Texas

Thousands of pastors, church officials and youth group leaders across the nation were urged to equip and mobilize 20- and 30-somethings for mission this past weekend.

The LeadNow national conference, held Nov. 5-7, drew 2,000 people to Dallas and many more watched via live simulcast from more than 100 churches nationwide. The conference emphasized that the mission of the church matters and urged church leaders to call the next generation to “radical obedience.”

To ignite a movement of Christ followers who put their faith into action, the conference prescribed three actions: creating a culture of service, launching small groups to action, and connecting people to those in needs. more >>

There has been an outpouring of prayers across the nation in the aftermath of the deadly rampage that claimed the lives of 13 and left 30 wounded at the Army post in Fort Hood, Texas.

“I am deeply saddened by the tragedy that befell Americans residing at Fort Hood," commented Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

"My prayers are with the survivors and families, friends, and colleagues of the victims of yesterday’s shootings,” the evangelist added in a statement Friday. “I am thankful for the citizens that will surround them with compassion and support in the midst of such anguish.” more >>

The director of a Planned Parenthood abortion center in Texas has resigned and embraced the pro-life movement after witnessing an abortion through an ultrasound.

Abby Johnson had worked at the clinic in Bryan/College Station, Texas, for eight years before departing from the facility after her change of heart.

"I left on good terms and simply had a change of heart on this issue,” she told 40 Days for Life, which had been holding prayer and fasting initiatives outside her clinic since fall of 2004. “Over the past few months I had seen a change in motivation regarding the financial impact of abortions and really reached my breaking point after witnessing a particular kind of abortion on an ultrasound." more >>

A megachurch in Dallas is pursuing what is expected to be the largest church expansion program in modern history.

First Baptist Church Dallas unveiled plans on Sunday for a $130 million campus in the downtown area that would compete with some of the most "architecturally stunning" buildings in its city.

"As I look around downtown Dallas, I see spectacular temples of commerce, of culture and of government – many new, some restored to former glory, and all intended to stand for generations. The Kingdom of God needs a home to equal them – a spiritual oasis in the middle of downtown," said Dr. Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Dallas. more >>

A married gay couple's divorce case has made Texas another battleground for marriage.

Though the couple, who married in Massachusetts, is simply seeking a divorce, their case became politicized with same-sex marriage advocates and opponents entering the debate.

National attention was drawn to what was a personal issue when a Dallas judge ruled last week to agree to hear the divorce case. District Judge Tena Callahan further declared the state marriage amendment and the state's Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional. The ban violates the federal constitutional right to equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, she ruled. more >>