Archbishop of Canterbury Speaks on Abuse in Church And Other Institutions

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Archbishop of Canterbury Speaks on Abuse in Church And Other Institutions

The Archbishop of Canterbury says child abuse is “rampant” in many UK institutions – including the Church.

Most Revd Justin Welby made the comments in a private letter to a mother who’s three sons were abused at their CofE school.

He was responding to the concerns of Marilyn Hawes who had written several times to senior church officials and only received a generic response.

Her three sons suffered abuse at the hands of a head teacher who was later sentenced to 15 months in prison.

The churchgoer said despite her children going on to achieve ‘great things’ they didn’t receive any support from the Church.

In his response, Archbishop Justin said: “I read your story with the same deep sense of sadness and dismay that I have felt on far too many other, similar accounts.

“The betrayal of Christ in such behaviour is complete; the church’s failure to face the misdeeds of those in its service is inexcusable.

“I can only apologise for what happened then, and for what has happened now, most sincerely and with deep sorrow.

“It is now clear that in a huge number of institutions and localities, the abuse of children and vulnerable adults has been rampant.”

His letter comes just weeks after the Church announced clergy would be given more training on safeguarding to combat child sex abuse.

The mother told the Daily Mail newspaper she was ‘delighted’ an archbishop was finally dealing with the issue of abuse.

Source and Original Content by Premier Radio News

Sham Marriage Trial Update : Vicar Thanks Parishioners for Prayers

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Sham Marriage Trial Update : Vicar Thanks Parishioners for Prayers

A vicar who was accused of conducting hundreds of bogus weddings has thanked parishioners on his return to work.

Revd Nathan Ntege, 55, walked free after a judge said immigration officers had lied on oath.

He was investigated over his work at St Jude’s with St Aidan Church in Thornton Heath in South London and worshipped there on Sunday after his trial collapsed.

He was joined by the Bishop of Croydon, Rt Revd Jonathan Clark who asked the congregation to not focus on what happened in court but instead focus on God.

Speaking about his return to work the Diocese of Southwark said: “As the case has been stayed Revd Nathan Ntege is free to return to work. The Bishop of Southwark has already met with him to discuss supervision, oversight and support in the light of the issues raised by this matter.

“The Diocese takes seriously its obligation to ensure the clergy are regularly offered up to date advice and training in both their legal and financial responsibilities. Revd Nathan Ntege has been offered such training in the past and the Diocese hopes that the renewed offer will be accepted.”

During Sunday’s morning service Revd Ntege received a blessing and went on to thank parishioners for their support and prayers.

He also said he wouldn’t be doing any interviews on the matter.

The vicar was on trial last week at Inner London Crown Court on 14 counts of breaching immigration law and fraud.

However Judge Nic Madge ruled a number of witnesses acted unlawfully.

According to the BBC, he said: “I am satisfied that this is a case in which there has been both bad faith and serious misconduct on the part of the prosecution.

“I am satisfied that officers at the heart of this prosecution have deliberately concealed important evidence and lied on oath.”

The case against six people accused alongside Mr Ntege has also collapsed.

The Crown Prosecution Service says it accepts the judge’s ruling while the Home Office says it’s disappointed: “The collapse of this trial is an extremely disappointing end to a long investigation.

“We expect the highest standards from all our staff, and clearly we are treating the judge’s ruling that our officers acted in bad faith with the utmost seriousness.

Source and Original Content by Premier Radio News

Christian Police Association Calls For Moral and Ethical Training,

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Christian Police Association Calls For Moral and Ethical Training,

The Christian Police Association is calling for moral and ethical training, after a compensation pay-out by the Met over an undercover operation.

The Metropolitan Police is expected to pay £425,000 to a woman who had a baby with a man she didn’t know was an undercover police officer.

The woman, known only as Jacqui, met Bob Lambert in the 1980s and gave birth to their son in 1985, but only discovered his true identity in 2012.

Scotland Yard says the force “unreservedly apologises for any pain and suffering that the relationship had on this woman”.

