy. He met last week with the Wisconsin State Journal editorial board.

Majors Paul and Sue Moore may have had a short span leading The Salvation Army in La Crosse, but they have left their mark locally and statewide during decades of service to the international Christian service organization. The Moores, who have been commanding officers in La Crosse for four years, will retire June 21, having led not only The Salvation Army’s work in the Coulee Region but also corps in Madison, Fond du Lac, Janesville and Waukegan during their 27 years in the Badger State.

After reading about how the churches of Portland, Oregon began putting aside their theological differences in order to ask the mayor of their city, “How can we best help?”, I wondered if it would be possible for the churches of Madison to do the same. The story is told in this article by ASSIST News Service, (and in this article), and in a lot more detail in the new book Unlikely by Kevin Palau, son of the well known evangelist Luis Palau. And then I realized, it is starting to happen in Madison. There are several local examples,

MADISON, Wisconsin – The Reverend Bishop Morlino of the Madison Diocese visited Care Net on Tuesday, June 2nd, 2015 surrounded by children of various ages who have lived in The Elizabeth House. Care Net staff and volunteers were grateful for the opportunity to pray with the bishop. The children received a blessing from Bishop Morlino.

The day after the March 6 shooting death of Tony Robinson, dozens of clergy members gathered at Christ the Solid Rock Baptist Church to pray. The group’s composition crossed all boundaries — racial, ethnic, denominational, theological. “You just don’t have that every day in Madison,” said the Rev. Paula Harris, pastor of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Madison and one of those present. The gathering became the impetus for an interfaith clergy coalition, one that continues to meet and whose value became publicly evident on May 12.

Hundreds of people, including many of Madison’s top business and community leaders, gathered Friday night to hear how a group of influential African-American residents calling themselves the Justified Anger coalition plans to lead a broad-based attack on pronounced racial disparities in the city. The event at the Alliant Energy Center’s Exhibition Hall felt like a party early on, with tables of refreshments and music from a neo-soul band. It turned serious as the Rev. Alex Gee, the effort’s leader, issued a fervent call to action.