Johnson University president Tommy Smith announced today he will retire from his position effective June 30, 2024. “I want what is best for the mission of this university,” Smith said via news release, “and my health situation prevents me from providing the long-term leadership this great work requires.” . . .
More than 80 years ago, several Christian fathers wrote on the topic, “Why I encouraged my son to be a minister.” Today, we dust off and share two of those responses. The first is from Victor E. Hoven, father of Ard Hoven. The second is from R. C. Foster, father of Lewis Foster.
June 7, 2023
The former financial director of Pikes Peak Christian Church in Colorado Springs, Colo., is accused of stealing more than $340,000 from the church, according to a news report. An arrest warrant charges her with 896 counts of financial-related crimes. . . . Plus briefs from Minnesota, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri.
June 6, 2023
Charlie McMahan says SouthBrook Christian Church in Miamisburg, Ohio, took a major step forward last year in its recovery from COVID-19—an event that he compares to the 9/11 terrorist attacks . . . but which had an opposite effect on the church in this country. . . .
May 31, 2023
Central Park Christian Church in Topeka, Kan., is planning a “Rooftop Revival” this weekend to bring the community together and help raise funds for the church’s youth ministry. Also briefs about funeral arrangements for Nell Stacy, a new book on Hebrews by Chad Ragsdale, and more. . . .
May 31, 2023
A baptistery can make a world of difference. Ocala Christian Church discovered this during 2022 when the small church in central Florida baptized 31 people. That translated into a 27.9 percent baptism ratio (baptisms per 100 in average attendance). . . .
May 30, 2023
In the fall of 2020, as COVID restrictions were being eased, my wife and I were church “free agents.” I suggested we try an a cappella congregation I knew in Louisville, Ky. We jumped in, and two years later I joined the staff as involvement minister—a lifelong Christian Church guy now teaching, discipling, and worshipping in four-part harmony. Here are five observations from my experiences serving in an a cappella church. . . .
"It is my conviction that the day of Pentecost is the focal point in the history of the world," Wm. E. Sweeney wrote in 1929, ". . . that all the lines of history before that time converge to that great day, and that all the lines of history since that time have diverged." . . .
May 24, 2023
Tim Keller, renowned pastor, speaker, and best-selling author, died Friday. Several Christian Church leaders shared with us how Keller impacted their lives and ministries. . . .
At the start of May, the administrative offices of Maritime Christian College relocated to Sherwood Christian Church in Charlottetown, PEI, Canada. The move coincided with the sale of MCC’s building in Charlottetown, which mainly consisted of dorm rooms and apartments. MCC has switched to an online model. . . . Plus a survey and news briefs. . . .
First Christian Church in Monticello, Ky., had a banner year for baptisms in 2022, according to the annual Church Report compiled by Christian Standard. Senior minister Joe Tipton said three factors accounted for the large number of baptisms at the church (which dates back to 1831) . . .
Dr. Brian Baldwin has been hired as dean of students at Great Lakes Christian College, Lansing, Mich. Also briefs about Tina Wilson's new book, FAME, IDES, and more. . . .
May 16, 2023
Sometimes, a story of growth is a story of recovery. Such is the case at First Christian Church in Norfolk, Neb.—which had one of the highest growth rates in Christian Standard’s 2022 Church Report, published in the current print magazine. . . .
May 16, 2023
Rioters and roaming mobs in Northeastern India have killed dozens of Christians, destroyed scores of church buildings, and burned down hundreds of houses belonging to Christians. . . .
May 15, 2023
With the rise in online church services, many have different opinions on the acceptability or validity of online church attendance for those with the ability to attend in person. Lifeway Research finds pastors and churchgoers split over the question. But other research projects may provide more clarity on tangible benefits that come exclusively from physical attendance. . . .
In 1953, Leon Appel wrote: "A few of the suggestions made by elders and deacons at this [Kiamichi] clinic, if taken seriously, may help the preacher to extend the term of his ministry in a given field, and enlarge his measure of usefulness." . . .
May 10, 2023
In Celebrate Recovery, making amends is one of the final steps. This step demands a person seek forgiveness from anyone they’ve hurt or offended, as well as grant pardon to those who’ve hurt or offended them. I still had one last person to pardon . . . and she had hurt me most. It was my own mother. But to understand the end, let’s start from the beginning. . . .
Ozark Christian College created a video marking the retirement of Dr. Terry Bowland after 30 years of service with the school. The ministry and New Testament professor will be remembered for many things, including his love for family, church, and teaching at OCC. Also briefs from around the country. . . .
A group is protesting Milligan University’s avowed biblical position on human sexuality by posting on a billboard near campus last month that “Trans is Holy,” “Drag is Holy,” “Queer is Holy,” and “You are Holy." . . .
May 6, 2023
Prayers are needed for Christians in and around the city of Imphal in India, near the border with Myanmar, where more than two dozen Christian churches have reportedly been burned down in recent days. . . .
Sponsored
Sponsored
Sponsored
August 5, 2026
John Mulpas
August 4, 2026
David Faust
August 4, 2026
Terry Allcorn