Explosion Destroys Upstate New York Church, Pastor and Firefighters Injured

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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • DOJ Probes Anti-ICE Activists’ Disruption of Sunday Worship at Minnesota Church
    The U.S. Department of Justice has opened an investigation after activists disrupted a Sunday worship service at a Southern Baptist congregation in St. Paul, Minnesota. The incident occurred at Cities Church, where demonstrators affiliated with the Racial Justice Network and Black Lives Matter Minnesota entered the sanctuary during a service.
  • Nearly 8 in 10 Pastors Say Their Churches Will Endure the Next Decade
    A new study from Lifeway Research finds that 94% of pastors say they believe their churches will remain active a decade from now, while 4% disagree and 2% say they are unsure. Among pastors who expect their churches to endure, fewer than four in five—78%—say they strongly agree their congregation has at least another decade ahead, indicating underlying concerns even among the hopeful.
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  • Hillsong Confirms Early Talks on Potential Hills Campus Development, Says No Plans Finalized

    Hillsong Church has confirmed it is in preliminary talks about the possible future development of its Hills Campus, stressing that no final decisions or construction timeline have been set. In a statement posted on the church’s website Saturday, Hillsong acknowledged recent media attention surrounding planning approvals tied to the campus property. 

  • Indiana Church Launches $1 Million Campaign to Build Homeless Shelter

    Impact Ministries, a young church plant in Indiana, has announced plans to raise $1 million to construct a new homeless shelter aimed at serving vulnerable individuals and families in its local community. The fundraising campaign began earlier this week in response to urgent needs in the area. The church is located in Boonville and currently has a congregation of nearly 50 people.

  • ChinaAid Warns of Escalating Religious Persecution at Wenzhou Church

    A watchdog group is urging international attention as Chinese authorities reportedly move to dismantle or destroy a major church in Wenzhou, China. Hundreds of armed police were deployed Monday to surround Yayang Christian Church after authorities allegedly dispersed or detained local Christians and barred bystanders from filming events near the site.

  • New York Judge Tosses Challenge to Abyssinian Baptist Church Pastor Election

    A New York Supreme Court justice has thrown out a lawsuit seeking to overturn the election of the Rev. Kevin R. Johnson as senior pastor of the historic Abyssinian Baptist Church, concluding that the claims did not warrant judicial intervention. In a decision dated Dec. 22, 2025, Justice James G. Clynes ruled that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate fraud or misconduct in the church’s June 21–23, 2024, election process.

  • Australia’s Church Attendance Rebounds to 89% of 2001 Levels, 1.35 Million Attend Weekly

    Australia’s churches are experiencing a steady but incomplete rebound in weekly attendance following the COVID-19 lockdowns, according to new nationwide research. The data come from the first-ever Church Pulse Check Panel, a new initiative designed to provide a long-term, consistent measure of congregational health as churches navigate ongoing cultural, social and spiritual change across the country.

  • Chaplains Group Launches New Anglican Denomination Amid Ongoing ACNA Legal Dispute

    A chaplaincy body embroiled in a legal conflict with the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) has announced the formation of a new Christian denomination, the Anglican Reformed Catholic Church (ARCC). Leaders of the Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy (JAFC) confirmed that bishops affiliated with the organization recently established the ARCC, which has been formally incorporated in Alabama as a nonprofit entity.

  • Maine Church Sues UMC Over Alleged Property Takeover

    A congregation in coastal Maine has filed a lawsuit against a regional body of the United Methodist Church, accusing the denomination of attempting to seize control of church property despite the congregation’s claim of independence. Broad Cove Church of Cushing, which describes itself as a non-denominational congregation, filed a complaint earlier this month against the UMC New England Annual Conference

  • Massive Police Operation Targets Christians in China’s Zhejiang Province

    A sweeping security operation involving more than 1,000 police officers, SWAT teams and paramilitary forces reportedly targeted Christian congregations in eastern China, resulting in hundreds of detentions, according to a new report from a religious freedom watchdog. Local residents told ChinaAid that law enforcement personnel drawn from multiple districts across Zhejiang province, including Hangzhou and Pingyang, were deployed to Yayang Town.
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