Faith Popular on Facebook

A website that tracks Facebook traffic says six of the top 20 most engaging Facebook pages are related to faith. Allfacebook reports that even the new Harry Potter movie was topped by Facebook pages Jesus Daily and The Bible. The Bible was started by an Australian pastor who started by just posting daily Scripture readings. You'll also find televangelist Joyce Meyer in the top 20.

World Trade Center Cross

It was found in the ruins of the World Trade Center after the 9/11 attacks. The 2-ton steel beam shaped like a cross was moved close to the oldest Roman Catholic parish in New York City and that's where it has stayed - until now. The cross has been moved into the exhibition area of the museum located at ground zero. Here's how Fox News reported the event:

Lutheran Shake Up

A rift in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod over gays shakes up a multibillion-dollar social service network. Read the Associated Press story here.

Preacher's Son Shot to Death

The son of the president of the South Carolina Baptist Convention was found shot to death in Charleston, South Carolina. Brian Eliot Holmes died from a single gunshot wound after crashing the car he was driving. His father, Sonny Holmes, is pastor of North Charleston's Northwood Baptist Church and serves as president of the state's Baptist Convention, which includes some 1800 congregations.

Ministry Changes Name

Campus Crusade for Christ is changing its name. The Evangelistic ministry will be known in the future as Cru. Although the Orlando-based organization has kept Campus Crusade for Christ for more than half a century, the group wanted to get away from using "crusade" in its name because of the word's associations. Cru is a shorthand way of referring to Crusade that started more than a decade ago among CCC workers. Bill and Vonette Bright started the group in 1951 on the campus of UCLA. There are now some 25,000 full-time staffers around the world. Vonette Bright says her late husband would have approved of the name change.

Salvation Boulevard

The Cleveland, Tennessee-based Church of God is suing Sony for its Pierce Brosnan film Salvation Boulevard. The denomination says the film's uses a cross design that looks suspiciously like the one used by the Church of God. Rotton Tomatoes "tomatometer" gives the comedy a sad 8% out of 100 and says the film about a megachurch has barely brought in $7000 so far. NPR's movie reviewer writes, "Without the humor, the stereotypes that define these characters aren't satirical; they're just mean-spirited and dull."

Bachmann Now Baptist?

Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann may have switched from Lutheran to Baptist. Several news outlets are quoting sources that say the Minnesota congresswoman is moving from Salem Lutheran Church to Eagle Brook Church, which is associated with the Baptist General Conference. Her Lutheran home has been accused of being anti-Catholic, although the church denies it.

GOP Candidates & Evangelicals

Below is a short Fox News discussion about Mitt Romney and Rick Perry's relationship to the Evangelical community.

Rick Perry on "Calling"

The Governor of Texas is backing away from his comment last week that he's "getting more and more comfortable every day that this is what I've been called to do." Rick Perry told reporters today there are many ways to be "called" and he looks for "good scripture that tells me how to live my life." Perry hasn't officially declared his candidacy for the presidency.

Facebook Mockery Backlash

Exodus International is asking Seattle megachurch pastor Mark Driscoll to apologize for a Facebook comment he made that has caused an uproar in Christian social media circles. Driscoll asked, “So, what story do you have about the most effeminate anatomically male worship leader you’ve ever personally witnessed?” The comment was later removed, but Exodus says it encourages people to believe Christians are homophobic. A letter campaign asked elders at Driscoll's Mars Hill Church to reign him in. Although he didn't apologize, Driscoll posted a later comment that said in part “...a sincere thanks to all my critics who sometimes have good wisdom that helps me out.”

Petition Against Megachurch Leaders by Members

Senior members of the Crystal Cathedral have started an online petition against the megachurch's current leadership provided by the daughters of founder Robert Schuller. It proclaims to the congregation "It is time to rise up and take our church back!” The organizers are calling for a church board independent of the Schullers. The Southern California church filed for bankruptcy last year, leading the layoff of nearly 150 employees.