For its 50th anniversary, Oral Roberts University (ORU) has winnowed 170 prospects for its next president down to one man.

Image: Streeter Lecka / Getty

Update (Feb. 1): Barna just announced that two-thirds of Americans think pro athletes have more influence on society than pastors.

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The NFL bans Bible verses on players' eyeblack or uniforms, but Super Bowl-bound San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick wears his favorite verses on his arms—permanently.

Update (Feb. 17): The New York Times has an in-depth report on Golb's actions and sentence.

Raphael Golb, son of Dead Sea Scroll scholar Norman Golb, will head to jail as a result of his unorthodox methods of supporting his father: fraud, forgery, and harassment of another Dead Sea Scroll scholar, Lawrence Schiffman.

New data from the North American Mission Board (NAMB) indicates that almost 20 percent of congregations in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) now identify as non-Anglo.

Update (Feb. 5): Our sister blog Managing Your Church has a lengthy interview with Carl Chinn, in which he explains his findings as well as possible solutions churches can pursue.

Update (Feb. 1): ABP has a nice look at how churches are balancing security with ministry post-Sandy Hook.

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Amid national debate over gun control reform, new data from church violence researcher Carl Chinn shows that 75 deaths from attacks at faith-based organizations occurred in 2012—a 36 percent increase over the previous year.

A federal court has ruled against a former pro-life congressman, Rep. Steve Driehaus (D-Ohio), who sued the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List (SBAL) for defamation that allegedly contributed to his election defeat in 2010.

The notion of Sunday mornings being "the most-segregated hour in America" may be longstanding. But recent studies took this idea further and examined how those who attend church most often are least likely to ever have dated or married someone from another race.

Except for one Christian denomination.

As CT previously noted, the number of international adoptions keeps falling to new lows, both in the United States and worldwide.

However, the State Department's 2012 Report on Intercountry Adoption includes a number of other interesting stats on adoption trends. Here are five of our picks:

The Barna Group's new Cities research project has identified America's most and least megachurch-oriented cities.

Sin City made the list—but placed in a surprising location.

Update (Feb. 1): A new study from the Department of Veterans' Affairs suggests that suicides by veterans have increased 20 percent since a 2007 study, now numbering about 22 suicides per day. But the lead researcher says this does not represent an epidemic, according to the Washington Post.

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New data from the Pentagon reveals a record number of soldiers committed suicide last year—amounting to almost one every day.

Update (Feb. 13): The U.S. House of Representatives has approved legislation that will allow churches (and other houses of worship) damaged by Hurricane Sandy to apply for taxpayer-funded relief aid through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The bill is also expected to pass the Senate, according to Religion News Service.

According to The Hill, the House bill "would amend the Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to include houses of worship in the list of non-profit groups that are eligible for federal disaster aid."

FEMA's current policy does not allow churches, synagogues, and mosques to receive federal aid, although religiously affiliated groups may apply.

The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty weighed in on the issue earlier today, calling FEMA's current policy unconstitutional and discriminatory.

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Update (Feb. 5): After a windfall of criticism last week, Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI), a nonprofit that runs St. Thomas More Hospital in Colorado, has backtracked on its legal argument that, under state law, a fetus is not a person with legal rights.

According to NBC News, "On Monday, the hospital and the state's bishops released a statement acknowledging it was 'morally wrong' to make [that] legal argument."

RNS has the full story.
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A popular tax-credit program that funds scholarships for qualifying children to attend religious schools is causing controversy in Georgia after the Southern Education Foundation (SEF) published a report detailing the policies toward gays and lesbians of many private Christian schools that benefit under the program.

Such programs, which are growing, have previously faced controversy but been found constitutional. However, some have been accused of abusing the spirit vs. the letter of such laws.

A Pennsylvania church that staged a mock kidnapping of its youth group has made a plea agreement with prosecutors.

The incident, which CT noted in May, was a surprise simulation of the persecution faced by missionaries overseas. Glad Tidings Assembly of God faced charges of assault and false imprisonment after a parent complained; but under the deal, the church will pay a $10,000 fine and its youth pastor will "pay a $500 penalty, serve up to a year of probation and do 50 hours of community service," notes Religion Clause.

