The head of a U.S. humanitarian agency is accusing the United Nations of using the coronavirus pandemic to “cynically” place abortion “on the same level of importance” as food and sanitation.

John Barsa, the acting administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), wrote in a May 18 letter to U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres that the United States “stands with nations that have pledged to protect the unborn.” 

President Trump appointed Barsa to the position in March. 

“Under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump, the United States has made clear that we will ‘never tire of defending innocent life,’” Barsa wrote in the letter.

Specifically, Barsa criticizes the U.N.’s Global Humanitarian Response Plan, a 79-page document that details the United Nations’ strategy for fighting the pandemic.

“[T]he UN should not use this crisis as an opportunity to advance access to abortion as an ‘essential service,’” Barsa wrote. “Unfortunately, the Global HRP does just this, by cynically placing the provision of ‘sexual and reproductive health services’ on the same level of importance as food-insecurity, essential health care, malnutrition, shelter, and sanitation. Most egregious is that the Global HRP calls for the widespread distribution of abortion-inducing drugs and abortion supplies, and for the…

After an unprecedented three elections, Israel’s governing body swore in the new government on Sunday.

A swearing-in ceremony took place this weekend in the Knesset – Israel’s parliament – marking Benjamin Netanyahu’s fifth term as Prime Minister, the Washington Post reports.

In April, Netanyahu and his political rival, Benny Gantz, agreed to an “emergency” unity agreement that would allow the two men to take turns serving as the Prime Minister.

Under the agreement, which the men agreed to form because of the coronavirus pandemic, Netanyahu will serve as Prime Minister until October 2021 when Gantz will take over for the remaining 18 months of the term.

According to CBN News, while Netanyahu serves as Prime Minister, Gantz will be made the “alternate” prime minister and the defense minister.

Also over the weekend, Netanyahu and Gantz announced their government appointments. Politico reports that with an expected 34 ministers and 16 deputies, this new government will be “the most bloated in Israeli history.”

During the ceremony, which adhered to social distancing regulations, Netanyahu and Gantz took the opportunity to voice their confidence in their split-power agreement.

“Benny, we worked well together during Operation Protective Edge, me as prime minister, you as chief of staff, and I am sure we will work well together in this new government serving all of Israel’s citizens,”…

After restarting its in-person services at the end of April, a church in Georgia is suspending its in-person services again after several families contracted COVID-19.

According to The Christian Post, Catoosa Baptist Tabernacle in Ringgold, Georgia reopened its doors for in-person services on April 26, just as several other businesses across the state were given permission to “begin basic operations.”

Now, just a few weeks later, Church representative Joan Lewis shared with The Christian Post that the church would again be suspending its in-person worship services and this time, “for the foreseeable future.”

According to a statement from the church, on May 11, church leaders were informed that some family members in the congregation were diagnosed with the novel coronavirus.

“Our hearts are heavy as some of our families are dealing with the effects of the COVID-19 virus, and we ask for your prayers for each of them as they follow the prescribed protocol and recuperate at home,” the church shared in a formal statement.

“Though we feel very confident of the safe environment we are able to offer in our facilities, the decision was made … that we would discontinue all in-person services again until further notice in an effort of extreme caution for the safety and well-being of our families,” the statement added.

While the number of families…

A simulcast featuring well-known Christian leaders and musical artists raised over $150,000 to help churches in financial need.

As Christian Headlines previously reported, Christian organizations PULSE and the AND campaign hosted the “Churches Helping Churches” simulcast on May 15 featuring musical guests Lauren Daigle, Lecrae, TobyMac, For King & Country and more.

Sponsored by RightNow Media, the initiative started “The Churches Helping Churches” challenge in April is assisting small churches who were financially affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

The online effort also established the COVID-19 Relief that awarded $3,000 grants to congregations in need.

In a press release on Monday, The Churches Helping Churches initiative announced that the May 15 simulcast raised $153,187 from 716 donors with 258,000 viewers tuning in.

