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Sept. 13, 2019: US evangelicals meeting in Saudi Arabia, Jarrid Wilson's suicide, Norway's CPS violated mother's rights

Friday, Sept. 13, 2019:

Here are the latest headlines, brought to you by The Christian Post.

— US evangelical leaders meet with Saudi crown prince on eve of 9/11

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On the eve of the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, a delegation of American evangelical leaders met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss the state of religious freedom and the battle against extremism in the kingdom. 

The delegation also met with a wide range of senior government and military officials where they discussed planned reforms as part of the country’s Vision 2030 agenda. 

Johnnie Moore, who serves as a commissioner on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, told The Christian Post there has been a “seismic shift” in the religious freedom discussions taking place over the last year in the Sunni-majority kingdom. 

In their discussions, Moore said he and the other evangelicals pressed for certain laws and policies to be changed. 

Moore said: “The conversations were that candid. We are realistic and we are patient.” 

https://www.christianpost.com/news/us-evangelical-leaders-held-meeting-saudi-crown-prince-eve-of-911.html

— After Jarrid Wilson's suicide, fellow pastor says struggling with depression doesn't make you bad Christian

Devastated by the suicide of fellow pastor and friend Jarrid Wilson, Sioux Falls Pastor Adam Weber wants to make it clear that struggling with mental health doesn’t make someone a bad Christian.

Wilson, who was open about his struggles with depression, died by suicide on Monday.

In a podcast Wednesday, Weber, who leads Embrace Church, wanted to assure others and especially pastors that it’s OK to admit they’re struggling mentally.

Wilson advised pastors to seek help outside the church by meeting with a counselor or physician.

https://www.christianpost.com/news/after-jarrid-wilsons-suicide-fellow-pastor-says-struggling-with-depression-doesnt-make-you-bad-christian.html

— America facing shortage of ‘economically attractive’ unmarried men, study says

America is facing a significant shortage of highly educated unmarried men who earn at least $53,000 and have a college degree. The situation could result in unmarried women remaining unmarried or marrying men who earn less than they do, a study says.

One of the study’s researches, Joseph Price, told The Christian Post that the disparity between the characteristics unmarried women are looking for in a life partner and their available choices in reality have created “a structural mismatch.”

This challenge is particularly acute for minority women and black women especially, due to high rates of incarceration and a substantial number of minority men choosing to marry white women, the study found.

https://www.christianpost.com/news/america-facing-shortage-of-economically-attractive-unmarried-men-study-says-expert-suggests-churches-can-help.html

— Norway CPS violated mother's rights through forced adoption: European rights court

Europe’s top human rights court ruled Tuesday that Norway’s controversial child services agency violated a mother’s rights by forcibly adopting her son to a foster family years after he was removed from her custody at 3 weeks old. 

The grand chamber of the European Court of Human Rights in France ruled 13 to 4 that the Norwegian CPS agency known as Barnevernet violated section 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights in the case of Strand Lobben and Others v. Norway.

The court concluded that the agency infringed on Trude Lobben and her son’s rights to family life as Barnevernet is accused of not providing adequate examination into Lobben’s parenting skills or adequate analysis to back up its claim that the child was vulnerable and that adoption was in his best interest. The child is now 11 years old.

Norwegian human rights lawyer Marius Reikeras told The Christian Post that the European Court of Human Rights ruling will force the government to reunite Trude Lobben with her son.

As many as 16 complaints have been lodged against Norway’s government over the removal of children from their parents’ custody. 

https://www.christianpost.com/news/norway-cps-violated-mothers-rights-through-forced-adoption-european-rights-court.html

— Jacksonville megachurch selling off massive downtown properties to downsize

Pastor Heath Lambert of First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida, says his church is on “cardiac arrest” and must downsize it’s property if it’s going to continue to serve the community.

The church property amasses 1.5 million square feet and stretches 10 city blocks in downtown Jacksonville.

The church voted Sunday in favor of a $30 million loan to renovate the church auditorium and its administration buildings, and to sell off its excess properties.

Lambert said church attendance had fallen from an average of 10,000 to 3,200. He also said that fixing all of the maintenance problems in all of the buildings it owns would cost the ministry $37 million, and $7 million a year for upkeep.

https://www.christianpost.com/news/jacksonville-megachurch-in-cardiac-arrest-to-sell-off-most-of-its-massive-downtown-property.html

To read more stories from a Christian perspective, visit christianpost.com.

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