Students from Rockvale High School in Tennessee will pray before their football game this week after a complaint was filed against the coach.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued an objection against football coach Rick Rice after he prayed for his team, as reported by Faithwire. According to the organization, only students are allowed to lead prayers. The coach apologized for any misunderstanding after discussing the matter with the school principal and acknowledged that he led two prayers after games so far that season. 

But students from the high school believe the complaint was not needed.

“We always prayed before games. It was just part of what we did,” said Drew Kilgour, a Rockvale resident.

“That’s something that you see on the fields. That’s something that you see in the locker rooms. That’s something you see in the classrooms, in small groups when it comes to any athletic sport, but especially in football, we really see that,” Ronnisha Simmons-Duke, a mother of a Rockvale high school student, said.

In response to the complaint, Rockvale students Madison Nowacki and La’Naya Nelson announced an official prayer circle at 6:30 p.m. before their weekly football game, according to the Daily Journal.

“We have been talking about wanting to pray with our team for a while, but we were scared at first,” Nowacki said. “After the…

Last week, Christian musician Sean Feucht announced that he is running for Congress in California’s third district.

“Family values are being eroded, the unborn are sacrificed, morals are low, and taxes are high,” his website says. “Families face unimaginable challenges to make ends meet. We need a new generation of leaders. Leaders with a vision, leaders who don’t seek a career, but are willing to sacrifice to fight for what is right.”

Feucht, best known for his work with Bethel Music, believes Congress has failed the country and needs a leader to “stand up and speak up,” CBN News reports.

In the days before his announcement, he opened up to his Instagram account about the upcoming race.

“Kate and I are moving into a season where we are about to find out who our true friends, family, and support systems are,” he wrote. “As sobering as that may sound, I actually believe it’s a gift from God, at least I keep telling myself that. We rarely get these seasons in our lives, at least living in the safe zones of the West, where we must make a choice between the fear of God and fear of men. I know Heaven records our response.”

On Friday morning, in a video narrated by his wife Kate, he announced his decision to run for Congress.

“This is our time to stand up and speak up, this is our moment to be the change. I’m not going to sit…

In a first-of-its-kind decision, a federal judge Thursday ruled that the state of Michigan likely displayed “hostility” toward religion when it required a Catholic adoption agency to place foster children with same-sex couples. 

The ruling is a victory for St. Vincent Catholic Charities, a Michigan adoption agency which holds traditional biblical beliefs that marriage was ordained by God for one man and one woman. 

Although a 2015 law had protected religious adoption agencies, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel labeled it “indefensible” during her campaign. Nessel, a Democrat, also called supporters of the law “hate-mongers” and said the law’s purpose was “discriminatory animus.” She was elected in 2018. 

Nessel refused to defend the law, and this year announced a settlement requiring all adoption agencies – including religious ones – to work with same-sex couples if the agencies are to have foster care contracts with the state.  

Becket Fund for Religious Liberty sued the state on behalf of St. Vincent, foster parents and a former foster child who is now an adult. 

Federal Judge Robert J. Jonker on Thursday issued an injunction against the new rule, ruling St. Vincent likely will win the lawsuit. He was nominated by President George W. Bush.

“The State … wants to cancel St. Vincent’s contract if St. Vincent…

Norway’s child welfare agency, Barnevernet, has taken permanent custody of three American children after accusations of child abuse that have since been falsified.

“Our hearts are shattered; I can’t hold back tears,” Natalya Shutakova, mother of the three, told CBN News. “Today is a terrible day, another hit to our family.”

Shutakova, who is a US citizen, moved to Norway from Atlanta, Georgia, last year with her husband, Zigintas Aleksandravicius, who is Lithuanian.

The accusations came from their 11-year-old daughter Brigita, who later acknowledged that her stories were made up. According to a video she created after being separated from her parents, Brigita explained that her parents took away her phone as a punishment. In anger, she later told a story about her parents in school.

“Because of me, my family got separated. I started some drama and I wasn’t honest and then I just made up some story and I lied because I didn’t know what I was doing. I lost control. I wasn’t honest. I was so, so angry and I just made up a story,” she said. “I just want to tell you guys—the president—that I am so sorry for lying. But what I mostly want is my mom and dad back.”

In the video, Brigita appealed to “any president” listening to reunite her family.

