Month: August 2021

A South Carolina Pastor Quit And His Church Revolts

For years Pastor Todd Elliot and the elders of Beach Church in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina have been fighting over who holds ultimate power in the church. With no solution in sight, Elliott resigned and received a year’s severance. But church members weren’t going to let their beloved pastor go without a fight. And so they organized on a Facebook page called, Beach Church Together, to defend Elliott. Within days, the Beach Church elders had resigned, the locks on the church had been changed and the doors opened for Elliott’s return. Read more about the revolt here.

Nazarene Fund Says State department Stopping Humanitarian Flights

Glenn Beck, whose Nazarene Fund raised over $28 million for rescue operations in Afghanistan, is blaming the U.S. State Department for standing in the way of such missions. He revealed that several neighboring countries to Afghanistan had already stepped up to take in Afghan refugees. However, the U.S. Department told these governments to stop taking in the Afghan refugees. “The State Department has blocked us every step of the way. We have to send people into even greater danger to try to smuggle these Christians out who are marked not just for death, but to be set on fire alive because they are converted Christians.” beck reported. Read more about his mission here.

Taliban Killing Christians With Bible App On Their Phone

Taliban militants are even pulling people off public transport and killing them on the spot if they’re Christians or considered ethnically “unpure”.  “We’re hearing from reliable sources that the Taliban demand people’s phones, and if they find a downloaded Bible on your device, they will kill you immediately,” reports Dr. Rex Rogers, who is president of the Christian media group SAT-7 North America. Afghanistan has been rated as the second-most dangerous country in the world for Christians even before the Taliban took control. Read more about the continued danger for Afghanistan  Christians here.

Rescue Efforts Under Way For Louisiana Residents Trapped By Hurricane Ida

More than 1 million homes and businesses remained without power in and around New Orleans. At least two people are known to have been killed: a motorist who drowned in New Orleans and a person hit by a falling tree outside Baton Rouge. The state’s governor, John Bel Edwards, and Joe Biden said they expected the death toll to rise. Now rescues are underway for scores of coastal Louisiana residents trapped by floodwaters. Dozens of US coast guard helicopters and high-water vehicles had been deployed along with state and local resources. Read more about the rescues here.

Glen beck Raises $30 Million To Rescue Afghan Christians

Popular Syndicated radio host Glenn Beck raised $30 million in less than a week for the Nazarene Fund, which works to rescue Christians and other religious minorities from persecution and slavery in the Middle East and around the world. As the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan last week, Beck urged listeners to “give until it hurts” to rescue some 5,000 Christians, mainly women and children, trapped in the country. “Keep your prayers coming,” Beck said. “Keep your thoughts, contributions moving. It’s working.” Learn where you can donate here.

More Evangelicals Are getting Vaccinated 

An August poll by NBC News shows that 59 percent of white evangelicals say they already have received the vaccine. A poll conducted in June by Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) and the Interfaith Youth Core showed that 56 percent of white evangelicals either had received the vaccine or planned on getting it. In March, 45 percent of white evangelicals in a PRRI poll answered that way. Together, the polls suggest that white evangelicals are gradually embracing the vaccine as the Delta variant spreads across the United States. Read about the poll here.

Chinese Authorities Are Offer Cash To Citizens To Spy On Christian Neighbors

In the latest persecutions of Christians in China, a new reward system is being used in as a way to crack down on Christians who engage in “illegal religious activities.” Earlier this month, the Meilisi Daur District in Heilongjiang Province’s Qiqihar city released “The Reward System For Reporting Illegal Religious Activities Offenses,” saying informants could be eligible to receive 1,000 yuan ($150). This is just the latest step taken by the Chinese Communist Party in an effort to assure that all its citizens comply with the edicts and beliefs of the state. Read more about the persecution here.

The U.S. EPA Banning Pesticide Harmful To Children

The Biden administration announced on Wednesday that it is banning a common pesticide, widely used since 1965 on fruits and vegetables, from use on food crops because it has been linked to neurological damage in children. The EPA said it would publish a regulation to block the use of chlorpyrifos on food. Environmental organizations, health advocates and groups representing farm workers have long sought to stop the use of the chlorpyrifos, after studies showed exposure to the pesticide was linked to lower birth weights, reduced I.Q.s and other developmental problems in children. Read more about the pesticide here.