August 23, 2022

Calvary Chapel Pastor Accused Of Running Persecution Themed Boot Camp

Calvary Chapel pastor Chet Lowe is being accused of running a Christian boot camp in California where adult students were subjected to “simulated torture.” The students said the boot camp, Patmos: Reality Discipleship, pushed them beyond their breaking point. Students went on to say Patmos used firing squads and middle-of-the-night chases by “Muslims” to make them rely on God, leaving some traumatized and some questioning their faith. One said she left the camp in a wheelchair. Another said he was forced to survive alone outside in the snowy mountains for four days with only communion crackers and grape juice. Read more about the boot camp here.

 

Texas Law Requires Public Schools To Display “In God We Trust” Signs 

A new Texas law requires schools to hang posters of the national motto, “In God We Trust,” in every building on their campuses, as long as the posters are donated. The bill, SB 797, was passed last year by the Texas legislature and states that campuses must display “a durable poster or framed copy of the United States national motto” in a “conspicuous place in each building of the school or institution.” It also requires that each poster have an American flag “centered under the motto” as well as the state flag of Texas. Read more about the law here.

 

Hundreds Of Churches Lost In Ukraine War

About 400 of Ukraine’s 2,300 Baptist churches have been lost during the war with Russia, according to Yaroslav Pyzh, president of the Ukrainian Baptist Theological Seminary. Pyzh also said that as Western attention has been less focused on Ukraine, “donations are dropping down big time, not like we had two or three months ago. People are just tired of the war, but I see a tremendous decrease in donations.” Ukraine had the largest Baptist population in continental Europe before the war, with over 100,000 believers. Pyzh is focused on rebuilding, with Nehemiah as his guide. Read more about the losses here.

 

Micro Preemie With 50% Survival Rate Finally Goes Home

A baby girl born four months premature was finally cleared to go home last week after spending more than 500 days in the hospital. Tyler Robinson was forced to deliver her daughter Autumn after she suffered a uterine rupture at the end of 2021. Autumn was just 23 weeks old and weighed 1.1 pounds at the time of her birth. The preemie faced severe health complications, including an inconsistent heart rate and underdeveloped lungs, which caused a chronic lung disease known as bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Last week, Robinson was finally able to take her daughter home after spending 524 days in the hospital. Read more about this little miracle here.