April 22, 2020: Church loses 11 members to pandemic, anti-Christian attacks on rise in India, pro-lifers sue
Wednesday, April 22, 2020:
Here are the latest headlines, brought to you by The Christian Post.
— NY church loses 11 members to coronavirus in 30 days
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A church in New York City lost 11 members to the new coronavirus over the past 30 days.
The Rev. Johnnie Green of Mount Neboh Baptist Church in Harlem told The Christian Post that he’s been getting calls throughout the night about someone testing positive or dying.
His church stopped holding in-person services mid last month, even before the state order banning nonessential gatherings.
Though in pain as a pastor, Green said he doesn’t believe God is picking on his church, but rather that it is an opportunity for his church “to demonstrate before the world what real faith in God looks like.”
— Christians in India see dramatic increase in attacks in 2020
Attacks on Christians and their places of worship in India continued to escalate in both number and severity in the early months of 2020. There have been 56 threats against Christians and 78 incidents of violence so far, according to United Christian Forum in India.
In most cases, the attacks were perpetrated by mobs objecting to Christians holding worship services.
https://www.christianpost.com/news/christians-in-india-see-dramatic-increase-of-attacks-in-2020.html
— NC city sued for arresting Benham, pro-life demonstrators
David Benham and other pro-life demonstrators have filed a lawsuit against Charlotte, North Carolina, and Mecklenburg County after they were arrested outside an abortion clinic.
They argue that the police were selective in their enforcement of the stay-at-order. There were less than 10 of them maintaining a safe distance from one another during their sidewalk counseling and prayers.
Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Kevin Theriot said, “If abortion businesses can stay open during the coronavirus crisis, non-profit organizations that provide social services to women should be allowed outside — particularly when they are abiding by health and safety guidelines.”
— AME Church had pandemic plan ready years before new coronavirus outbreak
The African Methodist Episcopal Church has had a pandemic plan in place since more than a decade ago.
So when COVID-19 hit this year, the Rev. Dr. Miriam J. Burnett, medical director of the denomination’s health commission, quickly made the plan she helped prepare available to all the congregations.
The pandemic plan offers guidance on social distancing and other possible interventions to limit the spread of disease.
Burnett believes the impact of the virus within the denomination has been “significantly mitigated” due to its response.
— Nigerian Christian student killed
A Christian college student was reportedly shot and killed by radical Fulani herdsmen during a raid on a village in the Nigerian state of Kaduna last Thursday.
Federal Polytechnic student Sebastine Stephen was visiting his home village after classes were suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak. When suspected Fulani herdsmen came to raid the village, he tried to warn residents and was shot.
The attackers also reportedly abducted a couple.
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