Christianity is a faith with a long and extensive history, with numerous events of lasting significance occurring throughout the ages.

Each week brings the anniversaries of impressive milestones, unforgettable tragedies, amazing triumphs, births, deaths, and everything else in between.

Some of the things drawn from over two millennia of history may be very familiar to the reader, while other happenings may be previously unknown.

Here are three things that happened this week, Oct. 4-10, in Church history. They include the birth of Aimee Semple McPherson, the beginnings of Criswell College, and the opening of the Council of Chalcedon.

By Leonardo Blair, Christian Post Reporter Follow | Sunday, October 04, 2020

A majority of evangelical churches and Christ-centered nonprofits remain optimistic about their financial future despite the toll of the coronavirus pandemic on their operations in recent months, according to a recent report from the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.

In Optimism Outweighs Uncertainty: COVID-19 Financial Impact Report for Churches and Other Nonprofits published in June, the ECFA shares responses to a series of questions from a sample of 1,341 churches and nonprofits about how 2019 ended for them financially as well as their outlook for 2020.

The survey was conducted from Jan. 19 to Feb. 17 before the outbreak of the coronavirus and again from May 12 to May 27.

When he compared the responses, from 684 churches and 657 nonprofits, Warren Bird, ECFA’s vice president of research and equipping, said he was surprised by what he found.

“The survey targeted leaders of evangelical churches and of other Christ-centered nonprofits. To our surprise, the optimism documented in January is already beginning to return. Rough and uncertain waters are still ahead for some, particularly summer camps, schools, short-term missions, and other…

On Thursday, over 50 anti-abortion activists protested outside of Democratic Presidential Nominee Joe Biden’s home in Wilmington, Delaware, with additional protests planned for Friday and Saturday.

Randall Terry, founder of the anti-abortion organization, Operation Save America (Operation Rescue) led Thursday’s protest as the group arrived in their “Stop Biden Express Bus”.

“We had speakers speaking and preaching. It was a great experience,” Terry told The Christian Post in an interview. Despite having multiple past arrests for protesting in front of abortion clinics, Terry was relentless in going to the former Vice President’s house to make a statement against abortion.

“Joe Biden is not simply a private citizen,” Terry explained. “He is running his campaign from his bunker. So, our attitude is we went to Joe Biden’s campaign headquarters. It just happens to be in his house.”

Terry made the case against the Biden-Harris ticket in a video as he announced the “Abortion Ground Zero” protests. He noted how Biden had shifted from past moderate positions to becoming the “biggest proponent of child-killing in the history of our republic.”

“He and Kamala Harris want to kill babies up to the day of birth and force us to pay for it,” Terry said in the video. “If that is not enough to cause Christians outrage, to cause people who love God and love…

The Satanic Temple is suing an advertising company after the business refused to display billboards suggesting abortion is a “ritual”

According to CBN News, the Satanic Temple is suing Lamar Advertising in an Arkansas state court, accusing the company of religious discrimination.

The group says the business will not display eight billboards in Arkansas and Indiana. The billboards describe a ritual as a “sacramental act that confirms the right of bodily autonomy.”

If a woman completes the ritual, she may claim a religious exemption from mandatory waiting periods, checkups and counseling that some states require before an abortion.

The billboards were to be displayed near pro-life pregnancy centers.

In one billboard design, a bowl of cake batter is shown with the text, “not a cake.” A second image on the billboard is of a sperm and an egg with the text, “not a baby.”

 “Our religious abortion ritual averts many state restrictions,” the proposed billboard says.

In another proposed billboard, a woman holds a tiny Adolf Hitler with the text, “What if abortion had been an option?”

Again, the design referred to abortion as a ritual.

Lamar rejected the designs, saying they were “misleading and offensive.”

But TST has argued that a Satanic ritual is a religious right that may be exempt from state laws and regulations. 

“TST bases its…

The state of Nevada is changing some of its restrictions on in-person worship and other gatherings following a lawsuit.

According to The Christian Post, the state will now raise the limit for in-person gatherings from 50 to 250 people or 50 percent of a building’s capacity, whichever is less, “so long as social distancing can be maintained and all other requirements can be met.”

“These gatherings may take place in outdoor or indoor venues, including but not limited to, community centers, fellowship halls and gatherings spaces in faith-based buildings, halls, rental space in event centers, or outdoor event spaces,” a summary report of the state’s new gathering policy published Tuesday states.   

Event organizers are expected to encourage attendees to maintain six feet of social distance, require face coverings and provide health screenings.

“Additionally, this will allow Nevada to continue on the responsible path of economic reopening and recovery. With this next step comes great responsibility for our residents, business owners, workers, and families,” Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak said. “I’m confident Nevada will rise to this challenge to ensure we follow all mitigation measures and guidance to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and protect our economy.”

The change came after the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal group, sued the state of Nevada on behalf of a…

JOS, Nigeria, October 2, 2020 (Morning Star News) – Two young Christian women and a 6-year-old boy were killed this week while other Christians were kidnapped or slain as uncontested lawlessness by Fulani herdsmen continued in Nigeria, sources said.

In Plateau state the herdsmen attacked Kpachudu village in Miango District, Bassa County west of Jos, at about 8 p.m. on Monday (Sept. 28), said area resident Patience Moses in a text message to Morning Star News. Slain were Emmanuel David, 6; Asabe John, 25; and Mary Andrew, 18, she said.

Last week a 64-year-old Christian community leader was one of eight Christians killed in Plateau state by Fulani herdsmen, who are predominantly Muslim. Chundung Bulus, 52, said her husband, Bulus Chuwang Janka, was lured out of his house by a call to his cell phone the evening of Sept. 21 in Rasat village, Barkin Ladi County.

“We were watching a program on television together with my husband at about 7:30 p.m. when suddenly our electric generator switched off – and suddenly, his mobile phone rang,” she told Morning Star News.

Her husband went outside to try to find a spot for better network reception, she said.

“A few minutes after he stepped out of the house, we heard distress shouts for help from him,” said Bulus, whose family belongs to the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN). “My son and I rushed out to find out what was happening, when his attackers also…

The Southern Baptist Convention’s publishing arm, LifeWay Christian Resources, has halted the lawsuit they filed two days ago over Thom Rainer’s breach of contract when he signed a multi-book deal with Tyndale House Publishers, which was announced in August, 2020, The Christian Post reports.

Thom Rainer reportedly breached his contract, which barred him from doing business with any LifeWay competitors until October 31, 2021. Todd Fannin, chairman of the organization’s board of trustees, reportedly wrote in an email to colleagues that “While there have been numerous public misstatements and inaccuracies surrounding this matter, we have been and continue to be hopeful that we may resolve this issue with Dr. Rainer regarding his agreement with LifeWay and his partnership with a competitor.”

According to Rainer, he “assumed all was well” after speaking to LifeWay’s attorney, but was then slammed with the suit shortly thereafter, The Baptist Press reports.

According to an email reported on by The Baptist Press, Devin Maddox, director of LifeWay’s books ministry area, told Rainer that LifeWay “retains no rights to the work, and you are free to use the manuscript however you wish.” But, according to the lawsuit, “‘termination of the Publishing Agreement did not release’ Rainer from the noncompete section of his transition agreement,” The Baptist Press reports.

The Tyndale…