A group of Pentecostal ministers and churches have thrown their backing behind televangelist Kenneth Copeland and his refusal to cooperate with a Senate probe into his ministry's spending.

Assemblies of God International Fellowship released a statement in their latest newsletter saying the current investigation, led by Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), into the financial records of six prominent ministries "seems to be crossing a legal boundary."

"Politicians enact laws to separate Church and State which many think to be unconstitutional and then try to intrude into Church affairs while denying the Church discussion of State (political) affairs. This sounds like a one way street in favor of the State," the group said. more >>

Pentecostal preacher Kenneth Copeland is now looking to gain public support as he continues to question and protest a senator's investigation into the spending of six "prosperity gospel" ministries, including his. This week, his ministry launched a Web site to address concerns about the inquiry.

"The Grassley Investigation: Do Churches Still Have Constitutional Rights?" says an article on the homepage of www.BelieversStandUnited.com.

The site is in response to an inquiry led by Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), who last November sent letters to six prominent ministries asking that they provide financial records and answer questions regarding their organizational as well as personal finances. The senate probe was prompted by media reports and ministry watchdogs that alleged opulent spending and possible abuse of their nonprofit status. more >>

Most Americans believe non-profit organizations and charities are not financially efficient enough in their work, a new study shows.

In a survey conducted by Ellison Research on over 1,000 American adults, 62 percent said they believe the typical non-profit spends more than what is reasonable on overhead expenses such as fundraising and administration. The average American believes 36.3 cents of every dollar they give to a typical non-profit group goes toward overhead expenses.

The reasonable amount that should go to such expenses should be 22.4 cents for every dollar, the average American believes, according to the study released Wednesday. But 43 percent of all Americans say a figure below 20 cents on the dollar should be a reasonable proportion for overhead expenses and 74 percent say a figure below 30 cents on the dollar should be spent on overhead. more >>

With still little cooperation from ministries that have been asked to turn over their financial statements for investigation, Sen. Charles Grassley plans to send out another round of letters requesting that they comply.

In the next few weeks, letters will again be sent to Christian television ministries that have not responded or raised concerns about the probe, which is being conducted by the Senate Finance Committee led by Grassley.

Only two – Joyce Meyer Ministries and Kenneth Copeland Ministries – of the six ministries under investigation have turned over their documents last month and only Meyer has pledged full cooperation. more >>

In the wake of money fraud scandals and allegations of opulent spending among high-profile ministers, an evangelical accountability group announced plans to expand its role and raise financial integrity.

The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) has provided oversight and accreditation to Christian nonprofits for nearly 30 years, monitoring the groups' fundraising and providing financial stewardship. It currently has more than 2,000 Christian nonprofit organization members and has been low key with no marketing until just recently.

The U.S. Senate Finance Committee investigation of six major media ministries drew in a string of media calls to ECFA's president, Kenneth Behr. more >>

The year 2007 was a year in which Christians had to up their guard amid increasingly frequent and vehement challenges. Whether it was defending against atheism, Mormonism, negative stereotypes, or liberal agendas, believers across the nation found themselves needing more to stand up for what they believe. The following is a list of the top 10 trends and events of 2007 that marked the year:

1. Rise of Militant Atheism, Apologetics

Atheism has nearly always been with us in one form or another, but the atheists we’ve been hearing the most from lately – chiefly Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens and Sam Harris – are a new breed, as prominent conservative Chuck Colson noted earlier this year. Unlike the old-school humanists, the new atheists – or anti-theists, as some of them prefer to be called – don’t want to just deny the existence of God, they want to wipe religion off the map. more >>