The founders of www.idonotconform.com, a website set up to encourage young believers to use their Christian principles in every area of their lives, will encourage young people to save sex for marriage at their special Valentine’s event called True Love Waits –Valentines Praise Party.
Anita and Kelechi Amadi, a couple who’ve been married for 8 years and who serve as youth leaders at the London Miracle Centre (LMC) in Tottenham, north London, will share with the 500+ people expected to attend True Love Waits on February 13 why it’s important to save sex for marriage.
Attendees will also be presented with a FREE special booklet written by Anita Amadi called Why You Should Wait, which tells readers why God wants them to save sex for marriage.
Anita states, “Even though I was brought up in church and gave my life to Christ at a young age, my faith was not strong enough to withstand temptation, so when I met a guy at University, I allowed nature to take its course and fell pregnant as a teenager. I knew from my upbringing that my lifestyle was not pleasing to God, and heard him calling me to return to my faith.”
Britain’s black majority churches have responded with compassion to the Haitian people following the devastation and suffering caused by the earthquake that struck the island on January 12, 2010.
The New Testament Church of God has put an appeal out to all their churches to collect donations, which will then be sent to their international headquarters in Cleveland, Tennessee. The money will then be sent to the head of COG Caribbean region so that it can used to help suffering Haitians.
COG has several churches in Haiti, many of which were destroyed on the earthquake. Their Overseer in the region Dr Elysee Joseph lost his life during the earthquake when the car he was driving was hit by a wall.
The New Testament Assembly in Tooting launched an appeal for funds the Sunday after the earthquake and are collecting clothes, food and medical supplies. Money collected will be donated to Christian Aid, the collectables will be shipped over to Haiti.
Pat Robertson, the American Christian televangelist and host of “The 700 Club,” said that Haitians need to have a “great turning to god” while he was reporting on the devastating 7.0 earthquake that shook the island nation – the most powerful to hit the country in a century.
As Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive said “well over” 100,000 people may have died in the natural disaster, Robertson took to the airwaves Wednesday on his show and said that the country has been “cursed by one thing after another” since they “swore a pact to the devil.”
“Something happened a long time ago in Haiti and people might not want to talk about,” Robertson said Tuesday.
“They were under the heel of the French, you know Napoleon the third and whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said ‘We will serve you if you will get us free from the prince.’ True story. And so the devil said, ‘Ok it’s a deal.’ And they kicked the French out. The Haitians revolted and got something themselves free. But ever since they have been cursed by one thing after another,” Robertson said.
American Family Association (AFA) ends boycott of Gap, Old Navy, reports Christian Telegraph.
GAP has heard them loud and clear. After thousands of phone calls, emails, and petitions, Gap has just released a very “Merry Christmas” television commercial.
On November 28, Gap’s Old Navy division broadcast a television commercial featuring its “Supermodelquins” proudly cheering “Merry Christmas,” along with Christmas trees, lights and ornaments.
As a result of Gap’s efforts, AFA is ending the Christmas boycott of the company.
Pastor Rick Warren is the Senior Pastor Megachurch Saddleback in California and the author of the best selling book, The Purpose Driven Life. Last Wednesday Rick Warren posted a blog on the church’s website appealing to his congregants for $900,000 as there was a shortfall in the offering. The blog was as follows:
“Dear Saddleback Family,
THIS IS AN URGENT LETTER unlike any I’ve written in 30 years. Please read all of it and get back to me in the next 48 hours. I have thrilling news to share with you below but first some seriously bad news:
With 10% of our church family out of work due to the recession, our expenses in caring for our community in 2009 rose dramatically while our income stagnated. Still, with wise management, we’ve stayed close to our budget all year. Then… this last weekend the bottom dropped out. On the last weekend of 2009, our total offerings were less than half of what we normally receive – leaving us $900,000 in the red for the year, unless you help make up the difference today and tomorrow.
Celebrity Big Brother 2010 is the seventh and final series of Celebrity Big Brother, which began airing on Channel 4 and E4 on Sunday 3 January 2010. It will run for 27 days until the final on 29 January 2010, the longest ever celebrity series. The Celebrity Big Brother housemates have been getting stuck into a religious debate, following comments made by born-again Christian Stephen Baldwin.
