Clergy in the Anglican Church of New Zealand will be able to offer blessings to couples in same-sex marriage after the Synod of the Anglican Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia voted to approve the chance.

Motion 29 says marriage is a union between one man and one woman, but it also allows for individual bishops to offer a “non-formulary service” to bless same sex couples.

Previously, there was disciplinary action for clergy who offered those types of blessings.

A similar motion was considered at the 2014 Synod meeting, and then in 2016, the Synod said any changes on blessings would not be doctrinal changes.

According to the Anglican Communion News Service, the changes will not apply to the Diocese of Polynesia. Christians in Samoa, Fiji and Tonga do not recognize same-sex unions.

In a statement, the Synod said it was “deeply mindful of the deep interweaving of cultural and religious values at the core of our Pacific societies that place a profound respect, and reverence for the belief in God and the belief in the traditional understanding of marriage.”

The Scottish Episcopal Church and in the United States, the Episcopal Church already offers blessings to same-sex couples. Both, however, have changed their definition of marriage to include same-sex couples.

Meanwhile, the Church of England has not made any changes. Justin Welby, the archbishop of…

Paige Patterson, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, issued on Thursday an apology for his past statements, including how he described advice he gave in a domestic violence situation as well as a sermon illustration involving a “built” teen girl. 

“Pastoral ministry that occurred 54 years ago, repeated as an illustration in sermons on more than one occasion, as well as another sermon illustration used to try to explain a Hebrew word (Heb. banah ‘build or construct,’ Gen. 2:22) have obviously been hurtful to women in several possible ways,” he said in a statement published on the SWBTS website. 

“I wish to apologize to every woman who has been wounded by anything I have said that was inappropriate or that lacked clarity. We live in a world of hurt and sorrow, and the last thing that I need to do is add to anyone’s heartache. Please forgive the failure to be as thoughtful and careful in my extemporaneous expression as I should have been.”

Those who have worked closely with Patterson expressed gratitude and support for the seminary head.

“I am grateful for his specific apology to women and his…

Smiling as he sings, Pastor Danny Awad faces his flock with eyes closed and palms turned skyward. The 30 or so worshippers scattered across two narrow rows of benches clap or sing along as the synthetic drone of an electric keyboard hums out a song of praise.

“Hallelujah!”Awad says, still smiling, as the song comes to an end. He rests his hands on the lectern, looking comfortable in front of the wooden cross that stretches floor-to-ceiling on the wall behind him. He motions for the others to be seated and prepares to deliver his sermon.

At first glance, this airy little church, modestly decorated with artificial flowers and faded posters of New Testament verses, could be any evangelical gathering from Topeka to Texas. Sunday morning hymns spill out its open windows into the small pasture outside. One detail sets this small community of believers apart, however, and has made it something of an apostate within the global evangelical community: the Palestinian flag that hangs prominently from the pulpit.

This is not the heartland, but the Holy Land. The Baraka Bible Presbyterian Church, led by Awad, sits off the main road in the West Bank village of Beit Sahour, near Bethlehem. It’s an evangelical church that is proudly, defiantly Palestinian.

In the context of the Middle East, where “evangelical” has become political shorthand for conservative…

The Trump administration is considering changing rules that govern how faith-based higher education institutions can receive federal funding.

According to The Christian Post, US Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is reviewing the rules that restrict faith-based institutions from receiving federal funding.

The Education Department will reportedly hold a “rulemaking panel” to explore possible changes that would allow faith-based colleges to more easily offer federal student aid and other forms of federal funding.

Although the US Constitution mandates the separation of church and state, some lawmakers have expressed concern that current rules “unnecessarily restrict participation by religious entities” in federal programs such as student financial aid.

“For example, some provisions may be overly broad in their prohibition of activities or services that relate to sectarian instruction or religious worship,” Department of Education officials noted. “Other provisions may be overly broad in prohibiting the benefits a borrower may receive based on faith-based activity.”

Ultimately, the goal of the Education Department’s review of current rules regarding religious higher education institutions is to “”reduce or eliminate unnecessary burdens and restrictions on religious entities and activities.”

The Christian Post noted that there is federal…

Vonda Dyer, a former Willow Creek Community Church staff member who was called a liar by the church’s embattled founder, Bill Hybels, after she joined multiple women to publicly accuse him of sexual misconduct in March, rejected an “apology” that church elders issued this week in which they admitted to making some missteps.

“I’ve been in contact with an elder from Willow recently and was aware of this gesture. Willow is fully aware of what ownership would and should look like if they were to come clean on these matters. Reaching out to me may have also been only a gesture. If it was partially well meaning, it still lacked any intention from Willow Creek to reveal what they are hiding. I have spoken my heartfelt thoughts about the chasm that lies between the allegations and Willow Creek leadership’s longstanding, inadequate investigations in my responses to this elder who reached out, and who happens to also be a 20-year friend in ministry,” Vonda Dyer said in a statement on Facebook Thursday.

“As far as I can tell from their statement, they have not moved to say they…