church

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Consequences for Church That Staged Altered Hamilton

Lines were rewritten to reference Jesus before sermon claiming homosexuality as sin

(Newser) - Update: The Texas church that staged two performances of what Deadline calls an unauthorized and "Christianized" version of the musical Hamilton will pay unspecified damages for doing so. The Door Christian Fellowship Ministries in McAllen confirmed in a statement that it "did not ask for, or receive, a...

Here's a Novel Idea for a First Date

Tennessee couple allegedly broke into church to play the piano

(Newser) - Technically, a young couple in Hendersonville, Tenn., didn’t really "break in" to a church, even though they've admitted to doing so. As surveillance video shows, the door to the Indian Lake Peninsula Church was actually unlocked. Police say the two were on their first date, and they...

'Brazen Crime of Disrespect and Hate' at Brooklyn Church

Thieves made off with $2M relic, beheaded angel statues

(Newser) - Police say someone busted into the altar at a New York City church, stole a $2 million gold relic, and removed the head from a statue of an angel at some point late last week. The incident happened between 6:30pm Thursday and 4pm Saturday at St. Augustine’s Roman...

'Really Amazing Artifact' Found at Jesus' Supposed Crucifixion Site

Medieval altar would've stood at apex of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

(Newser) - A medieval altar, apparently long forgotten, has been rediscovered at the supposed site of Jesus Christ's crucifixion. Recent excavations on Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the site where many Christians believe Jesus was crucified , buried, and resurrected, revealed a large stone slab, "pressed against a wall...

For This Megachurch, a 'Swift and Stunning Decline'

In just a few weeks, more than half of Hillsong's US churches shutter

(Newser) - Just two weeks ago, Hillsong Church—the popular Sydney-based megachurch that has counted Justin Bieber, Bono, actor Chris Pratt, and the NBA's Kevin Durant among its devotees —had 16 campuses spread across the US from coast to coast. Now, in a plotline that seems lifted from The Righteous ...

Lviv Residents Silently Gather at Military Church

Saints Peter and Paul Garrison Church has taken on renewed importance since Russian invasion

(Newser) - Their hands clasped in prayer and faces ridden with fear and sadness, some residents of Lviv sought consolation at a Sunday Mass at a Catholic church in their western Ukraine city. The 17th-century church was silent during the ceremony, reflecting the moment laden with emotion and concern because of the...

Told to Restrict Free Meals to Homeless, Church Sues City

Oregon church was told it could only feed homeless people twice a week

(Newser) - A church in southern Oregon says it is following the teachings of Jesus Christ when it provides free meals to homeless people—and it is unconstitutional for the city of Brookings to try to limit the service. St. Timothy's Episcopal Church and the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon have filed...

Pastor Warns Things 'Might Get Nasty.' They Did
Pastor Warns
Things 'Might
Get Nasty.'
They Did
in case you missed it

Pastor Warns Things 'Might Get Nasty.' They Did

Michael Todd of Tulsa's Transformation Church under fire for rubbing spit on man during sermon

(Newser) - "One touch from God can bring clear vision" reads the caption accompanying the most recent upload from an Oklahoma church, showing "a very special Sunday" service that definitely got people buzzing about not God's touch, but its pastor's. The Tulsa World notes that thousands of people...

Williamsburg Find Will Help 'Erase Historical Amnesia'

Archaeologists uncover foundation of one of country's oldest Black churches

(Newser) - The foundation of one of America's oldest Black churches has been found at a Colonial Williamsburg site that had been under a parking lot since 1956. Archaeologists believe the brick foundation is the remains of the first permanent home of the First Baptist Church. It was first organized in...

Church Loses 6 in 10 Days, Hosts Vaccination Event

Pastors at Jacksonville's Impact Church say most of the dead were young, healthy, and unvaccinated

(Newser) - A church in Jacksonville, FL, lost 6 parishioners in 10 days. Now, the church is hosting a vaccination event to encourage members and the community to protect themselves from the novel coronavirus. Pastor George Davis of Impact Church says masks are required at services, and they observe other COVID protocols,...

