As Pope Benedict XVI is scheduled to soon step down, a recently released poll indicates that Catholics in America are almost equally divided over what direction the Roman Catholic Church should take.

In a report by the Pew Research Center released Thursday, 46 percent of Catholics surveyed believed the Church should "move in new directions," while 51 percent believed the Church should "maintain traditional positions."

Other findings included 74 percent of Catholics holding a favorable opinion of Pope Benedict XVI, 60 percent of Catholics wanting a Pope from the developing world, and 58 percent of Catholics in favor of priests being allowed to marry. more >>

A Maryland congregation belonging to The Episcopal Church has voted to leave the denomination and join the Roman Catholic Church.

St. Timothy's Church of Catonsville, a small but historic congregation, voted overwhelmingly on Sunday, Feb. 10, to leave the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland and join a Roman Catholic Ordinariate.

Created in 2012, the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter is a Catholic body created for Episcopalians and Anglicans that want to leave the Anglican Communion yet retain their liturgy and tradition. more >>

A recent church newsletter revealed that the Rev. Robert H. Schuller, ex-leader and founder of the Crystal Cathedral Ministries and the world's longest running evangelistic television program in the world, "Hour of Power," depended on a "love gift" from a small church to fix his broken heater and dishwasher in January.

The revelation was made in the newsletter of the church Hope Center of Christ, founded last year by Schuller's daughter Sheila Schuller Coleman.

"Dr. and Mrs. Robert H. Schuller send a special 'Thank You!' to all at Hope Center of Christ, who so graciously sent them a love gift. It provided just what they needed to fix their broken heater, just in time for this latest cold storm, and have their dish washer fixed as well. It was a true blessing and they can't thank you enough," reads the newsletter in part. more >>

If you're a member of a megachurch, chances are you are a part of something that's more business than ministry, according to former pastor and author Glenn Newman in his latest book, Pastors Move Over: Make Room for the Rest of Us.

Newman, who founded the Convenant Life Fellowship and Heartland Bible Institute in Texas, argues through scripture and other evidence that the current structure of church government with a single pastor at the helm is unbiblical and robs church members of the right pastoral care.

"Ephesians 4:11, 1 Corinthians 12-14 shows a clear system of all believers ministering to one another and worshiping house to house. The elders were the leadership of that day and servant leaders at that. But they also recognize each other's personal gift of ministry," said Newman in a statement Friday. "In the New Testament church there were no 'CEO' type leaders and in fact there were multiple pastors within the flock, ministering and nurturing those that needed it," he added. more >>

An American cardinal has told local media that he believes the pending decision to elect a new pope should not be a hasty one.

Francis Cardinal George of Chicago explained Sunday that time for consideration is of great importance in the decision-making rather than getting a new pope as soon as possible.

"You take the time needed to make a good decision … We will go into conclave when collectively the cardinals decide that we have [had] the conversations necessary to make a good decision," said George, as reported by the Chicago Tribune. more >>

The National Council of Churches has announced that it will be shutting down its historic New York office as a means of consolidating its operations.

NCC announced Wednesday that it will leave its office at the Interchurch Center building in Manhattan, N.Y., known by many as the "God Box." Kathryn Lohre, president of NCC, said in a statement that the consolidation was part of the organizational streamlining process the group is undertaking.

"It is important that we honor this moment with reverence and respect for the Council's history as an iconic presence in the beloved 'God Box'," said Lohre. more >>