Faith

Justice Department says California Restrictions on Churches are Unfair

The Justice Department has told California Gov. Gavin Newsom that his current COVID-19 order prohibiting worship services amounts to “unequal treatment of faith communities,” the Washington Examiner reports. In a letter sent Tuesday by the Department’s Civil Rights Division, the governor was told it is apparently unfair that church should be closed when “non-essential” businesses have opened in phase two of California’s Reopening Plan.

Evangelist and Apologist Ravi Zacharias Dies At 74

India-born evangelist Ravi Zacharias, who built a global mission group for the intellectual defense of his faith in Jesus Christ, has died of cancer in the United States, his family confirmed. The founder of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) was 74 when he passed away Tuesday at his Atlanta home.

Evangelical Leaders Ask Congress to Grant Religious Organizations Immunity from COVID-19 Lawsuits

Evangelical leaders have asked Congress to grant religious organizations immunity from potential negligence suits arising from decisions to reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Christian Post reports. Evangelicals joined some 300 interfaith leaders in signing a letter to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary last week, in which they suggested immunity granted could be similar to that given health-care workers.

Church in North Korea Exists but Deeply Underground

There are Christians in North Korea but congregations are typically made up of two or three people from the same family, Fox News reports. The North Korean church exists, but it has had to go deeply underground: under the Kim Jong Un regime, believers – and their families – may face the death penalty or detention if their faith is discovered.

Dozens Of Christian Villagers Killed In Nigeria

Dozens of villagers have been killed in the latest attack on Christian communities in northwestern Nigeria by suspected Fulani Muslim militants, rights investigators, told Worthy News late Wednesday. Among victims were reportedly five people who died when armed men of Fulani origin attacked Makyali village in the Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna state. One person was injured in Wednesday’s attack, added advocacy group Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) in a statement.

Pope Calls People of All Faiths to a Day of Prayer on May 14

The head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, has called on believers of all religions to “unite together spiritually” and pray on May 14 that God would “help humanity overcome the coronavirus pandemic.” However, many evangelical leaders warn about ecumenical movements laying aside essential doctrines of the faith for the sake of unity and affirm this is the apostasy of which the Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians 2.

Illinois Churches Hold Services Against Governor’s Coronavirus Order

A number of churches in Illinois held in-person services on Sunday, against Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s COVID-19 orders limiting worship services to 10 people, Fox News reported. Several churches have filed suit claiming the Governor’s coronavirus orders are unconstitutional.

US Clinical Trial Launched to Assess Power of Prayer for COVID-19 Patients

A US clinical trial has been launched into whether multi-denominational prayer can help patients with COVID-19, the New York Post reports. Dr. Dhanunjaya Lakkireddy, a cardiologist at the Kansas City Heart Rhythm Institute, is leading a trial involving 1000 coronavirus patients who require intensive care because of the infection. The trial began on May 1 and is due to last four months.

America’s Unique Bond with Israel on This National Day of Prayer

Today, May 7th is the National Day of Prayer in the United States, a tradition that began as early as 1775. In 2019, President Donald Trump proclaimed “Our Nation’s honored tradition of prayer has sustained us and strengthened our trust that God will continue to watch over and accompany us through the best of times and the darkest hours. May we as Americans never forget the power of prayer and the greatness of our Creator. On this National Day of Prayer, let each of us, according to our own faiths, call upon God for His guidance and express our gratitude for the love and grace He bestows on us and our country.”

Muslim Herdsmen Kill 13 Christians In Nigeria; Many Displaced

More than 1,000 people are reportedly fleeing their homes in Nigeria’s northwestern Kaduna state after at least 13 Christians were killed in attacks and kidnappings by Muslim Fulani herdsmen. Local Christians identified the victims as members of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), Catholic, Baptist, United Church of Christ in Nations (HEKAN), or Assemblies of God churches.

India Christians Forced To Become Hindus For Food

Aid workers say Christians, including pastors and their families, are excluded from government food aid in several parts of India despite an ongoing lockdown to curb the coronavirus pandemic.

US Pastor Dies Of Coronavirus After Preaching Resurrection of Christ

A Baptist pastor in the U.S. state of Michigan has died shortly after celebrating his recovery from the new coronavirus and preaching about the resurrection of Christ. David Ford, a pastor at Friendship House of Prayer Baptist Church in the state capital Lansing, had been hospitalized with the virus disease COVID-19, friends said.

Worthy Christian News