Brain Surgery for Pastor

A Tennessee megachurch pastor underwent brain surgery this morning. David Landrith, pastor of Long Hollow Baptist Church, is battling an aggressive form of cancer. The surgery seems to have gone well. Read more here.

Billboard Causing Firestorm Of Controversy

A billboard in middle Tennessee billboard is still causing talk four months after it went up. Some call it bullying and others call it God's truth. Read more at WFMY-TV.

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.

One word overshadows rest of author's book

Read the story of a Christian book controversy here.

Faith drives new political movement

The Tennessean offers a look at Tea Party Evangelicals here.

2 Year Ago... Christian Singer Dies

Christian singer Dana Key unexpectedly passed away two years ago today. A member of the pioneering Christian band Degarmo and Key, the 57 year old died from a blood clot. He served as senior pastor of The Love of Christ Church in Cordova, Tennessee which had planned on a DeGarmo and Key reunion to take place just a few days after his death.

Campus Preacher Wins Appeal

An appeals court has sided with a preacher against a Tennessee school that said he couldn't give out tracts or speak on campus without a two week wait. John McGlone was forced to leave Tennessee Technical University. He filed a lawsuit and it was thrown out by a judge. But the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals says the state school's speaking permit rules are unconstitutional. The three-judge panel ruled campus sidewalks are a “public forum” and therefore any regulation on the content of speech is unconstitutional, unless justified by a “significant” government interest. Even the school's own lawyers admited the 14 day waiting period is burdensome and overly long.

Reward for Jesus Costume

An atheist group is giving a scholarship to a Tennessee student for dressing up as Jesus. The Freedom From Religion Foundation is giving Jeff Shott of Springhill its $1,000 scholarship for "Fictional Character Day." Shott wore the costume to high school and his principal made him remove it.

Vandy Student Groups

Eleven student groups at Vanderbilt University are banning together to fight new rules at the school that requires them to accept people as members whether the person agrees with the group's values or not. And that includes leadership roles in the group. The Vanderbilt Solidarity handed out some 4000 MP4 players on campus with a video calling for changes. The student handbook contains a nondiscrimination policy, but the school only choose to interpret it this way when a gay student complained he was not allowed to be a member of a Christian fraternity.

Vandy's Student Group Policy

Vanderbilt Catholic is leaving campus over the school's policy that prevents student groups from requiring leaders to hold the beliefs of the group. Four others student groups are on provisional status at the Nashville school for violating the policy.

Megachurch for Sale

The Fellowship at Two Rivers is selling its sanctuary. The former Two Rivers Baptist Church near the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Convention Center in Nashville is a meagchurch that once needed its 3000 facility. But now, after the church split over a legal controversy involving a former pastor, there's less than 1000 people coming each week. a

Religious Rights Battle at Vanderbilt University

Below is a video from Fox News about a battle on the campus of Vanderbilt University over the religious freedom of a student group.

Theft of Christian CDs

Music CDs stolen from Knoxville Christian bookstore. Read the story here.

American Becomes Foster Mom To 13 Girls

A former Tennessee homecoming queen, now 22 years old, has moved to Uganda and adopted 13 children because of her Christian faith. Listen to NPR's report on her story and why some people object to what she has done, here.

Church Bars Students Over Sex Class

A Chattanooga church has withdrawn its invitation to a group of students from Chicago's Northwestern University. The Community Baptist Church objects to the schools human sexuality class. The class recently included an explicit sexual demonstration, drawing outrage from many inside and outside of the schools. The students, who had no connection with the class, had asked permission to camp out on the church's property while they volunteered on their school break to build a nature trail for the town.

Church Drops Baptist from Name

Two Rivers Baptist Church is changing its name. The prominent Nashville church is dropping the word Baptist and will soon call itself the Fellowship at Two Rivers, effective March 20. Located near the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Convention Center, the church drew some 3000 people at one time. Now, only about 650 come each Sunday.

Hall of Fame Inductees

Johnny Cash was among those inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame Monday. Joining him were the Golden Gate Quartet, DeGarmo & Key, and disc jockey Bill "Hoss" Allen. Larry Gatlin and comedian Chonda Pierce served as hosts for the ceremonies at the Trinity Broadcast Network's Trinity Music City Auditorium in Hendersonville, Tennessee.. Performers included Ricky Skaggs, the Oak Ridge Boys, Trace Adkins, Russ Taff and Jeremy Camp

School Controversy over Gay Soccer oach

Belmont University is catching flack for the departure of its women's soccer coach. Some players, students and alumi believe Lisa Howe is no longer at the Tennessee school because she is a lesbian and expecting a child with her same sex partner. Belmont issued a statement insisting the decision was a mutual and the school doesn't consider sexual orientation in its hiring or dismissals. However, former players turned out to protest yesterday and about 50 showed up for a sit-in at the office of the school's president last Sunday. Belmont was affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention until 2007.

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.

Christian Singer Dies

Christian singer Dana Key unexpectedly passed away yesterday. A member of the pioneering Christian band Degarmo & Key, the 57 year old died from a blood clot. He served as senior pastor of The Love of Christ Church in Cordova, Tennessee which planned a DeGarmo & Key reunion this Sunday.