• Mattoon (Ill.) Christian Church
A year ago, on Nov. 28, 2020, fire severely damaged Mattoon (Ill.) Christian Church. Since that time, MCC has been welcomed by—and found a home with—Marshall Avenue Christian Church, a Disciples of Christ congregation. Marshall Avenue meets for worship at 9 a.m. on Sundays and MCC gathers at 11 a.m.
“It’s two churches working together,” MCC pastor Ken King told the Journal Gazette and Times-Courier. Marshall Avenue’s congregation voted for MCC to stay, and Mattoon Christian has accepted. “It’s been amazing,” he said. “There have been no problems at all with us coming together.”
The two churches split the maintenance costs of the one-story building, which is large enough to accommodate both congregations.
MCC has been doing cleanup and repairs at its three-story, nearly 100-year-old former home in hopes of selling it, King told the newspaper. MCC plans to use proceeds to open a new food pantry site, which formerly operated out of the church’s basement. In the interim, MCC has been working with Mattoon Faith Fellowship church to continue food distribution.
Michael Kallis, 42, was charged with arson in the fire that damaged Mattoon Christian Church. He said voices in his head told him to set the fire. (See our original article about the fire.)
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• Compass Christian Church, Council Bluffs, Iowa
The Daily Nonpareil profiled two churches in Council Bluffs, Iowa, that “are thankful this season to have bigger facilities that better meet their needs.”
One of those churches is Twin Cities Christian Church, which in September changed its name to Compass Christian Church. A short time later, the church moved from its home of 51 years in what had become an increasingly industrial area into a different building—the former home of Southview Bible Church—located in a residential area.
In fact, Compass received an unsolicited offer for its existing building less than 24 hours before learning about the availability of Southview’s property, where it eventually moved. The decision to move was made after fasting and prayer.
“We’re very excited to be here, and it’s worked out real well so far,” Compass senior pastor Matt Beckner told the newspaper. “We feel the new name helps make even clearer our mission to the community: pointing people to Jesus by loving God, loving our neighbors and making disciples.”
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News Briefs
At the recent International Conference On Missions in Richmond, Va., 2020 president Jeff Vines urged missionaries and ministers to consider the failure of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries and not make the same mistake in their own organizations.
Revelations of sexual misconduct by Zacharias came out shortly after his death in May 2020. Vines considered Zacharias a mentor, and the apologist had been scheduled to speak at least year’s ICOM.
“Those of us in leadership who are on the wrong path are depending on the fact that you don’t want to know about it,” said Vines, pastor of ONE&ALL Church in California. “Any organization in this day and age that does not create systems of accountability will eventually come to ruin.”
Also at the annual gathering, Kip Lines, executive director of CMF International, spoke of learning last year that two female children of CMF missionaries from about 60 years ago reported that their father abused them. Since then, Lines became aware of abuse in another CMF family from the same time period. In a video, Lines shared what CMF has been doing since hearing these reports. He said, “We [Christian organizations] need to do better. . . . We cannot protect abusers.”
Christianity Today reported on these calls for accountability at ICOM.
We reported on how to respond when a role model fails—which quoted Jeff Vines—in “Still Learning from Ravi Zacharias” in our September/October issue.
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Milligan University plans to launch three new programs in fall 2022: a master’s degree in coaching and athletic administration, an undergraduate major in criminology/criminal justice, and an undergraduate major and minor in cybersecurity.
“These additions will strengthen Milligan’s curriculum and provide important new opportunities for our students,” Dr. R. Garland Young, vice president for academic affairs and dean, said via Milligan’s website.
The new master’s degree will prepare graduates for leadership roles in sports and athletics.
“This program will promote professional engagement in advanced levels of athletics with the Christian faith as the basis for serving and leading in athletics,” said Dr. Trini Rangel, associate professor of exercise science. (The graduate program will start next fall pending accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.)
The criminology/criminal justice major will prepare students for careers or graduate school in the fields of law, social services, forensics, and research.
The cybersecurity major will blend the strengths of Milligan’s computer science curriculum with best practices from the National Security Agency.
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This Saturday, at the conclusion of Glendale, Ky.’s annual “Christmas in the Country” celebration, the community will gather at Glendale Christian Church for “Carols in the Country,” a first-year event. Gilead Baptist and Glendale Methodist Church are serving as cohosts, the News-Enterprise reported.
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Johnson University alum Rachel Grindle will return to the Knoxville, Tenn., campus in January as campus pastor. The mother of three young boys has served in ministry for 20 years for three churches, and with Christ in Youth and Ozark Christian College, both of Joplin, Mo. She earned her undergraduate degree at Johnson, a master’s degree from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif., and is pursuing a PhD in leadership studies at JU.
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An armed youth tried to steal a collection plate at Portland Avenue Church of Christ in Louisville, Ky., right before a sermon last month but was disarmed by church members as he tried to flee from the sanctuary. The boy reportedly bit several members while he was being held, but no one suffered significant injuries, the Christian Chronicle reported.
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