A wildfire that broke out in the Angeles National Forest in Southern Calif., prompting evacuation of hundreds of visitors on the Labor Day holiday weekend, was only 5 percent contained on Monday night.

The fire started near a campground Sunday afternoon and had burned 4,100 acres by Monday. Full containment is expected to take about a week, officials said.

About 500 firefighters, assisted by nine aircrafts, were involved in dousing the growing blaze, even as a huge cloud of smoke could be seen from the coast to the desert inland. more >>

California is getting closer to becoming the first state to ban reparative therapy, which is aimed at making homosexuals straight, for minors. The State Assembly passed the ban Tuesday.

In a 51-22 vote, the Assembly approved a bill that would not allow those under 18 years of age to undergo sexual orientation change efforts "regardless of the willingness of a patient" or a "patient's parent."

Senator Ted Lieu introduced SB1172 earlier this year, arguing that conversion therapy could cause "serious harms." more >>

Microphone in hand, Touré Roberts is at ease as he introduces each short film at his first film festival at the movie theater inside the Sherman Oaks Galleria. He invites selected filmmakers and actors to chat with him and tell the audience about their projects after each screening. On a recent summer evening, it's easy to see that this young pastor of a large church in Los Angeles is passionate about making a difference in Hollywood.

Roberts, 39, is the pastor of One Church International in North Hollywood where 2,000 people regularly attend. He is also the founder of the Artists Resource Center, a not-for-profit facility serving as a place where people making a go of it in the entertainment industry can come for help.

Ninety percent of his congregation are people who are either already part of the film or music business in some way, or who are interested in starting a career in Hollywood. more >>

A Calvary Chapel-affiliated church in Southern California is threatening to file a federal lawsuit against the County of Riverside over a previously unknown zoning law in the Temecula Valley Wine Country that prohibits churches from being built on the grape-growing land within the popular tourist destination.

A public hearing on the matter on Wednesday will position the Wine Country's vintners association against the church congregation and many other Christians from the area, says Advocates for Faith & Freedom, a religious liberty legal group that is defending the church.

The no-church ordinance was added to existing zoning laws by the county after Calvary Chapel Bible Fellowship (otherwise known as "The Barn") in Temecula obtained a permit to remodel its church more than a decade ago, according to the church's defenders. more >>

Two boys who were swept away in a Merced River accident in California this week were part of an East Anaheim church's annual weeklong summer camp at Yosemite National Park, the church pastor says.

According to National Park Service officials, 10-year-old boy Andres "Andy" Adams has died and his 6-year-old brother Jacob is presumed dead, although the search is still on.

"It's just terribly sad," Pastor Maury Evans of Calvary Chapel East Anaheim told The Los Angeles Times. "This is a family that attends our church. They made a decision to experience God's beautiful creation and spent time at the church camp. There's just a lot of grieving here." more >>

LAKE FOREST, Calif. – More than 3,600 people from churches in the U.S. and 23 other countries attended the Celebrate Recovery Summit for intensive training and encouragement from leaders of the Christ-centered addiction ministry founded at Saddleback Church.

The three-day conference is designed to help churches start a Celebrate Recovery program of their own or gather tips on improving existing programs. The event held at the Southern California church led by Pastor Rick Warren ended on Friday.

The ministry incorporates biblical principles parallel to the steps of recovery found in Alcoholics Anonymous and specifies the belief that Jesus Christ is the "higher power" who heals chemical addictions as well as other social problems. more >>