Pastor John Ortberg preaches at Menlo Church in May 2020. Video screengrab via Menlo Church
Need to know: Monday, July 13, 2020
John Ortberg’s megachurch announces new investigation
Elders at Menlo Church say their initial investigation into concerns about megachurch pastor John Ortberg's son fell short.
Evangelical, Catholic leaders say Trump has left persecuted Christians in danger
Evangelical leaders from World Relief and Open Doors — along with Catholic bishops — say Trump administration policy leaves persecuted Christians in danger.
Without church or internet, many South Africans turn to liturgies at home
'The church in South Africa, still, is rooted in the Mass experience,’ said a parish priest of Our Lady of Peace in Johannesburg.
Months into COVID-19, funeral directors and clergy continue to innovate death care
Spurred by lockdowns, funeral homes, green burial conservations and houses of faith are innovating to adjust to a new normal of death care.
Stay home from church
Anyone insisting on a quick return to life pre-COVID is ignoring a foundational principle of Christian faith: that God is in the business of perpetually creating new life, writes Amy Butler.
China announces retaliatory sanctions against Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz
The Chinese government has announced sanctions against US officials, including the Republican senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, in response to US sanctions over Beijing’s treatment of ethnic and religious minorities in Xinjiang province.
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Catholic Church lobbied for taxpayer funds, got $1.4B
NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. Roman Catholic Church used an unprecedented exemption from federal rules to amass at least $1.4 billion in taxpayer-backed coronavirus aid, with millions going to dioceses that have struggled financially because of clergy sexual abuse cover-ups.
Turkey’s president formally makes Hagia Sophia — a former cathedral — a mosque
(AP) — Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that the sixth century Byzantine building, a museum since the 1930s, would open to Muslim worship.
Jehovah’s Witnesses move global conventions online amid COVID-19 pandemic
Jehovah's Witnesses have moved their large-scale conventions, which have been held every year since 1897, online due to COVID-19.
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Orthodox Jews face collateral damage from unbalanced COVID-19 measures
(RNS) — Many people of faith have faced limits on meeting for services. But when Jewish Americans have gathered publicly, they have faced a slew of anti-Semitic attacks — some from prominent government officials.
If you want to win Mormons back to the LDS Church, shame and fear are not the ways to do it
Fear and shame seem to be the most common tactics orthodox Mormons use to keep people in the church. There is a better way.
COVID-19 is more than a public health challenge: it’s a moral test
(RNS) — Any crisis tests our character as individuals and as a nation. So far we are failing in this one. We can and must do better.
