Maine

Pastors and missionaries can work long and unusual hours while ministering to the needs of others, and they rarely have time for relaxation. That is why Celia Crie Perry, a 74-year-old woman who understands just how difficult it is to be a minister, created a vacation house in Rockland, Maine, where church leaders can get away from their work for a while.

"I've been involved in mission organizations so I was very aware of the need," Perry told The Christian Post on Monday. "And I have a lot of respect for different ministers and pastors and missionaries that I knew, and I saw that they often have a lonely life even though they're so involved with people every day. Nobody seemed to be ministering to them, they were doing all the ministering, and I just thought that it was a big need."

For that reason Perry created Crie Haven Ministries, a nonprofit organization that invites Christian leaders to stay in the Crie Haven House at an affordable rate so they can recharge their physical, spiritual and emotional batteries before returning home to minister to others. more >>

A coalition of Maine gay rights groups announced on Thursday that they had secured enough petition signatures to force a referendum on legalizing same-sex marriage in the state.

Spokespeople for EqualityMaine, American Civil Liberties Unions of Maine and the Maine Women's Lobby said they had collected over 105,000 signatures of people who supported same-sex marriage – more than twice the amount of signatures needed to force a referendum.

Betsy Smith, executive director of EqualityMaine, said times have changed and Maine is poised to become the final state in New England to recognize gay marriage. more >>

A federal judge on Friday granted a summary judgment upholding the constitutionality of Maine's campaign finance disclosure law, forcing the group National Organization for Marriage to disclose the names of its donors.

U.S. District Judge D. Brock Hornby issued a ruling requiring NOM, and any other group that raises more than $5,000 to influence state elections, to register with the state and disclose their financial donors.

“I conclude finally that this Maine law is constitutional,” Hornby wrote in his 22-page ruling released the day of the decision. more >>

More than 75,000 Americans have joined an online movement seeking the revocation of tax-exempt status from churches that were involved in the repeal of Maine's gay marriage law.

"It's no secret that the Catholic Diocese led the 'Yes on 1' effort in Maine, among many other churches encouraging their congregations to vote 'Yes,' handing out signature forms and collection plates during service, and constantly asking for 'sacrificial contributions' from churchgoers," Maine Marriage Equality charges.

"The IRS clearly forbids churches from participating in political campaigns in any form," the group asserts. more >>

The majority of voters in Maine rejected a law on Tuesday that allowed gay and lesbian couples to wed.

After months of campaigning and millions of dollars in ads, traditional marriage supporters claimed victory at the ballot box with 53 percent of the vote.

"This has never been about gay rights," said Marc Mutty, chairman of Stand for Marriage Maine, according to the Los Angeles Times. "It's about marriage, and this is reaffirmation by the people of Maine that marriage between men and women is special and unique." more >>

In the days leading up to the highly publicized vote on a Maine gay marriage law, citizens are being called to respect one another's First Amendment rights.

"While the issue of same-sex marriage stirs lots of passions on both sides of the debate, one thing that should be clear is that citizens should feel free to support groups that share and advance their views without fear of recrimination enabled by government," said Sean Parnell, president of the Center for Competitive Politics, in a statement Friday.

His statement comes as a complaint was filed against a high school guidance counselor and licensed social worker, requesting that his license to practice social work be stripped away. more >>