BELLEFONTE, Pa. (AP) A Pennsylvania church with a 221-year history held its final service and is scheduled to close at the end of the year because of declining membership and attendance. The First Presbyterian Church of Bellefonte, which is nearly as old as the borough itself, held the final scheduled service on Christmas Eve after having welcomed generations of families … [Read more...] about ‘Go in Peace’: U.S. Church Founded in 1800 Holds Last Service
Church
Two Kentucky Congregations Hold Joint Service in Lot Between Destroyed Churches
(Fox News) Two Kentucky congregations came together for a joint Christmas Eve service in an empty lot between their churches, which were destroyed by deadly tornadoes earlier this month. Congregations from the First Presbyterian Church and First Christian Church in Mayfield, Kentucky gathered for the Christmas Eve service Friday, coming together to bid farewell to the … [Read more...] about Two Kentucky Congregations Hold Joint Service in Lot Between Destroyed Churches
Ohio Pastor Blown Away by Gifts for Every Foster Teen in the State: ‘Comes From a Deep Place of Goodness’
(Yahoo Life) The holidays will be a little brighter for a lot of teens this season. For the second year in a row, every teenager in foster care in the state of Ohio will receive two $25 gift cards, thanks to an outreach spearheaded by one local church. There are 4,361 foster teens in the state of Ohio, and each will receive gift cards to places like Amazon, Chick-fil-A, … [Read more...] about Ohio Pastor Blown Away by Gifts for Every Foster Teen in the State: ‘Comes From a Deep Place of Goodness’
Texas Baptist Pastor Building Migrant Shelters Along ‘Border Highway’ in Mexico
(WATE) A government truck pulls in front of a fenced building. Four young men and a woman walk out and are escorted inside by a Mexican immigration officer. The lawman promptly leaves the Tierra de Oro shelter and leaves the migrants in the care of Rosalio Sosa. The El Paso, Texas-based Baptist pastor with deep family and cultural ties to Mexico welcomes the migrants – … [Read more...] about Texas Baptist Pastor Building Migrant Shelters Along ‘Border Highway’ in Mexico
Staff Members of Venue Church in Chattanooga Quit Over Conduct of Megachurch Pastor
(Chattanooga Times Free Press) A week before Christmas, several staff members at Venue Church in Chattanooga quit over concerns about the conduct of the megachurch's lead pastor, Tavner Smith, according to church members and others informed of the departures. Eight employees quit last week after confronting Smith about rumors he was having an affair with a longtime employee, … [Read more...] about Staff Members of Venue Church in Chattanooga Quit Over Conduct of Megachurch Pastor