"I would find a way that we could continue to keep the shock value," said pastor John Lanza shortly after the incident. "But I would find a way to inform the parents."

A new study suggests that children raised in divorce—even "good" divorces—are less likely to attend religious services and express interest in God than children raised in happy marriages.

Observers say this implies the future health of churches could depend on getting non-traditional family ministries right.

The United States Supreme Court will not hear an appeal brought by three robbers who were sentenced for robbing a church but claimed that the judge's remarks during sentencing "impermissibly referenced religious beliefs."

Update (April 4): According to a new report from Christian Solidarity Worldwide, religious freedom violations are on the rise in Cuba, tripling from 40 in 2011 to 120 incidents in 2012.

The report states, "After a period in which it appeared that the government was moving towards more subtle and refined pressure on church leaders, 2012 saw a return of the use of more brutal and public tactics."
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The American Bible Society has partnered with The Barna Group to identify America’s most “Bible-minded” cities, based on "highest combined levels of regular Bible reading and belief in the Bible’s accuracy."

Update (Jan. 24): According to new research from PRRI, 30 percent of Americans now say that better mental health screening and support is the best way to prevent mass shootings from occurring in the United States—an eight-point increase over data collected before December's Sandy Hook shooting.

PRRI also reports that "most major religious groups in the country favor stricter gun control laws, including majorities of minority Protestants such as black Americans (76%), Catholics (67%), religiously unaffiliated Americans (60%), and white mainline Protestants (57%)."

Yet, white evangelical Protestants stand out as the group least likely to support stricter gun control laws (38% favor, 59% oppose). In addition, they are are the only religious group "in which a plurality (40%) say that putting more emphasis on God and morality in school and society is the most important thing that could be done to prevent future mass shootings."
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Updated (January 23): According to the Clery reports for Bob Jones University (BJU), nine cases of sexual assault occurred on campus in 2011. WSPA Spartanburg, a local South Carolina television station, reported in September that it was "the highest number of forcible sex offenses reported (and) significantly higher than any other institution in the area."

According to iReport CNN, BJU told police the crimes were all perpetrated by a single individual.

But allegations of sexual abuse related to BJU and the school's response have been ongoing at least since 2010, when former board member and former Trinity Baptist Church pastor Chuck Phelps was accused of helping to "cover up repeated instances of sexual abuse committed more than a decade earlier by an older male parishioner against his step-daughter."

The move to retain GRACE for its investigation also comes after Do Right BJU, a group of students, alumni, and staff who aim to support victims of sexual abuse on campus, held a silent protest at BJU in December 2011; following an alumni petition, Phelps resigned.

WSPA reports, "Soon after the protest, Bob Jones tapped a five-member committee to review the school's policy on sexual abuse. After months of meeting, the committee recommended the school appoint an independent review group, like GRACE, to look at all allegations."

BJU first named GRACE to complete the investigation in November 2012.
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Breaking news: The military has removed its ban on women in combat. The decision, which overturns a 1994 ban and is one of outgoing Pentagon chief Leon Panetta's biggest decisions, "opens thousands of front-line positions" to women, though the change "won't happen immediately."

CT featured three views on women in combat today—given the warrior women of the Bible: Deborah, Jael, and Judith—in its current January-February issue.

In September, CT noted that the first-ever female chaplain assigned to an army combat unit graduated from an Assemblies of God seminary.

CT has regularly covered the military and chaplains, including the first chaplain to die in combat since Vietnam.

Update (April 15): Morning Star News reports that Jack Teitel has been sentenced "to two life terms in prison plus 30 years," and the Ortiz family is satisfied that "justice has been done."

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Last week, Jack Teitel, a former U.S. marine labeled as a “Jewish terrorist” in the news media, was convicted in an Israeli courtroom of two murders and one attempted murder.

Megachurch pastors are speaking out about President Barack Obama—some with praise from distinguished positions amid inauguration festivities, and some with criticism over the President’s beliefs.

On January 22, 1973, the United States Supreme Court handed down its decision in Roe v. Wade, guaranteeing a woman's legal right to an abortion. And although new research suggests that evangelicals are almost alone in their desire to completely overturn Roe, others have noted the pro-life movement is stronger than ever.