Pastor: Wear a Mask, and 'I Will Ask You to Leave'

Tennessee church has opposed vaccinations throughout the pandemic

(Newser) - Pastor Greg Locke has told his congregation that coronavirus restrictions have no place in his church. His stand, announced Sunday, apparently was sparked by federal health officials' reconsideration of mask recommendations and mandates as coronavirus cases jump. "If they go through round two and you start showing up (with)...

Gallup: Church Membership Is Below 50% for the First Time
US Church Membership
Hits Record Low

US Church Membership Hits Record Low

Gallup says rate has fallen below 50% for the first time

(Newser) - If you're an American who belongs to a church, synagogue, or mosque, you're now in a minority, according to a new Gallup poll . Gallup says church membership has fallen below 50% to a record low of 47%, largely due to a corresponding increase in the proportion of people...

Pope: Women Still Can't Be Priests, but They Can Read at Church

Francis changes law to allow women to take on more responsibilities during Mass

(Newser) - Pope Francis has changed church law to explicitly allow women to do more things during Mass, while reaffirming they can't be priests. Francis amended the law to formalize what's common practice in many parts of the world: that women can read the Gospel and serve on the altar...

Pastor Finds 500-Year-Old Church Bell Taken by Nazis

BBC reports it will be returned to its former home in Poland

(Newser) - A 500-year-old church bell will be returned to its former home in Poland some 77 years after it was stolen by the Nazis. Nazis made off with an estimated 80,000 bells, most of which were melted down for their metal and used to make weapons and ammunition during World...

Minnesota Town Approves Permit for Whites-Only Church

Mayor says town couldn't afford legal battle

(Newser) - "Just because we voted yes doesn't mean we're racist," says Craig Kavanagh, mayor of a tiny Minnesota town that has granted a permit to a whites-only church. The Asatru Folk Assembly, which has been labeled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center , says it...

Church Housing Liberty Bell Gutted by Fire

Middle Collegiate Church in New York City burns before dawn

(Newser) - A historic church in lower Manhattan that houses New York's Liberty Bell and whose congregation dates to the city's earliest days was gutted by a massive fire early Saturday that sent flames shooting through the roof, the AP reports. The Middle Collegiate Church in the East Village burned...

2 Dead in Stabbing Attack at California Church

Homeless people had been brought there to shelter

(Newser) - Two people died and multiple others were injured in a stabbing Sunday night at a church in California where homeless people had been brought to shelter from the cold weather, police said. The stabbing happened at Grace Baptist Church in San Jose, where police said on Twitter that no services...

'Archbishop' Arrested Over COVID-19 'Cure'

Mark Grenon was collared in Colombia

(Newser) - Bad news for bleach drinkers: Your self-proclaimed "archbishop" is behind bars. Colombian officials have nabbed Mark Grenon and his son Joseph Grenon and accused them of selling a "miracle" drink that has already killed seven Americans, CBS News reports. The nation's top prosecutor said the Grenons were...

Supreme Court Rejects Church's COVID Request

Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley wanted to get around Nevada's 50-person cap for religious services

(Newser) - A sharply divided US Supreme Court denied a rural Nevada church's request late Friday to strike down as unconstitutional a 50-person cap on worship services as part of the state's ongoing response to the coronavirus. In a 5-4 decision, the high court refused to grant the request from...

Fire Destroys Most of 249-Year-Old Church

'A little bit of a miracle' kept the flames from the altar

(Newser) - A fire early Saturday destroyed the rooftop and most of the interior of a California church that was undergoing renovation to mark its upcoming 250th anniversary celebration, the AP reports. Fire alarms at the San Gabriel Mission rang around 4am, and when firefighters responded to the historic structure they saw...

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