Lutheran Membership and Attendance declines

Numbers are down for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Weekly church attendance fell more than three percent last year. And in just 25 years, the denomination has gone from more than 5 million members to less than 4 million. Some blame the decision to ordain openly gay and lesbian clergy. You can read more in the denomination's official publication here.

Transgendered prof to leave Christian university

image of Ackley from YouTube video 

A theology professor at Azusa Pacific University is leaving the school. H. Adam Ackley taught at the California Evangelical university for 15 years as Heather Clements. Students from the school's gay-straight alliance held a demonstration before and after the daily chapel service on campus, according to the student paper. There was an attempt to work a deal out so that Ackley would stop teaching classes but stay at the school through the end of the semester, but the San Gabriel Valley Tribune reports Ackley agreed to leave after today. Ackley's bio was already taken down from the school's theology department site, but the Huffington Post published an opinion piece from Ackley here.  Azusa is not commenting.

Chuck Smith Dies

The founder of the Calvary Chapel movement has died. Chuck Smith was 86. He suffered through a long battle with lung cancer. He served as senior pastor at Calvary Chapel in Orange County California for more than four decades, helping to fuel the 1970s “Jesus movement."Some 1600 churches trace their beginning to Smith's efforts through Calvary Chapel fellowship.

Evangelical Sex Abuse Record 'Worse' Than Catholic

Billy Graham's grandson says Evangelicals are worse than the Roman Catholic church has been on dealing with sexual abusers. Boz Tchividjian, who teaches law at Liberty University, says the Christian mission field is a “magnet” for sexual abusers. Read more here.

There's a Civil War Brewing at Rick Santorum's Christian Film Company

A lawsuit filed Monday in Tarrant County and first reported by Courthouse News describes escalating tensions between Santorum and other top executives that finally boiled over in recent days. Read more at the Dallas Observer here.

Lutheran Church gets first Women as Leader

Elizabeth Eaton becomes the first women to serve as presiding bishop over the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America today. Here is some background:

• Age: 58
• Hometown: Cleveland
• Ordained: 1981
• Previous position: bishop of the ELCA Northeastern Ohio Synod
• Education: Master of Divinity degree, Harvard Divinity School

About a quarter of the ELCA clergy are women.

Film Review: ‘The Investigator’

Variety gives a generally positive review to a new Christian film called The Investigator here. The publication says, "This odd duck of a Christian evangelical production, written by Rich Romano (brother of Ray).. has grossed a respectable $100,000 and should continue to play well to its target demo as it expands...for much of its running time, it’s possible to lose sight of the movie’s agenda and get caught up in its hokey machinations." Find out more about the film at its website here.

Cali Christian College Fires prof for being Transgenered

A professor who was once chaired the theology department at Azusa Pacific University has been asked to leave after she came out as transgendered. Heather Clements taught theology at the school for 15 years, but begun referring to herself as H. Adam Ackley and sought hormone treatment, according to Religious News Service. You can read the full story here. Here's a video of Ackley recently speaking.

a Bible-to-go is wildly popular

NBC News takes a look at a popular new app called YouVersion. The digital Bible for the mobile phone has been downloaded more than 100-million times.

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Which Bible translation sells the most?

The top-selling Bible translations according to the Association for Christian Retail are:

1. New International Version
2. King James Version
3. New King James Version
4. English Standard Version
5. New Living Translation
6. Holman Christian Standard Bible
7. New American Standard
8. Common English Bible
9. New International Readers Version
10. Reina Valera 1960

The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association has the same translations at the top of its list, but some differences further down:

1. New International Version
2. King James Version
3. New King James Version
4. New Living Translation
5. English Standard Version
6. Reina Valera
7. New American Standard Bible
8. New International Reader's Version
9. The Message
10. Christian Standard Bible 

Read more about the lists at the Christian Post.

