(RNS) — Billy Graham offered to “do all I can to help” Republican Party (GOP) presidential candidate Mitt Romney in an Oct. 11 meeting at the evangelist’s North Carolina home. Romney campaign spokesman Rick Gorka told reporters after the visit that…
Bishops rebuke Biden over contraception mandate claims
WASHINGTON (RNS) — In a rare public rebuke, Catholic bishops chided Vice-President Joe Biden for saying during the vice-presidential debate that Catholic hospitals and institutions will not be forced to provide contraception coverage to employees. Without mentioning Biden by name, the…
COP welcomes nine new members, assigns first calls
By James Heine ST. LOUIS — At its regular meeting Sept. 15-18, The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod Council of Presidents (COP) welcomed nine new members to its ranks. The new district presidents are the Rev. Mark Miller, Central Illinois District; the…
More LCMS congregations return statistics report
By Linda C. Hoops The number of Missouri Synod congregations that reported their annual statistics increased from 3,953 for 2010 to 5,289 (from 64 percent to 86 percent) for 2011. The 22 percent increase in congregations submitting reports provided better…
Good Shepherd Institute plans conference, offers journal
The Good Shepherd Institute of Pastoral Theology and Sacred Music for the Church, located on the campus of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind., will hold its annual conference Nov. 4-6 on the theme “Shepherd of Tender Youth: Connecting Postmoderns…
'Bach at the Sem' begins 20th season of concerts
Bach at the Sem, a series of Sunday-afternoon concerts presented by Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, and the American Kantorei, begins its 20th season this fall. The concerts — scheduled for Oct. 28, Dec. 2, March 24 and April 28 — begin…
Losing our religion: One in five Americans is now 'none'
BETHESDA, Md. (RNS) — The number of Americans who say they have no religious affiliation has hit an all-time high — about one in five American adults — according to a new study released Oct. 9 by the Pew Forum…
Meet John Q. Nones: A profile of the religiously unaffiliated
(RNS) — Meet John Q. Nones, a young, white male who is making a big impression on the American religious landscape for something he doesn’t do: align with any religious group. The rise of the religiously unaffiliated, or “nones,” as documented…
Is British monarch 'Defender of the Faith' or 'Faiths'?
LONDON (RNS) — As Britain awaits the appointment of the next archbishop of Canterbury to lead both the Church of England and the far-flung Anglican Communion, there’s renewed attention on the woman who officially gets the final say: Queen Elizabeth…
Pope's butler sentenced to 18 months for leaking papers
VATICAN CITY (RNS) — A Vatican court Oct. 6 sentenced Pope Benedict XVI’s former butler to 18 months in jail for stealing the pontiff’s private papers and leaking them to the press. The butler, Paolo Gabriele, stood motionless as the tribunal’s…
Senske named to national schools commission
Dr. Al H. Senske of St. Louis is providing a Lutheran education viewpoint as a member of the new Commission on Faith-based Schools organized by the American Center for School Choice, San Mateo, Calif.The commission, which met for the first…
Canada cuts all non-Christian prison chaplains
TORONTO (RNS) — The Canadian government is canceling the contracts of all non-Christian chaplains at federal prisons. By next spring, Muslim, Jewish, Sikh and other non-Christian inmates will be expected to turn to Christian prison chaplains for religious counsel and guidance. In…
Pope convenes bishops to confront 'tsunami' of secularism
VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Fifty years after the Second Vatican Council revolutionized life inside the Roman Catholic Church, hundreds of bishops from around the world are gathered in Rome to confront an external threat: a mounting tide of secularization. The Synod…
CPH offers new book about Reformation
Inside the Reformation: The Times That Changed the World, new from Concordia Publishing House, takes readers of all ages on a visual journey through the life and times of the Reformation.With full-color photos and illustrations on every one of its…
Oregon dentist fined for pressuring employee about Scientology
BEND, Ore. (RNS) — State labor officials have ordered a dentist to pay nearly $348,000 to settle allegations that he threatened to fire a dental assistant unless she attended a Scientology-related training session. The Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) contends…
Registration opens Nov. 1 for Higher Things conferences
Online registration opens Nov. 1 at www.fromabove2013.org for three 2013 Higher Things conferences for Lutheran youth that will offer nearly identical programs in different locations and over separate dates. They are set for June 25-28 at the University of Scranton in…
