Georgia

To celebrate the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, residents of Perry, Ga., have organized a nonstop reading marathon to have members of the community read the entire book out loud.

Members of churches from around the area hope that the 3-day event will help to "to strengthen their faith, in an event that transcends religious beliefs" by reading the Bible in 30-minute shifts from beginning to end until Sunday, Dec. 4, WMGT-TV reported.

The point of the event is to remember the history of the KJV and how much time and effort went into the Bible translation. more >>

A Georgia lawmaker is pushing to pass a bill that would require all license plates in the state to carry the motto “In God We Trust.”

Republican Senator Bill Heath filed the bill, SB 293, on Tuesday, the first day to submit proposed laws and resolutions for next year’s legislative session, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

Currently in the state, motorists can purchase a sticker with the proposed motto for $1, which they can place over the usual county name decal. But with the new bill, all plates would be required to have the nation’s motto printed directly on the plates. more >>

A young gift-giver in Canton, Ga., is providing a family with an early Christmas present this year – hope.

Bradley Thomas recently began a Taekwondo class in August at Canton’s ATA Martial Arts. Taking on a community service project there in October, the 7-year-old vowed to help family friends fallen on hard times by performing chores in his community for Christmas gift funds. Now in its second month, Bradley has raised three times his original goal and is still toiling for those less fortunate than him.

"We've talked to Bradley for years about how there's more to Christmas than giving gifts," said Christie Thomas, Bradley's mother. "Jesus was all about helping people. What better way to honor him than doing what he would do so near his birthday?" more >>

In Athens, home of the University of Georgia, students have plenty of choices when it comes to classes and courses. But that’s not stopping Marcia Wilbur from offering a few more.

In 2012, The Athens School of Ministry and Worship Arts will open its doors to students at Watkinsville First United Methodist Church, just 10 minutes away from UGA’s campus. The purpose of the school is posted on their website: “ASM & WA is an interdenominational Christian college seeking to equip faithful men and women for ministry and Christian leadership.”

Wilbur, a trustee for ASM &WA, told The Christian Post she came to Athens 12 years ago. With her extensive background in education and work with The College Board, she says God began revealing to her the need for “leadership in Christian education in Athens.” more >>

One of the alleged victims in the sex scandal surrounding Bishop Eddie Long, the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church pastor of Atlanta, Ga., spoke to a local news channel about his attempted suicide.

Centino Kemp, the fifth person to accuse Eddie Long of sexual misconduct, gave an interview to Atlanta's Fox 5, which was broadcast Tuesday.

Kemp said his alter-ego called "Wild Child Kemp" saved his life by convincing the young man to stay alive, when Kemp attempted to commit suicide three weeks after lawsuits against Long were filed in Atlanta. more >>

With the Occupy Wall Street movement dominating the news, banks aren’t exactly being recognized for their generosity. But this Saturday at a ribbon cutting ceremony, First Baptist Church in Tucker, Ga., will be saying thank you to Wells Fargo. The bank recently donated a former bank branch building to the church, which is set to be used as a community ministry center.

First Baptist Pastor Randy Shepley told The Christian Post Monday that many in the community “were in shock” over the donation. “The idea that anyone would give something away like that is more than folks can wrap their head around,” he said. But everyone is excited to see the vacant building being used by organizations that will benefit the community.

In 2008, after Wells Fargo bought Wachovia, the bank branch next to First Baptist moved to another location, leaving a vacant building. Soon after, First Baptist Pastor Randy Shepley and Pastor Dave Kivett of St. Andrews Presbyterian Church came up with the idea to purchase and use the building as a place to house local ministry groups and other nonprofit groups in the Tucker area. more >>