Oct. 16, 2019: Pompeo Christian leader speech, Chinese church demolished, UMC separation plan
Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2019:
Here are the latest headlines, brought to you by The Christian Post.
— Pompeo faces criticism over speech on being Christian leader
Get Our Latest News for FREE
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is facing criticism for talking publicly about what it means to be a “Christian leader.”
He delivered the speech at the American Association of Christian Counselors’ World Conference in Nashville on Friday and it was posted on the State Department’s homepage, which drew criticism from humanist and other religious groups. They argued that he was overstepping the line of separation of church and state.
In his address, Pompeo said he draws on the “wisdom of God” to help him “be a force for good in the life of human beings.”
He also said he keeps a Bible open on his desk and tries to get a little bit of time in with Scripture every morning.
— Chinese authorities demolish church
Communist officials demolished a church in China's Henan province after forcibly removing congregants. According to Chinese persecution watchdog Bitter Winter, True Jesus Church was razed to the ground completely.
Officials with the Religious Affairs Bureau accused the church of engaging in “illegal fundraising” and said that the church was thus an “illegal building.” The congregation faced harassment in the month leading up to the demolishment after refusing to vacate.
Afterward, nearly two dozen people from the church were arrested.
— Wheaton College to address church leadership crises
Wheaton College’s Billy Graham Center announced that it will be hosting a one-day evangelical summit in December to address issues of leadership, burnout and mental health.
The event is partly inspired by the death of Pastor Jarrid Wilson, who committed suicide last month. He was a pastor at Harvest Christian Fellowship in California and led a ministry to help those battling depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts.
Rick Warren of Saddleback Church, who is expected to speak at the event, said, “This is a global problem, also impacting pastors and leaders inside the church. The biggest thing we can do is to remove the stigma behind mental illness and let pastors and leaders get help.”
— Conservative Methodists endorse ‘amicable separation’ over LGBT debate
A theologically conservative group of United Methodists recently endorsed a plan for “amicable separation” for The United Methodist Church due to the denomination’s ongoing debate over LGBT issues.
Though a painful decision, the Rev. Jeff Greenway, chairman of the Wesleyan Covenant Association Council, said it believes separation is “the only viable way forward given the great impasse that threatens the denomination and its local churches.”
The Indianapolis Plan for Amicable Separation, which will be considered at the UMC General Conference next year, calls for the creation of a Traditionalist denomination, a Centrist denomination, and possibly a Progressive denomination.
— Warren, Buttigieg denounce O’Rourke’s call for punishing churches that reject gay marriage
Democratic presidential candidates Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg have rejected Beto O’Rourke’s support for stripping churches of their tax exemption if they oppose same-sex marriage.
Buttigieg noted that “going after the tax exemption of churches, Islamic centers or other religious facilities in this country” could “deepen the divisions that we're already experiencing.”
O’Rourke later clarified that he would not strip the tax exemption of houses of worship opposed to gay marriage unless they provide public services such as healthcare or adoption.
To read more stories from a Christian perspective, visit christianpost.com.
