A church in Fort Myers, Florida says the church did not host a party where a 17-year-old girl attended and later died of COVID-19.

“Over the past 24 hours, First Assembly of God of Fort Myers has been accused of hosting ‘COVID-19 parties.’ Nothing could be farther from the truth,” the church said in a statement according to the Christian Post. “First Assembly of God of Fort Myers is following all of the health protections and protocols recommended by the state and local government with regard to holding its church services.

“Let us be clear – media reports and postings accusing the church of ignoring protocols or actively engaging in behavior intended to expose our congregation to the virus are absolutely false and defamatory.”

The teenage girl, Carsyn Leigh Davis, died June 23 from COVID-19– about two weeks after she attended a church function.

The Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner Department said in its report: “On June 10, the decedent attended a church function with 100 other children. She did not wear a mask. Social distancing was not followed.”

The church reportedly hosted a “party” on June 10. The church’s social media page advertised the event as a “release party” with a DJ, karaoke and basketball. The Facebook – has since been deleted from the church’s page.

Davis had previously battled cancer. On June 13, the teen complained…

A new report released last week showed that the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) rescued over 665,000 jobs for churches and ministries across the country.

The PPP was part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed in March in order to help struggling businesses make payroll as the country reels from the effects of COVID-19. According to Christianity Today, it also marked the first time the US government sought financial protection for clergy and ministry workers as part of a stimulus package.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) released the list, which revealed that at least 11,500 Christian organizations received loans of $150,000 or more. Willow Creek Church in Chicago received one of the highest loans of over $5 million that kept 353 jobs while Life.Church in Edmond, Oklahoma received the same amount and preserved 451 jobs.

The program allowed companies with 500 employees or less to request up to two and half months of payroll costs. The average amount churches took were between $150,000 to $300,00 and kept around 60 jobs.

The SBA compiled the list with a keyword search of church, Christian, Catholic, and diocese. More than 7,000 recipients who received $150,000 or more included the word church in their name. For those churches who included denominations in their names, Catholic and Baptist congregations received the most funds. More than 2,000 Catholic…

Well-known actor, TV host and professing Christian Terry Crews has become a polarizing figure amid rising racial tension in the U.S.

Late last month, the 51-year-old America’s Got Talent host was met by widespread backlash on Twitter after he expressed concerns over the Black Lives Matter organization.

On June 30^th, Crews cautioned against letting the Black Lives Matter movement transform into the “Black Lives Better” movement.

“If you are a child of God, you are a brother and sister. I have family of every race, creed, and ideology. We must ensure #BlackLivesMatter doesn’t morph into #BlackLivesBetter,” Crews wrote on Twitter.

If you are a child of God, you are my brother and sister. I have family of every race, creed and ideology.

We must ensure #blacklivesmatter doesn’t morph into #blacklivesbetter

— terry crews (@terrycrews) June 30, 2020

Over the July 4th weekend, Crews followed up in another tweet noting that he is willing to stand “with good people” regardless of “race, creed, and ideology.”

Are all white people bad?

No.

Are all black people good?

No.

Knowing this reality- I stand on my decision to unite with good people, no matter the race, creed or ideology.

Given the number of threats against this decision-

I also decide to die on this hill.

— terry crews (@terrycrews) July 4, 2020

These comments caused Crews to received backlash on both social media and the mainstream…