Young Father in India Shocked at Why Relatives Attacked Him, Daughter and Killed His Wife

Young Father in India Shocked at Why Relatives Attacked Him, Daughter and Killed His Wife



NEW DELHI, September 11, 2019 (Morning Star News) – Two weeks after losing his wife to an axe-blow in front of his 3-year-old daughter in eastern India, Rohit Oraon believes that the murder was planned, not spontaneous, and that his relatives also meant to kill him and his child.


What he still cannot believe is why.


The 25-year-old Rohit knew his brother and father disapproved of him marrying out of his tribe and becoming a Christian, and he knew they were jealous of his prosperity and the fellowship he found among Christians after they tried to leave him desolate by shunning him.


“But I still cannot fathom how can his jealousy lead him to murder,” he told Morning Star News, referring to his brother, 36-year-old Bandhan Ram Oraon. “After they killed my wife, they called for all the Christians to come out, saying, ‘We will get rid of all of you, once and for all.’”


His wife, Parvati Devi, was 23.


In the remote village of Lukujhariya, 28 miles from the Jharkhand state capital, Ranchi, nearly everyone practices the tribal Sarna religion; there are only five other Christian families, including that of his Uncle Phulchand, the first to put his faith in Christ (as all villagers bear the surname of their tribe, Oraon, they are identified by first name). The Aug. 27 assault that killed his wife – and, by accident, his attacking father –…

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‘This isn’t project fear, this is project reality’ says bishop on Operation Yellowhammer

The Government has been forced to release details of its no deal planning from 2nd August.

The ‘Operation Yellowhammer’ document, described as the “reasonable worst case planning assumptions”, says there could be severe extended delays to medicine reaching the UK if plans aren’t put in place and that “low income groups will be disproportionately affected by any price rises in food and fuel’ if unmitigated.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the Government is working “every day” to mitigate the potential effects.

 

 

Rt Rev Nick Baines, Bishop of Leeds and the Church of England’s lead on Brexit, told Premier he was concerned with all of the Operation Yellowhammer document, but particularly the prediction that the poor would be hit hardest.

“We have an obligation to speak up for those who are least resilient to the sort of shocks that might be coming our way and we will keep doing this, even though it’s not very popular in certain circles,” he said.

“We have to have what’s been called a bias to the poor, but also, from Proverbs, [we have a duty] to open our mouth for the dumb, for those who don’t have a voice. At local level this means parishes and churches paying attention to the real needs locally of the poorest people – that might be to do with food banks, it could be to do those sorts of things but we need to keep our eyes open.”

 

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Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Premier Christianity News.

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California Church Leaders Arrested for Targeting Homeless People in Labor-Trafficking Scheme

California Church Leaders Arrested for Targeting Homeless People in Labor-Trafficking Scheme



A dozen leaders of a Southern California church, including the former pastor, were arrested Tuesday for targeting homeless people in a labor-trafficking scheme in which victims were held against their will and forced to panhandle as long as nine hours a day.


U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer released details of the case after indictments were unsealed against Imperial Valley Ministries. The non-denominational church is headquartered in El Centro, California—115 miles east of San Diego—but has an estimated 30 churches across the country, including Chula Vista, south of San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Ana and San Jose in California; in Las Vegas, Nevada; Phoenix, Arizona, Brownsville, Texas and Mexico. Defendants were arrested in El Centro, San Diego and Brownsville.


The defendants are charged with conspiracy, forced labor, document servitude and benefits fraud on 31 identified victims. The church’s former pastor, Victor Gonzalez, and four others were arrested in Brownsville while six leaders were arrested in El Centro and one in San Diego, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.


The church’s current pastor has not been charged in the case.


IVM’s stated purpose, officials said, is to “restore” drug addicts at faith-based rehabilitation group homes and raise money to open churches in other cities to do the same.


Brewer described the…

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York Minster sells historic organ pipes to raise refurbishment funds

The 30 pipes date from the early 1830s – when a new organ was built following an arson attack in the cathedral – and have been silent for more than 100 years.

A further 70 pipes are being restored and will be brought back into musical use in the “once-a-century” refurbishment project.

 

The pipes have decorated the grand organ’s case since 1832 and, while most are being cleaned, repainted and returned to the organ, 30 were found to be beyond repair and will be replaced.

The remaining pipes are being restored in a chapel at the minster by graining and marbling specialists, who will also decorate the new pipes to match the distinctive gold, green, cream and red decoration of the originals.

The organ – which weighs around 20,000kg and contains 5,403 pipes – has been removed from the minster to be repaired and rebuilt.

Danny Lawson/PA Wire

Conservation expert Robert Woodland works in St John’s Chapel at York Minster on some of the 1830s case pipes, removed from the minster’s Grand Organ for restoration and refurbishment.

 

The refurbishment includes extensive cleaning and the replacement of the organ’s mechanism.

It will be returned to the minster early next year and should be back in use in autumn 2020.

Neil Sanderson, director of the York Minster Fund, said: “The auction is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to own a piece of York…

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Archbishop of Wales urges Governing Body to challenge the status quo

Most Rev John Davies delivered his presidential address to the Church in Wales’ Governing Body on Wednesday.

He told the crowd not to be oblivious to the Church’s challenges or opportunities, and gave the example of Jesus facing opposition when he challenged existing structures.

 

“Those who challenge the status quo, calling on well-established institutions to take a fresh look at the way in which they operate, and who question whether they might have lost something of the focus on their original calling, risk being judged and caricatured in the same way,” Archbishop John said.