For more than a year, Trinity Western University (TWU) has been attempting to start Canada's first Christian law school, a proposal that the Canadian Council of Law Deans finds "very troubling."

Update (Jan 27): Pastor Abedini was sentenced to eight years in prison today for "threatening national security" with his church planting, reports Morning Star News. “The promise of his release was a lie,” said his wife, Nagmeh Abedini, in a statement. “... We must now pursue every effort, turn every rock, and not stop until Saeed is safely on American soil.”

World Watch Monitor also covered Abedini's sentencing.

Update (Jan 21): CNN has several updates, including an interview with Abedini's wife, Naghmeh.

Update (Jan 21): World Watch Monitor has fresh details on Abedini's trial today, and says a sentence is expected next week. Abedini also has a Facebook page created by supporters.

Right on the heels of the final release of Youcef Nadarkhani, a Church of Iran pastor who was imprisoned for three years, another Iranian-born pastor could face the death penalty for converting to Christianity from Islam.

New research from The Barna Group suggests that most American adults are at least "somewhat concerned" about restrictions in religious freedom—especially evangelicals.

Update (Jan. 24): The Associated Press has reported more details about the timeline of the shootings.

Update (Jan. 21): 15-year-old Nehemiah Griego has been charged with the deaths of five family members, including former Calvary Chapel megachurch pastor Gregory Griego, his father.

Last night, police charged Nehemiah Griego with two counts of murder and three counts of child abuse resulting in death. Police identified the victims as father Greg Griego, 51; his wife, Sarah Griego, 40; Zephania Griego, 9; Jael Griego, 5; and Angelina Griego, 2.

UPI reports that Nehemiah Griego first shot his mother multiple times, before also shooting his three youngest siblings. Later, Nehemiah Griego shot his father and left the family home "planning to go to the nearest Walmart, where he would kill more people, police said."

The family has issued the following statement:

Our family is grieving this terrible tragedy. We appreciate the prayers and support we have received and request that the media honour our family's privacy during this difficult time.

News organizations are reporting more details about Gregory Griego and his ministry.

(WWM) ISTANBUL - Police in Turkey say they thwarted an assassination plot against a Christian pastor Tuesday when they arrested 14 suspects, two of whom had been part of his congregation for more than a year.

Update Jan. 22: The New York Times takes a closer look at the new clinic, noting that it will focus on free expression of religion and avoid challenging government endorsements of faith. Notable church-state names, including Michael W. McConnell, Doug Laycock, Stephen L. Carter, and Thomas Farr, praised the clinic, according to the NYT.

Thanks to a donation from The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, Stanford Law School has announced that it will begin offering a new religious liberty clinic—"the only clinic of its kind in the country."

Recent headlines have noted the number of health workers refusing to get flu shots this year due to religious convictions. But in Ohio, chicken eggs—a little-known ingredient in manufactured flu vaccines—are causing a stir after a federal district court ruled that one vegan's refusal to ingest animal by-products—including eggs—could qualify as a religious belief.

Although charitable giving to member organizations has decreased nearly 2 percent, the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) reports that evangelical support for child-related ministries continues to rise—and even more so for short-term missions.

Update (Jan. 24): World Watch Monitors offers an in-depth report here. Meanwhile the Vatican is opening the equivalent of an embassy in Malaysia.

Update (Jan. 23): Reuters reports that an independent member of Malaysia's parliament has issued a call to "seize and burn copies of Bibles which use the word 'Allah' to refer to God."

But Ibrahim Ali, whose political group supports the rights of the ethnic Malay Muslim majority could face charges under various laws, Malaysia's Bar Council said. Whether or not Ali is prosecuted, though, his call to burn Bibles foreshadows "an intense election struggle as the country prepares for an election which must be called by April."
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Update (Mar. 11): CNN has profiled worship leader Chris Tomlin, calling his songs the "most widely sung music on the planet today."

