Chuck Smith's family headed to court

Chuck Smith, founder of the Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, died last year. Now his family is battling for control over the Southern California church and what Smith done with his money. His daughter is suing, charging that her father was abused and neglect before he died. KABC-TV has a video report here.

Southern Baptist Church switches view on Homosexuality

The New Heart Community Church voted to change its official stance on homosexuality after the pastor's son "came out" as gay. The Southern Baptist church in La Mirada, California also voted to keep Danny Cortez as pastor, who said he would support his son. The congregation considers itself a 'Third Way' church. You can read more at the Huffington Post here.

One year without God

California pastor Ryan Bell has lost his teaching positions and a consulting job after announcing he would live the year as an atheist. “I am not sure what I am. That’s part of what this year is about,” he told the Huffington Post. Read the full story at Charisma Magazine.

Andrae Crouch hospitalized

TMZ is reporting that gospel singer Andrae Crouch fell ill Sunday at his Los Angeles home and was hospitalized for a few hours. The 71-year-old Crouch told the celebrity news site that he believes the episode was diabetes-related.

Backlash at Rick Warren's Church

The controversial image 

 

 

Comments by Saddleback pastor Rick Warren and a video shown at the church have prompted hundreds of Asian American church leaders and their supporters have put out an open letter about “the continuing divide that persists in the North American evangelical church in the area of racial harmony.” The letter called on Evangelicals to “make a more concerted effort to both understand and address the concerns of (their) Asian American brothers and sisters.” Warren posted a photo (to the left) on Facebook that many Asian readers found offensive--a smiling Chinese woman dressed in Red Guard uniform with the caption "The typical attitude of Saddleback Staff as they start work each day." The Red Guard has a history of atrocities. Warren called it a joke, but ne commenter said it is like "joking about the Holocaust." He apologized a couple of days later. A video shown at a Saddleback video further created a stir, when a white actor pretended to be an Asian from the movie Karate Kid, speaking in a mock accent. Another apology was issued and the video was taken down. Saddleback opened a new branch this month in Hong Kong.

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.

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.

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.

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..”

Christian religious philosopher passes

Dallas Willard has died at age 77 of cancer. The University of Southern California philosophy professor established the Dallas Willard Center at Westmont College in California and authored many books, including The Spirit of the Disciplines, The Divine Conspiracy, Renovation of the Heart, and Hearing God. He also served on the boards of the C.S. Lewis Foundation and Biola University. Born in Buffalo, New York, Willard is survived by his wife and two children.

Transgender Suit moves forward

A California judge says a lawsuit against California Baptist University filed by a transgendered student can move forward. The school expelled Domaine Javier after revealing that she is biologically male. She claims that is a violation of a state law against discrimination based on gender identity. Lawyers for Cal Baptist argue the law doesn't apply to private institutions that are a religiously-oriented.

Warren Makes Plans following Son's Death

Rick Warren and his wife are planning private funeral services for their son who shot and killed himself this last week. Matthew suffering from depression his entire life. The Warren's also plan to established the Matthew Warren Fund for Mental Illness and set up a blog site to accept contributions to "others affected by mental illness." Since news of his suicide became public, Warren has been attacked for his political stands against same-sex marriage and for his preaching. Here's a video from the church's Sunday morning service.

Tansgender woman sues Baptist school

A transgender woman is suing California Baptist University in Riverside for allegedly expelling her because of her gender identity. She wants half a million dollars.

Cali Gay Therapy Law on Hold

A California law banning therapy aimed at changing the sexual orientation of gays is on hold. The Liberty Counsel, a Christian legal group, asked the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to stop the law's enforcement until the court decides on whether it violates the First Amendment rights of therapists and parents. One judge in the state has already declared it unconstitutional - while another decided the opposite. It was due to go into effect January first. An appeals court panel wants to wait at least until it can hear full arguments in the case. A lower court had turned down a request for an injunction by counselors who practice so-called "reparative therapy" along with two families who say the therapy helped their sons. If the law goes into effect, therapists using this technique could be disciplined by state licensing boards.

Attempt to Ban Bell Ringers on Campus

There's an effort to ban the Salvation Army bell ringers from UC Berkeley by students who object to the group's stance on homosexuality. The student government at the California school past an anti-bell ringer resolution accusing the charity of discrimination and demanding the administration revoke the Army's permit to collect donations on campus. In response, the ministry denies the charges, saying the accusations are based on Internet rumors and not facts. The Army's says it does not require those it helps to agree with its doctrines, as the student resolution claims.

Evangelical runs California marijuana dispensary

Read the story in the Sacramento Bee here.

Schuller Claim Slashed

Robert Schuller won't be getting the $5 million he claimed he deserved from the bankrupt church he founded. A California bankruptcy judge cut the claim against Crystal Cathedral Ministries down to about $600,000. The judge decided Schuller was only entitled to a year of compesation. He stepped down as senior pastor in 2005 in the midst of a scandal.

TBN Accused of Covering Up Sexual Assault

The granddaughter of the founder of TBN says she was drugged and raped by an employee of the broadcasting network when she was just 13 years old. Carra Crouch, now 19, is suing the Trinity Broadcasting Network in a Southern California court, though the alleged attack took place in Atlanta during an April 2006 telethon. In the lawsuit, she claims TBN founder Paul Crouch hushed up the crime to avoid bad publicity and Jan Crouch, her grandmother, told Carra Crouch that the attack was her own fault. Although the alleged attacker, Stephen L. Smith, was fired the next day, TBN denies the accusations, saying the organization is "stunned to learn of the allegations now being made by Ms. Carra Crouch, coming more than six years after her initial report."

Tebow Encourages Fathers

CBN offers a video report on Tim Tebow's Sunday talk in San Diego that brought out more than 26,000 people.