Jan. 4, 2020: UMC split; John Gray's Relentless Church eviction; hospital removes baby's life support
Saturday, Jan. 4, 2020
Here are the latest headlines, brought to you by The Christian Post.
— United Methodist Church leaders officially propose split over gay marriage, clergy
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United Methodist Church leaders have proposed a plan that would formally split the denomination after years of division over non-celibate LGBT clergy and same-sex marriage, with the formation of a new denomination for Methodists who hold to a biblical understanding of marriage and sexuality.
The proposal, released Friday from a 16-member group of bishops and church leaders on both sides of the debate, says a separation was "the best means to resolve our differences, allowing each part of the Church to remain true to its theological understanding, while recognizing the dignity, equality, integrity, and respect of every person."
Under the nine-page plan, a new “traditionalist Methodist” denomination would be created for more conservative Methodists. The new denomination would continue to hold to a biblical understanding of marriage and oppose the ordination of non-celibate gay and lesbian clergy.
— Redemption Church asks court to evict John Gray’s Relentless Church from property
John Gray’s Relentless Church has been served with a 30-day notice of termination for buildings they were leasing from Redemption Church in Greenville, South Carolina, Redemption’s founders, pastors Ron and Hope Carpenter, have now asked a local court to evict the celebrity preacher.
Gray was given until the end of 2019 to vacate the property amid allegations that he had been “shady” and “dishonest” in executing an agreement with the Carpenters after they passed the reins of their Redemption Church to him in 2018 which he rebranded as Relentless Church.
— Texas judge says hospital can take baby Tinslee Lewis off life support despite mother's objections
A Texas judge has ruled that a hospital can remove life support from an 11-month-old baby despite her family’s objections, drawing condemnation from pro-life groups and conservative officials.
In a statement on Thursday, Cook Children’s Medical Center said their doctors have done everything possible to save Tinslee’s life, but ultimately concluded that they would not continue to provide life-sustaining treatment, such as a ventilator or help her to breathe.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton released a joint statement on the matter, offering support for Trinity and her family, saying "The state of Texas is fully prepared to continue its support of Ms. Lewis in the Supreme Court if necessary.
— 42.4M babies killed by abortion in 2019; here's what's ahead for US abortion laws in 2020
In 2019, around 42.4 million pregnancies ended in abortion worldwide.
According to Worldometers, which tabulates global statistics on abortion procedures based on the most current available figures from the World Health Organization, 40 million to 50 million abortions are performed annually worldwide. In the United States, four in 10 pregnancies ending in an abortion, amounting to over 3,000 abortions being performed every day.
— Rwanda arrests pastor's daughter for treason, espionage; activists demand her release
The Rwandan government has charged the 25-year-old daughter of an exiled pastor with treason and espionage after arresting and detaining her for weeks without due process.
Jackie Umuhoza, the daughter of exiled pastor Deo Nyirigira, was abducted as she came out of a beauty salon in the Central African nation’s capital, Kigali, on Nov. 27.
After her family announced her abduction on social media, the Rwanda Investigation Bureau confirmed that Umuhoza had been arrested on suspicion of treason and espionage, charges that carry punishments of up to 25 years in prison. .
Human rights activists are calling for Umuhoza’s release as she has remained in detention without having been brought before a judge.
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