Maine Church Sues UMC Over Alleged Property Takeover

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
  • R.C. Sproul–Founded St. Andrew’s Chapel Votes to Leave PCA After Two-Year Affiliation
    St. Andrew’s Chapel, the Florida congregation established by the late theologian R.C. Sproul, has voted to leave the Presbyterian Church in America, ending a brief two-year affiliation with the denomination. The Sanford-based church, which counts more than 1,100 members and had become one of the PCA’s largest congregations, approved the move during a Sunday vote, with 669 members supporting withdrawal.
  • Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Names Jonathan Evans as Its New Senior Pastor
    Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas, formally installed Jonathan Evans — son of the church’s founder, Pastor Tony Evans — as its new lead pastor on Sunday. During the service, the 75-year-old founder, Tony Evans delivered a heartfelt message on leadership transition and symbolically passed down his father’s Bible to Jonathan, entrusting him with the next season of ministry.

Hobby Lobby’s David Green Gives $7M to Help Reconstruct Fire-Ravaged First Baptist Dallas

Hobby Lobby founder and CEO David Green has contributed $7 million toward the reconstruction of the sanctuary at First Baptist Dallas. Senior Pastor Robert Jeffress shared the news during Sunday morning worship at the downtown megachurch, where he leads one of the nation’s most prominent Southern Baptist congregations.
  • Arson Suspected in Blaze That Destroyed National Historic Site St. Anne’s Church
    Authorities in Toronto have opened an arson investigation into the fire that consumed a historic Anglican church last year, destroying the landmark hours before Sunday services were set to begin. St. Anne’s Church, a Toronto congregation within the Anglican Church of Canada, was engulfed in flames on June 9, 2024, leaving the structure in ruins after an early-morning blaze swept through the entire building.
  • Pastor Michael Youssef to Step Down From Church of the Apostles to Focus on Global Ministry
    Michael Youssef, the founding pastor of Church of the Apostles in Atlanta, Georgia, has announced that he will resign from his pastoral role to pursue expanded ministry work through his international organization. In a statement released Sunday, he said he plans to step down next summer to devote his time fully to Leading The Way, the global ministry he founded more than three decades ago.
  • Highland Park UMC Pastor Paul Rasmussen to Step Down, Citing Health Concerns
    The senior minister of Highland Park United Methodist Church in Dallas, Texas, has announced that he will step aside after more than a decade of leading one of the nation’s most prominent Methodist congregations. In a video message shared Thursday afternoon, the Rev. Paul Rasmussen informed church members—including former President George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush—that he plans to step down as senior pastor effective Feb. 1, 2026.
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  • UMC Bishop Warns Denomination’s “Financial House Is on Fire”

    A bishop within the United Methodist Church is raising urgent concerns about the denomination’s escalating financial problems, warning leaders that its “financial house is on fire.” During last week’s final meeting of the year for the UMC General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA), board members reviewed the state of denominational funding. GCFA Board President Bishop David Graves delivered a stark message, emphasizing that the mainline denomination is facing serious fiscal strain.

  • Russia Bans Three More Baptist Churches in Crackdown on Unregistered Congregations

    Russian courts have banned three additional Baptist churches affiliated with the Council of Churches Baptists in the southern region of Krasnodar, continuing a broader government campaign against unregistered congregations across the country. According to the Forum 18 News Service, the churches in Timashyovsk, Armavir, and Tuapse were prohibited from operating unless they formally notify authorities of their activities — a requirement the denomination has refused to meet on principle.

  • Chinese Authorities Arrest Three House Church Leaders in Xi’an on Fraud Charges

    Three leaders of an unregistered Christian house church in Xi’an, a city in central China, have been arrested by communist authorities and detained on fraud charges. Pastor Lian Xuliang, Pastor Lian Changnian, and church member Fu Juan were taken into custody.

  • UMC Approves Global Regionalization, Allowing Contextual Rules Worldwide

    The United Methodist Church has approved a path that lets its global regions uphold biblical standards on sexual ethics, even after last year’s vote scrapped those rules denomination-wide. Amendment I, which allows for a denominational structure known as regionalization, cleared ratification by a margin of 34,148 yes to 3,124 no — easily surpassing the two-thirds threshold.

  • Church of England Attendance Rises for Fourth Straight Year

    Church of England attendance has risen for a fourth straight year, the denomination said in a new report. Last week’s statement noted that the “overall number of regular worshippers” reached about 1.009 million in 2024, a modest 0.6% uptick.

  • SBC Membership Falls Across Regions as Smallest Churches Grow in Share

    A new review of the 2024 Annual Church Profile indicates that existing Southern Baptist churches saw membership declines across every U.S. region, while the convention increasingly consists of its smallest congregations. Overall, the distribution shows 21% of Southern Baptist churches growing, 39% plateaued, and 40% declining,

  • First Baptist Dallas Named Top Church in DFW, 18 Months After Sanctuary Fire

    The First Baptist Dallas has been named the best church in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Pastored by Robert Jeffress, First Baptist Dallas announced this week that it has received the Gold Award from readers of The Dallas Morning News, who voted to recognize the church located in downtown Dallas for 157 years.

  • Four in Five Rural Pastors Say They’re Becoming Trusted Figures in Civic Life

    Despite external perceptions of small-town ministry, pastors serving in rural contexts say they are witnessing tangible wins now and remain hopeful about what lies ahead. According to the findings, nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of pastors say their calling is to their specific church that happens to be located in a small town or rural area, while about a quarter (24 percent) say they sense a call specifically to rural places.
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