Although this is the first settlement by the Met of its kind, there are other women who claim to have suffered emotional trauma, after discovering that previous relationships were with undercover officers.

The Executive Director of Christian Police Association, Don Axcell, told Premier’s News Hour the situation is a difficult one and not morally ‘clear-cut’.

He said: “Officers who do go undercover are under extreme stress, in case they are found out and violence is exhibited towards them. That is a danger they take on willingly.

“And so if you are in the middle of building a relationship and sexual encounter offers itself, the officer then has to balance: ‘Do I engage in that? Or if I refuse that, would it jeopardise the whole operation?'”

He argued that more could be done to improve the moral and ethical guidance and training given to police officers:

“Anyone involved in this sort of work needs to have a strong moral compass.

“Whether it’s done with a religious background or not, officers need to know where they get their standards from and be encouraged to uphold them.”

Source and Original Content by Premier Radio News

US Midterms : Christian Right Will Still Turn Out For Republicans

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US Midterms : Christian Right Will Still Turn Out For Republicans

If Republicans win control of the Senate in the midterm elections they should say a prayer of thanks for Christian conservatives.

Although they get little attention from candidates, white evangelical Christian voters are likely to be fundamental to any Republican victories in the key Senate races, especially in the South.

Reuters/Ipsos polling data shows evangelicals are more enthusiastic than the general population about the midterms.

The religious right’s influence may be much reduced since the days of Moral Majority leader Jerry Falwell’s alliances with Republican presidents.

But Christian conservatives will probably vote in greater numbers on November 4 than others, giving them an outsized say in who runs Congress. Forty-nine per cent of evangelicals say they have a great deal of interest or quite a bit of interest in news about the elections, compared to 38 per cent of non-evangelicals.

“It strongly shows that the evangelical population is very engaged, very interested in what’s happening and much easier to turn out for an election than the population as a whole,” said Ipsos pollster Chris Jackson.

Almost 40 per cent of Republicans said they were born-again or evangelical Christians, according to the online survey.

The party loyalty is striking given that Republican candidates have largely avoided evangelicals’ pet topics like opposition to abortion and gay marriage for fear of alienating moderate voters in tight US Senate races… Read More

Source and Original Content by Christian Today

“Christians Are To Be Living Stones Of The Church”, Pope

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“Christians Are To Be Living Stones Of The Church”, Pope

In his homily for Mass at the Santa Marta residence on Oct. 24, Pope Francis reflected on the call of Christians to perpetuate unity in the Church by being “living stones” built upon the “cornerstone of Christ.”

This creating of unity in the Church, the Pope said, recounting the reading from Saint Paul to the Philippians, “is the work of the Church and of every Christian throughout history.”

In addition, the Holy Father cited the Apostle Peter, who contrasts the Church – “a temple made of living stone” – with the Tower of Babel, which he described as the “temple of pride.” The first temple creates “unity,” he said, whereas the second symbolizes disunity and misunderstanding.

The task of every Christian, Pope Francis said, is “to create unity in the Church,” the temple built upon Jesus, who is the “cornerstone”.

Jesus is the “rock upon which the Church’s unity” is built, the Pope said, adding that “there is no unity without Jesus Christ at its base: He is our certainty.”

It is the Holy Spirit who creates this unity, the Holy Father said. “For this reason, Jesus sent Him: to make the Church grow, to make it strong, to make it one.”

In order to be strong “bricks” of the Temple, Pope Francis said the faithful must first become “weak” through the virtues of humility, kindness, and generosity. The weaker we become through these virtues which seemingly serve no purpose, the Pope said, the stronger we become as “living stones” of the Temple.

Just as Jesus “was made weak” even unto the Cross, the Pope said, “He became strong.” On the other hand, “Pride [and] conceit are useless.”

In creating this Temple, Pope Francis said, the architect must lay out a ground plan. This plan is “the hope to which we are called: the hope of going towards the Lord, the hope of living in a living Church, made with living stones, with the strength of the Holy Spirit.” It is only with this hope as the “ground plan” that it is possible “to move forward in the unity of the Church.”

