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Articles by Abby Stocker
Amid Myanmar’s Civil War, Unity Emerges
For the first time since anyone can remember, members of Myanmar’s majority Bamar people are seeking long-term solidarity with the country’s ethnic minorities. Since a coup in February 2021 stunned the world, the military, known as the Tatmadaw, has violently cracked down on both the Bamar and ethnic minority citizens protesting its takeover. Its tactics have included burning down entire villages and firing heavy artillery against its own people.
World Vision Employee Sentenced to 12 Years Prison in Isra......
Update (Aug. 30): A World Vision International employee has been sentenced to 12 years in prison in Israel for terrorism. The humanitarian organization says Mohammad el-Halabi’s conviction is unjust and the Israeli court’s ruling is “in sharp contrast to the evidence and facts of the case.” According to prosecutors, the former director of aid to Gaza diverted funds and resources meant for hungry children and farmers to Hamas terrorists building tunnels and planning attacks on Israel.
Died: Eberhard Jüngel, Theologian Who Saw Trinity Revealed in the Cross
Eberhard Jüngel, the leading Protestant theologian to emerge out of Stalinist East Germany, died on Tuesday at age 86. Jüngel’s work was never popularized, and he was overshadowed in some ways by his peers and colleagues—notably Jürgen Moltmann, Hans Küng, and the future Pope Benedict XVI, Joseph Ratzinger. As a philosophical theologian, his scholarship could seem “out of joint,” one scholar noted, with contemporary concerns and popular trends.
Messianic Jews Say ‘Fake Rabbi’ Was Wrong Way to Reach the Ultra-Orthodox
How far can one go to “reach the Jews”? The apostle Paul put himself “under the law” to give the gospel to his Hebrew brethren (1 Cor. 9:20). Allegedly a Gentile, Michael Elkohen did the same to reach the modern Jews most fastidiously under the law—the Haredim, often known in English as “ultra-Orthodox.” Approximately 1.2 million Haredim live in Israel, jealously guarding their traditions.
Southern Baptists Dispel Two More Churches Over Abuse
At its first in-person meeting since the pandemic took off a year ago, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) Executive Committee decided to cut ties with two churches whose pastors had been convicted of sexual offenses as well as two LGBT-affirming churches. But it was leaders’ concerns over ongoing tensions within the denomination that stirred Southern Baptists during the two-day gathering at its Nashville headquarters. “Southern Baptists in large part are ready to walk into the future.
Mexican Census: Evangelicals at New High, Catholics at New......
The Catholic majority in Mexico is slipping, as Protestants surpassed 10 percent of the population in the country for the first time ever. According to recently released data from Mexico’s 2020 census, the Protestant/evangelical movement increased from 7.5 percent in 2010 to 11.2 percent last year. The Catholic Church has historically dominated the religious landscape across Latin America, but especially in Mexico, which ranks among the most heavily Catholic countries in the region.
After 330 Schoolboys Freed from Boko Haram, Advocates Ask About Leah Sharibu
Bleary, barefoot, apparently numbed by a week of captivity, more than 300 Nigerian schoolboys, freed after being kidnapped in an attack on their school, were welcomed by the governor of Katsina state and Nigeria’s president on Friday. Reunions with their parents began late in the day. “Since this incident happened I have not been able to sleep, but now I can sleep,” said Salisu Kankara, a parent of one of the schoolboys who was released.
Louisiana Church Arsonist Sentenced to 25 Years
A Louisiana man who admitted to burning down three predominantly African American churches to promote himself as a “black metal” musician was sentenced Monday to 25 years in prison and ordered to pay the churches $2.6 million. US District Judge Robert Summerhays of Lafayette sentenced Holden Matthews, giving the 23-year-old man credit for 18 months he already spent in jail, US Attorney Alexander Van Hook said in a news release.
John Ortberg Resigns from Menlo Church
John Ortberg, popular Christian author and speaker, has resigned as pastor of Menlo Church, a megachurch congregation outside of San Francisco. His resignation is effective Sunday, August 2. “I have considered my 17 years as pastor here to be the greatest joy I’ve had in ministry,” Ortberg said in a statement.
Died: Lloyd John Ogilvie, Celebrated Preacher and Senate Chaplain
Acclaimed author, speaker, and preacher Lloyd John Ogilvie—who pastored historic First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, California, for 23 years and served as chaplain of the US Senate from 1995 to 2003—died last week at age 88. Though Ogilvie’s aspiration in high school was to become an actor, the influence of classmates Bruce Larson and Ralph Osborne at Lake Forest College led him in a different direction.
Bavaria Requires Crosses on All Public Buildings. Church Leaders Disagree.
“A clearly visible cross must be placed in the entrance area of every service building to serve as a reminder of the historical and cultural influence of Bavaria.” So reads a controversial new law introduced in Germany’s second-most populous state. Markus Söder, premier of Germany’s Christian Social Union party (CSU), was the driving force behind the new law, which went into effect on June 1 and has caused a schism between church and state leaders.
Generosity Gap: Christians and Pastors Tithe and Tip for Different Reasons
The most common reason Christians feel called to give generously is to reflect God’s character to others—a motivation that impacts everything from tithing to tipping. Evangelical leaders, on average, say they tip a solid 20 percent, according to a survey released earlier this summer by the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE).
How Trump’s Inauguration Will Catalyze Christian Witness
Today, on the steps of the United States Capitol, Donald John Trump will place his left hand on a Bible and swear to “faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States for the next four years.” Most incoming presidents in US history have done the same, although each has chosen his own passage to swear by. 1 Corinthians 13 was the choice of Franklin D. Roosevelt at all four of his inaugural ceremonies. Jimmy Carter chose to swear on the exhortations of Micah 6:8.
The Craziest Statistic You'll Read About North American Missions
One out of five non-Christians in North America doesn't know any Christians. That's not in the fake-Gandhi-quote "I would become a Christian, if I ever met one" sense. It's new research in Gordon-Conwell's Center for the Study of Global Christianity's Christianity in its Global Context, 1970-2020. Missiologist Todd M. Johnson and his team found that 20 percent of non-Christians in North America really do not "personally know" any Christians.
'Wrath of God' Keeps Popular Worship Song Out of 10,000-Plus Churches
From the Magazine When Politics Saved 25 Million Lives Twenty years ago, Republicans, Democrats, evangelicals, gay activists, and African leaders joined forces to combat AIDS. Will their legacy survive today’s partisanship? Emily Belz in Lilongwe, Malawi
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