Not convinced? Christian Copyright Licensing International (CCLI) CEO Howard Rachinski has done the math. "CCLI estimates that every Sunday in the United States, between 60,000 and 120,000 churches are singing Tomlin’s songs. By extrapolating that data, Rachinski says, 'our best guess would be in the United States on any given Sunday, 20 to 30 million people would be singing Chris Tomlin's songs.'"
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Today, President Barack Obama continued the tradition of observing Religious Freedom Day with a presidential proclamation. But this year, the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty critiqued his use of "freedom of worship" rhetoric—a debate that first arose in 2010.

Update (Jan. 16): Pakistan’s Supreme Court has dismissed a final appeal in against Rimsha Masih in her blasphemy case, effectively ending all legal proceedings on the issue. Christian Solidarity Worldwide reports, "The Supreme Court is the highest court in Pakistan so the prosecution has now exhausted its appeal options."

Asia News reports that Federal Minister Paul Bhatti told the news service that "he was satisfied by the decision, which confirms that 'Rimsha Masih is innocent.'"
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Update (Feb. 5): The British parliament voted today to "[authorize] same-sex marriages but also exempts religious organizations from having to perform them," reports the Los Angeles Times. The bill, which passed by a 400-175 vote, has several more hurdles to clear before becoming law.

Update (Jan. 25): Associated Baptist Press reports how British Baptists are debating Chalke's position on homosexuality and how the Baptist Union of Great Britain should respond.

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Steve Chalke, one of the most prominent evangelical leaders in the United Kingdom, has publicly announced his change of belief that monogamous same-sex relationships are not sinful, and makes an argument for why churches should support such relationships in the latest issue of Christianity magazine.

Update (Mar. 21): Schaap has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after a judge ruled that a 10-year plea bargain did not meet minimum federal requirements. He will also be registered as a sex offender.

“I thought I wanted to be this family’s savior,” said Schaap during his sentencing, according to the Chicago Tribune's detailed report. “Sometimes people try to be heroes … in trying to be a hero, I became a fool.”

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Update (Mar. 15): The ex-megachurch pastor who pleaded guilty to having an affair with a girl in his congregation wrote to the 17-year-old to say God sanctioned their relationship.

Prosecutors quoted from letters between Jack Schaap and his victim in a sentencing memo released Wednesday, according to reports from area media, including the Associated Press and the Chicago Tribune.

"You have affectionately spoken of being 'my wife,’ he wrote. “That is exactly what Christ desires for us. He wants to marry us + become eternal lovers!"

The memo said that Schaap, the former head of the First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana, “groomed” the teen into a sexual relationship with him through these communications and counseling sessions meant to address the teen's “self-destructive behavior," the Tribune wrote.

The document included photographs of them together at Schaap’s homes and referred to 637 text messages and 25 phone calls they exchanged in June and July.

Schaap is seeking a minimum 10-year sentence. His sentencing is scheduled for Thursday.
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According to new numbers from the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), the size of Israel's Christian community is increasing, making it "one of the few countries in the Middle East" where this is happening.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved a new law mandating the study of religion for all Russian students, according to a statement from the Kremlin.

Update (Feb. 27): The Associated Press reports that SGM has asked a Maryland court to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that "courts can’t get involved in the internal affairs of church business" (AP paraphrase) and that the allegations are too vague.

CT reported on SGM's First Amendment defense in January, noting how legal observers question whether clergy-penitent privilege applies when a denomination is accused of covering up crimes.

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Update (Feb. 4): The Associated Press reports the indictment of a former Covenant Life Church youth ministry leader for allegedly molesting four boys between 1985 and 1990. Nathaniel Morales was arrested in Nevada, extradited to Maryland, and is scheduled for a hearing on Friday, according to the AP.

The indictment is unrelated to the lawsuit currently facing SGM as a denomination, but Covenant Life Church issued this statement in January when it was added as a defendant to the suit:

We are sickened by the thought of such abuse—sexual abuse in any form is evil and unconscionable. We are grieved by these allegations. We also recognize that we don’t have all the facts. We would encourage everyone to withhold judgment until an appropriate legal process can be completed.

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The pending child abuse lawsuit against Sovereign Grace Ministries (SGM) has been amended, adding five new plaintiffs, five defendants, and 28 charges.

