Family and friends of Ashley Ford, a beloved children’s ministry supervisor at the Cascade campus of the 12,000-member Ada Bible Church in Michigan, are now grieving after she died Monday from injuries she suffered in a two-vehicle crash on Sunday.

A WoodTV report said the accident happened at about 2:30 p.m. in Lowell Township.

Contacted for further details on the incident Tuesday, Michigan State Police officials said they would not be releasing any further details on the crash.

In an interview with The Christian Post Tuesday, John Ackerman, Ada Bible Church’s communications director, said he didn’t have any further details to share beyond what the church shared in a statement Monday via Facebook. It noted that the accident happened on Fulton Street near Lowell.

“She was taken to Spectrum Butterworth Hospital downtown with life-threatening injuries. This afternoon – Monday, April 16th, she passed away,” the church said.

“This is a difficult time for all and we would ask that you would be praying for Ashley’s family, friends and loved ones as they navigate this tragedy. Our hearts go out to all who are grieving her loss. We grieve the loss of Ashley in this life and celebrate that…

After relatives and activists commemorated on Saturday the 4th anniversary of the Chibok girls’ kidnapping, there are now fears that many of over 100 girls still missing will never return home.

Of the 276 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram on 14 April 2014, 57 escaped, 107 were rescued or released, and 112 are still missing.

And now a Nigerian journalist with links to the radical Islamist group has claimed that only 15 of the missing girls are still alive, though he did not disclose their names.

Ahmad Salkida, widely known for his exclusive reports on the insurgency, said it was the responsibility of the Nigerian government to disclose their names because, he alleged, many of the captive girls died as a result of crossfire and bombardments of the security forces.

19/ It will be unbearable to share the names of the 15 that are alive here, this is the responsibility of Govt. When I was involved I regularly provided proof of life. Govt must demand that to prove me wrong or stop negotiating for many of the girls that don’t exists… 

— Ahmad Salkida (@ContactSalkida) April 14, 2018

But the Nigerian government denied his claims, saying in a statement yesterday: “Following the numerous press enquiries on the information contained in the series of tweets by Mr Ahmed Salkida, we wish to reiterate that the information is not known to the officials of this administration either…

A BBC video belittles Christian street preachers and says that Holy Communion “smells like hate.”

Bishop John Keenan of Paisley told the Catholic Herald on Friday that the “BBC The Social” video, which has been viewed over 8.5 million times on Facebook, is “offensive to Catholics in both the words and images used.”

The video, with the caption “this is how homophobia feels in 2018” features a spoken free-verse poem by a young gay man who says that society is judging him for romantic displays of affection with his boyfriend.

The video takes a critical look at different people in society who would disapprove of gay relationships, including those in the faith community. It depicts a man who appears to be an angry street preacher yelling at the gay man, with the words “see him, he thinks it’s faith.”

Then it switches over to a woman receiving Holy Communion inside a church, though the priest is depicted holding Mini Cheddars instead of sacramental bread. When the woman eats the wafer, the voice says, “But under all that din, it tastes like cardboard and smells like hate.”

Rev. Franklin Graham said President Donald Trump “understands the power of prayer.”

Graham was speaking on “Fox & Friends” earlier this week about the president.

“I appreciate that we have a president who understands prayer and solicits prayer,” Graham said Sunday. “Our country is in trouble, the world is in trouble, and the perplexity of the problems that the president faces every day — at home and abroad — is just incredible.”

Graham said those in authority need prayer and they’re not perfect.

“They’re imperfect, and that’s why God wants us to pray — to pray for the president, all those that are in leadership, and the president in turn asked us to pray for our soldiers, and those that were leading this charge, and for the Syrian people,” he said. “And I just appreciate that we have a man in office that understands the power of prayer and the need for prayer.”

Last week, after the U.S. launched airstrikes into Syria, Trump asked the country to pray “for our noble warriors … as they carry out their missions.”

“We pray that God will guide the whole region,” he said on Friday.

