| | Evangelical Lutheran Church sees pastoral shortage following pandemic | | Curated for you byCP Editors | | Good afternoon! It's Wednesday, May 11, and today's headlines include a shortage of pastors in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, activists vandalizing a Catholic church, and details on the upcoming "Harbinger" flick, which hits theaters this month. | The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is experiencing a national shortage of "at least 600" pastors—and congregations that are currently without pastors may be waiting a while for a replacement. Atonement Lutheran Church in Billing Heights, Mont., is one such congregation that is currently operating without a full-time pastor. Nancy Rupe, the church's office administrator who now runs the church's daily operations, told The Christian Post, "Our pastor resigned and took a position at another organization in September and so we’ve been in the call process since that time." Rupe said she believed the pastor shortage was due to people no longer being as attracted to ministry as they were in the past, noting that the Covid-19 pandemic was a big shock to the profession. "[I]t’s probably because there’s not as many individuals going into ministry and therefore not attending seminary. And then you have what they call baby boomers going into retirement. I’m sure COVID had some part to play in it." Read more.Also of Interest ...Taco Bell's latest push features 'Drag Brunch' with local 'queens and kings'Megachurch pastor: Honor is 'absent' in today's culture of 'toxicity' | | P.S. Did you hear? We’ve launched The Christian Post Daily, a podcast featuring the day’s top headlines. Listen now on Apple, Google, Spotify, Edifi, or wherever you stream your favorite podcasts. Don’t forget to subscribe so that you never miss an update. Stay in the know with In Case You Missed It, a Friday-only newsletter that features a roundup of the top stories of the week. Subscribe here. |
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| Overcoming the power warp | | Drawing on Lord Acton's famous line, "power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely," Wallace B. Henley discusses how people can overcome the power warp that often grips those who are in positions of authority. Henley asserts the Bible is clear when it comes to dealing with the effects of the power warp, noting leaders must know the differences between true authority and raw power and heed the voice of the "Samuels" around them. Continue reading. | | Tim Keller is wrong about abortion | | Attorney Steven C. Begakis writes about why he believes Tim Keller, the well-known theologian and pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, has concerning views on the politics of abortion and a potential overturning of Roe v. Wade. As a follow-up to Keller's recent tweet discussing how Christians should approach abortion, Begakis writes, "Abortion kills a baby, ending its life forever. If that is true, could Christians in good conscience accept any just treatment of the sin of abortion other than working to abolish it? Keller’s thread assumes the answer is 'yes,' but it fails to give any satisfying explanation as to why." Continue reading. |
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| Thousands of sponsors have been Chosen! Are you in? | | You may be familiar with child sponsorship. Through Chosen, World Vision’s new invitation to sponsorship, it’s the child who gets to experience the joy of choosing. This is what it means to be #chosen: | | Rosemary, who lives in Kenya, was not used to choosing. She and her grandmother and brother barely had enough food to eat, and she had to walk an hour to collect dirty water. But then Rosemary got to choose her sponsor, and she chose Regis. She said, "I chose [you] because you look smart." | | Being chosen by Rosemary reminded Regis of how his mother picked him from photos when he was adopted from an orphanage in India. For Regis, being chosen, both as an orphaned child and now as an adult, is a reflection of God’s love. "This is a good reminder of Jesus," Regis said. "He has not forgotten me. He hasn’t forsaken me. He continues to love me." | | Get more of Regis and Rosemary’s story — and sign up to be #chosen! — at worldvision.org/chosen. | | |
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| Baylor coach on finding 'JOY' on and off the court | | Baylor University men's basketball coach Scott Drew has released his new book, The Road to J.O.Y.: Leading with Faith, Playing with Purpose, Leaving a Legacy, where he discusses the importance of putting people first and how the Covid-19 "bubble" in late 2020 brought his team together in unexpected ways as they put Jesus and others before themselves on their road to winning the NCAA Tournament in April 2021. During an interview with The Christian Post, Drew explained the inspiration for his book title stems from the meaning behind his acronym for "J.O.Y.": Jesus, Others, Yourself. "If you have that order right, then life is a lot more rewarding, fulfilling, and people want to be around you a lot more, that’s for sure." Continue reading. |
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| Movieguide's Lili Baehr dies | | Lili Baehr, the co-founder of Movieguide and wife of Ted Baehr, died on May 5, surrounded by her loved ones. Her cause of death is unknown. The Baehrs have been instrumental in influencing Hollywood to create positive content, with their Annual Faith & Values Awards Gala & Report showcasing the success of content with faith themes. In one of her final interviews, which was quoted in her obituary, Baehr advised: "Don’t create your own walls. Go for what you want. Don’t think that you can’t get there from here. Have joy in the journey." Continue reading. | | 'Harbinger' flick details America's prophetic history | | "The Harbingers of Things to Come" is headed to select theaters nationwide on May 12 and May 19. The film, which is based on Messianic Jewish Rabbi Jonathan Cahn’s bestselling book "The Harbinger," explores America’s spiritual history and destiny. "We’re at a much more dangerous time. And so, the object is to get the word out to as many people as possible to people who have not read the books or might not read the books," Cahn said during an interview with The Christian Post. Cahn explained that Boston is an especially significant place in the history of the U.S. as it was where English Puritan lawyer and preacher John Winthrop declared in 1630 that the U.S. should be a shining city on a hill and that if the nation followed God’s ways, it would become the most blessed and powerful nation that has ever existed. Winthrop was one of the leading figures in founding the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Winthrop’s words about the trajectory of the nation have materialized, Cahn told CP, adding that "what people miss is that he also gave a warning, that if we don’t [follow God's ways], that if we turn away from God, then the judgments that came upon Israel will come upon us. And that’s exactly what is all happening." Continue reading. | | | | | | | | Thank you for spending part of your day with us. We look forward to seeing you again tomorrow! -- CP Editors |
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