Midwest

Rick Santorum beat out Mitt Romney and won the Republican Iowa caucus by 34 votes, newly discovered precinct results reveal.

The news came after state GOP officials found reporting errors in 131 precincts. However, the evaluation of one precinct alone shifted the race by 50 votes, the Des Moines Register reported. State officials have acknowledged the shift and certified Santorum's new lead, CNN reported.

The discovery trumps previous reports that Romney pulled off a slim .1 percent victory over Santorum in Iowa. The new certified numbers show that Santorum received 29,839 votes to Romney's 29,805. The new results also challenge the former Massachusetts governor's front-runner status in the GOP Race. more >>

Apocalyptic theories, such as the one linked to the Mayans, are forcing some people to think about the future in terms of survival and preparing for the worst – and one company is offering underground bunkers that promise to withstand almost every major catastrophe that may hit Earth. Its founder, Robert Vicino, says Christians relying on the Rapture as their safety net would do well to also make preparations.

The Vivos Project first started almost 30 years ago as an idea in the mind of Vicino, an entrepreneur with a global history of success in manufacturing, marketing and real estate development. The Vivios Project is perhaps the biggest of its kind, as Vicino is preparing for worst-case scenarios the planet could face at any time.

Although the organization’s website features a live clock that counts down the days, hours, minutes and seconds to Dec. 21, 2012 – the date on which the Mayan Calendar ends and some believe will bring about the destruction of the world – Vicino shared with The Christian Post that the clock is mostly metaphorical. more >>

Rob Bell held his last service as lead pastor at Mars Hill Bible Church Sunday, in an emotional farewell that also affirmed that Shane Hipps, who has preached alongside Bell, will continue teaching the congregation. But who is Hipps, and will he work to prolong Bell's vision for the Grandville, Mich., church?

Hipps joined Mars Hill as a teaching pastor in 2010, and has quickly established his presence at the church, founded by Bell 12 years ago. Hipp's official biography on Mars Hill's website reveals that he formerly worked as a strategic planner at Porsche Cars North America, but left because he wanted to pursue his interest in spirituality and theology. After earning a Master of Divinity degree at Fuller Theological Seminary, he moved with his wife and two daughters to serve as a pastor at an urban congregation in Phoenix, Ariz.

Mars Hill's covenant members are yet to decide whether there is a need for appointing Bell’s replacement. In the meantime, Hipps will continue teaching and guest speakers will occassionally be invited to speak. more >>

In a surprise decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, justices ruled in favor of church authority Wednesday, overturning a lower court ruling and concluding that the federal government should not intervene in the hiring and firing practices of churches.

In one of the most important religious cases disputed in years, also having separation of church and state implications, the high court accepted what is known as a "ministerial exception" to the employment discrimination laws.

The ministerial exception allows religious entities to give preference in employment to individuals of a particular religion or require that employees confirm the organization's religious tenants. It also bars the federal government from examining employment decisions by religious groups for employees with religious duties, such as pastors or ministry leaders. more >>

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is suing a library in rural Missouri for constitutional violations after a community member complained to the rights group that she was denied access to witchcraft and astrology websites on the library’s Internet.

Anaka Hunter says she was denied access to the websites by the director of the Salem Public Library in the town of Ozark in Salem, Mo. The ACLU claims public libraries are constitutionally obligated to provide access to all content that has not been deemed pornographic.

Hunter requested to view a Wicca (or witchcraft), website and Wikipedia page, as well as Astrology.com and the Encyclopedia of Death and Dying – a website that seeks to objectively detail all faiths’ teachings on death. more >>

Southern Baptists are set to plant as many as 100 churches in Cleveland over the next five years, according to a new initiative by the North American Mission Board (NAMB).

About half of Cleveland residents do not affiliate themselves with a church, NAMB reported, calculating that one Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) church exists for every 42,500 Cleveland residents.

Church members from around the country are being called into action to help plant churches in the northeastern Ohio city. According to NAMB, the SBC network is critical to initiating and supporting nascent churches in Cleveland. more >>