(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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
LCMS pastor dies in accident
By Adriane Dorr The Rev. James Haugen — former pastor of Zion Lutheran Church, Columbia City, Ind., and current pastor of Living Water Lutheran Church, Wolf Lake, Ind. — died Thursday, July 19, 2012, as a result of injuries inflicted after accidentally…
Churches shifting summer worship to Wednesday nights
SALEM, N.H. (RNS) — As New England sweltered in early July, Sunday mornings came and went without a single soul showing up for worship in the hot, stuffy sanctuary of First Congregational Church of Salem, N.H. Even the pastor stayed…
Seventh-day Adventists file suit over door-to-door solicitations
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (RNS) — Seventh-day Adventists have filed a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of two ordinances in an Alabama city that the church says bars it and other religious groups from door-to-door solicitations unless they first register and pay…
