(RNS) — A 600-foot footrace was the only athletic event at the first Olympics, a festival held in 776 B.C. and dedicated to Zeus, the chief Greek god. For the next millennium, Greeks gathered every four years in Olympia to honor…
Bible museum closes $50 million deal for D.C. spot
WASHINGTON (RNS) — Planners of a Bible museum in Washington closed a $50 million deal July 26 on a building two blocks from the National Mall. The Museum of the Bible, a nonprofit group planning the, as yet, unnamed museum, announced…
Scotland to legalize gay marriage by 2015
(RNS/ENInews) — Scotland has announced it will allow same-sex weddings as early as 2015, becoming the first country in the United Kingdom (U.K.) to do so. “We are committed to a Scotland that is fair and equal, and that is why…
Should a judge prevent a man from attending his church?
MARINE, Ill. (RNS) — Joseph Haegele remembers going to the church across the road from his grandparents’ house on Windmill Street in this farm town in 1956, when he was 5 years old. Haegele has attended other Catholic churches in the…
Court upholds Georgia ban on guns in church
(RNS) — A federal appeals court has upheld Georgia’s ban on bringing guns into places of worship. The Rev. Jonathan Wilkins, a Baptist pastor, and a gun-rights group had argued that church members should have the right to carry guns into…
Poll: Majority of Americans would vote for an atheist for president
(RNS) — For the second time in less than a year, the Gallup poll reports that a majority of Americans would vote for an atheist for president. The latest survey, from June, found that 54 percent of those asked said they…
Resolution 8-07 Task Force begins study of districts
By Paula Schlueter Ross John Edson, chairman of the new LCMS Resolution 8-07 Task Force, has a message for the Synod’s 35 districts: Please don’t worry about what the task force is doing. We’ll consult with you on a regular basis…
Pressure Points (August 2012)
With Dr. Bruce Hartung Q: Again and again I see the young people in our youth group at church on their cell phones. I think they are texting because they are not doing much talking into their phones. Even when…
Black ministry's 'new song' envisions new engagement
By Joe Isenhower Jr. GREENSBORO, N.C. — Participants in the 2012 Black Ministry Family Convocation here July 11-15 heard plans for a new association of congregations and individuals in black ministry to stay connected and remain as a driving force…
Haberaecker heads Lutheran Services in America
The board of directors of Lutheran Services in America (LSA) on July 10 elected Charlotte Haberaecker of Annandale, Va., as the Baltimore-based organization’s president and chief executive officer, effective Aug. 6. LSA is a national network of more than 300 health…
Mission Advancement debuts new magazine in September
By Jeni Miller Next month, the LCMS is launching a new bimonthly publication to inform, inspire and involve church workers and contributors in the life of the church. Its title, Lutherans Engage the World™, conveys what this publication seeks to…
Positions (August 2012)
The following institutions of the Concordia University System (CUS) are seeking candidates for positions: Concordia University, St. Paul, Minn., seeks a physical therapy program director. For more information about this and other CUS positions, including complete job descriptions, qualifications and…
Official notice: requests for reinstatement (August 2012)
HEATHER CHILDRESS, Shattuc, Ill.; MELINDA JAYNE HANKE, Ballwin, Mo.; JANET B. HEIEN, Peoria, Ill.; MEREDITH MATTERN, Spring, Texas; DAWN M. MUELLER, Wheaton, Ill.; LA RAYNE NEWTON, Saginaw, Mich.; JAMES GRANT RUSH II, Flint, Mich.; JAMES A. SCHEUER, Milwaukee, Wis.; and…
Official notice: college president nominations (August 2012)
Concordia College–New York, Bronxville, N.Y., issued a call for nominations for individuals to serve as the college’s ninth president. The following 14 individuals have consented to stand for nomination: The Rev. Dr. Scott A. Ashmon, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.Dr. Eric…
Items wanted, available (August 2012)
Note: Reporter cannot accept notices about items offered for sale or that people wish to purchase. Items described as “Wanted” or “Available” are sought or may be obtained for shipping costs only. Notices may be sent to Jennifer Duffy at…
Aurora congregations respond to shooting tragedy
By James H. Heine By now, much of the world is aware of the senseless tragedy that unfolded in a movie theater in Aurora, Colo., in the early morning hours of Friday, July 20. A young man armed with multiple…
