Leonardo Blair

Latest

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  Jan 19, 2023

  Ex-SBC Pres. Johnny Hunt returns to pulpit after allegation he sexually assaulted pastor’s wife 12 years ago

  Six months after he was suspended as pastor emeritus by First Baptist Church Woodstock in Georgia following an investigation that concluded allegations he sexually assaulted a younger pastor's wife over a decade ago are credible, former Southern Baptist Convention President Johnny Hunt returned to preaching on Sunday, declaring that God’s call on his life is “irrevocable.”

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  Jan 19, 2023

  Decline in church attendance drove deaths of despair among middle-aged white population: study

  Deaths by drugs, alcohol and suicide, known as “deaths of despair,” dramatically increased among middle-aged white Americans in the late 20th century due to lower participation in organized religion that was preceded by a repeal of blue laws that prohibited commercial activities on Sunday, a new study from the National Bureau of Economic Research shows.

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  Jan 18, 2023

  Duquesne University's Theology Department Chair found dead with woman in apparent murder-suicide

  Marinus C. Iwuchukwu, an associate professor of theology and chair of the Theology Department at Duquesne University, was found dead inside his Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, home Tuesday along with a woman in what local police say is an apparent murder-suicide.

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  Jan 17, 2023

  Man wearing ‘Jesus Saves’ T-shirt at Mall of America asked to take it off or leave

  A street preacher in Minnesota who dared to wear a T-shirt declaring “Jesus Saves” to the Mall of America in Bloomington was recently threatened with eviction from the mall if he didn’t remove the shirt because it was offending people.

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  Jan 17, 2023

  Citing Psalm 51, prominent Pastor RA Vernon claims Scripture proves some gay people are born that way

  Prominent megachurch Pastor R.A. Vernon of The Word Church in Cleveland, Ohio, said that even though he supports a biblical view of marriage and relationships, he also believes that Psalm 51 shows that some people can also be born gay.

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  Jan 17, 2023

  More deaths from faith-healing recorded in Idaho as advocates fight to end practice

  Activists in Idaho are continuing their push to repeal or amend laws that protect parents from prosecution when they allow their children to die from preventable illnesses by denying them medical care and relying exclusively on prayer and spiritual healing.

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  Jan 16, 2023

  DOJ appeals $230 million ruling holding gov't liable for Texas church massacre

  Less than a year after U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez ruled that the government must pay $230 million to the survivors of the 2017 mass shooting at First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas, the Department of Justice has filed an appeal, angering some.

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  Jan 16, 2023

  Selma church praises God after daycare staff saves 70 kids from deadly tornado

  A congregation in Selma, Alabama, praised God and their hero daycare staff on Sunday for saving the lives of some 70 children in their care as deadly tornadoes swept through parts of the southeastern U.S. last Thursday.

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  Jan 15, 2023

  Pandemic accelerated fall in church attendance, especially among the young: study

  While religious identity among Americans remained largely stable throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, it accelerated existing trends in declining church attendance particularly among the young, a new report from the Survey Center on American Life shows.

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  Jan 13, 2023

  Family offers reward for help finding killer of deacon attacked on birthday

  The family of a married Chicago deacon and father of six who died after he was viciously attacked on his 59th birthday in what police suspect could have been a road rage incident, is now offering a $5,000 reward for information that can help them understand why he was attacked.