Singer's Wife Dies

The wife of gospel singer Marvin Sapp died yesterday at the age of 43. MaLinda Sapp had a long battle with colon cancer. She leaves behind three children from her 15 year marriage. Marvin Sapp is a pastor of the Lighthouse Full Life Center Church in Grand Rapids. His song Never Would Have Made It set a number of sales records and he recently had a #1 hit with the song The Best in Me.

Pastor Loses Granddaughter

Megachurch pastor Joel Hunter lost his 5-year-old granddaughter to cancer this past weekend. Ava Hunter is the daughter of Hunter's oldest son, Josh. She had a rare form of brain cancer. Joel Hunter is pastor of Central Florida's Northland Church.

Praying Stops Straying

Researchers at Florida State University set up an experiment to explore prayer and fidelity. Their findings are published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. The conclusion: people worried about potentially cheating spouses may find praying together a better safeguard against adultery than constant vigilance. The researchers believe that the act of praying about romantic partners leads people to view their relationship as something sacred and not to be damaged.

Abstinence in China

The Washington Post looks at an abstinence program in China involving Focus on the Family in this story.

Singer's Bus in Accident

The tour bus of Christian singer Karen Peck collided with a pickup truck in Georgia, sending two people to the hospital. The Southern Gospel singer was among those treated for injuries. An elderly man turned in front of the bus on Georgia 400. He was flown to a local hospital in critical condition. Peck and her group New River were nominated for a 2009 Grammy for their album Ephesians One.

Pastor: Islam Promotes Pedophilia

A Texas pastor has created a firestorm by saying Islam promotes pedophilia. Here is a video from KSLA-TV of the controversial remarks made by Baptist pastor Robert Jeffress.

Minister Censured

A Presbyterian, USA court has found a retired minister guilty of violating the denomination's constitution and her vows by officiating at more than a dozen same-sex marriages. At the church trial of Jane Adams Spahr, a panel found voted 4-2 to censure her. They also voted 6-0 that the lesbian's actions did not disrupt the "peace, unity and purity of the church" and praised her ministry to gays and lesbians.

Giving Research

Poor people are naturally more charitable than the rich, according to researchers at the University of California at Berkeley. They gave subjects credits, worth actual money, and the choice of keeping them or sharing them with an anonymous partner in another room. People who were ranked at the upper end of the socioeconomic scale gave away nearly 50% less than did those at the bottom.

Guns in Churches

A federal judge in Georgia has refused to stop the new state law from going into effect that makes it a crime to carry a gun into church. District Judge Ashley Royal will reveal his decision about the constitutionality of the law later. A lawsuit was filed by GeorgiaCarry.Org and Thomaston's Baptist Tabernacle challenging the law as a violation of the Second Amendment.

Calls for Televangelist to Testify

Activists are calling on Pat Robertson to testify at the Charles Taylor war crimes trial. The founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network has connection with former Liberian president and held mining interests in Liberia when Mr. Taylor was president. Robertson's name has come up at the trial in the Hague. Taylor has denied the charges against him. One of the prosecutors says Robertson sunk millions of dollars into the mine that went directly to Taylor. A Virginia paper has suggested airplanes from Robertson's Operation Blessing were used to bring supplies to his diamond mine rather than for humanitarian aid.

Burning the Quran

A Gainesville church wanting to burn copies of the Quran has been denied a burn permit by city officials. The Dove World Outreach Center planned the bonfire to take place on the anniversary of 9/11 terrorist attacks. Senior pastor Terry Jones has written a book called Islam is of the Devil and email from him suggests his congregation will still hold the book burning. The church faces a fine if it goes ahead with the event.

Troops: Punished for Missing Concert

A group of soldiers at the U.S. Army's Newport News base say they were kept in their barracks because they refused to attend the concert of a Christian band called BarlowGirl. The group of nearly 100 soldiers say they were also made to clean the living quarters. The event was part of the Commanding General's Spiritual Fitness Concerts.

Obama's Religious Affiliation

A new poll suggesting that nearly one in five Americans incorrectly believes that President Obama is a Muslim. The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life conducted the survey. 18% of the people responding said Obama was a Muslim. That's up from 11% a year and a half ago. 43% of Americans reported that they don't know what Obama's religion is at all. 34% of conservative Republicans believe Obama is Muslim.

Franklin Graham told CNN he thinks the confusion is the result of the fact the president was "born a Muslim, his father was a Muslim. The seed of Islam is passed through the father like the seed of Judaism is passed through the mother. He was born a Muslim, his father gave him an Islamic name. Now it's obvious that the president has renounced the prophet Mohammed, and he has renounced Islam, and he has accepted Jesus Christ. That's what he says he has done. I cannot say that he hasn't." The evangelist prayed with the president earlier this year, along with his father, Billy Graham.

Pat Robertson's Mosque Comment

After a story aired on CBN about "mega mosques being built all around the country" Pat Robertson told his audience that small towns might be bribed by Muslims trying to build mosques. The statement came after an interview with the mayor of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, who said the comment was ridiculous. A spokesman for Robertson's organization says the broadcaster was not making a specific reference to the Tennessee town, but speaking hypothetically. The County Regional Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve the site plan for the future Islamic Center of Murfreesboro.

Graphic T-Shirt Suit Settled

A California school district will pay $50k to end a lawsuit filed by a 6th grader. Tiffany Amador sued after school officials at Merced's McSwain Union Elementary School refused to let her wear a shirt that showed pictures of a fetus and the words.. "ABORTION: growing... growing... gone." A new policy implemented this year prohibits most graphic t-shirts at the school.

Pay Cut at Megachurch

Robert H. Schuller will take a 50% pay cut from the founder of the Crystal Cathedral.
Businesses have sued the southern California megachurch for more than $2 million in unpaid bills. The church has been trying to sell off property and has laid off workers and cut "Hour of Power" from some broadcast TV stations to close a $55 to $70 million budget deficit.

ELCA Numbers Fall Dramatically

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America lost nearly 91,000 members in 2009, along with and 48 congregations. The denomination now has only 4.5 million members and around 10,300 congregations.

Arrest Over Demon Protest

A Georgia pastor was arrested yesterday while protesting local high school's nickname, the Screamin' Demons. Warner Robins Police say Donald Crosby of Kingdom Builders Church of Jesus Christ didn't have a protest permit for the opening day of classes. A couple of dozen people joined him with signs reading, "Home games will have to be played in hell" and "Demons don't like me, because I'm Christian." Another group has started a petition drive in favor of keeping the nickname. The mascot was adopted right after World War II in honor of the 7th fighter squadron based at Robins Air Force Base for repairs which had the nickname Screamin' Demons.

Burn the Koran Day

A Florida church is planning a "burn the Koran day" to commemorate the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida offers a list of reasons to burn the Koran on its Facebook page here. Pastor Terry Jones say Islam is satanic in nature. The nondenominational church also stirred controversy when it put up a large sign stating that “Islam is of the Devil.”

Gospel Music Legend on her Personal Battles

CNN reports on Sandi Patty's new autobiography here.