Breaking Christian News on The Gospel Herald

Evangelical leaders and human rights groups applauded President Barack Obama Wednesday for naming an envoy for Sudan as the violence-wracked country faces a critical time in its history.

Women living in the northwest region of Pakistan have begun to feel the restrictive effects of sharia law this week as its courts start to administer justice.

More people are talking about going missional. Churches want in on the missional movement. But what is it really and why are some claiming it is the biggest development in Christianity since the Reformation?

A spiritual “shockwave” will start to make its way around the world in less than 12 hours as young Christians from Malaysia to the United States join together from their respective countries to pray for the millions of fellow believers who are persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ.

WASHINGTON – As Congress jostles and wrestles with one another over how to best spend billions of tax dollars to resuscitate the economy, a prison ministry approached the government with ideas on how to not spend and instead save billions.

In a shocking statement Tuesday, American evangelist and relief organization head Franklin Graham said he prefers the Sudanese president – who is facing an international arrest for crimes against humanity – to remain in power.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ended her four-country Asia tour on Sunday by attending service at a state-sanctioned church in China and talking to rights activists.

WASHINGTON – It’s not often that Christians on the right and left find common ground on public policies, but that was exactly the case Tuesday when politically diverse Christian leaders joined forces to offer solutions to reduce poverty in America.

Persecution of house church Christians in Beijing increased 418 percent in 2008 – the year of the Summer Olympic Games, according to a report released this week by a U.S.-based religious freedom group.

Islamic nations made up more than half of the top 10 countries listed as the world’s worst persecutor of Christians in a new report.

WASHINGTON – Streets were filled with Obama memorabilia, celebrities were rolled out until the shock faded, and a gay bishop made a clear effort not to give a Christian prayer during the inaugural opening ceremony Sunday at the Lincoln Memorial. It was an event that not only showcased Barack Obama’s enormous popularity but also displayed the administration’s determination to embrace diversity.

A well-seasoned, self-confessed “church addict” who has tasted both the joy and pain of being a church pastor recently completed a humorous yet painfully honest book on the ten most common mistakes pastors make that keep their churches from growing.

The head of the largest evangelical body in the world released a statement Sunday night on the Gaza-Israel conflict in which he avoided blaming either side for the current outbreak in violence but instead urged the international community to make all possible efforts to end the complicated hostility.

Dozens of churches around the world are planning to participate in a special missions trip that involves bringing Christ and His message to a huge community where the Gospel is not the most popular subject.

The top political advisor in China called for more religious freedom and harmony this week as a senior U.S. diplomat visited the country and hailed improved ties between the two former foes under President George W. Bush.

India’s Supreme Court ordered this week the state government of Orissa to protect the tens of thousands of Christians being targeted by Hindu extremists in the worst sectarian violence since the country’s independence from Britain.

Citizens in Gaza are all suffering from food shortages, lack of medical care, power outages and a long list of other problems, but a church leader living amid the turmoil says the children are the greatest sufferers of the Gaza-Israel conflict.

A conservative activist revealed the Christian Right’s fear in the alliance between megapastor Rick Warren and President-elect Barack Obama in a column Monday that criticizes Warren for accepting the invitation to give the invocation at Obama’s inauguration.

A best-selling atheist author claims that Christianity not only falsely takes credit for good in the world, but actually promotes immorality.

The officially atheist Chinese government harassed Christians in different regions of the country in the days leading up to Christmas and on Christmas Eve, reported a U.S.-based rights group.

Hundreds of underserved students in the District of Columbia went Christmas shopping this week, only having to worry about achieving good grades and not money.

Amid a firestorm of criticism from pro-choice and gay marriage supporters, Pastor Rick Warren has called President-elect Barack Obama courageous for taking the risk of choosing him to deliver the inaugural invocation.

President-elect Barack Obama has invited evangelical pastor Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at his inauguration in January, sparking disgruntled complaints from the gay rights camp angry at Warren for supporting the anti-gay marriage amendment, Proposition 8, in California.

Dozens of evangelical leaders recalled fondly the contribution of Richard Cizik to their movement and have asked the National Association of Evangelicals to continue to support the broad agenda that began under Cizik’s leadership.

A U.S. religious freedom monitoring body said on Tuesday that religious minority groups in Iraq are facing “ongoing severe abuses” and urges the U.S. government to take stronger action to address the situation.