MC News
In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt signed a bill of Congress for the creation of a new railway station in Washington D.C. just blocks from the Capitol. It simply stated, "A bill of Congress to create a Union Station—and for other purposes." A century later those other purposes include the purposes of God. Today, Union Station serves as the home of National Community Church, one of the fastest growing churches in the city.Read more of this story.
WASHINGTON — There may never be a female pastor leading Tony Perkins’ Southern Baptist congregation in Louisiana, but there could be a woman taking over the vice president’s mansion in Washington.And as Perkins sees it, there’s no contradiction there whatsoever."It’s not a spiritual role," said Perkins, president of the Family Research Council and a church elder, who calls Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin a "brilliant pick" for the Republican ticket.Read more of this story.
On September 9 over 50 people attended a forum at Blackhawk Church on human trafficking around the world. Guest speakers were Saejung Lee, an immigration attorney for the Coalition Against Domestic Violence, David Lippiatt, the Executive Director of WE International, a Madison-based non-profit focused on social justice issues and poverty around the world, and Elizabeth Schrader and Jenny Morvak, both on their way to Cambodia to work in an after care facility for six months.
Madison Bishop Robert Morlino threw out his sermon notes last Sunday and instead addressed statements of church doctrine being made by Democratic Party leaders. Speaking at the 11am Mass at St. Patrick’s church in downtown Madison, shortly after the appearance of vice presidential candidate Joe Biden on Meet the Press, Morlino said "prominent Catholics should not be violating the separation of church and state and teaching the wrong thing."
After decades of soaring growth, the phenomenon of Protestant megachurches — behemoths of belief where 2,000 to 20,000 or more people attend weekend worship — may be stalled. And Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Ill., the granddaddy of "seeker-sensitive" megachurches geared to attract the spiritually curious, is on a mission to rev the engines. Read more of this story.
CHICAGO — Declaring that clergy have a constitutional right to endorse political candidates from their pulpits, the socially conservative Alliance Defense Fund is recruiting several dozen pastors to do just that on Sept. 28, in defiance of Internal Revenue Service rules. The effort by the Arizona-based legal consortium is designed to trigger an IRS investigation that ADF lawyers would then challenge in federal court. The ultimate goal is to persuade the U.S. Supreme Court to throw out a 54-year-old ban on political endorsements by tax-exempt houses of worship. Read more of this story.
Except for the awesome view of pink-tipped peaks from its parking lot, Wasilla Bible Church, in Wasilla, Alaska, is perhaps most remarkable for being unremarkable. It’s a big modern building near a strip of car lots. Its sanctuary is full of folding chairs; two video screens display the lyrics to hymns and there’s a simple cross behind the altar.Read more of this story. Sarah Palin’s FaithMore on Sarah Palin’s faithSarah Palin’s Pentecostal backgroundPalin’s Pastor Urges Flock to Pray for the Press
Three priests from India are now at Marquette University studying for advanced degrees in business administration and communications, so they can return to India and aid in the advancement of those they serve.Although immersed in their studies here, they keep a watchful eye and receive regular bulletins on events unfolding around Orissa, where they say attacks and persecution against Christian communities remain a constant and growing threat. Read more of this story. Video documentary from Indian television
"In Chris’ case, the songs got so popular through the church route and people were singing them so readily at every turn that it almost demanded that radio put them on. It was (as if radio) was missing the biggest thing and I think it finally awakened to that," says Shelley Giglio, chief strategist/director of label operations and artist management at sixstepsrecords, which is releasing the album through EMI. To aid churches anxious to have their congregation sing Tomlin’s new music, there will also be a special-edition CD featuring additional content aimed at teaching worship leaders how to utilize these…
The Worldwide Rosary For Unborn Babies prayer event, initiated by the Saint Michael the Archangel Organization, is scheduled to take place on Saturday, October 18th. Support has come in from various places, including Lithuania, Czech Republic, and India. Information about the pro-life prayer event is available in 9 languages at the website www.SaintMichaelTheArchangelOrganization.org. Read More >>