At normally its lowest donation time of the year, medical charity Mercy Ships has received a donation of more than $1 million in stock.

Annette Simmons, wife of billionaire Harold Simmons, has given a gift in stock worth $1,015,635.19 to the Christian medical charity, the group announced Tuesday.

“For Mrs. Simmons to step up at this particular time during August – which is always the slowest time each year even in good economic situations – has really given a substantial boost to all our volunteers that are actually out there on the field,” said Sam Smith, CEO of Mercy Ships. more >>

The nation’s largest adoption agency announced on Monday that it had the highest-ever increase in adoption placements for a half-year period in 2010.

Bethany Christian Services reported that the combined international and domestic adoption placement increased 26 percent over the six-month period of January to June compared to the same time period in 2009.

Intercountry adoption inquiries were ahead by over 5,000 requests the first half of this year compared to 2009, totaling an unprecedented 10,567. Meanwhile, there were 8,037 domestic infant adoption inquiries, which is also higher than in 2009. more >>

Habitat for Humanity received this week its largest single donation by a faith community for its Haiti earthquake-recovery efforts.

The African-American Baptist Mission Collaboration, composed of five African-American Baptist groups, gave a $500,000 check to Habitat on Tuesday. The check is the coalition’s first toward its five-year, $50 million commitment for the Haiti rebuilding effort.

“We are inspired to invest in this ministry for housing solutions, because we are following the teachings of Jesus who said that when we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and give shelter to those without shelter that we do this for him,” said Dr. Stephen John Thurston, president of the National Baptist Convention of America. “We do this for Jesus, and we do this for those who suffer in Haiti.” more >>

Various Christian groups are working to meet the immediate needs of people suffering from flooding, mudslides and a volcanic eruption in Central America.

More than 150 people have died in Guatemala alone and at least another 100 people are missing after Tropical Storm Agatha dumped heavy rain on the poverty-stricken nation last week. The storm has also killed 17 people in Honduras and ten people in El Salvador, according to official figures.

Members of Action by Churches Together (ACT), an alliance of church-based relief groups, have responded to the tropical storm by helping with evacuations, supporting temporary shelters, cleaning up debris, and forming response teams to assess the damages in the affected nations. more >>

Israel’s deadly attack on a convoy of ships carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza is “a crime,” said a large network of church-based relief organizations.

“This incident could easily have been avoided. This aggression has been heavily criticized and condemned by the worldwide members of ACT Alliance,” said John Nduna, general secretary of Action by Churches Together (ACT) Alliance.

ACT is an alliance of 100 humanitarian and development organizations working in 130 countries, including the Gaza Strip. more >>

Afghanistan suspended two church-based aid groups on Monday over allegations that the organizations are proselytizing in the Islamic country.

Church World Service and Norwegian Church Aid cannot operate while authorities investigate the claim.

“We are not proselytizing,” said Maurice Bloem, deputy director for international programs at CWS, to The Christian Post. “If you would speak with the local community and organizations they will confirm that we stick to the code of conduct for an NGO (non-governmental organization), which is you should do your work and not proselytize.” more >>