52 Cohabiting Couples Marry at Texas Church After Pastor’s Call to Honor Biblical Covenant

52 Cohabiting Couples Marry at Texas Church After Pastor’s Call to Honor Biblical Covenant

More than 50 couples who had been living together without being married participated in a large wedding ceremony organized by Lakepointe Church in Rockwall, Texas. Josh Howerton, senior pastor of the multi-campus Lakepointe Church, shared that 52 couples across the church’s eight campuses chose to be married.
  • Mark Driscoll’s Trinity Church Purchases $15.5M Scottsdale Building for Expansion
    Pastor Mark Driscoll’s Trinity Church in Scottsdale, Arizona, has purchased a new property valued at $15.5 million as the congregation continues to grow nearly a decade after the ministry was launched. Driscoll, who started Trinity Church in 2016 following his departure from Seattle’s Mars Hill Church, said the congregation — which now draws roughly 5,000 attendees to each worship service — has outgrown its current meeting space.
  • GAFCON Rejects Plan for Rival to Archbishop of Canterbury, Adopts Council Leadership Model
    A global coalition of conservative Anglicans has abandoned plans to appoint a new leader who would serve as a rival to the archbishop of Canterbury. In a communiqué released Thursday, GAFCON announced that the Global Anglican Communion would instead be governed by a collective leadership body known as the Global Anglican Council rather than a single “primus inter pares,” or “first among equals.”

Francis Chan Apologizes for Past Endorsements of Leaders Later Disgraced by Scandal

Pastor and bestselling author Francis Chan has publicly apologized for previously endorsing Christian leaders who were later involved in serious scandals, acknowledging that his support may have contributed to confusion and pain within the Church. In a written statement released through his ministry, Crazy Love, Chan addressed criticism he has received about his limited public response when ministry controversies surface.
  • Orthodox Anglican Leaders Meet in Nigeria to Elect Alternative Global Leader
    Leaders from a coalition of conservative Anglican churches have convened in Nigeria to select a spiritual leader they say will serve as a global “first among equals,” a move seen as challenging the authority of the archbishop of Canterbury. The inaugural assembly of what organizers call the Global Anglican Communion opened Tuesday in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, and is scheduled to run through Friday.
  • YouGov Plans New Church Attendance Survey Following ‘Quiet Revival’ Debate
    YouGov plans to conduct a fresh round of research on church attendance in England and Wales later this year, revisiting its widely discussed “quiet revival” findings amid mounting scrutiny from academics and polling specialists. The original conclusions appeared in April 2025 in a Bible Society report titled “The Quiet Revival.”
  • Reform UK Pledges Listed Status for Churches to Block Mosque Conversions
    Reform UK has unveiled a proposal it says would safeguard Britain’s Christian heritage by preventing churches from being converted into mosques if the party forms the next government. The party announced it would automatically grant listed status to churches throughout Britain, a move it argues would preserve the country’s Christian heritage and restrict alterations to historic buildings.
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  • One in Three American Christians Say AI Spiritual Advice Is as Trustworthy as a Pastor: Study

    A new nationwide study suggests that a significant portion of American Christians now consider spiritual counsel generated by artificial intelligence to be on par with guidance from clergy. Researchers discovered that 30% of respondents either “somewhat” or “strongly” agree that spiritual advice from AI “is as trustworthy as advice from a pastor.” 

  • Explosion Destroys Upstate New York Church, Pastor and Firefighters Injured

    A powerful explosion leveled a church in Boonville, New York, on Tuesday morning, critically injuring a pastor and four firefighters and prompting an active investigation into the cause of the blast. Abundant Life Fellowship was reduced to rubble in the incident, leaving members of the congregation shaken but thankful that no lives were lost.

  • Church of England Synod Confirms End of Same-Sex Blessing Proposal

    The Church of England’s General Synod has formally decided not to proceed with the introduction of stand-alone blessing services for same-sex couples, bringing to an end a lengthy and closely watched internal debate.

  • Less Than One-Third of Protestant Churchgoers Read the Bible Daily, Study Shows

    Fewer than one in three Protestants who attend church at least once a month say they read the Bible every day, according to new findings from Lifeway Research. The report, released Tuesday, draws from Lifeway’s State of Discipleship study, which surveyed 2,130 Protestant churchgoers online between March 19 and March 26, 2025.

  • Alabama Bill Would Make Disrupting Worship Services a Felony

    Lawmakers in Alabama are weighing legislation that would elevate the disruption of church services to a felony offense carrying a potential prison sentence of up to 10 years. The Alabama House of Representatives is expected to take up House Bill 363, a proposal that would classify certain acts of interference during worship as a Class C felony under state law.

  • “Every Ending Is a New Beginning”: Departing HPUMC Senior Minister Urges Congregation

    In his final sermon as senior minister of Highland Park United Methodist Church in Dallas, Rasmussen compared life’s trials to waves washing away a sandcastle, urging a choice between despair and perseverance. Rasmussen announced last November that he would transition into an emeritus role.

  • Josh Powell to Be Nominated for Southern Baptist Convention President

    South Carolina pastor Josh Powell is expected to be nominated for president of the Southern Baptist Convention, according to a report from Baptist Press. The 2026 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting is scheduled for June 9–10 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.

  • Share of Pastors Considering Quitting Drops After Pandemic, Barna Finds

    The proportion of U.S. pastors who say they have seriously considered leaving ministry has dropped sharply since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research from Barna Research. Drawing on its 2025 State of the Church study produced in partnership with Gloo, Barna reports a steady decline since 2022 in the share of pastors contemplating resignation, falling to 24% in 2025.
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