The U.S., France and the U.K. launched airstrikes Friday after the Syrian government used chemical weapons near the capital city of Damascus earlier in the month. The chemical attack killed dozens of civilians and injured hundreds, according to The Christian…

Reformed theologian John Piper spoke about what distinguishes a Christian from a non-Christian.

“The most basic distinction between the body of Christ and the world is not godly decisions, not good deeds, not genuine doctrines, but glad delights in the glory, beauty, excellence, and marvelous mercies of God,” Piper began.

The Bethlehem College & Seminary Chancellor and DesiringGod.com founder delivered a message titled “New God, New Gospel, New Gladness: How is Christian Joy Distinct” at this year’s Together for the Gospel conference in Louisville, Kentucky.

The world, he said, is perfectly able to use its willpower to make decisions for Jesus.

“The devil himself knows more right doctrine to be true than anyone in this room,” he said. “But neither the devil nor secular philanthropists nor the whole unbelieving world does or can delight in the glory of God supremely.”

“Our God is what we take most pleasure in,” Piper added. “Everyone has a god … everyone has a gospel. Everyone believes a good news, whether it comes true or not.”

The belief that true Christians “have a new gladness in a new God through a new Gospel” is “unbelievably controversial,” Piper said. Christianity…

California music festival Coachella is going on this week, with dozens of popular artists playing for thousands of fans. Although pop star Justin Bieber was not in the official lineup, he was at the event yesterday, leading people in worship.

Several festival attendees posted videos of Bieber leading Sunday morning worship, passionately singing worship songs and raising his hands in praise.

Relevant Magazine reports that Bieber took the stage at a Churchome event at Coachella. One of Churchome’s leaders is Pastor Judah Smith, a friend and mentor of Bieber’s.

One of the songs Bieber sang was “Reckless Love” by Cory Asbury. Bieber previously had posted a video to Instagram of himself passionately singing this song while he’s sitting in a vehicle.

“God’s love is reckless, and he loves you mad tons,” he wrote in the caption.

The chorus to the song says:

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God

Oh, it chases me down, fights ‘til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine

I couldn’t earn it, I don’t deserve it, still You give Yourself away

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God

Photo courtesy: Getty Images

Publication date: April 16, 2018

The United Methodist Church’s highest court will hold a special session in May to consider any petitions regarding the denomination’s upcoming meeting on the Church’s stance on LGBT issues.

Over the past several years, the UMC has had considerable internal debates over the mainline Protestant denomination’s official position against homosexuality, same-sex marriage, and ban on noncelibate homosexual clergy.

The divisive debate led to the creation of a Commission on a Way Forward, whose recommendations for a solution to the debate will be considered at a special General Conference scheduled for 2019.

Lui Tran, secretary for the United Methodist Judicial Council, sent a letter on Monday to the UMC Council of Bishops confirming that the high court will hold a special session.

Penn State University has done away with the traditional homecoming king and queen and will instead allow individuals of any gender or gender identity to occupy those positions.

PSU’s 2018 Homecoming Executive Committee and Royalty Committee have changed the titles in order to be “welcoming to all,” according to FoxNews.com. Instead of the titles of homecoming king or queen, the two selected students will receive a “Guide State Forward Award.”

“Recognizing Penn State’s continued dedication toward diversity, equity, and inclusion, these changes challenge us to expand our understanding of sexual and gender diversity and extends a welcome that other universities and institutions have been doing for some time,” said PSU LGBTQA Student Resource Center Director Brian Patchcoski.

Some PSU students applauded the change, while others voiced concerns.

“I think it’s a great idea, especially since there’s a lot of people who identify no longer as just male or female,” said student Rhea Singh.

Another student, Melanie Kovacs, said it was a longstanding “tradition to have a king and a queen.”

The committee has narrowed the candidates down to 10 students, and it remains to be seen whether the two chosen will be a man and a woman, two men, two women, transgender students, or any combination of these.

Photo courtesy:…