Samuel Smith and World Watch Monitor

Latest

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  Mar 9, 2019

  Family continues ministry of missionary killed in Africa 3 years ago; 1,000 kids helped

  It’s been over three years since American missionary Michael Riddering was among dozens of Christians killed by al-Qaeda in West Africa. But today, his ministry to the orphaned and poor there continues with the help of his family.

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  Mar 8, 2019

  NewSpring Church had 4 volunteers charged with sex crimes against minors

  Amid lawsuits concerning oversight of a daycare volunteer caught sexually abusing children, at least three other men who volunteered at NewSpring Church in South Carolina in the past have been accused of sexual misconduct with minors.

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  Mar 8, 2019

  South African court rules Dutch Reformed Church’s gay marriage ban is unconstitutional

  A court in South Africa ruled Friday that the Dutch Reformed Church’s rules against same-sex marriage are “unlawful and invalid.”

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  Mar 8, 2019

  Appeals court: Judge ‘abused discretion’ by denying trans teen’s name change

  An appeals court in Ohio has overturned a judge’s decision to deny a trans-identified teenager preparing to go through hormone therapy a legal name change until the age of 18.

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  Mar 7, 2019

  22 states sue Trump rule stripping Planned Parenthood of Title X funding

  Twenty-two states and the District of Columbia are suing to try to block the Trump administration from enforcing a new rule that would shift millions in Title X family planning funding away from Planned Parenthood and to faith-based clinics.

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  Mar 7, 2019

  Evangelical university blocks lecture by pro-life activist Star Parker

  An evangelical university in Minnesota has blocked a conservative student group from hosting a lecture by African-American pro-life activist Star Parker because of her “radically” held beliefs.

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  Mar 7, 2019

  Christians who don’t have a ‘passed-down’ faith have stronger theological convictions, Barna finds

  Christians who grew up in homes where Christianity was incorrectly modeled and those who didn’t have their faith formed by relatives in their home are more likely to have stronger “theological convictions” than Christians who say their faith was “passed down” to them, new research has found.

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  Mar 7, 2019

  India: Evangelical network reports increase of Christian persecution in 2019

  Reported cases of persecution and hate crimes against Christians in India have steadily increased by about 57 percent to the first two months of 2019, an advocacy group has warned.

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  Mar 6, 2019

  Pastor abducted by militant Buddhists in Myanmar, second to be captured in 2 months

  A second pastor in Myanmar’s Rakhine state has been abducted by suspected Buddhist insurgents after another was killed less than two months ago.

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  Mar 6, 2019

  Gay UMC pastor to conduct same-sex weddings despite Traditional Plan passage

  An openly gay pastor in the United Methodist Church said he will conduct same-sex weddings despite the denomination's recent vote to maintain its view that homosexuality runs counter to the Gospel and will enforce tougher punishments for violating church discipline.