Focus on the Family Layoffs

Focus on the Family is laying off some 40 employees at the end of the month--while adding 11 IT and digital productions positions. Focus is restructuring after a $3 million budget drop. The ministry, founded by James Dobson, has less than half the number of workers it did a decade ago. Fellow Colorado Springs ministry NavPress is also layoff workers--about 20 of them. Read more at the Gazette here.

Church makes R-Rated Film – Accidentally

A Dallas-area church just made an R-Rated film. The Motion Picture Association of America slapped the Retta Baptist Church movie My Son with an "R" rating for violence and drug use, according to the MPAA. But Retta pastor Chuck Kitchens says he's shocked because there's no profanity, sex or nudity and the violence is minimal. He thinks it has more to do with the movie’s faith-based message. The church planned to open the film a week from Friday (Sept. 20) but leaders are afraid other churches won't encourage parishioners to see an R-rated film. You can read more media stories at the website set up by the church for the film here. Below is the trailer.

Argument Over God ends in Murder

A California man is going to jail--possibly for up to 100 years--over an argument he had with an atheist friend about the existence of God. An Oakland jury found Douglas Yim guilty of killing Dzuy Dunh Phan with an assault rifle during a get-together at Yim's home. Prosecutors say alcohol and drugs were involved in the altercation. KPIX-TV has more here.

Plege of Allegiance Challenged

An atheist couple is asking Massachusetts’ highest court to get rid of the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools. They object to the words “under God." It could take several months for the court to rule. Read more details at the Washington Post here.

Texas Megachurch Under Scrutiny

The teachings of Kenneth Copeland's church are under a spotlight after a measles outbreak among its children. Copeland has bragged about not giving his great-grandchildren vaccines, calling it "criminal." But his daughter, Terri Pearsons, who now pastors Eagle Mountain church has encouraged the congregation to get shots after the measles outbreak in the congregation. Read more in an Associated Press article here.

Gospel Duo's former manager sues group

Christian singers Mary Mary are being sued by their former manager. Mitchell Solarek, who owns Maximum Artist Group, says he came on board two years ago to help Mary Mary get their career back on track. Solarek claims in the Tennessee lawsuit that he got deals valued at more than $3 million but was fired and is still owed $75,000, according to a report by celebrity site TMZ.com. Here's a video of Solarek on Mary Mary's WeTV reality show.

Evangelical attitudes toward gay rights

A growing number of Evangelicals are no longer strongly against gay rights, even though they oppose homosexuality. That's according to a study out of Baylor. Sociologist Brandon Martinez says, "As a moral issue, we predict that the opposition to gay civil rights will not have the same staying power as the abortion debate.. We've known that moderate and ambivalent evangelicals are there, but now they are actually starting to have a voice and beginning to be more political." Read more here.

mecca for Christian film industry

Jennifer Hudson and Oprah Winfrey will take part in T.D. Jakes’ MegaFest. The three days of conferences and concerts in downtown Dallas will bring 100,000 people to the area. Unlike previous MegaFests in other cities, this one will introduce the International Faith & Family Film Festival, an event organizers hope to spin off from MegaFest into its own annual Dallas tradition. Read more about the impact on the area and the Christian Film industry from DFW.com here.

Ted Haggard to Appear on 'Oprah: Where Are They Now?' Episode

Ted Haggard

Former megachurch pastor Ted Haggard will appear on the "Oprah Winfrey Show" during a "Where Are They Now?" episode this weekend to discuss his life after falling from grace when he made national headlines for a sex scandal involving a male prostitute in 2006. Read more at the Christian Post here.

Video of vocal teacher at Christian school goes viral

An adjunct voice teacher at a Christian University got to sing with Kristen Chenoweth at the Hollywood Bowl. Sarah Horn was randomly plucked out the audience to join in singing a song from the musical Wicked. The video has gone viral, racking up several million views. Horn has told several media outlets, “On the walk to our car, my father reminded me that he had prayed 11 years ago that I would one day sing with Kristin Chenoweth..”