“We have placed far too much value on our buildings and it is hindering our ability to respond appropriately to what God is doing in the midst of a struggling economy.” According to a recent study by the Barna Research Group, church leaders are more willing to cut spending, let go of staff and reduce... Continue Reading

The Presbytery of San Francisco’s new dismissal policy, approved in September 2009, is about to get its first test. The 2,000-member Community Presbyterian Church (CPC) in Danville, Calif., has announced it wants to leave the Presbyterian Church (USA) and affiliate with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC). CPC’s session approved the action at its Feb. 2... Continue Reading

Much of effective fathering can be boiled down to two principles: making time to be with children and seeking resources — such as older fathers to use as mentors — to be a better dad. Michael Boulton admits that being a father to his five children — ages 5 to 15 — often means he’s... Continue Reading

“…losing the housing allowance would cause significant harm to churches and ministers — particularly those with small congregations.“ A nationwide atheist group is asking religious leaders to take Jesus’ advice and render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s — especially when it comes to taking the federal tax break on their housing. The Wisconsin-based Freedom from... Continue Reading

But when asked if a still-lengthy prison sentence is too harsh for homosexual acts, Sozi says homosexuality is “a corruption of the highest degree. . . . It is an offense we should not think of as light.” For Americans looking for a simplistic picture of Uganda’s controversial anti-homosexuality bill, Ugandan pastor Peterson Sozi complicates... Continue Reading

A proposal by the Presbytery of Beaver-Butler (PA) seeks to stem the tide of Presbyterian Church (USA) congregations leaving the denomination by offering more flexibility in the presbytery structure. The changes would diminish the power of higher judicatories while increasing the lower judicatories’ power, the overture claims. Acknowledging a denomination with “diverse belief systems, theological... Continue Reading

“Barring a significant event or shift, the prospects for a recovery of charitable giving during 2010 appear dim,” said David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group. Churches and non-profits should prepare for another lean year as Americans continue to grip their wallets, a researcher cautioned. “Barring a significant event or shift, the prospects for a... Continue Reading

In Honor of its Bicentennial and Black History Month, RPTS Releases Digital Version of Alexander McLeod’s 1804 ‘Negro Slavery Unjustifiable’ and Accompanying Video Documentary. The Rev. Alexander McLeod, Scottish born and trained RPCNA pastor, penned the following words in a chilling cry of exhortation to his church and America in his 1802 work, “Negro Slavery... Continue Reading

TE Brad Allision, Moderator of Evangel Presbytery at their meeting last week, provided the following details of the actions of the Presbytery in dealing with the two overtures speaking to the issue of the role of women. Two overtures addressing language in BCO 9-7 were considered by Evangel Presbytery at its meeting on February 9... Continue Reading

“The question being lost in today’s risk management is: what are we willing to lose for the sake of the gospel?” Hutchinson said. For Travis Hutchinson, the life of a pastor in a small-town Georgia church is about preaching the gospel, ministering to the needy and, increasingly, figuring out how to handle an ever-growing list... Continue Reading