Evangelicals

After winning the GOP primary in three different states and rejuvenating his campaign, presidential candidate Rick Santorum confessed at a prayer meeting with 175 pastors at a Texas church Wednesday that the institution of marriage turned his whole life around. 

Despite his notable victories in Minnesota, Missouri, and Colorado the night before, the former Pennsylvania senator did not focus very much on his presidential campaign during the meeting at Bella Donna Chapel in McKinney, Texas. Instead, Santorum talked about what he credits as one of the main reasons behind his success – his faith, which he admitted had not always been very strong, The New York Times reported.

"Your prayers are the reason I am here and I encourage you and your congregations to continue to pray," Santorum revealed to the pastors, before admitting that religion was not always the most important thing in his life. more >>

Tuesday's 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that California's voter-approved Proposition 8 is unconstitutional has left pro-traditional marriage groups shaking their heads over what they view as judicial activism.

"Of course we are disappointed," Penny Nance of Concerned Women for America told The Christian Post. "Californians voted overwhelmingly to affirm marriage between a man and a woman and this is a new judicial low. But given the narrow context of the ruling, we fully expect this will be appealed and will go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court."

The 2-1 ruling upheld the decision of a federal judge who said Proposition 8 – which defines marriage as between a man and a woman – violated the equal protection of same-sex couples. The panel said there was no evidence that former Chief U.S. Judge Vaughn Walker, who handed down the ruling in August 2010, was biased in his decision. more >>

The merger of two dominant mission associations in North America culminated Monday with the public unveiling of Missio Nexus, which is now the largest evangelical mission network in North America.

Missio Nexus, formed through the marriage of CrossGlobal Link and The Mission Exchange, will represent 35,000 evangelical missionaries deployed in every country by more than 200 agencies and churches.

Top evangelical leaders across North America convened for a special service held Monday in Boston that celebrated both the debut of Missio Nexus and the 200th anniversary of North America's first ordained missionaries. more >>

In the five contests for the Republican presidential nomination so far, Mitt Romney's share of the evangelical vote has risen from a low of 14 percent in the Iowa caucus to a high of 43 percent in Saturday's Nevada caucus. Is this a sign that evangelicals are becoming more accepting of Romney, a Mormon, as the nominee?

Family Research Council Tony Perkins said in a Sunday CNN interview that he does not think that Romney has "captured" the support of evangelicals, but evangelicals are "warming" to Romney.

A plurality of evangelicals have chosen the winner of each GOP contest so far, except in Florida. more >>

Top evangelical leaders across North America are joining a special service Monday in Boston to celebrate the 200th anniversary of North America's first ordained missionaries. The event also marked the official debut of Missio Nexus, which will be the largest evangelical mission network in North America following the historic merger of CrossGlobal Link and The Mission Exchange.

The Missions Bicentennial service and celebration is taking place at Tabernacle Congregational Church in Salem, Mass., the location where on February 6, 1812, the first missionaries being sent from a North American mission agency were commissioned.

The ordaining of Adoniram Judson and four other missionaries for overseas service represented the beginning of a new era in history when America joined the global mission movement. After their ordination in Salem, Judson, along his wife Ann and other missionaries, set sail in February 1812 to bring Christianity to India. more >>

Today's surprise announcement by the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation to reverse its decision to fund Planned Parenthood has pro-life groups and advocates shaking their heads. The reversal will mostly likely alienate supporters on both sides, causing even more trouble for the breast cancer group.

The nation's leading advocate for breast cancer awareness previously gave abortion provider Planned Parenthood millions of dollars in grants, including at least $700,000 in 2011 alone.

"Well, I think one of the benefits that has come from this saga is now the broad majority of Americans realize the Komen connection to the world's foremost abortion provider," Brian Harris, the director of Tennessee Right to Life, told The Christian Post. "Millions of pro-life Americans – who have momentum now – will know to avoid any involvement with Komen until they become consistently committed to protecting all human life." more >>