Adrienne S. Gaines

Pentecostal pastors Andraé and Sandra Crouch say recent reports that they led pop singer Michael Jackson to Christ three weeks before his sudden death Thursday are false. In a posting on her Facebook page, Sandra Crouch, who with her brother, Andraé, leads Christ Memorial Church of God in Christ in Los Angeles, said reports that…

A new generation of pro-life activists is rallying Tuesday in Southern California to "build a culture of life" during President Obama's pro-choice administration. Hosted by Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust, an organization that mobilizes pro-life youth activism, the Southern California Rally for Life beings at 7 p.m. at New Beginnings Community Church in Norco, Calif.,…

Although protests over Iran's disputed presidential elections have died down, a new film by the Christian filmmaker who helped produce The Passion of the Christ is again drawing attention to human rights abuses in the predominantly Muslim nation. The Stoning of Soraya M., which premieres Friday, tells the true story of a Muslim woman who…

A Connecticut church has come under fire for a YouTube video showing ministry leaders attempting to cast a "homosexual demon" out of a teenager. Gay and youth advocacy groups accused Manifested Glory Ministries in Bridgeport of abusing a teenager in the 20-minute video and say the ministry should be investigated.

Al-Qaida's North Africa branch on Thursday said it killed an American aid worker in Mauritania this week for allegedly trying to convert Muslims to Christianity, according to the Associated Press (AP). In an audio statement released to Al-Jazeera TV, al-Qaida of the Islamic Maghreb claimed responsibility for the murder of 39-year-old Christopher Ervin Leggett of…

Former Christian Coalition executive director Ralph Reed has launched a new political organization that will use the Internet to mobilize a new generation of socially conservative voters, U.S. News & World Report God & Country blogger Dan Gilgoff reported. Reed's Faith and Freedom Coalition will target both faith-based groups that have long supported the GOP…

Leaders who defected from the Episcopal Church completed the formation of a conservative branch of Anglicanism in North America Monday by ratifying the constitution of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). The document was signed during the ACNA Inaugural Provincial Assembly, which drew some 800 participants to Bedford, Texas, this week. Pittsburg Bishop Robert…

For the 19th consecutive year, the Assemblies of God (AG) saw an increase in membership, with the Pentecostal denomination claiming some 2.8 million adherents in the U.S, according to its Annual Church Ministries Report. The denomination is one of only two traditionally orthodox Christian groups that saw membership gains last year, according to the annual…

As protests of Iran's presidential election results went into their sixth day today, Christians in the nation remained hopeful that the election would bring greater freedom. "[Christians are] watching what's going on and certainly they're hoping for freedom," said David Yeghnazar, U.S. director of Elam Ministries, which trains Iranian Christians to evangelize and disciple their…

The Public Broadcasting Service on Tuesday banned its affiliate stations from airing new religious programming, citing what it says is a rule that has been on the books for 25 years. The vote by the PBS board of directors permits stations that already carry "sectarian" shows to continue doing so, the Washington Post reported. The…

A Minnesota couple has filed a federal class-action lawsuit against a debt collection agency for putting the phrase "WWJD" on its collection letters. In late 2008, Mark and Sara Neill of Becker, Minn., received letters from Bullseye Collection Agency to recover an $88 debt. The letters included "WWJD"—an acronym that typically stands for "What Would…

The teenage grandson of worship leader Ron Kenoly died early Sunday morning after collapsing on a lawn in an Elk Grove, Calif., neighborhood. The cause of death remains unclear. Elk Grove police said Ronald Tre Kenoly, 14, was walking home from a party when he was confronted and attacked by two unidentified people. Witnesses said…

Eric J. Pryor, a former Wiccan high priest who came to Christ after opposing a highly publicized spiritual warfare event in San Francisco, died June 7 after being hit by a truck while crossing the street on foot. He was 49. A funeral service is to be held this week in New York, where Pryor…

Traditional marriage supporters in the District of Columbia are challenging a Monday elections board decision that blocks a proposal to let voters decide whether the nation's capital will recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere. Bishop Harry Jackson, chairman of the newly formed Stand 4 Marriage DC Coalition, said attorney Brian Raum, senior legal counsel for the…

After years of advocating creation care, Vineyard Boise is broadening its focus to address seven areas of world crisis A Vineyard church in Idaho is calling on local congregations to launch a reformation. Through a ministry called RE:FORM, Vineyard Boise church is helping local congregations learn ways to address seven areas of “world crisis,” which…