Virginia

Life is like perishable food – you either use it or lose it, said the former Baptist preacher turned politician Mike Huckabee to students at Liberty University on Monday.

In a sermon given during the school’s chapel service, Huckabee told an amusing story about his middle child David when he was younger. At three years old, his son had turned off the freezer and all the food had thawed forcing his parents to make the choice between either cooking all the food and giving it to friends and neighbors or throwing it away.

The Huckabees decided to cook everything and serve their co-workers and neighbors. At the end of the night, Huckabee thought hard about what God was trying to teach him and realized that just like the food in the freezer, life was also perishable. more >>

Political commentator and former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee will discuss the impact of the turbulent economy on faith-based organizations and introduce a service to financially help churches and ministries this weekend at several events in Virginia.

A combined total of 20,000 people are expected to hear Huckabee speak during the four Lynchburg-area events on March 29 and 30. The speaking venues include Thomas Terrace Baptist Church, Thomas Road Baptist Church, and Liberty University.

“During these down times, the demands and needs are great for families and ministries alike,” Huckabee said. “In many cases, families are turning to churches for assistance with food, clothing and other basics. Yet churches have to deal with less resources to meet those needs.” more >>

A Virginia Senate committee killed legislation that would have restored the rights of state police chaplains to pray publicly "in Jesus' name" at public events.

Although the legislation passed the Virginia House last month in a 66-30 vote, the bill died Monday in the Senate Courts of Justice committee in an 8-7 voice vote.

The measure would have reversed a policy, implemented last summer by State Police Col. Steven Flaherty, that required state troopers to offer only non-sectarian prayers at public events. more >>

The largest Hispanic Christian organization in the United States has forged a strategic partnership with the world’s largest evangelical university to make it the school of choice for thousands of Latino-American Christians, according to an announcement this week.

National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, which represents nearly 20,000 churches and about 16 million Hispanic Christians, will encourage its members to continue their education through Liberty University Online or at the school’s campus in Lynchburg, Va., according to Liberty Journal.

"Our desire is to see Hispanic born-again Christians mobilized on both the vertical and horizontal planes of the cross, preaching salvation and transforming their communities," said the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, NHCLC president. "This can only transpire via the platform of top-tier education." more >>

In a final ruling issued Friday, a Fairfax County judge allowed nearly a dozen conservative congregations that broke from The Episcopal Church to keep their church property.

"The Court’s decision is a great victory for religious freedom," said the Rt. Rev. Martyn Minns, who leads the breakaway group Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA). "It makes it clear that we cannot be forced to leave our churches and our foundational Christian beliefs because of the decision by the leadership of The Episcopal Church (TEC) to change the core components of our faith.”

The long court battle began after 11 congregations in Virginia voted in December of 2006 and January the following year to sever ties with The Episcopal Church – the U.S. arm of Anglicanism – while staying in alignment with the rest of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The breakaway Anglicans believe the U.S. church has abandoned Scripture and traditional Anglicanism. more >>

FAIRFAX, Va. – As breakaway Anglicans prepare to introduce a draft constitution for their new conservative province in North America on Wednesday, many within the global church body are debating whether a separate structure is the best way to deal with the current divisions.

For many orthodox Anglicans, it is.

Returning to Truro Church in Fairfax to preach this past Sunday was former rector, or senior pastor, the Rt. Rev. Martyn Minns who has been leading some 80 breakaway congregations in the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA) as missionary bishop. more >>