Megachurch Hit with $2 Million Suit

The Crystal Cathedral is being sued for more than $2 million in unpaid bills. The Southern California megachurch led by Robert Schuller produces the Hour of Power TV program each week. Several vendors claim the church owes them tens of thousands of dollars for services provided during the annual Glory of Christmas extravaganza. Crystal Cathedral has a $55 million budget deficit.

A New Kind of Christianity

A New Kind of Christianity by Brian McLaren is getting lot of attention during its first month of release. A Christianity Today reviewer wrote, "Unfortunately, this book lacks the ‘generosity' of genuine orthodoxy and, frankly, I find little space in it for orthodoxy itself." Southern Baptist Theological Seminary president Albert Mohler held a panel discussion on the book where panelists referred to McLaren's "rejection of the gospel" and "new kind of apostasy."

McLaren has written a dozen books including last year's A Generous Orthodoxy. He says he is "conflicted" about whether to consider himself an Evangelical.

"My background was evangelical, and I've never felt that I've left anything that was essential to being an evangelical, but on the other hand, if evangelical is defined by certain people, then I know they wouldn't want me there and I wouldn't be comfortable with the way they define it."

"If liberal means open to fresh thinking, open to asking questions, having an environment of free inquiry about the social dimensions of the gospel, then I'm happy to be liberal. But if it means disregarding the Bible, demoting Jesus to just another moral teacher, downplaying the need for personal commitment, being careless about personal spirituality and discipleship—then I think the label is very inaccurate for me."

You can watch a video of the panel discussion here.

$2 Million Giveaway

Corpus Christi's Bay Area Fellowship plans to hand out more than $2 million worth of gifts on Easter Sunday. The church meets at 7 different sites around the city. Senior pastor Bill Cornelius says every individual or family will receive $300 in gift certificates from local businesses, and drawings will be held at every service to give away cars, flat-screen TVs, laptop computers and furniture. Every child will be given a new bicycle at Bay Area Fellowship's new urban campus. He says its an illustration of what he calls "the ultimate giveaway" of salvation.

Supreme Court Free-speech Cases

Two of the free-speech cases being considered this term by the Supreme Court are of special interest to Christians.

The Christian Legal Society is suing California's Hastings College of Law over the state university's refusal to recognize the group on campus because it refuses to admit gay students and non-believers violates. This case will come before the court on April 19.

Another question coming before the court is whether the names of those who signed a petition for a state ballot measure against gay rights should be made public. The case will be argued April 28.

Woman Pastor Causes Stir

An Atlanta Baptist church could be kicked out of the Southern Baptist convention because one of its pastors is a woman. WAGA-TV has this video on a story we told you about yesterday.

Easter Becomes Spring Holiday

The city of Davenport, Iowa has removed Good Friday from its calendar on a recommendation from the Davenport Civil Rights Commission. A memo to municipal employees announced Good Friday in the city would officially be known as Spring Holiday. Complaints have poured in to the offices of city council members from citizens who say it's "political correctness run amok." Some members complain the city administrator made the change without giving the council a chance to vote on the matter which is required by law for a change in policy.

Baptists May Cut Ties Over Woman Pastor

The Georgia Baptist Convention wants to cut ties with a church because it has a woman as co-pastor. Mimi Walker has been co-pastor at Druid Hills Baptist Church sinc 2008. Her husband also is co-pastor. The executive committee of the state organization made the recommendation at a March 16 meeting. The full convention will consider it in November.

Kenyan Sign Language Bible

CBN takes a look at a Christian ministry translating the Bible into Kenyan sign language.

SIGN-LANGUAGE BIBLE - CBN.com
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