MC News
IOWA CITY, Iowa (BP)–At a time when the American Red Cross finds its disaster relief fund depleted, Southern Baptist volunteers are stepping up and providing desperately needed assistance to victims of the storms and floods that have plagued the upper Midwest for almost a month.Read more of this story.
BREEZEWOOD, Pa. — More than six million souls pass through this quarter-mile strip of all-night waffle houses and gas stations each year. The Rev. Shannon Rust hopes to save at least a few of them. For nearly two decades, he has pulled the chapel inside his 18-wheel tractor-trailer twice a week to this bustling truck stop where the Pennsylvania Turnpike meets Interstate 70.Read more of this story.
NEWS RELEASE(PHOENIX, AZ) — In the midst of historic biblical-proportion flooding throughout the state of Iowa, Cedar Rapids churches have taken steps as a Ready Church, not only to bring tangible aid to the victims of what is now being termed a mini-Katrina, but to share the Hope of Jesus Christ one victim at a time throughout the long recovery process over the next months and years.Read more of this release.
Tapping into a higher power, Unitarian Universalist Church West in Brookfield has become the first church in southeastern Wisconsin to install a solar-electric generating system.Using 42 roof-mounted solar panels, the 8.4-kilowatt system is expected to provide energy equal to about 15% of the electrical needs for the church, 13001 W. North Ave. The system went on line June 5.Read more of this story.
As states have legalized same-sex partnerships, the rights of gay couples have consistently trumped the rights of religious groups. Marc Stern, general counsel for the American Jewish Congress, says that does not mean that a pastor can be sued for preaching against same-sex marriage. But, he says, that may be just about the only religious activity that will be protected. Stern says if the early cases are any guide, the outlook is grim for religious groups. Read more of this story. More on this topic from the Los Angeles Times
In the midst of election frenzy, a group of diverse Christian leaders gathered this week for an unprecedented conference that called for rethinking the role of faith in public life.The Envision ‘08 conference gathered hundreds of evangelical, mainline Protestants, Pentecostals, and Christians of diverse racial backgrounds at Princeton University on June 8-10 to map out the future of Christian engagement in politics in the next century.Read more of this storyREAD MORE ON FAITH AND PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS:Obama impresses ‘Faith Leaders’ by Terry MattinglyObama to woo young evangelicals, CatholicsBarack Obama targets the Religious RightConservative blacks leaning towards ObamaMcCain courts evangelicals
FATHER’S DAY FEATURE STORYI can’t begin to count the number of times that prayer has played an important part in my life. As often as God has answered my prayers, I realize it’s important to pray for others, too. So when my church, Maranatha Assembly of God, started a Tuesday night prayer service, I became a regular participant.Read more of this story.
MADISON — Three years after the fire that gutted St. Raphael Cathedral, the downtown landmark is coming down.Preparation for the removal of the steeple, installed only a few months before the destructive fire on March 14, 2005, began earlier last week. The cross and ball, as well as half of the steeple, were removed from the structure on June 12. The rest of the steeple was removed on June 13. Read more of this story.
Andy Swartzentruber and Sam Yoder, of tiny Ebensburg, Pa., face sentencing Thursday for violating state sewage laws. The two Amish men were found guilty in April of building outhouses without sewage permits and of discharging untreated sewage into the ground.Read more of this story.
NEWS RELEASEMadison, WI – The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) filed a lawsuit against Elizabeth Burmaster, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Mark McGuire, District Administrator of the Rio Community School District, for providing a Christian ministry equal access to meet in its facilities free of charge. Liberty Counsel has now filed a motion to intervene in the case, in order to defend the constitutional rights of Child Evangelism Fellowship of Wisconsin (CEF). Liberty Counsel is siding with the school district against the erroneous claims of FFRF.