The Daily Star reports that the American actor has agreed to join the show as a replacement for Boy George, who was forbidden from entering by a judge last week. Big Brother agreed for Stephen Baldwin to read his bible every day for 1 hour.
In a video message, Bishop TD jakes, senior pastor of The Potter’s House in Dallas said he expects 2010 to be a year of “double portion.”
Considering the global economic slump that many have suffered through over the past year or so, Jakes sees light at the end of a tunnel.
“The Bible is not mystical about loss. It’s just the modern day teachers that we have today that led us down the wrong path to thinking that there would be no challenges,” he noted. “The Bible has always been clear that there would be looses. But He promised to restore the years [of] cankerworms.”
Alluding to a biblical passage in the Old Testament book of Joel, Jakes called 2009 a year when cankerworms, palmerworms and locusts ate into people’s resources, retirements and homes. But just as Joel prophesied in the Bible, Jakes believes God will restore in the new year what was taken away.
“When you look at 2010, I believe it is time for us … to look at the fact that we have been through enough things, been through enough turmoil that now we’re ready to move to the next level,” he declared in the video message, while noting that 20 is “10 carried into a double dimension. Whenever God pulls back a bow, the arrow is going to go further than it’s ever gone before. I believe that the turning point is going to be 2010.
The future of Christian bookshop chain, Wesley Owen, hangs in the balance after parent company IBS-STL announced Friday (18th December) it had gone into administration.
Russell S Cash and Don Bailey of Baker Tilly Restructuring and Recovery have been appointed joint administrators. In November, Baker Tilly was brought in to “pursue the sale” of its operations after it experienced a succession of financial problems.
Although it is yet to be confirmed, reports have said that Christian Literature Crusade, a chain comprising 15 Christian bookshops, has purchased six stores. Also according to the reports, Christian bookseller Koorong has bought a similar number of shops.
David Young, IBS-STL’s UK general manager had previously told The Bookseller that there had been a “significant level of interest” from buyers for the bookselling chain.
IBS-STL UK has three trading divisions: Authentic Media, a book and music publisher; STL Distribution, a distributor of Christian resources and Wesley Owen Books and Music, a retailer with 40 shops in the UK. The charity employs 490 people.
Pastor Justin Cox writes on YOU TUBE: Kanye West said he sold his soul to the devil in a freestyle. Now I I’m not sure if he was talking about the record industry, the whole secret society thing or the devil. Nevertheless, it posses some interesting things to consider.
On Thursday morning, December 31, 2009, Richard “s/ave” Douglas (36) went to be with the Lord Jesus Christ. He died in his sleep at his home in Houston, Texas from an epileptic seizure. While he had battled the condition for many years, this was an unexpected occurrence and a complete shock to his friends and family.
Born on March 27, 1973, s/ave was a devoted follower of Jesus and passionate fan of hip hop music. In the mid-90’s he was on staff at Grapetree Records and served as editor of Heaven’s Hip Hop Magazine – one of the first true attempts at Christian rap journalism and a lifeline for fans of the faith-based music in the pre-Internet age. He penned the “Real Criticisms” column and initiated an “Unsigned Acts” issue that spotlighted future Christian rap figures such as Nuwine, Future Shock, and Raphi Henley (aka Shames Worthy).
After moving to Houston, s/ave started the ONEMIND newsletter in 1995 out of his one-bedroom apartment and continued to cover the genre. As the one-sheet garnered more readers, it grew to into ONEMIND Magazine and featured the writings of James “Bad Luck” Parry, Kenneth “Bus” Falls, Jr. (owner of The Bus Shop), Excelsius, Jelani Greenidge, and Sketch the Journalist.
As the world wide web boomed and ushered in the Information Age, s/ave adapted his magazine to an online forum. OM95.com continued to bring album reviews, news, and analysis to the Christian hip hop culture. Its vibrant message board continued to build community until the launch of DaSouth.com.
That site was created to be unified banner site for gospel rappers in the Gulf Coast area. The concept was that artists would forgo forging their own web identities and adopt the DaSouth.com name. Not only that, s/ave was strategic in the launch of The Bus Shop – the first and longest running Christian Hip Hop store on the web – along with Kenneth “Bus” Falls, Jr. He gave the store its name and also created it’s first website.