Update (April 22): The Telegraph reports that the three Christians who lost their high-profile cases before the European Court of Human Rights are appealing the rulings before the court’s Grand Chamber, opening “the way for a final ruling on what limits can be put on such displays, including wearing a cross and talking about belief in the workplace.”

They plan to file papers this week claiming that “British courts are applying double standards towards Christians for ‘political’ reasons.”
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Update (Feb. 19): Britain's equality commission has published new guidelines on how British employers should accommodate religious beliefs in the workplace in light of the ECHR's landmark ruling.

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The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled today that the United Kingdom did not unjustly discriminate against three of four Christians who were dismissed from their jobs on the basis of their religious conscience.

Update (Mar. 15): A new report from the Institute for the Study of Societal Issues at the University of California, Berkeley, states that 1 in 5 U.S. adults reported no religious preference in the 2012 General Social Survey.

And although the percentage of respondents who specified a religious preference is declining, data suggests that belief in God actually is not declining. The report states:

[Respondents'] certainty of believing in God decreased more between 1965 and 1991 than since, while preference for no religion barely changed from 1965 to 1990, then almost tripled since 1991. This asymmetrical timing of changes indicates that the connection between faith in God and identifying with an organized faith, if there is one, is far from simple. Unchurched believers still far outnumbered completely secular people in 2012.

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Update (Mar. 8): Bradley Wright has posted a new breakdown of the rise of the religiously unaffiliated over time based on age. Wright's newest analysis note that "the percentage of being unaffiliated increased in each group, but relatively speaking, it’s increased most among the middle-aged and the elderly," rather than among those aged 18-29.
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Update (May 21): In protest of France legalizing same-sex marriage this past weekend, a French historian and essayist committed suicide today at the altar of Paris's famed Notre Dame Cathedral.

Meanwhile, Le Observateur notes a rising movement of young French Catholics opposing same-sex marriage in more vocal ways.

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Update (April 24): French legislators voted yesterday to approve President Francois Hollande's plan to legalize gay marriage, but opponents have already appealed the bill to the country's Constitutional Court.

The Court will decide by May 25 whether or not the law is constitutional.
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French President François Hollande says his plan to expand same-sex rights by June will continue—in spite of the massive protest that converged upon the Eiffel Tower this past weekend.

Update (Jan. 28): A bipartisan group of senators released a proposal for comprehensive immigration reform today, in advance of President Obama releasing his own plan tomorrow.

Leaders of the Evangelical Immigration Table were quick to comment.

“We applaud the Senate’s courage and bipartisan nature in proposing a set of principles [that] include much-needed reforms to our outdated immigration system," said Stephan Bauman, president and CEO of World Relief, in a press release.

"Congress does not often exceed my expectations," said Richard Land, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. "But these principles, and this demonstration of bipartisanship by our leaders, certainly have."

Comments from Leith Anderson, Noel Castellanos, Luis Cortez, Robert Gittelson, Samuel Rodriguez, Gabriel Salguero, Mat Staver, and Jim Wallis can be found at the bottom of this post.

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President Barack Obama is not the only one preparing for a heavy push on comprehensive immigration reform in the coming months. Today evangelical leaders launched fresh efforts to raise support as well, releasing a new video featuring Max Lucado, Bill Hybels, Richard Land, Leith Anderson, Samuel Rodriguez, and Joel Hunter, among others.

Update (April 10): A new Canadian study has found that church attendance may reduce one's risk of depression.

"Incidence of clinical depression was 22 percent lower among those who attended religious services at least once a month compared with people who never attended," National Post reports.
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Spiritual but not religious? If so, you may be more likely to suffer from mental health issues.

The situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) is "precarious," according to national Baptist leaders.

Update (April 2): Late last week, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals granted an en banc hearing to Christian-owned retail-craft chain Hobby Lobby in its case against the Affordable Care Act's employer contraceptive mandate. The "unusual" ruling means that Hobby Lobby will argue its case before the full, nine-judge court, rather than before a three-judge panel.
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The world's newest country now is now home to the world's newest Bible Society chapter—which is already out of Bibles.

The Montana Supreme Court has voted 4-3 to uphold a state law that requires religious organizations to carry workers' compensation insurance.