“We are called to a great hope,” he said. “Let us go there! But with the strength which Jesus’ prayer for unity gives us; with the gentleness of the Holy Spirit, who is able to make living stones from bricks; and with the hope of finding the Lord who has called us to encounter him in the fullness of time!”

Source and Original Content by CNA

Oklahoma Churches and Seminaries to Serve Beer During Christian Meeting

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Oklahoma Churches and Seminaries to Serve Beer During Christian Meeting

One church is offering frosty beers to those who would like to worship with hymns this upcoming Sunday.

East Side Christian Church in Tulsa is going to offer beer and hymns Sunday night as part of a weekend-long discussion about the future of the Christian church around the world.

“I think it’s a little surprise for some people here in Oklahoma, but we like to rattle the cage a little bit,” Evan Taylor, outreach pastor at East Side Christian Church, told KOKI.

The event taking place at the church is also a part of a weekend of beer sipping and theological discussion.

“It’s a chance to reach a wide demographic of people to ask the questions of what’s happening in our Christian world, what’s happening in our churches, and what’s happening in our community,” Michael Riggs, senior pastor at First Christian Church of Downtown Tulsa, shared with KOKI.

Three events will be hosted over the upcoming weekend with First Christian Church of Downtown Tulsa, East Side Christian Church, Harvard Avenue Christian Church, Phillips Theological Seminary, and Oklahoma Disciples Foundation. Portland-based religious author Christian Piatt will also participate in the events and will be discussing his book which focuses on the future of the Christian church as a whole in the world.

“Everybody’s welcome. No questions are banned. No holds barred. Just come and respect each other’s opinions, and just have a good honest conversation about God while having a few beers at the same time,” Riggs said… Read More

Source and Original Content by BCNN1

Victims Of Synagogue Collapsed Building Receive Donation Of $4,500

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Victims Of Synagogue Collapsed Building Receive Donation Of $4,500

In the wake of controversies with the aftermath of the Synagogue guest house building collapse on September 12, 2014. Prophet TB Joshua has announced a donation of R50,000($4,500/N750,000) to each victim’s family. He said this through his spokesman Kirsten Nematandani.

The church said it has provided the family with some needs as many of them who died were breadwinners to their family.
“We have done a full audit of each family’s financial needs and assisted with various household expenses as many of the deceased were breadwinners, Household expenses varied from rent money to school fees and groceries.”

He said the church has also pleaded with the Nigerian government to expedite the repatriation process in order for the families to bury their loved ones with dignity and receive closure.

Nematandani also said the church had travelled to all provinces in the past few weeks to visit, counsel and assess families’ financial needs and assist where possible.

Source and Original Content by Joyakosacorner.blogspot

TV Christian Couple Partner With Muslim King to Help Christians In Iraq and Syria

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TV Christian Couple Partner With Muslim King to Help Christians In Iraq and Syria

Powerhouse TV Christian couple partner with Muslim king to address ‘crisis in the cradle of Christianity.’
Walking the streets of Irbil, Johnnie Moore was struck by what he saw.

“Christians were everywhere: on the streets, in abandoned buildings, in canvas tents that are not water-proof or winterized,” the former Liberty University chaplain and spokesman wrote of his visit last week to Iraqi Kurdistan. “Having survived eradication by terror groups, they now might die naturally from the coming harsh winter.”

Moore, who now serves as chief of staff for Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, announced yesterday that the powerhouse TV Christian couple are raising $25 million to partner with a Muslim king and help Iraqi and Syrian Christians (as well as other minorities) displaced by ISIS survive the coming winter.

They’ve already donated the first $1 million toward a refugee crisis compared to the Rwanda genocide. The United Nations reports 800,000 people urgently need shelter and 2.8 million urgently need food.

“Having fled their home with nothing but the clothes on their backs, and having seen unspeakable things, these brothers and sisters in Christ are severely traumatized, mostly without shelter,” wrote Moore.

“Things are very urgent. We have to move fast,” he continued. “Winter is coming. This week’s rain will soon be snow.”

