May 14, 2020: American missionary pilot dies, 'I Still Believe' impact, 3,000 churches reopening
Thursday, May 14, 2020:
Here are the latest headlines, brought to you by The Christian Post.
— American missionary pilot dies in crash while transporting COVID-19 supplies
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Joyce Lin, an American missionary pilot, died in a crash Tuesday just minutes after her plane took off to deliver COVID-19 supplies to remote villages in Indonesia. She was 40.
Lin was working for Mission Aviation Fellowship. It was the group’s first fatal accident in 23 years. MAF said though Lin worked with them for just two years, her impact was significant.
— Film ‘I Still Believe’ leading people to Christ
The film “I Still Believe,” based on the love story of Christian artist Jeremy Camp and his first wife, is leading people to Christ.
Filmmaker Jon Erwin said they’ve been hearing testimonies about the film’s impact and noted that the the theme of movie — which is “I still believe even when I can’t see” — is fitting for such a time as this.
— 3,000 Calif. churches vow to reopen on Pentecost Sunday
A network of some 3,000 churches in California announced plans to restart in-person services at the end fo the month regardless of the governor’s orders.
Pastor Jack Hibbs of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills told The Christian Post that their desire is not to resist the authorities. But with gathering bans having been in place for months now, he and other pastors wonder what value Gov. Gavin Newsom is placing on churches in aiding in the mental and spiritual health of people.
Hibbs said he prayed and felt a strong impression from God to restart services on May 31, which is Pentecost Sunday.
— Christians, minorities in India denied gov’t aid during pandemic, groups say
Religious minorities, including Christians, in India are being left out of programs and denied government aid during the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Federation of Indian American Christian Organizations.
The group joined with Save the Persecuted Christians to send a letter to President Donald Trump to hold the country’s leaders accountable.
— Study: Regular church attendance lowers chances of deaths from despair
A study by researchers at Harvard University found that those who regularly attend worship services are at a lower risk of deaths related to alcohol, drugs, or suicide, which are collectively known as “deaths from despair.”
Women who attended religious services at least once per week had a 68% lower hazard of death from despair compared to peers who did not, while men who attended worship at least once a week had a 33% lower hazard compared to men who never attended.
To read more stories from a Christian perspective, visit christianpost.com.