However, he said it was essential that such voices be heard in order to “recover and rehabilitate authentic, Christ-like and Christ-centred ministry”.

“Recognise our challenges, and affirm those individuals and groups who, through asking uncomfortable questions and making uncomfortable observations, demand of us, that we pay attention, that we plan, that we pray and that we act to continue to rehabilitate our vision for our life as a church.”

Archbishop John explained that the Church had several opportunities to reach out to the community when they come through church doors for events such as baptisms, weddings, and funerals.

“It requires eyes that are joyfully wide-open to constantly recognise and rejoice in the resources and gifts we have, and the many opportunities which still come our way,…

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Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Premier Christianity News.

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Archbishop of Wales: Challenge the status quo

Most Rev John Davies delivered his presidential address to the Church in Wales’ Governing Body on Wednesday.

He told the crowd not to be oblivious to the Church’s challenges or opportunities, and gave the example of Jesus facing opposition when he challenged existing structures.

 

“Those who challenge the status quo, calling on well-established institutions to take a fresh look at the way in which they operate, and who question whether they might have lost something of the focus on their original calling, risk being judged and caricatured in the same way,” Archbishop John said.

However, he said it was essential that such voices be heard in order to “recover and rehabilitate authentic, Christ-like and Christ-centred ministry”.

“Recognise our challenges, and affirm those individuals and groups who, through asking uncomfortable questions and making uncomfortable observations, demand of us, that we pay attention, that we plan, that we pray and that we act to continue to rehabilitate our vision for our life as a church.”

Archbishop John explained that the Church had several opportunities to reach out to the community when they come through church doors for events such as baptisms, weddings, and funerals.

“It requires eyes that are joyfully wide-open to constantly recognise and rejoice in the resources and gifts we have, and the many opportunities which still come our way,…

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Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Premier Christianity News.

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Faith institutions divest from fossil fuels

The coalitions of institutions include seven Protestant institutions, among them the United Reformed Church in the UK, St. Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral in Edinburgh, and the United Reformed Church Synod of Wessex, UK. 

St. Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral in Edinburgh is one of the first cathedrals in the world to divest from fossil fuels.

  

In June this year, the Scottish Episcopal Church General Synod asked the Church’s Investment Committee to divest, recognising the “moral imperative to divest fully from fossil fuels”.

Very Rev John Conway, Provost of St. Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral in Edinburgh, said: “We need to shape an economy that does not rely on fossil fuels, whose extraction and burning are imperilling the lives and livelihoods of so many, both now and for all generations to come.

“The climate emergency will only be tackled when as individuals, institutions, businesses and governments, we act together, in solidarity with those who suffer now, and with hope for future generations.”

Fifteen new Catholic commitments were also made, among them the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa, and Caritas agencies in Italy, Singapore, Australia, and Norway.

This divestment announcement is made as a summit called ‘Financing the Future’ is set to begin in Cape Town, South…

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Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Premier Christianity News.

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Understanding the Pain and Hurt Felt By Members of Dying Churches

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Dying churches are filled with members who are experiencing loss—loss of friends, loss of ministry, loss of relevance. Today, we discuss several of these pain points found in dying churches.

Episode Highlights:

  • Church members often like the way a church used to be more than the way the church is currently.
  • Nostalgia is a cul-de-sac. It leads nowhere.
  • When members leave a dying church, those who remain often feel betrayed by those who leave.
  • The change people in their 70s and 80s have endured in their lifetime has left many wanting the church to be a place that never changes.

The eight pain points we discuss are:

  1. Anticipatory grief
  2. Church is connected to major life events
  3. Friendship patterns are being disrupted
  4. Some of feelings of betrayal
  5. The pain of denial
  6. Loss of stability
  7. Great confusion and pain related to cultural change
  8. Often the members respond with anger and resistance to those who try to help.

Resources mentioned in this episode include:

Revitalize & Replant is sponsored by the North American Mission Board and ChurchReplanters.com. More than 10% of churches in North America are at risk of closing and the North American Mission Board is committed to reversing this trend by decreasing the death rate of existing churches while simultaneously increasing the birth rate of new churches. To learn more about what it means to become a replanting pastor or to explore resources for replanting and…

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Click here to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Thom Rainer.

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Florida Georgia Line Invites Chris Tomlin on Stage for Surprise Worship Moment

Florida Georgia Line Invites Chris Tomlin on Stage for Surprise Worship Moment



Country duo Florida Georgia Line has invited internationally renowned worship leader, Chris Tomlin, on stage at one of their concerts.


The country star’s Atlanta, Georgia show took a very unique turn when the pair took a pause between songs before announcing that they would be trying something new.


“We get to do something we’ve been looking forward to a long time now. We’ve never done this before,” vocalist Tyler Hubbard explained, according to Fox News.


“When we were coming up, playing shows… a lot of the time we were leading worship in church and singing songs to Jesus… a lot of those songs were written by this guy we’re about to bring out for you guys tonight,” Hubbard continued. “This is probably one of the coolest moments for us. Truly a full circle God-thing.”


Hubbard added that the Lord was “truly moving in our industry.”


Then came the big announcement: “I mean God’s been moving in our life, in our community, and in our industry and we just want to do something special tonight and bring one of our good buddies, Mr. Chris Tomlin.”


The crowd went absolutely berserk, as the “Our God” singer sauntered out onto the stage.


“This is crazy,” Tomlin exclaimed to the crowds. “I’ve sung this song all over the world and being here tonight with these two brothers…we’re just going to have a moment to give God praise in Atlanta.”…

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Click here to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Christian Headlines.

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