An Atlanta pastor who announced on social media that he plans to make performances by aerialists a regular part of his church’s worship service has raised concern among some critics who believe the gymnasts might be too distracting for the public.

The pastor, Apostle Bryan Meadows who founded Embassy Church International five years ago, made the announcement on Instagram on April 9 where he posted both photos and video of an aerialist performing at a Christian conference during a worship service.

“@EmbassyCity fully plans on making aerialists a FULL PART of our normal worship experience! We endeavor to create a culture driven by the creativity and character of Christ! This was one of my favorite highlights!!! #everygiftexpressed#CREATE18” Meadows wrote.

The images and video were captured at a Christian conference celebrating creatives called the CREATE Conference that had wrapped up on April 7. The conference was promoted as “an unconventional confluence of the arts, culture, media, entertainment, and technology” that would allow creatives to use their artistic gifts in…

When Bart Millard wrote and released the song “I Can Only Imagine” with his band MercyMe, he likely had no idea what far reach and impact the song would have.

Recently, the song was the inspiration for the movie of the same name. The film tells the true story of Millard’s relationship with his father and how he was inspired to write the song.

The song reached double platinum–the only Christian song to ever do so–and the film exceeded expectations at the box office. “We knew that it was going to do well but we never expected a $17 million opening,” said Howard Cohen of Roadside Attractions-Lionsgate which produced the film.

But the song’s influence did not stop there. Relevant Magazine reports that Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin recently signed HB 3473 into law, making “I Can Only Imagine” the “official inspirational state song.” The film was also filmed in the Sooner state.

Oklahoma Representative Randy McDaniel explained the inspiration for the bill:

“When I saw the movie, I was moved by the powerful message of hope and forgiveness. Seeing the film inspired me to take action to give this extraordinary song official state recognition and a permanent home in Oklahoma’s musical landscape.”

Photo courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

Publication date: April 24, 2018

An Obama-era law that outlines requirements for faith-based hospitals, insurance providers and doctors to perform gender-reassignment surgeries may be eliminated.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has submitted a proposal to the White House that would eliminate a 2016 law that required health care providers to perform and provide gender-reassignment surgeries and procedures.

The proposal comes after Judge Reed O’Connor in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas issued a nationwide injunction against the mandate in 2016. He said the rule would violate the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

Meanwhile, LGBT supporters and a former Obama administration official, says reversing the mandate would be “potentially devastating.”

“If the Trump administration rescinds the protections against sex stereotyping and gender identity discrimination, the effect will be potentially devastating not just for the trans community, but for any other patients who are gender-nonconforming, including lesbian and gay individuals,” Jocelyn Samuels, the director of the HHS Office for Civil Rights under Obama who helped implement the rule, told The New York Times.

The original mandate applied to most doctors and hospitals that accept Medicare and Medicaid. Under the rule, those facilities could not turn away patients who…

At least three more young women have come forward to make sexual abuse accusations against Les Hughey, the founder of Highlands Church in Scottsdale, Arizona, after he was placed on leave on Sunday.

The Modesto Bee, which on Saturday published a report sharing the stories of four women who say that Hughey took advantage of them sexually decades ago when they were teens, reported on Monday that now three more women are alleging abuse.

Juliet Buckner Pekaar said that much like the other women, Hughey groped her in the 1970s while he was a youth pastor in California.

“It was definitely sexual — almost naked, touching body parts,” Pekaar shared. “Fondling? Yeah. He went right up to there.”

Pekaar explained that she played keyboard in Hughey’s Christian rock group, “Les Hughey and The Band,” which she sought comfort in because her father had sexually abused her as a child.

“I was in dark depression, with anxiety attacks, so confused,” she recalled. “I went to him for help. But I was going to a predator. That’s how sick this was,” she added, alleging that Hughey fondled her from age 16 to 19, often during the band’s tours.

A group of Chicago pastors are speaking up on behalf of clergy everywhere in America in their latest federal appeals court effort fighting against a lawsuit that they say could cost houses of worship as much as $1 billion in new taxes.

The non-profit law firm Becket explained in a press release last week that Pastor Chris Butler of Chicago Embassy Church went before an appeals court on Thursday in the latest chapter of the Gaylor v. Mnuchin case, looking for a reversal on an earlier decision that went against the clergy.

The case is significant, because the Freedom From Religion Coalition is suing the IRS in the hopes of ending a 64-year-old federal tax provision, the ministerial housing tax exemption, that allows faith leaders to receive tax-free housing allowances.

The tax benefit is for leaders of any faith, not just Christian. The provision was inserted into the tax code to correct an inequity in the law for those whose job requires that they live in a particular location. Other allowances provide help to teachers, business leaders, military service members and other similarly situated workers to receive tax-free housing for their jobs.

John Stonestreet…

Baby Alfie Evans who has a neurodegenerative disorder has been fighting for his life. His parents, Tom Evans and Kate James, have been petitioning for their son’s right to live, despite his medical condition.

Although they gained the support of Pope Francis who said Alfie would be welcomed at a Vatican hospital, a legal representative of Alder Hey hospital, which said Alfie should be taken off of life support, said Alfie was under British jurisdiction and could not be taken to Italy.

“I am not going to provide more time,” said High Court Justice Anthony Hayden. “Alfie is a British citizen, he is undoubtedly habitually resident in the UK. He falls therefore under the jurisdiction of the High Court.”

But Alfie has proved himself to be a fighter.

He was taken off of his ventilator yesterday per the judge’s ruling, but almost 24 hours later, he is still alive.

LifeSiteNews.com reports that Alfie’s doctors were shocked at his survival. Alfie has now been put back on oxygen.

This morning, his mother posted, “Alfie has been allowed oxygen and water!! How amazing is he. No matter what happens he has already proved these doctors wrong. How beautiful does he look!”

Photo courtesy: Facebook/Save Alfie Evans

Publication date: April 24, 2018