Maryland Appeals Court Sides With UMC in Property Dispute Involving 37 Churches

Maryland Appeals Court Sides With UMC in Property Dispute Involving 37 Churches

A Maryland appeals court has rejected a challenge brought by 37 churches against the United Methodist Church’s Baltimore-Washington Conference over property and financial requirements connected to leaving the denomination. A three-judge panel of the Appellate Court of Maryland unanimously ruled in 'The Methodist Church of Cape St. Claire et al. v. The Baltimore Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church, Inc., et al.'
  • Josh Howerton Says He’d Use Ladder Illustration Again to Reach People Despite Online Mockery
    Pastor Josh Howerton of Lakepointe Church in Rockwall, Texas, faced online criticism after using two large ladders during a sermon to depict the tension between following Christ and seeking the approval of the world. The illustration came during a Sept. 20 message in his “Fight the Good Fight” series, where Howerton used the ladders to represent the growing divide between biblical authority and cultural pressure.
  • Louisiana UMC Launches $15M Initiative to Pay Church Debt, Fund New Ministries
    The Louisiana Conference of The United Methodist Church has introduced a $15 million program aimed at strengthening its remaining congregations, setting aside $5 million for debt relief and $10 million for ministry development. Known as the Jubilee Initiative, the plan comes after 162 Louisiana churches left the denomination in 2022 and 2023 amid conflicts over same-sex marriage and the ordination of noncelibate gay clergy.

Court Dismisses JAFC Lawsuit Seeking Separation From Anglican Church in North America

A federal judge has rejected a lawsuit brought by a chaplains organization seeking to separate from the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). U.S. District Judge Bruce Hendricks of the District of South Carolina’s Charleston Division issued the dismissal Monday in a case filed by leaders of the Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy (JAFC).
  • SBC President Seeks New Baptist Faith & Message Article on Gender and Human Sexuality
    Southern Baptist Convention President Willy Rice has proposed amending the Baptist Faith & Message in response to what he considers cultural confusion over gender and marriage. Speaking before the SBC Executive Committee on Monday, Rice said that marriage has been “redefined in ways unprecedented in human history.”
  • Biltmore Church Baptizes Record 458 People at Annual Outdoor Service
    A North Carolina multisite church baptized 458 people in one day, marking the largest baptism event in the congregation’s 137-year history. Biltmore Church held its annual Outdoor Baptism event Sept. 13 at a private property in Fletcher, North Carolina, where a lake provided the setting for the baptisms.
  • Lambeth Palace Revokes Award to Muslim Cleric After Bin Laden Comments Resurface
    The Church of England has withdrawn an interfaith award from a Pakistani Muslim cleric after past comments praising Osama bin Laden resurfaced. Lambeth Palace announced Thursday that it had rescinded the Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation presented to Maulana Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi on Sept. 11.
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  • Episcopal Diocese of Florida Chooses New Bishop After Years of Election, LGBT Disputes

    The Episcopal Diocese of Florida has elected a new bishop after operating without a permanent diocesan leader for nearly three years amid disputes over a previous election process and LGBT-related concerns. The diocese chose the Rev. J. Randolph Alexander Jr., rector of Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill in Alexandria, Virginia, to become its ninth bishop. He secured the election on the third ballot with 86 clergy votes and 78 lay votes.

  • UMC Launches Solar and Battery Pilot Program for U.S. Churches

    The United Methodist Church has introduced a pilot initiative aimed at helping congregations across the United States install solar panels and strengthen their sustainability efforts through specialized training. The UMC Solar and Battery Pilot Program was launched jointly by the General Board of Global Ministries Environmental Sustainability and the United Methodist Committee on Relief U.S. Disaster Response.

  • Sydney Pastors Say “LGBTQ Left-Wing Activists” Attacked Home, Threatened to Kill Family

    A married pastoral couple in Sydney, Australia, say four men described as “LGBTQ left-wing activists” targeted their family home and threatened to kill them only days after their address was reportedly shared online. Echo Church, the Pentecostal congregation led by Andrew Sedra and his wife, Noleen, said in a Facebook post that the men confronted the couple at their home along with relatives Martin and Millicent Sedra and the relatives’ newborn baby.

  • Global Methodist Church Adopts Articles of Faith, Elects Eight Bishops at Johannesburg Conference

    The Global Methodist Church adopted a new set of Articles of Faith and elected eight bishops to its first regular Assembly of Bishops as its General Conference concluded Sept. 5 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The bishops were chosen over five ballots and consecrated on the conference’s final day. They will serve as general superintendents during the 2026-2032 term beginning Nov. 1.

  • Southern Baptist Senior Pastor Pay Slips as Inflation Rises, Study Finds

    Average compensation for Southern Baptist senior pastors has edged downward since 2024 even as inflation continued to climb, according to a new compensation study conducted by Baptist state conventions, Lifeway Research and GuideStone Financial Resources. the Consumer Price Index, a widely used measure of inflation, increased 6.3 percent since 2024. Over the same period, average compensation for full-time senior pastors declined 1.5 percent, while their average total pay package fell 0.4 percen

  • Church of England Faces Backlash Over St. Paul’s Cathedral Concert Deal With Nightclub

    The Church of England is facing criticism after St. Paul’s Cathedral in London entered a multi-year agreement with Fabric, the nightclub whose license was revoked in 2016 following two drug-related deaths, to host concerts inside the cathedral. Under the arrangement, Fabric has exclusive rights to stage concerts at St. Paul’s through 2030, according to the BBC.

  • Wisconsin Cathedral Names First Trans-Identifying Dean in The Episcopal Church

    A Wisconsin cathedral has installed what is believed to be the first trans-identifying dean in the history of The Episcopal Church. The Very Rev. Micah Cronin, a woman who identifies as a man, became dean of All Saints’ Cathedral in Milwaukee on Aug. 16, according to Episcopal News Service. Cronin described being raised Methodist, joining The Episcopal Church at age 19 and beginning to identify as transgender that same year.

  • California Pastor Creates 24/7 Digital AI Version of Himself

    A California pastor has developed an artificial intelligence version of himself designed to provide members of his congregation with guidance when he is unavailable. Pastor Justin Lester of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Vallejo created what has been described as “an AI digital doppelganger,” allowing church members to interact with an AI-generated version of their pastor around the clock for advice and answers to questions.
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