Christianity Today Gleanings

Judge Tosses Out Most of Abuse Lawsuit Against Sovereign Grace Ministries

A judge has dismissed most of the civil lawsuit against Sovereign Grace Ministries (SGM), days after it was amended to add names and charges.

How America Gains 600,000 New Christians Each Year—Without Evangelism

America has been gaining more than 600,000 new Christians each year—all without the help of any evangelism efforts.

In Case You Missed It: Blogs We Updated This Week

In addition to reporting fresh religion news daily, CT updates stories we previously noted.

We tweet the updates; but in case you're not one of our more than 117,000 Twitter followers (and really, why aren't you?), here's what you missed this week:

Have 8 Million Millennials Really Given Up on Christianity?

Researchers recently took second looks at the perennial question of whether evangelicals are losing younger generations.

An Inside Look at Church Attenders Who Tithe the Most

An examination of church attenders who regularly tithe reveals some interesting facts about their financial health.

Saudi Arabia Punishes Two Christians for Converting Coworker

The new price of being a Christian in Saudi Arabia? For one Lebanese man, it's six years in jail and 300 lashes.

A Saudi Arabian court has sentenced a Lebanese Christian, as well as a Saudi Christian, to prison time and lashings as punishment for encouraging the conversion of a younger, female Saudi coworker. Following her conversion, the woman escaped Saudi Arabia to Sweden with the men's help.

Three Megachurch Pastors Resign over Adultery in Orlando

The head pastor of one of America's "10 healthiest churches" has resigned after confessing that he committed adultery three years ago.

David Loveless, head pastor of Discovery Church, relinquished his pastoral duties at the Orlando megachurch this month, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

College President Resigns Following Fight with Denomination

Late last month, trustees for Erskine College and Seminary announced that president David Norman will resign this summer after three years spent helping the South Carolina school recover from a bruising fight with its denomination.

"I am exhausted," wrote Norman in a resignation letter. "The toll this job has taken on me and on my family cannot be ignored. I also know that, although I have committed each day to serve God and this institution to the best of my ability, I have strained or broken relationships with several of Erskine’s most important alumni, faculty, and staff."

Blasphemy Charges Becoming New Weapon Against Egyptian Christians

According to a new study, blasphemy and evangelizing accusations are disproportionately used against members of Egypt’s Christian minority—especially those working in education.

Pastors' Positions on Creation vs. Evolution Vary by Region, Church Size

American pastors have significantly different views on human origins based on where they live, according to new Barna Group research commissioned by BioLogos.

Somewhat predictably, pastors in the South are most likely to believe in young-earth creation (YEC), with 58 percent supporting YEC or leaning toward that position. But the regional stronghold of theistic evolution (TE) is not where you might think.

Lawsuit Claiming Church Conspiracy To Conceal Child Abuse Adds More Names and Charges

A controversial lawsuit alleging leaders of Sovereign Grace Ministries conspired to conceal the sexual abuse of children has been amended a second time, adding three more plaintiffs and a large number of graphic claims.

IRS Intimidated Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan's Purse with Unfair Audits?

Update (May 16): The Southern Baptist state newspaper that sparked the recent Chick-fil-A same-sex marriage controversy, as well as pro-life advocates, are also claiming to have been targeted by the IRS audits.

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Franklin Graham complained to President Barack Obama today that IRS agents unfairly audited his two ministries, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) and Samaritan's Purse, in an attempt to intimidate them after the BGEA ran controversial election ads in Billy Graham's name.

Gosnell Found Guilty: Abortion Doctor Convicted of Three First-Degree Murders

Update (May 15): The Associated Press reports that Kermit Gosnell has been sentenced to a third life term in prison.

"Gosnell received another 2 1/2 to five years in prison for the 2009 overdose death of a patient," AP reports. "He is not eligible for parole, and will die in prison."
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Update (May 14): According to the Associated Press, abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell has been sentenced to two life terms in prison.

Gosnell agreed not to appeal yesterday's conviction on three counts of first-degree murder and, as a result, did not face the death penalty in the sentencing phase of his trial.

BREAKING: Pa. abortion doc convicted of killing babies agrees to forego appeal, is spared death sentence. -SS
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 14, 2013

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A jury has reached decisions on more than 260 charges against Philadelphia abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell, finding him guilty of first-degree murder on three of four charges involving the deaths of four babies.

The Washington Post reports that the trial will now transition "into a sentencing phase to decide whether Gosnell should receive the death penalty or face life in prison."

Is Harold Camping's Radio Empire Nearing Its Own Apocalypse?

Radio evangelist Harold Camping famously predicted that the end of the world would occur in May 2011, but the only thing that appears to be ending is his radio network's financial stability.

Guatemala's Evangelical Dictator Found Guilty of Genocide

Thirty years after Guatemalan army general-turned-dictator Efrain Rios Montt, a longtime lay pastor in Guatemala's Pentecostal Verbo Church and once popular among American evangelicals, was removed from power, a three-judge panel has declared him guilty of genocide against a Mayan ethnic group.