Compiled by Jim Nieman and Chris Moon
Tom and Debbie Jones plan to step down from their leadership roles with Stadia Church Planting and Bloom, respectively, on Jan. 1, they announced via Facebook. However, both will remain with Stadia as special assistants to the president.
Tom Jones has served as executive director of Stadia since its founding in 2003. Debbie Jones founded and serves as senior director of Stadia’s Bloom, which empowers women to maximize their role in starting churches. Both of the Joneses will turn 65 in 2020.
“Our focus will turn from executive leadership and operations to work with strategic relationships with partners and church planting leaders and couples,” they wrote.
Since 2003, Stadia has grown from a handful of employees to more than 60, and from helping start a few new churches a year to more than 200 this year.
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NEWS BRIEFS
Some universities use their campus policies to “cultivate Christian sexual virtues,” The College Fix reported, noting Johnson University’s student handbook on such matters.
Johnson’s guidelines for couples include encouraging them to stay in lighted areas and remain in places where they can have accountability from others.
“Disciplinary action is not often needed,” vice president for student services David Legg said. “Because the intent of our enforcement of all our student policies is redemption / restoration, consequences will vary according to the facts in evidence, issues related to the behavior, and the general principle of redemption / restoration.”
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John Crist, a popular Christian stand-up comedian and YouTube star, has canceled his remaining 2019 tour dates after acknowledging certain “destructive and sinful” behavior.
“According to multiple sources, Crist has exploited his Christian reputation and platform to harass, manipulate and exploit young women over the last seven years,” CharismaNews.com wrote. “The allegations include, but are not limited to, individually sexting multiple women during the same time period, initiating sexual relationships with married women and women in committed relationships, offering show tickets in exchange for sexual favors and repeatedly calling these women late at night while drunk.”
Crist shared a statement with Charisma that read, in part: “While I am not guilty of everything I’ve been accused of, I confess to being guilty of this—I have treated relationships with women far too casually, in some cases even recklessly. My behavior has been destructive and sinful. . . . I am sorry for the hurt and pain I have caused these women and will continue to seek their forgiveness. I have also hurt the name of Jesus and have sought His forgiveness.”
Crist, one of the top 100 touring artists in the world (according to Pollstar), performed at the President’s Banquet of the 2018 North American Christian Convention.
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Summit Christian College in Gering, Neb., was accredited by the Association for Biblical Higher Education earlier this year. SCC president David Parrish said the accredited status has helped to advance the four-year college’s abilities to recruit students who are pursuing training and careers in ministry, missions, or leadership positions in church and parachurch settings.
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Manchester Christian Church (Manchester, Bedford, and Concord, NH) held a worship service Sept. 22 at Manchester’s Northeast Delta Dental Stadium, home of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, a minor league baseball team. Almost 2,300 people attended, another 600 watched online, and there were 82 baptisms.
“Our desire at MCC is to reach the most people in the shortest time,” senior pastor Bo Chancey said in a video about the special service. “It was another worship service in a different place that honestly reached different people than we would have reached otherwise.”
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Northwest Christian University, Eugene, Ore., has a record enrollment this year. Of NCU’s 805 students, 113 are freshman—the largest class in the school’s 124-year history. (Graduate, adult degree program, and nondegree-seeking students comprise just over half of NCU’s enrollment.)
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