A former national leader of the White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan will be conducting evangelism campaigns and engaging in the ministry of racial reconciliation as an ordained minister in the largest body of black churchgoers in America.
Johnny Lee Clary, 50, was ordained last month to serve within the six-million-member Church of God in Christ and hopes to educate people on the destructiveness of division and inequality.
“When the day comes for me to make my journey home, I hope to be remembered not as the former National Leader Of the Klan, but as a man who saw wrong and tried to right it, to build a better world to leave for our children, both black and white,” Clary says.
Though the historically black denomination has a few white ministers, Bishop George D. McKinney, who ordained Clary last month, told the Tulsa World “it’s not every day that we get a former klansman.”
“We’re making history,” added Clary, who currently lives in Miami, Okla.
“We’re building a bridge of racial reconciliation, and what better way to do that than with a former KKK leader ministering in a black church that boasts over 6 million members?” he told the Oklahoman.
“I hope I can have a great impact.”
Clary had joined the KKK at the age of 14 after his father committed suicide and his mother abandoned him. And for 16 years, Clary advanced in the white supremacist organization, all the way up to becoming an imperial wizard.
Johnny and Melissa Clary
Excelsis Fine Fragrances of San Rafael, California announced today that its flagship fragrance, The Pope’s Cologne, will soon be available in the United Kingdom.
The first shipment is now on its way to Cenacle Catholic Books and Gifts. Cenacle provides an extensive selection of Roman Catholic liturgical supplies, gift items and books which it ships worldwide via its website.
The Pope’s Cologne is an aristocratic, Old World cologne made from the private formula of Pope Pius IX (1792-1878). It has been described as “a fresh, new fragrance from the past with notes of violet and citrus.”
It is offered in a handsome two ounce, embossed flacon with a fine mist pump spray and gift-worthy carton. Sold worldwide, it has been featured on The CBS Sun.
Cenacle House is located in Skelmersdale, Lancashire, WN8 6SR, UK. Its owners are Moray and Catherine Ness.
From his home in Montreat, NC, Billy Graham released this statement following the death of Oral Roberts:
“Oral Roberts was a man of God, and a great friend in ministry. I loved him as a brother. We had many quiet conversations over the years. I invited Oral to speak at one of our early international conferences on evangelism held in Berlin in the 1960s.
“Oral was preceded in death by his wonderful wife Evelyn, who I also knew and loved. She was a woman of God, and a powerful prayer warrior.
“Just three weeks ago, I was privileged to talk to Oral over the telephone. During the short conversation, he said to me that he was near the end of his life’s journey. I look forward to the day that I will see Oral and Evelyn Roberts again in Heaven–our eternal home.”
Franklin Graham, President of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, had this to say:
“Oral Roberts was loved and admired by millions of people around the world. I always appreciated the times when he went out of his way to befriend me. He invited me to speak at Oral Roberts University when I was just starting my ministry and was an encouragement to me.
“I thank God for his friendship and Godly example and his faithfulness in ministry. He will be greatly missed. Our love and condolences go to Richard and Roberta and their families.”
A public memorial service to honor evangelist Oral Roberts, founder of Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association (OREA) and Oral Roberts University (ORU), who died has been scheduled for Monday, Dec. 21, at 2 p.m. at the Mabee Center on the campus of ORU, 7777 South Lewis, at the corner of 81st St. and Lewis Ave., Tulsa.
The Roberts family has invited the public to join them in honoring the life and memory of their beloved father and grandfather. They recognize he is a great part of the Tulsa community, and many who have been impacted by his ministry will want to pay their respects at this event.
Special parking and seating areas will be reserved for family members and invited guests, while general public parking will be in Lots B, C, D and E. Both North and South main entrances will be open for public access. Doors will open at 1p.m.
For those not able to attend the memorial service in person, it will be broadcast live on television on local channel 53 KGEB-TV, and on Golden Eagle Broadcasting carried on satellite and cable. Specific details are available online at www.goldeneagle.tv. The service will also be webcast live at the same address.
Arrangements have been made for the public to send condolences and reflect on Oral Roberts’ life online at www.oralroberts.com.
As the noughties come to a close, Gospel Link are set to position themselves to make a huge impact in the next decade. Best known for The GL Live events and the publication of Gospel Link magazine, the organisation has seen a number of changes including a rebranding, the launch of a brand new website and a number of changes within the core team.
