Morning Rundown: Pastor Steven Furtick’s Elevation Megachurch Severs Ties With SBC

Here’s a quick rundown of the top stories on charismamag.com:

Pastor Steven Furtick’s Elevation Megachurch Severs Ties With SBC

In a recent blow to the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), Elevation Church, one of its prominent congregations, has made the decision to withdraw its affiliation with the denomination. This development comes less than a month after the expulsion of Saddleback Church for having women pastors.

Elevation Church, known for its multiple campuses and influential role in contemporary Christian worship music, formally notified the SBC of its withdrawal on June 26.

The church’s correspondence did not explicitly state the reason behind the decision. Notably, Elevation Pastor Steven Furtick’s wife, Holly Furtick, delivers sermons to both men and women at the church and shares links to her messages on her website.

Holy Spirit’s Fire Igniting Hearts at SoCal Harvest Crusade

The SoCal Harvest Crusade, a highly anticipated annual event held at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, witnessed an extraordinary outpouring of faith as thousands of individuals responded to the call of Jesus Christ.

Over the course of two nights, the crusade drew a crowd of 16,000 attendees within the packed arena, while an additional 47,000 people participated in the event through online streaming.

Organized by Pastor Greg Laurie of Harvest Christian Fellowship, this soul-winning gathering has become a significant spiritual milestone, having been conducted for 34 consecutive years. With an astounding track record of 121 Crusade events conducted worldwide, Pastor Laurie expressed gratitude for the immense reach of over 6 million people and the incredible number of over 600,000 professions of faith resulting from these outreaches.

NBA Player Defends American Values Against WNBA Player Tirade

Enes Kanter Freedom, an outspoken advocate for freedom and human rights, responded to Natasha Cloud, a player in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), after her recent criticisms of the United States following key Supreme Court rulings last week.

In a tweet on Friday, Cloud expressed her dissatisfaction with the country, stating that “our country is trash in so many ways” in response to the Supreme Court’s rulings on affirmative action and the case involving artist Lorie Smith. Kanter Freedom, hailing from Turkey, chimed in, emphasizing that people often fail to recognize the privileges and opportunities they have in the United States.

“Just ask your colleague Brittney Griner how ‘trash’ America is,” Kanter Freedom tweeted. “Calling America trash huh? Let me know when your season is over, I’ll buy your ticket and we can go together to counties like China, Russia, IRAN, North Korea, Venezuela, Cuba & Turkey.”