June 8, 2019: “Post-Christian” cities, Kenneth Copeland, Oral Roberts University
Saturday, June 8, 2019
Here are the latest headlines, brought to you by The Christian Post.
— The Northeastern part of the United States, once known as a bulwark of Puritans and other strict Christian sects, now dominates the top 10 list of the most “post-Christian” cities.
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In a report released on Wednesday by the Barna Group, cities in each of the New England states and New York were ranked among the top eight post-Christian cities, followed by Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-San Luis Obispo, California, and Seattle-Tacoma, Washington.
The “post-Christian” designation was given to cities where the majority of those surveyed said they do not believe in God, have never made a commitment to Jesus, have not prayed to God in the past week, and do not consider faith important in their lives.
—Televangelist James Robison is coming to the defense of prosperity preacher Kenneth Copeland who has been highly criticized for comments he made to an “Inside Edition” reporter about his lavish lifestyle and owning three private planes.
Robison described Copeland as being “one of the most generous, unselfish and giving individuals” he knows.
Copeland's estimated net worth is upward of $300 million dollars.
https://www.christianpost.com/news/james-robison-slams-inside-editions-attack-kenneth-copeland.html
— Oral Roberts University has agreed to pay over $300,000 in a legal settlement involving allegations it violated a ban on incentive-based compensation for student recruiting.
The evangelical institution based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has an enrollment of about 4,000 students and was accused of paying incentive compensation for online student recruitment to a third-party company called Joined Inc.
ORU said in a statement that it did nothing wrong and its relationship with Joined Inc. was legal due to a U.S. Department of Education safe harbor provision.
The U.S. Department of Justice said Wednesday the university will pay the settlement to resolve allegations that it violated Title IV regulations that prohibit institutions that receive student aid from compensating recruiters based on successes in securing student enrollment.
The prohibition is meant to protect students from recruitment practices that serve the financial interest of recruiters instead of the personal needs of students.
— Gospel singer Anthony Evans, the son of Pastor Tony Evans, was interviewed by The Christian Post this week where he talked about his new album “Altared,” and the grief process he’s going through following the sudden deaths of three family members and his mother’s recent cancer diagnosis.
Through his family’s struggles, Evans said he’s discovered that it’s OK to ask God “why” and to not short circuit the grief process. He said he’s gone to many therapy sessions and has learned not to say “yes” to more projects than he can handle and to prioritize his well-being over his ministry work.
Evans, who has starred on national TV shows “The Voice” and “American Idol,” moved from Dallas to Los Angeles and said he’s had many opportunities to share the Gospel with people who have never stepped foot inside a church.
Evans and his sister, best-selling author and actress Priscilla Shirer, are on tour together hosting FerVent 2.0 worship events nationwide through October.
His new album features the single “Hope is Alive,” and versions of some of the most popular worship songs including: “What a Beautiful Name,” “Great Are You Lord,” and “Who You Say I Am.”
— Algerian authorities have shut down a Christian church and Bible school following the forced closure of other churches earlier this year.
The Christian aid agency Barnabus Fund said the church has been involved in a years-long legal battle with authorities and secured a court victory in January that should have allowed the church to open.
Officials from the Protestant Church of Algeria and the church’s pastor met with military officials last month who said they had an order to close the church and school for violating a 2006 law that requires authorization for non-Islamic places of worship.
Although the pastor submitted an application for a permit for the church, he said the national commission in charge of approving permit requests has never met and no applications have been approved.
The Christian Persecution watchdog group Open Doors USA ranks Algeria as the 22nd worst nation in the world when it comes to Christian persecution, according to its 2019 World Watch List.
To read more stories from a Christian perspective, visit christianpost.com.
