The Association of Certified Biblical Counselors has announced that it will no longer hold its annual gathering in October at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Texas in light of the controversies surrounding the seminary’s former president Paige Patterson.

In a statement posted Tuesday, ACBC Executive Director Heath Lambert explains that the certification organization has found another venue in the Fort Worth area to host its annual gathering on Oct. 1–3.

The decision was made to pull the conference from SWBTS over Patterson’s nearly two-decades old comments in which he said he never counseled couples to get a divorce even in abusive situations, but said there were cases in which he advised a temporary separation due to the danger of abuse; and because he reportedly encouraged a female student in 2003 not to report a rape.

With this year’s ACBC conference focusing on the topic of abuse, the association decided over a year ago to host the conference at the SWBTS. That was long before the institution became the center of a massive media firestorm in the last month after details of Patterson’s past comments…

Father Stephen Gadberry, pastor of St. Mary Church in Batesville and St. Cecilia Church in Newport, Arkansas, will appear as a contestant on the new season of the popular NBC reality show “American Ninja Warrior,” to compete for the $1 million grand prize when it kicks off on Wednesday night and he’s also hoping to share his faith while he’s at it.

Gadberry, 32, in addition to being a priest, is a physical trainer who previously served in the U.S. Air Force.

He told the Catholic News Agency that he was inspired to apply to compete on the show by Sean Bryan, another proud Catholic contestant who competed on the show twice and was known for wearing a shirt reflecting the colors of the papal flag and words “Papal Ninja.”

And while the competition comes with the $1 million grand prize, Gadberry told the publication that his main motivation to compete is to evangelize.

“[Evangelizing] is the primary reason for me doing this. The Lord tells us to go out and make disciples of all nations,” he said. “As this platform has stumbled into my lap … I can further…

Liberty University students and faculty have been working on a feature-length film that will be shown in over 1,000 theaters across the country. The film is called “The Trump Prophecy” and explores how one man’s prophecy and a prayer movement apparently helped to elect President Trump.

The Christian Post reports that about 56 Liberty students and faculty members have been working on the project. The film tells the story of how retired Florida firefighter Mark Taylor reportedly saw a vision from God in April 2011 in which God told him that Donald Trump would be president one day.  

Taylor’s story had previously been told in the book The Trump Prophecies: The Astonishing True Story of the Man Who Saw Tomorrow… and What He Says Is Coming Next.

Taylor’s vision launched a prayer movement based on the Scripture passage in II Chronicles 7:14, which says:

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

Stephan Schultze, the executive director of Liberty’s Cinematic Arts Department, told The Christian Post, “I hope it reflects an understanding that when people come together in prayer, how valuable that is not only for the people that are praying but for what they are praying…

Palestinian terrorists say they fired more than 100 rockets and mortars from Gaza into Israel this week.

The attacks started Tuesday evening and went into Wednesday morning, but Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system shot down many of the rockets.

According to Israel’s Channel 10, experts estimate more than 115 missiles and rockets were launched from Gaza into Israel. Others have estimated that number at around 130.

No one was killed in the attacks, but three Israel Defense Forces soldiers were injured from mortar fragments.

In response, the IDF struck 25 military targets in Gaza, the IDF said on its Twitter page.

“The IDF is prepared for a variety of scenarios and is determined to act against terror operatives,” the IDF said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahusaid that since Tuesday, the military has “hit dozens of terror targets, delivering the hardest blow in years.”

“Those responsible for the escalation, inspired by Iran, are Hamas, the Islamic Jihad and other terrorist organizations,” said Netanyahu. “I will not detail our plans because I do not want the enemy to know what is in store, but one thing must be made clear to them: When they try us, they pay. And if they continue to try us, they will pay even more.”

Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attacks on Israel. The groups…

Members of a Baptist church in Red Bank, South Carolina, have caused a stir for recently voting to remove a statue of Jesus from the front of their building because it appears too “Catholic in nature.”

A WAFB report said members of the Red Bank Baptist Church voted 131 to 40 to remove the statue that was created by a former member and graced the front of their church for more than a decade, because it was causing confusion about their theology among members of the church community.

Jeff Wright, Red Bank’s senior pastor, and Mike Dennis, the church’s chairman of deacons, said in a letter dated May 10 that former member and artist Bert Baker, who hand carved the statue for the church in 2007, now has until May 31 to remove the statue.

“God has gifted you with a tremendous artistic ability and we are thankful that you shared it with our congregation and are using this talent to bring God glory,” the church officials wrote Baker in the letter.

“Recently, it has been brought to our attention that the art is causing confusion in the community. We have discovered that there are people that view the art as Catholic in nature. We…

Amid growing extreme Hindu nationalism in India, dozens of speakers have called for concerted action to uphold the country’s constitution and fundamental rights, at a conference to mark four years of government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“There is a grave threat to plurality,” Professor Ganesh Narayan Devy, a scholar on India’s religious and linguistic diversity, told the 25-27 May ‘Citizens’ Conclave’ on ‘Building an Inclusive India’ in New Delhi, attended by over 800 delegates from across the country.

“We are living at a time when you are questioned about the food you eat, about the god you worship and branded as anti-national for expressing a different view [contrary to Hindu nationalism],” said Devy.

“They [Hindu nationalists] demonise and attack us: 2017 saw a 20 per cent increase in the number of atrocities against Christians,” Tehmina Arora, a lawyer and director of rights group ADF India, told the conference.

On the status of Christian minorities, she added: “When you go to police, they hardly cooperate and often refuse to register complaints. There is a growing culture of impunity. We could file only 25 criminal cases, as against the 240+ incidents reported in the year.”

Instead, she said that anyone who is accused of converting Hindus “will be beaten up”. “You [can be] taken to a police station…