Tennessee

The Knox County Board of Education in Tennessee is considering an appeal for the removal of a biology book that one parent says is biased against creationism.

Asking About Life, Kurt Zimmermann contends, shows "a clear bias by the authors towards Christianity."

The textbook defines creationism as "the biblical myth that the universe was created by the Judeo-Christian God in 7 days." more >>

The Tennessee State Board of Education approved guidelines Thursday on how to teach the Bible in public high schools.

The curriculum, which will start next fall, was developed in response to a bill that coasted easily through the state legislature in 2008 following a series of unanimous votes on the house floor.

Under the bill, sponsored by Democratic Sen. Roy Herron, the state is authorized to create a course for a "nonsectarian, nonreligious academic study of the Bible." more >>

Video game enthusiasts will soon be able to say they are strengthening their faith via the Xbox when the first complete Bible application for the popular gaming console launches next month.

B&H Publishing Group, a division of LifeWay Christian Resources, will release the “Bible Navigator X” for the Xbox 360 in early December. The Bible application will be downloadable through the “Indie Games” channel of Xbox.com.

"This application will bring the Bible into people’s living rooms and onto their televisions in a completely new and innovative way," said Aaron Linne, B&H Publishing Group’s executive producer of digital marketing, in a statement Tuesday. “The Xbox isn’t just secular entertainment anymore. We can use technology that other people developed to study Scriptures through a new medium.” more >>

Top mission leaders attending an invitation-only conference in Tennessee on Tuesday began exchanging ideas and discussing how to complete the Great Commission.

The Finish Line summit is being hosted by the Billion Soul Network in partnership with the Church of God World Headquarters in Cleveland, Tenn., and the Island Wave Missions in Fiji. It aims to get key mission leaders to decide which unreached people groups they should focus efforts on first, and then how they will most effectively reach these groups.

“In the world, there are thousands of unreached people groups,” said James O. Davis, co-founder of Billion Soul Network, to The Christian Post. “When you look at that it almost seems overwhelming.” more >>

Prominent Southern Baptist theologian R. Albert Mohler, Jr., implored young seminary students to save the denomination.

"It is very important that your generation redeem what has been lost, strengthen the things that remain," he said Friday at the close of a four-day conference on "Southern Baptists, Evangelicals, and the Future of Denominationalism."

His address at Union University in Jackson, Tenn., comes as the Southern Baptist Convention – the largest Protestant denomination in the country – has been experiencing decline in baptisms and membership in recent years and as cultural Christianity is quickly dying. more >>

Popular Christian music group The Katinas have organized a relief effort for their native homeland, Samoa, which was ravaged this past Tuesday by a massive tsunami triggered by an 8.2-magnitude earthquake.

“Samoa is dear to our hearts. Growing up there prepared us for what we’ve been doing for the last 20 years,” the five-brother group wrote in a letter Wednesday to family and friends. “We have been blessed to travel the world and minister the message of Jesus through music. Now we are blessed to give back to the very place we come from.”

Joined by GMA Female Vocalist of the Year Natalie Grant and former American Idol finalist Melinda Doolittle, The Katinas will be holding the “Hope For Samoa Benefit Concert” this coming Wednesday at Fellowship Bible Church in Brentwood, Tenn., just outside of Nashville. more >>