According to new data from LifeWay Research, only 37 percent of Americans believe that homosexual behavior is a sin—down 7 percent from similar data collected just over a year earlier.

The new statistics come just hours after Pastor Louie Giglio withdrew from giving the benediction at President Barack Obama’s inaugural address over his previous remarks on homosexuality.

Update (Jan. 21): Louie Giglio, the initial pick to give the benediction at the presidential inauguration, indicated on the morning of the big event that he wouldn't be voicing criticism or holding hard feelings over the controversy.

He simply tweeted, "The word benediction literally means 'good + to speak.' Seeking to do this today."

His message was retweeted hundreds of times by followers, including LifeWay president Ed Stetzer, who said Giglio's words were "good advice for all."

The controversy over Giglio's appointment to pray for the president and decision to withdraw from participating has raised questions about how Christians preach the gospel in today's culture.

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Update (Jan. 15): CNN reports that Episcopal pastor Luis Leon, whose Saint John’s Church neighbors the White House (just across Lafayette Park) and is known as the "Church of the Presidents," has been picked to replace Giglio.

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Update: In a statement on the Passion City Church website (full text at bottom of this post), Giglio stated: "Though I was invited by the President of the United States to pray at his upcoming inauguration, after conversations between our team and the White House I am no longer serving in that role. ... The issue of homosexuality (which a particular message of mine some 20 years ago addressed) is one of the most difficult our nation will navigate. However, individuals’ rights of freedom, and the collective right to hold differing views on any subject is a critical balance we, as a people, must recover and preserve."

Also, new survey results released by LifeWay Research today indicate that fewer than 2 in 5 Americans now believe that homosexual behavior is a sin (though most change has been from "Yes" to "I don't know").

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Passion City Church founder and pastor Louie Giglio will no longer deliver the benediction at President Barack Obama's second inauguration ceremony on January 21.

The book that recently spent the most time on Norway's bestseller lists—54 of 56 weeks—is not E. L. James's 50 Shades of Grey. It's a new translation of the Bible.

Update (May 13): The Supreme Court still has not decided whether or not to take up the Elmbrook Church case, even after weeks of deliberation. The case, which already has been listed several times for consideration, may be re-listed.
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Last July, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Elmbrook School District violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment when it held its high school graduations in the event center of a local evangelical church. But now that ruling is headed to the United States Supreme Court.

Two weeks after the death of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch patriarch in December, church bishops elected Metropolitan John Yazigi as the church's next leader.

The 2013 Passion Conference may have drawn 60,000 students to Atlanta, Georgia, last week, but founder and pastor Louie Giglio is already preparing to speak before an even larger audience: the presidential inauguration.

Persecution of Christians is rising in at least eight African countries, according to the latest Open Doors USA list of the world's worst violators of religious freedom.

"Africa, where Christianity spread fastest during the past century, now is the region where oppression of Christians is spreading fastest," the group noted.

(UPDATE Jan. 7: Christian Solidarity Worldwide has reported that Church of Iran pastor Yousef Nadarkhani was released earlier today after being imprisoned again on Christmas Day.

However, his lawyer Mohammed Ali Dadkhah remains in jail for "actions and propaganda against the Islamic regime.")

Updated (Mar. 7): Associated Press reports that a federal lawsuit filed by Episcopal bishop Charles vonRosenberg, the newly elected bishop of the Diocese of South Carolina, is asking the court to "declare he is the only bishop with authority to act in name of the Diocese of South Carolina."

The suit asks for "a preliminary injunction to stop Mark Lawrence from using the name and marks of the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina and from representing that his activities are associated with the diocese."
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Updated (Jan. 23): A circuit court judge has granted a temporary restraining order "that prevents The Episcopal Church (TEC) ... from assuming the identity of the Diocese of South Carolina" until a hearing February 1, according to a press release. Full text at bottom of this post.

The diocese reports that 44 of its 71 parishes and missions support its cause, while 16 support TEC and 11 remain undecided.

