Church Bodies

A church in New Orleans is raising awareness about violence in their community by posting a "Murder Board" outside of their building.

The 4 x 8 foot white sign is anchored to the wall of St. Anna's Episcopal Church and has a list of names in black lettering that read something like this: Jan. 6, Keian Ester, 11, shot; Jan. 7, Michael Johnson, 21, shot; Jan. 7, Eric Robinson, 41, shot/burned.

The Rev. Bill Terry, rector of St. Anna's, said that even just a few weeks into the year they have already added at least 20 names to the board. more >>

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Seven influential megachurch pastors took part in live unscripted discussions on different approaches to ministry in the second round of The Elephant Room – an event billed as "conversations you never thought you'd hear" from pastors.

Held in Aurora, Ill., and broadcast to over 70 locations around the U.S., the discussions were mediated by James MacDonald of Chicago's Harvest Bible Chapel and Mark Driscoll of Seattle's Mars Hill Church.

With nondenominational churches growing across the county, the role of denominations and church networks was the first topic discussed. more >>

Two megachurch pastors from the Dallas, Texas-area, who both witnessed segregation between whites and blacks in the U.S. decades ago, took a closer look at the racial divide still existing today inside the Church during a pastors' conference Webcast from Harvest Studios in Aurora, Ill., on Wednesday.

While taking part in the Elephant Room Round 2 – a gathering of seven prominent church leaders in the Christian community – Pastors T.D. Jakes of the Potter's House and Jack Graham from Prestonwood Baptist Church agreed that racial hatred still exists both inside and outside the Church.

Although both are based in the Dallas area with thousands of members attending, the Potter's House congregation consists of nearly 100 percent African-Americans and other minorities, while Prestonwood Baptist is nearly all Caucasians. more >>

A group of 24 leaders in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) recently signed a letter seeking reconciliation between the mainline denomination and a conservative breakaway group.

Signers are calling on Presbyterian leaders to "build bridges" with disaffected congregations and urging those thinking about leaving the PC(USA) to "slow down and recognize that there are several viable signs of unity."

The letter, released last week, originated with the Rev. Paul Watermulder, who serves as pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Burlingame, Calif. more >>

Although no one is immune to sexual temptation, a pastor leading an online pornography addiction recovery ministry says that church leaders may be especially vulnerable to sexually moral failure.

Pastor Jeff Fisher, whose past secret addiction to pornography was discovered while pastoring a church in the Northeast several years ago, recently had his thoughts on the struggles church leadership might face in this area published on Pastors.com.

Fisher and his wife, Marsha, have shared their road to recovery individually and in their marriage along with resources for others struggling with pornography addiction on their Website, PorntoPurity.com. more >>

A member of Westboro Baptist Church, famous for preaching a fiery gospel that claims all those deemed "sinners" would go to hell, has said that even President Barack Obama would be a better choice in the 2012 presidential elections than the Republican candidates.

Timothy Phelps, the youngest son of the Baptist pastor who leads the Topeka, Kan. church, explained in an interview with The Huffington Post why he would rather have Obama as president than any of the other choices.

Commenting on Newt Gingrich’s surprising victory in the South Carolina primary, Phelps described the former House Speaker as a “liar, thief, and adulterer.” more >>