Ohio Evangelical leaders ask state Health Department to declare pornography a public health crisis

Seventy-four evangelical leaders in Ohio submitted a resolution Tuesday, asking the state Board of Public Health to declare pornography a public health crisis, CBN News reports. The document was submitted even as ‘House Resolution 180,’ which declares pornography to be a “public health hazard that leads to a spectrum of individual and societal harms,” is being considered by the Ohio General Assembly.

Prominent pastor Max Lucado asks forgiveness for Christian racism

Well-known local pastor and author Max Lucado prayed for forgiveness for his own and for the church’s sins of racism and inaction during a “park and pray” event in San Antonio, Texas on Sunday, the San Antonio Report said. Practicing social distancing, around 3,000 people attended the Pray San Antonio event, sitting in or on top of their cars parked at least one space apart at Freeman Coliseum. Around 23,000 others watched online.

Beirut Christian ministry in aftermath of explosion

In the immediate aftermath of the August 4 explosion which blasted through Beirut, Christian Arab broadcasting company SAT-7 Arabic Channels began ministering to the city’s devastated community, CBN News reports. SAT-7 broadcasts to around 30 million people in the Middle East and North Africa, sharing the Gospel in Arabic, Farsi and Turkish.

A ‘Holy Spirit Hunch’ Led Lebanese Pastor to Send Everyone Home Before the Explosion

Pastor Said Deeb of Life Center Church in Beirut said the day of the massive explosion, a strange feeling came over him – a combination of anxiety, anger, and sadness that shook him to the core. He said he prayed with his staff but didn’t get a break-through and couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen.

DA declares California’s San Luis Obispo is a “sanctuary county” for worship gatherings

The central California county of San Luis Obispo has been declared a sanctuary for churches wanting to hold indoor services with singing amid COVID-19 concerns, the Christian Post reports. County District Attorney Dan Dow confirmed at the end of July that churches will not be prosecuted for going against state coronavirus restrictions on worship gatherings.

Evangelical colleges cut over 230 staff positions due to financial concerns

Citing continuing financial concerns, evangelical colleges and universities around the country have canceled over 230 faculty and staff positions as they head into the fall semester, Christianity Today reports. More than 150 positions were eliminated in the spring and dozens more were cut over the summer.

Lebanese Christians Suffering More Misery After Deadly Beirut Blast

The Beirut blast that killed 160 people adds to the suffering of Christians who already face food shortages and social unrest due to the coronavirus crisis, aid workers say. Their warnings came shortly before the government resigned Monday amid public outcry over the explosion, triggered by ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse at the Beirut port. 

California pastor holds services for 1,000 people in defiance of COVID-19 court order

Defying a California court order issued amid coronavirus concerns, the leader of Godspeak Calvary Chapel, Ventura County held indoor church services for around 1,000 people on Sunday, the Washington Examiner reports. Prior to holding the services, Pastor Rob McCoy described the county rules on indoor services as “draconian” and stated that no one in his church was infected with COVID-19.

Christian group launches online platform to help college students keep the faith

The Christian nonprofit group Campus Renewal has launched a new online platform to help address the issue that 70% of students leave their faith during their college years, the Christian Post reports. The Every Student Sent (ESS) initiative aims to connect students with other believers on their campus or to help them join churches and Gospel-based communities close to where they are studying.

Studio’s Christian Broadcaster Damaged In Beirut Blast

The only Arabic Christian broadcaster in Lebanon said Wednesday that it continued broadcasting despite suffering minor damages to its studios in Beirut, where a massive blast killed at least 135 people and injured 5,000 others.

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