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Update: George Conger offers a helpful explanation of this interesting development among Anglican church splits, as the Diocese of South Carolina sues The Episcopal Church for, more or less, identity theft. (The diocese formed in 1785, whereas the national denomination formed in 1789; however, the court must assess whether this fact supersedes the denomination's 1979 "Dennis Canon," which says a parish holds its property in trust for the diocese and national denomination.)

Following the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina's decision to disassociate from The Episcopal Church (TEC) this past October, the diocese—along with 17 local parishes—has now filed a lawsuit against TEC "to protect the Diocese’s real and personal property and that of its parishes."

As New Year's resolutions face their first weeks of testing, the Barna Group has released a new study on the "changing state of temptation" in America.

What Bible verse was the most popular in 2012? It depends (somewhat) on where you search.

A presidential report has recommended that France legalize "accelerated deaths"—but not euthanasia.

After the United Kindom's Charity Commission denied charitable status to the Brethren movement, a small isolationist Christian group, members of Parliament have proposed a bill that would aim to treat all churches as charities.

State lawmakers passed the second-highest number of abortion restrictions ever this past year, with 19 states enacting 43 measures in 2012 that limited access to abortion services, according to the Guttmacher Institute. The record was set last year, when 24 states enacted 92 restrictions in 2011.

Eastern University, home to Ron Sider and Tony Campolo, has announced that Robert Duffett will serve as its ninth president.

Duffett will start July 1, weeks after Sider, a social justice pioneer who wrote the No. 7 book on CT's list of the Top 50 Books That Have Shaped Evangelicals, retires from Eastern's Evangelicals for Social Action.

The American Taxpayer Relief Act was signed into law by President Barack Obama on Thursday, averting the government's "fiscal cliff" and preserving two items of interest to evangelicals—a tax deduction for charitable giving and a tax credit for adoption.

Christian Wiman, poet and editor of Poetry, the world's oldest and most influential magazine devoted to poetry, recently gave CT an exclusive interview regarding how his Baptist faith was revived by love and cancer.

This week he announced that he will step down from his role at Poetry on June 30.

The Iowa State Supreme Court ruled last week that a male dentist who fired his attractive female assistant did not discriminate against her or violate the state's civil rights law.

Employees from at least 10 New York City law firms have been charged with participating in a fraud ring that submitted false claims in applications for Chinese asylum seekers. Among the 26 people indicted is a church employee who illegally coached applicants on the tenets of Christianity before their immigration interviews.

Update (Feb. 21): In an interesting interview with CNBC's Off the Cuff blog, eHarmony founder Neil Clark Warren claims that the reason for his dating website's recent business struggles is not competition from other sites. Instead, he attributes it to "people who are afraid to find the [right] person"—as well as the issue of same-sex marriage. An excerpt:

I think this issue of same-sex marriage within the next five to 15 years will be no issue anymore. We've made too much of it. I'm tired of it. It has really damaged our company, and when the attorney general of the state of New Jersey decided that we had to put up a same-sex site and we did it out of counsel that if we didn't do it we were not going to have any business in New Jersey -- we literally had to hire guards to protect our lives because the people were so hurt and angry with us, were Christian people, who feel that it's a violation to scripture.

I have said that eHarmony really ought to put up $10 million and ask other companies to put up money and do a really first class job of figuring out homosexuality. At the very best, it's been a painful way for a lot of people to have to live. But at this point, at this age, I want America to start drawing together. I want it to be more harmonious.

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Hobby Lobby has found a new recipient for its gift of a free 217-acre college campus in Massachusetts: the largest Christian grant-making organization in America.

Children are a statistically significant factor when it comes to church attendance among atheist scientists, according to researchers from Rice University and the University at Buffalo.

Update (Feb. 4): The Angolan government has suspended church activities by the UCKG for 60 days, as well as other Pentecostal churches deemed to operate in a similar manner. Criminal charges are still pending.

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A stampede during a New Year's Eve church vigil in Angola's capital Luanda killed 16 people, including at least three children, Reuters reports.

The historic Kawaiahao Church, locally known as Hawaii's "Westminster Abbey," unintentionally unearthed in August one of the largest native Hawaiian burial sites in state history. Now, though, the church likely will rebury the 600 disinterred bodies after a state court ruled that the church moved forward on its construction project prematurely.