… Read More

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

قالب وردپرس

The Rev. Walter Kim, inaugurated as the new president of the National Association of Evangelicals, called on its members to address questions about their identity with a commitment to the common good.

“This movement is confronting an identity crisis and it’s not just the mild sort of growing pains,” said the Asian American theologian, noting the country’s deep divides, because of which people on opposite poles of the political spectrum sometimes can’t even talk to each other.

“The challenges are real and they have to be confronted with honesty,” he said during the Wednesday (March 4) inauguration speech in the nation’s capital, “but not with fear.”

Kim was chosen in October as the successor to Leith Anderson, who had been NAE’s president since 2006. In addition to the inauguration, the ceremony at the Capital Turnaround venue owned by National Community Church featured the installation of new NAE officers. John Jenkins, the African American senior pastor of Maryland’s First Baptist Church of Glenarden, is its chair; and former Wesleyan Church General Superintendent Jo Anne Lyon is its vice chair.

“Leith had a vision that the evangelical movement would reflect the diversity of the church in heaven — ethnic diversity, gender diversity, theological diversity,” outgoing NAE Board Chair Roy Taylor told Jenkins and Lyon. “And it was at Leith’s initiative that you were added to the board.”

The Rev. Walter Kim speaks during his inauguration as
the new president of the National Association of
Evangelicals at the Capital Turnaround venue in
Washington, Wed., March 4, 2020. RNS photo by Adelle
M. Banks

The ceremony included worship music led by singers of Jenkins’ black megachurch and a benediction from the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference.

Kim, who is a minister of both the Presbyterian Church in America and the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference, is the former lead minister at Park Street Church, a Boston congregation that was influential in the founding of the NAE. He will retain his current pastorate at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Charlottesville, Virginia, as he serves in the presidential role.

He cited words from Jesus in the Gospel of Luke and a speech by President Abraham Lincoln near the close of the Civil War — given 155 years to the day before Kim’s inauguration — in an address in which he spoke of proclaiming the gospel and bridging divides.

“We evangelicals, we are those who have our eyes fastened onto Jesus, our ears attentive to the proclamation that ‘this day the Scripture has been fulfilled,’ and in our hearts we say ‘Hallelujah’ if we’re Pentecostal, ‘Thanks be to God,’ if we’re Presbyterian,” Kim said, drawing laughter from the audience of about 350 people.

Taylor was also recognized by Wheaton College President Philip Ryken of Illinois as the NAE’s longest-serving board chair, and one who early on had to deal with the sudden departure of Ted Haggard, who was caught in a sex and drug scandal involving a male escort.

Singers from First Baptist Church Of Glenarden Praise Team perform during the installation ceremony for new National Association of Evangelicals officers at the Capital Turnaround venue in Washington, Wed., March 4, 2020. RNS photo by Adelle M. Banks

“It took a lot of courage, wisdom, vision for the future to navigate those stormy waters, to bring Leith Anderson back for a second term as president of the NAE,” said Ryken about the decision to replace Haggard with his predecessor. “I’ve heard Roy mention a couple of times that Dr. Anderson saved the NAE twice. He couldn’t have done it without a holy accomplice.”

Now, Kim, an NAE board member since 2013, takes the helm of the organization, reminding the organization with 40 member denominations that it remains committed to “gospel truth and gospel justice” as they work together.

“We are good news people compelled to transform, by God’s grace, our national narrative of racism into the gospel narrative of reconciliation,” he said. “We are gospel people who believe that the good news is still good news. May the Lord permit the NAE to play some small part in that.”

Source: Religion News Service

All Content & Images are provided by the acknowledged source

The President of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, joined more than 3,000 people on Sunday (1 March) at St Paul’s Cathedral in Namirembe for the installation of Stephen Kaziimba as the ninth Archbishop and Primate of the Church of Uganda. Primates from eight other Anglican Communion primates, including the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby; as were leaders from other Christian Churches.

President Museveni told the congregation that the model of unconditional forgiveness through Jesus’ death and resurrection provided a better hope for Africa than the cycle of revenge that is so much a part of African traditional religion. He spoke of the uniqueness of Christianity through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and the hope of resurrection for those who trust in Jesus Christ.

In the days prior to the service, the retiring Archbishop of Uganda, Stanley Ntagali joined staff at the provincial secretariat to greet the then-Bishop Stephen on his arrival in Namirembe. During a meeting at the provincial office, Archbishop Stanley presented Bishop Stephen with a Handover Report detailing the state of the Province.

During the service, there was a legal and ceremonial handover as Archbishop Stanley handed the Provincial Staff to Archbishop Stephen prior to the new archbishop being seated in the Primatial Chair.

Music as the service comprised of traditional Anglican hymns alongside spontaneous outbreaks of Tukutendereza – the traditional hymn of the East African Revival.

Quoting Jeremiah 17.9-10, the newly installed Archbishop laid out the priorities for his term as Archbishop. He called for a full conversion of head, heart, and hands; and committed himself to fulfilling Vision 2025 – the Church of Uganda’s strategic plan – whose mission is “to proclaim the Gospel in accordance with Christ’s commission to make disciples of all nations.”

“When we do this,” he said, “then I believe we will see our vision fulfilled. We will see the Church of Uganda become a faster growing sustainable Christ-centred church.”

Source: Anglican News Service

All Content & Images are provided by the acknowledged source

… Read More

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

قالب وردپرس

… Read More

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

قالب وردپرس

… Read More

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

قالب وردپرس

… Read More

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

قالب وردپرس

PARIS – Officials in France are taking drastic steps to curb the coronavirus outbreak that is disrupting businesses, tourism and even churches there.
 
France reported 1,126 cases on Sunday, making it the second hardest-hit country in Europe after Italy. Retired medics and medical students are being recruited to help deal with growing numbers of infections.

French Foreign Minister Olivier Veran announced Sunday they are taking stringent measures to try to limit the further spread of the virus.

Veran said, “Our priority is to do everything to slow the circulation of the virus across the country. It is the only way to protect those vulnerable and to mitigate the epidemic on a national scale. As of today, all gatherings of more than 1,000 people are now banned.”

Tourism is already suffering, and the new rules will put a damper on other businesses and even churches.

GET YOUR FREE FACTSHEET
Coronavirus: What You Need to Know

There are only a handful of Protestant churches in the entire country of France that can boast more than 1,000 members. CBN News visited one of them. It doesn’t look much like a church because non-Catholic churches have not been granted permits to build their own sanctuaries in over 100 years. So the congregation of the Paris Christian Center meets in a renovated parking garage. But that hasn’t stopped them from growing to several thousand members.

Pastor Dorothée Rajiah, senior pastor at the Paris Christian Center, told us before the announcement that large gatherings would be banned, “Many churches have decided to close their service. So we were wondering what to do and we decided to stay open, and preach the word and preach faith.”

But the coronavirus is changing some long-held traditions in the church.

She explained, “We told the people they should not shake hands or even kiss, at least for some time. And we tell them they can wave at people with the hand and say I love you from their heart.”

And God blessed their decision to keep the doors open on Sunday. “Today, 15 people got saved, so we are so excited about it!” Pastor Dorothée said.

Now that the government is banning gatherings of 1,000 people or more, The Paris Christian Center will likely be forced to temporarily close next week. But that won’t stop them from worshipping.

Pastor Dorothée said, “If the government asks us to shut down our service, we are ready to stream from our website and from YouTube.”

All Content & Images are provided by the acknowledged source