But the court disregarded the video and voted against the…

An LGBT lobby group has placed a radical new proposal before the United Methodist Church’s General Conference in a bid to solve long-standing disagreements on LGBT issues.

In a bid to appease all church members, the pro-LGBT group UM-Forward has suggested that the UMC be split into four separate denominations each with their own policies on the issue.

Despite varying rules and regulations, all four sections of the Protestant UMC will be “grounded in the Wesleyan view of grace and holiness, commitment to mission, and connectionalism,” according to the group’s plan. Each denomination will, however, hold to “a different understanding of how this heritage faithfully serves the present age.”

The four different denominations defined within the plan are named the “Traditionalist Methodist Church,” the “Moderate Methodist Church,” the “Progressive Methodist Church,” and the “Liberation Methodist Church,” the Christian Post reported.

According to the plan, despite their varying positions, these different denominations “may be in full communion with each other and part of a global convention or worldwide Wesleyan Communion.”

One of those heading up the initiative, UM-Forward leader and General Conference reserve delegate, Rev. Alex da Silva Souto, told the United Methodist News Service that the plan was the only feasible…

As the 2020 election season draws near, a new study conducted by LifeWay Research reveals which issues evangelicals view as their top priorities and how Christians should engage in politics to solve those issues.

The online survey of 1,317 evangelicals, which was conducted last November, asked respondents to identify their top three public policy priorities from a number of choices.  Atop the list was healthcare at 51%. The economy at 46% and national security at 40% came in as the second and third highest priorities for evangelicals. Also on the list, though with considerably lower percentage figures, were abortion at 29% and addressing racial division at 21%.

However, abortion is still an important issue for many evangelicals.  According to the study, “Only half of evangelicals by belief (51%) say they will only support a candidate who wants to make abortion illegal…” And while still a significant percentage the study points out that this commitment to supporting only pro-life candidates is less than the commitment to support candidates who will fight racial injustice (67%) among other issues.

The study also highlights evangelical voters’ commitment to civility when discussing politics.  “Two in 3 Americans with evangelical beliefs (66%) believe being civil in political conversations is productive.”

In response to the survey,…

LAS VEGAS (RNS) — Eric Metaxas might be the most perplexing evangelical in America. 

A best-selling author and nationally syndicated radio host, Metaxas spent his early career writing children’s books and video scripts for Rabbit Ears Productions and VeggieTales before becoming a cultural commentator and author of popular biographies of religious figures like William Wilberforce and Martin Luther.

At one point, he was best known for founding Socrates in the City, a series of conversations with writers and thinkers like NT Wright, Francis Collins, Lauren Winner and Sir John Polkinghorne, where he developed a reputation for thoughtful commentary on faith and public life.

Then he discovered Donald Trump.

Since then, the once-genial Christian author who penned “Lyle the Kindly Viking” has become a full-throated supporter of the president and critic of the liberal forces he believes pose a threat to American culture.

His latest book, “Donald Builds the Wall,” features a blond-headed caveman dressed in an American flag saving his people from the forces of evil by building a wall to keep out swamp creatures and a “caravan of troublemakers.”

Metaxas was recently in Las Vegas to appear on a panel during a meeting of the Religion News Association. Bob Smietana, RNS editor-in-chief, spoke with him there about his support for the president and his concerns about the…

A Washington, D.C. mission is hoping to provide shelter and biblical teaching to the growing homeless population in the city.

According to CBN News, Central Union Mission offers housing to some 170 people, but the group also offers something more.

“The gospel is faithfully presented here every day, not only in the shelter but in the family ministry center. The cross of Christ is meeting the needs of the homeless and hurting in this city,” Central Union Mission chair Dee Dee Collins told CBN News.

The Central Union Mission has educational programs and job placement help as well.

“We have a restoration and transformation program that’s biblically based … we layer that with cognitive programming for those that have addiction issues. We also have education and workforce development opportunities,” said Rev. Deborah J. Chambers, the mission’s VP of development and partnerships.

A report from the mayor’s office in the city said there are some 6,500 people in Washington, D.C. without homes, including many veterans.

“I think the one thing we can all agree on is our veterans deserve to have a place to live after they’ve served…one of the things we have here is a veteran’s suite, where we have it decked out for the veterans and try to afford them a sense of dignity while living in a shelter,” Chambers said.

The mission also provides three meals a…