Oct. 14, 2019: Marvin Sapp names successor, Edward Graham responds to Beto, Egyptian Christian convert murdered
Monday, Oct. 14, 2019:
Here are the latest headlines, brought to you by The Christian Post.
— Marvin Sapp names Rory Marshall as successor to lead Lighthouse Full Life Center
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Bishop Marvin L. Sapp on Sunday appointed Rory Marshall as the incoming senior pastor of Lighthouse Full Life Center in Grand Rapids during a celebration of the church’s 16th anniversary.
At Sunday’s worship service, Sapp also led the congregation in a ceremonial burning of its mortgage, as the church is now debt free. This will allow Marshall “to focus on preaching, teaching and outreach,” the church said in a statement to The Christian Post.
Sapp founded Lighthouse Full Life Center in Grand Rapids and Muskegon with his late wife, MaLinda Prince Sapp, in 2003. He stepped down as senior pastor of the church in September to become the senior pastor of Chosen Vessel Cathedral in Fort Worth, Texas.
— US Christians more likely to consider their pastor a ‘friend’: Barna study
Christians in the United States are more likely to consider the lead pastor of their church to be a “friend” rather than a “mentor” or “counselor,” according to a new report by the Barna Group.
In the report released Oct. 8 titled, “Do Christians Consider Their Pastors to Be Friends?,” Barna analyzed how self-identified Christians felt about their pastor.
Barna found that 20% of respondents said they spoke to or regularly met with their lead pastor outside of weekly church worship services and events. Among that group, 50% said they considered their pastor to be a friend.
— Edward Graham responds to Beto O’Rourke’s threat to churches: ‘God is bigger than tax exemption’
Speaking at the Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, Edward Graham, grandson of the late Rev. Billy Graham, said despite Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke’s threat that he would take away tax exemptions from churches, God will still provide.
At CNN's Equality Townhall, O'Rourke was asked if he supported ending the tax exemption of colleges, churches and charities that oppose same-sex marriage. He said, “yes.”
If he were to be elected president, O’Rourke has also said he would reverse all of President Trump’s religious exemptions.
— South Carolina inmates baptized behind bars
Eighteen inmates at a South Carolina jail were baptized this month. The Darlington County Sheriff's Office said inmates at the W. Glenn Campbell Detention Center were baptized on Oct. 6 “under the guidance and supervision of local ministers.”
Pictures from the baptisms showed inmates holding hands in prayer. Darlington County Sheriff Tony Chavis told Fox News an initiative to mentor inmates started after a Stop the Violence meeting at the beginning of the year. In addition to sharing the Gospel with inmates, the prison reform focuses on mentoring and helping them get jobs.
—Egypt: Christian convert murdered by Muslim family over Facebook post
An Egyptian Christian convert was killed by his Muslim family after he posted photos on Facebook confirming his conversion, persecution advocacy group International Christian Concern reports.
The U.S.-based nonprofit reported that Hussein Mohammed, who preferred to be called by his baptismal name George, was killed on Oct. 6 after he posted several photos to his Facebook account confirming his Christian faith. In one post he showed off the cross tattoo he got on his wrist, a common practice of Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Christians.
Muslims who convert to Christianity are viewed by the Islamic community as apostates, which makes them vulnerable to being a victim of an honor killing. While honor killing is against Egyptian law, judges often view such cases with leniency.
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