The US State Department has criticized the Chinese government for reportedly shutting down a Christian church service held in memory of the nearly 70,000 people who died in a 2008 earthquake.

According to TheHill.com, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement:

“We are deeply concerned by the Chinese government’s reported harassment of the Early Rain Covenant Church, in Chengdu, Sichuan Province after they planned to hold a memorial service on May 12, for the victims of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake.”

“The United States government joins the people of China in mourning the loss of tens of thousands of lives in the tragedy, and notes the value of memorializing their lives and calling for full accountability to prevent or mitigate future disasters,” Nauert continued.

Nauert’s statement also called on Chinese government officials to protect the religious freedom of its citizens:

“Regarding reports that Chinese authorities confiscated Bibles, we call on China to uphold its international commitments to promote respect for religious freedom for all persons.”

Over 200 Chinese Christians were reportedly arrested, and three have yet to be released, according to the church’s pastor, Wang Yi.

Photo courtesy: ©Thinkstock/bpperry

Publication date: May 16, 2018

Pastor J.D. Greear of Summit Church in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, has had to defend his complementarian view of gender that women and men have equal but separate roles in the church and family, after some likened his view to Jim Crow laws.

“For the record, I affirm w/o reservation the ‘complementarian’ view of gender in Scripture — >i.e. equal in essence but distinct in roles in family and church; equal access to spiritual giftings, though only men can serve in the office of pastor,” Greear wrote on Twitter on Friday.

Greear is a nominee for president of the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation’s largest Protestant denomination. He argued, “‘Wives submit to your husband’ does not mean ‘all women everywhere submit to all men everywhere’ or that women are inferior in essence, gifting or value in the body of Christ. Both genders have a vital role in the kingdom and we should offer for both clear paths for development and advancement in the church.

“Sometimes, in our rightful espousal of…

The Rev. Donald Anderson, 70, executive minister of the Rhode Island State Council of Churches, will take a three-month leave beginning June 1 to complete the transition to becoming a woman.

“Right now, at this point, this is still a very personal thing,” Anderson told Religion News Service by phone Tuesday (May 15). “We’re working this through as a family. When the fall comes, I’ll be happy to talk to people in depth.”

Anderson has been executive minister, the day-to-day head of the state council, for 11 years. She has been noted for her political positions, including opposing numerous actions of the Trump administration.

During the sabbatical, Anderson will also change her name from Don to Donnie, according to a statement by RISCC governing board president Chontell Washington, a United Church of Christ pastor.

While a membership roster for the council wasn’t available, a listing of the group’s board shows a majority of its seats are held by clergy from groups noted for a progressive stance on many issues, including the Unitarian-Universalist Association, the American Baptist Church and the Episcopal Church. Anderson is an American Baptist.

“The council is appreciative of Dr. Anderson’s ministry and totally supportive of her transition,” Washington wrote. “We look forward to welcoming the Rev. Dr. Donnie Anderson back from her…

Tony Perkins, the head of the conservative Christian lobbying group Family Research Council, has been appointed to a U.S. government commission dedicated to “defending the universal right to freedom of religion or belief abroad.”

On Monday (May 14), the Congressional Record revealed that Perkins had been appointed to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom on the recommendation of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. The USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission created in 1998 through the passage of the International Religious Freedom Act, and issues an annual report every May 1 on international religious freedom issues.

“I am grateful to Majority Leader McConnell for appointing me to this prestigious position. From my post at USCIRF, I look forward to doing all that I can to ensure that our government is the single biggest defender of religious freedom internationally,” Perkins, an evangelical Christian and frequent faith adviser to President Trump’s administration, said in a press release.

North Point Community Church Senior Pastor Andy Stanley has responded to critics of a recent sermon he preached, explaining that those concerned with his comments need to understand the context of his remarks.

“I approach a message series like a single sermon. I don’t try to cover everything in 35 minutes. I’m not that good,” Stanley said in an interview with Relevant Magazine published Tuesday.

“So, if you want to criticize my approach to preaching, fine. I would love to talk about that. But don’t criticize a statement in a sermon if you aren’t willing to spend the time necessary to appreciate the context.” 

Stanley explained that critics needed to better understand the context of his comments, noting that people “who listened to all three parts of the series probably understood the point I was making.” 

“Whenever someone like me—or anyone for that matter—begins talking about the Bible in unusual or new terms we should all pay attention and ask lots of questions. But throwing stones after listening to one sermon seems a bit premature.” 

The megachurch pastor garnered controversy for…