Their “Cradle of Christianity Fund” is being administered by the Institute for Global Engagement (IGE), a leader on international religious freedom issues which primarily works in east Asia.

“To lose the presence of Christians in the birthplace of Christianity is to accelerate instability, while losing precious insight about how best to work in the region,” wrote IGE director Chris Seiple in announcing the initiative. “With the region on the brink, a strategy to rescue, restore, and return fleeing Christians is not only the right thing to do, it is in everyone’s interest to do so… Read More

Source and Original Content by BCNN1

Man Desecrates Oklahoma’s Ten Commandments Monument

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Man Desecrates Oklahoma’s Ten Commandments Monument

Someone drove up a ramp near the Oklahoma Capitol steps overnight and into a disputed granite monument of the Ten Commandments, smashing it to pieces in an apparent act of vandalism, authorities said.

Oklahoma Highway Patrol Capt. George Brown said the person abandoned the car and fled the scene after destroying the monument Thursday night, and that investigators are searching the sedan for clues. He said he didn’t know if there were any witnesses, but that investigators are reviewing security video.

The 6-foot-tall monument was erected in 2012 with the blessing of Oklahoma’s conservative Legislature. The American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma has been suing to have it removed, arguing that it violates the state constitution and could be seen as a state endorsement of a religion.

“We consider this an act of violence against the state of Oklahoma,” said Republican state Rep. Mike Ritze, of Broken Arrow, whose family spent nearly $10,000 having the monument erected. “We are obviously shocked and dismayed, but we’re not discouraged,” he said, vowing to have it rebuilt.

Gov. Mary Fallin called it an “appalling” act of vandalism and volunteered to help raise private funds to restore it.

The ACLU sued on behalf of a Norman minister and others who allege the monument’s location violates the state constitution’s ban on using public property to support “any sect, church, denomination or system of religion.”

A judge ruled last month that the monument does not violate the state constitution, and ACLU attorneys filed an appeal with the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

Ryan Kiesel, the ACLU of Oklahoma’s executive director, said he and his clients are “outraged” that the monument was vandalized.

“To see the Ten Commandments desecrated by vandals is highly offensive to them as people of faith,” Kiesel said.

The monument’s placement has led others to seek their own on the Capitol grounds, including a satanic group that earlier this year unveiled designs for a 7-foot-tall statue of Satan. Other requests have been made from a Hindu leader in Nevada and the satirical Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

Source and Original Content by BCNN1

“I Believe in the Power of Prayer”, Dallas Nurse Cured of Ebola; Says

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“I Believe in the Power of Prayer”, Dallas Nurse Cured of Ebola; Says

Jubilantly declaring that “hope just went up a notch today,” Dr. Francis S. Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, said Friday that the first person infected with Ebola in the United States was now virus free.

Nina Pham, a 26-year-old nurse who was infected while caring for a Liberian patient, Thomas Eric Duncan, at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, headed from Bethesda to Washington to meet with President Obama at the White House, and then planned to return home to Dallas.

In brief remarks to reporters outside the N.I.H. Clinical Center in Bethesda, Ms. Pham beamed as she thanked God, her family, and her friends. Flanked by her sister and her mother, she called the infection “very stressful and challenging,” and said she was looking forward to reuniting with her dog, Bentley.

“I believe in the power of prayer, because I know so many people all over the world have been praying for me,” Ms. Pham said. “I join you now in prayer for the recovery of others.”

Ms. Pham said she was especially grateful to Dr. Kent Brantly, an American physician and an Ebola survivor, who donated plasma as part of her care.

Some scientists believe that the blood of people who survive Ebola could be useful in treating those infected with the virus, but Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said it was not clear whether the donated plasma was a factor in Ms. Pham’s recovery.

“It’s virtually impossible to say that this is the thing that did it,” Dr. Fauci said.

He said that two factors in Ms. Pham’s recovery appeared to be that she was young and healthy, and that soon after she was infected she was able to get intensive care.

Dr. Fauci said that it might take some time for her to recover her full strength, but that she was now free to return to Texas and “resume a normal, healthy, and happy life… Read More

Source and Original Content by BCNN 1

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