Furthermore, it was announced that the initiative will shift “from a national campaign to empowering local ministries to support at-risk churches as the ramifications of COVID-19 will be felt for months to come.”

President of the AND Campaign, Justin Giboney, commended the turnout of the simulcast noting that because of viewers’ generous support, countless churches will receive financial assistance.

“When we first thought of this initiative, we could’ve never imagined that this much money could be raised to help so many churches,” Giboney said in…

(RNS) — For more than half of his life, the Rev. Otis Moss III has sought to find ways to merge the cadence of the sermon with the creativity of movies.

In addition to being senior pastor of Chicago’s Trinity United Church of Christ, Moss founded Unashamed Media Group, which he described as “creating small films we hope will be used to teach, to inform, to inspire and shape homiletics in a different way.

“I believe that films preach,” he said. 

On Sunday (May 17), in honor of a young black jogger who was recently killed in Georgia, Moss premiered his latest fusion of faith and film: “The Cross and the Lynching Tree: A Requiem for Ahmaud Arbery.”

The 22-minute sermonic film features Moss preaching in his predominantly black megachurch before stained-glass windows that depict African American and church history. Interspersed between his words are images of a black actor pausing to tie his running shoes, clips of two drastically different movies released a century apart but both titled “The Birth of a Nation,” and footage of persecution and protest.

Moss, 49, is an Auburn Seminary senior fellow known for his commitment to social justice and a minister whose sermons placed him on Baylor University’s list of top 12 preachers in the English-speaking world. He learned film editing as a teenager tasked with cutting “Twilight Zone” episodes so a local Cleveland TV…

NEW DELHI, May 19, 2020 (Morning Star News) – A pastor and seven others putting relief packets together for the poor were assaulted by police who arrested them on a baseless allegation of gathering too many for worship amid the coronavirus lockdown in India, sources said.

Pastor Ramesh Kumar, 32, along with Christians Shri Chand, Rakesh Kumar and Mohit Kumar, were preparing aid packets on April 25 for distribution to the poor in Kakrahia village, near Kotiya, Kaushambi District, Uttar Pradesh state, when police stormed in and detained them and four others helping them, the pastor said.

“Before they detained us, the policemen used vulgar language and beat me, Rajendra and Rakesh with clubs,” Pastor Kumar told Morning Star News. “Rakesh sustained an injury on his hand and developed swelling because of the beating.”

Police accused them of violating the lockdown with a worship meeting, and officers ignored the pastor’s plea to speak with the village head, who could explain that it was not a worship service, he said. India’s prime minister recently called on people to help feed poor families during the coronavirus lockdown, and the pastor told officers they were trying to answer that call.

Police were reportedly acting on a complaint by Aneet Shukla, Manoj Dwivedi and Abhishek Dwivedi. Officers later booked the eight men under the Indian Penal Code Section 269 for “negligent acts…

As Americans share memes on social media with jokes about how much weight they have gained while under “Stay at Home” orders, Christians in many parts of the world face a different reality. Millions now struggle with food insecurity as they are not working during nationwide lockdowns. 

To help Christians grappling with hunger and need, Barnabas Aid is preparing to deploy relief and assistance throughout the developing world. They work through GAFCON, the Global Anglican Future Conference, which is committed to “retain and restore the Bible to the heart of the Anglican Communion.”

Barnabas Aid formed an emergency committee “to monitor the evolving situation as the virus spreads globally and how it impacts our project partners around the world, assessing how to best support them.” They said they are also preparing a committee to specifically handle requests from African nations. As they receive requests and gather information on the needs, they will distribute aid through a network of seminaries, colleges, and universities who “are in a position to help on the ground.”

They will also focus on aid for “Poor and Persecuted Christians.” Barnabas Aid shared the story of a Christian widow living in a central Asian nation who works as a domestic helper along with her three daughters. However, their nation is in lockdown and none of them are able…