Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Names Jonathan Evans as Its New Senior Pastor

Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Names Jonathan Evans as Its New Senior Pastor

Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas, formally installed Jonathan Evans — son of the church’s founder, Pastor Tony Evans — as its new lead pastor on Sunday. During the service, the 75-year-old founder, Tony Evans delivered a heartfelt message on leadership transition and symbolically passed down his father’s Bible to Jonathan, entrusting him with the next season of ministry.
  • Elevation Church to Launch Elevation College in 2026 With SEU Partnership
    Elevation Church, a North Carolina congregation with more than 10,000 members, has announced that it will open Elevation College in the fall of 2026 in partnership with Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida. Southeastern University, a private Christian institution affiliated with the Assemblies of God, already collaborates with Elevation Church through the Elevation Church Ministry Leaders Series.
  • Arson Suspected in Blaze That Destroyed National Historic Site St. Anne’s Church
    Authorities in Toronto have opened an arson investigation into the fire that consumed a historic Anglican church last year, destroying the landmark hours before Sunday services were set to begin. St. Anne’s Church, a Toronto congregation within the Anglican Church of Canada, was engulfed in flames on June 9, 2024, leaving the structure in ruins after an early-morning blaze swept through the entire building.

Pastor Michael Youssef to Step Down From Church of the Apostles to Focus on Global Ministry

Michael Youssef, the founding pastor of Church of the Apostles in Atlanta, Georgia, has announced that he will resign from his pastoral role to pursue expanded ministry work through his international organization. In a statement released Sunday, he said he plans to step down next summer to devote his time fully to Leading The Way, the global ministry he founded more than three decades ago.
  • UMC Bishop Warns Denomination’s “Financial House Is on Fire”
    A bishop within the United Methodist Church is raising urgent concerns about the denomination’s escalating financial problems, warning leaders that its “financial house is on fire.” During last week’s final meeting of the year for the UMC General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA), board members reviewed the state of denominational funding. GCFA Board President Bishop David Graves delivered a stark message, emphasizing that the mainline denomination is facing serious fiscal strain.
  • Russia Bans Three More Baptist Churches in Crackdown on Unregistered Congregations
    Russian courts have banned three additional Baptist churches affiliated with the Council of Churches Baptists in the southern region of Krasnodar, continuing a broader government campaign against unregistered congregations across the country. According to the Forum 18 News Service, the churches in Timashyovsk, Armavir, and Tuapse were prohibited from operating unless they formally notify authorities of their activities — a requirement the denomination has refused to meet on principle.
  • Chinese Authorities Arrest Three House Church Leaders in Xi’an on Fraud Charges
    Three leaders of an unregistered Christian house church in Xi’an, a city in central China, have been arrested by communist authorities and detained on fraud charges. Pastor Lian Xuliang, Pastor Lian Changnian, and church member Fu Juan were taken into custody.
More News

  • UMC Approves Global Regionalization, Allowing Contextual Rules Worldwide

    The United Methodist Church has approved a path that lets its global regions uphold biblical standards on sexual ethics, even after last year’s vote scrapped those rules denomination-wide. Amendment I, which allows for a denominational structure known as regionalization, cleared ratification by a margin of 34,148 yes to 3,124 no — easily surpassing the two-thirds threshold.

  • Church of England Attendance Rises for Fourth Straight Year

    Church of England attendance has risen for a fourth straight year, the denomination said in a new report. Last week’s statement noted that the “overall number of regular worshippers” reached about 1.009 million in 2024, a modest 0.6% uptick.

  • SBC Membership Falls Across Regions as Smallest Churches Grow in Share

    A new review of the 2024 Annual Church Profile indicates that existing Southern Baptist churches saw membership declines across every U.S. region, while the convention increasingly consists of its smallest congregations. Overall, the distribution shows 21% of Southern Baptist churches growing, 39% plateaued, and 40% declining,

  • First Baptist Dallas Named Top Church in DFW, 18 Months After Sanctuary Fire

    The First Baptist Dallas has been named the best church in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Pastored by Robert Jeffress, First Baptist Dallas announced this week that it has received the Gold Award from readers of The Dallas Morning News, who voted to recognize the church located in downtown Dallas for 157 years.

  • Four in Five Rural Pastors Say They’re Becoming Trusted Figures in Civic Life

    Despite external perceptions of small-town ministry, pastors serving in rural contexts say they are witnessing tangible wins now and remain hopeful about what lies ahead. According to the findings, nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of pastors say their calling is to their specific church that happens to be located in a small town or rural area, while about a quarter (24 percent) say they sense a call specifically to rural places.

  • Fred Luter Jr. Announces Retirement from Franklin Avenue Baptist Church, Backs Son as Successor

    Fred Luter Jr., longtime senior pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans and the Southern Baptist Convention’s first and only Black president, has revealed that he will retire from his role. His retirement will take effect in October 2026, coinciding with his 40th anniversary leading the congregation.

  • PCUSA Presbytery Mobilizes Relief After Storm Batters Alaska’s West Coast

    The Presbytery of Yukon is coordinating the response to damage from the remnants of Typhoon Halong across remote communities in the Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta, partnering with PC(USA)’s Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA), the Red Cross, and Anchorage officials.

  • Pastor Frederick D. Haynes III Returns to Pulpit After Medical Leave

    Pastor and social activist Frederick D. Haynes III has been medically cleared to resume leadership at Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, and returned to the pulpit on Sunday morning following a period of medical leave.
Most Read
Other Headlines