News

Christian arrests in Eritrea ‘troubling’, says persecution watchdog

The detention of more than 100 Christian men, women and children in Eritrea is “deeply troubling”, says one group working to support the persecuted church.

Britain remembers Lockerbie 20 years on

Memorial services were held on Sunday to mark 20 years since a flight bound for New York was blown up over the Scottish town of Lockerbie.

US megachurch grieves death of Christmas show performer

Following the fatal fall of a young actress during a Christmas performance at a Cincinnati megachurch, four special services that will focus on helping to process the loss are being held this weekend.

Orissa Christians hope for peaceful Christmas after shutdown called off

Christians in Orissa, India, can cheerfully celebrate Christmas this year. The state government has officially called off the proposed statewide shutdown called by the nationalist group Sangh Parivar on December 25.

Church insurers link up with bouncers on church security

Church insurers Congregational have linked up with a firm of bouncers to offer churches advice on how to deal with troublesome visitors.

United Reformed Churches hungry for renewal

The United Reformed Church is celebrating the early success of a three-year campaign launched this Advent to breathe new life into its congregations.

Rick Warren praises Obama's courage amid uproar

Amid a firestorm of criticism from pro-choice and gay marriage supporters, Pastor Rick Warren has called President-elect Barack Obama courageous for taking the risk of choosing him to deliver the inaugural invocation.

Breakaway Anglican parishes win lawsuit over property

A Fairfax County judge has allowed nearly a dozen conservative congregations that broke from The Episcopal Church in the US to keep their church property.

Council wins civil partnerships appeal

An employment appeal tribunal ruled on Friday that a north London council had not acted unlawfully in disciplining a Christian registrar who refused to perform same-sex civil partnership ceremonies.

Obama invites Rick Warren to pray at presidential inauguration

President-elect Barack Obama has invited evangelical pastor Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at his inauguration in January, sparking disgruntled complaints from the gay rights camp angry at Warren for supporting the anti-gay marriage amendment, Proposition 8, in California.

Fears of Christmas violence in Orissa

Fears are continuing to escalate in Orissa state, India, over the possibility of further anti-Christian violence taking place on Christmas Day.

Methodists appeal for funds to help crisis-hit countries

This Christmas, the Methodist Relief and Development Fund (MRDF) is calling on people to remember those affected by humanitarian crises in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zimbabwe.

Gift wrapped church spreads Christmas cheer in London

One church determined to spread some cheer amidst the credit crunch gloom is Jesus House in north London.

Colombians call time on conflict

"Enough is enough! The Colombian people want and deserve peace." With this message, members of a Living Letters team began their journey home after visiting this South American country on behalf of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in early December.

CompassionArt gives away 100 million brand new songs

The award-winning CompassionArt charity is giving away 100 million brand new songs from its upcoming CompassionArt: Creating Freedom From Poverty CD/DVD

Credit crunch is a ‘reality check’, says Archbishop

The gloomy economic climate is a “reality check” for a society driven by unsustainable greed, says the Archbishop of Canterbury.