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This is the last episode for the month of March – time for our monthly news roundup. In this episode, we’ll be talking about how politics has affected churches coming out of the pandemic, another church leaving the global Hillsong Church, and defining what a woman is.
STORY #1 – Churches Are Returning to Pre-Pandemic Normal, But With One Major Change
“As government regulations from the COVID-19 pandemic have begun to wane, houses of worship across the country are lifting their rules and returning to normal practices.
“Despite the return to normal, though, a new survey from the Pew Research Center found the number of people attending worship services in-person has not changed since last fall, following a stretch of growth from July 2020 to September 2021.
“Forty-three percent of survey participants said their congregations have returned to normal operating procedures, an increase of 14% in the last six months. In March 2021, just 31% said their churches were operating normally.
“Interestingly, when split along party lines, the difference in behavior becomes very clear.
“Nearly twice as many Republicans (58%) as Democrats (27%) say their churches or houses of worship are operating the way they did prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.” (Faithwire)
Related material:
STORY #2 – Hillsong Shrinks Dramatically in US – Phoenix Pastor Latest to Pull Out as Global Church Faces Scandals
“Another Hillsong pastor has announced his resignation from the Hillsong Church, and this time he’s taking his entire congregation with him. Nine US-based Hillsong churches have reportedly left the global organization in just the past two weeks as the movement shrinks dramatically.
“It comes as the church has endured several high-profile scandals, including the latest which led to the resignation of Australian founder Brian Houston. As CBN News reported, that development prompted the pastor of Hillsong Atlanta to pull out right away.
“Now, Hillsong Phoenix Lead Pastor Terry Crist is the latest to leave, announcing he’s withdrawing his Arizona church from the oversight of the governing board of the global Hillsong Church.” (CBN News)
Related material:
- The Blessing of Autonomy
- The Problem with Denominations
- Why Being Non-Denominational Is Not Good Enough
STORY #3 – Do You Know What a Woman Is?
“We have a Supreme Court nominee who either can’t or won’t offer a definition of what a woman is. Why? Because she claims that she’s not a biologist.”
[…]
“Have we really come to the point that a sitting judge and nominee for the highest court in the land cannot define what a woman is? Think how fast transgender propaganda has taken root in our culture that this very basic question would produce a blank stare and an ‘I don’t know’ from a sitting judge.” (Denny Burk)
Related material:
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