After 42 issues, the Gospel Link magazine goes from strength to strength. In a scene where other gospel music publications have been launched with a fanfare but folded before making it into double figures, Gospel Link has set the standards for design and championing new artists from the UK and USA.
The new decade sees the creation of a new team to produce the magazine and create fresh material for the completely new website. The appointment of the respected broadcaster and journalist Mike Rimmer as the magazine’s editor has already seen the magazine go through some changes as a new team of young, fresh writers are currently coming on board to take magazine and website to a new level of creativity and professionalism in the new decade.
Rimmer shares, “I’m aware that I have joined Gospel Link at an exciting time in its history and want to be part of a team that takes it all to a new level. Inevitably there have been changes and difficult choices, especially in the creation of a new team but this is all part of positioning the magazine and website for the future.”
A convicted paedophile fired from his job with Lambeth Council after he was charged with sexual abuse has tried to sue the local authority for damages claiming he was wrongly dismissed.
Jason Hoyte, 38, who was found guilty at Inner London Crown Court on November 6 of sexually abusing six girls, one as young as four, over a 20 year period, was looking for damages in a case of unfair dismissal. His case, heard at an employment tribunal in Croydon on last Monday was rejected by the tribunal judge.
A family member branded Hoyte’s decision to take court action as “unbelievably arrogant” and “an insult to his victims”.
When charged with the sexual offences last October, musician Hoyte was sacked by Lambeth from his position as a centre development assistant based in the council’s library service. He was found guilty of two counts of sexual activity with a child relating to teenage girls he groomed while also working as a youth worker on a council-funded scheme in West Norwood.
The assaults, as well as 14 counts of indecent assault that took place when Hoyte was a teenager, were on girls he had met by befriending their parents at churches in West Norwood, Upper Norwood and Brixton. But despite his convictions, the former youth worker still pursued Lambeth for unfair dismissal.
His relative, who did not want to be named, said: “It shows he is still in denial of what he has done. It is as if he still feels society owes him something, but he is a convicted paedophile. To have the arrogance to do this tells you what kind of a person he is.”
Lambeth Council chose not to comment on Hoyte’s decision to go to a tribunal but a spokesman said the council was “confident of the grounds under which Jason Hoyte’s employment was terminated” and “clearly the employment tribunal was of the same view”. Hoyte, who was not represented at the hearing, did not appear because he is in custody awaiting sentencing.
A formal written judgement from the tribunal judge is expected in the next six weeks. Gipsy Hill councillor Graham Pycock, who has criticised the council for not doing more to detect Hoyte’s abuse of children, called his application for wrongful dismissal “outrageous”. He added: “He lived a charmed life with the council and because of that treatment he still feels he can run rings around them.”
Coun Pycock has continued to demand why Lambeth Council did not actively seek to check Hoyte’s CRB status when his youth organisation was given a grant by the council.
The musician had faced charges of indecent assault from 1989 which were dropped against him but could have showed up in an advanced CRB check.
A council spokesman said the council had “strict and robust policies in place to protect children and young people” and Hoyte had worked with children through a privately run organisation which provided youth services within West Norwood.
Source: O3 Newsletter
BET marked its one-year celebration on Dstv (the digital satellite television platform on which BET is seen in Africa) with a unique opportunity; an open call to its best and most talented gospel singers to audition for a chance to be on BET’s hit competition series, SUNDAY BEST.
The country of Nigeria enthusiastically answered the call as more than 1,000 hopefuls showed up to the Eko Hotel in Lagos, Nigeria to audition.
Gospel legend Kirk Franklin was joined by special guest judges for the Nigerian tryouts Donnie McClurkin, Kim Burrell and British-Nigerian gospel artist Muyiwa Olarewaju. During the callbacks today, the guest judges will choose who will travel to the United States to compete on the third season of SUNDAY BEST. U.S. audition cities will be announced soon.
Read More: tag/artist-muyiwa
A county judge exonerated gospel music star BeBe Winans from the accusation of domestic abuse Friday, dismissing all charges with prejudice.
“This has been a trying year, beginning with the death of my father,” said Winans, a member of the noted Winans family.
“Even though this allegation has affected not just me, but also the entire Winans family, my children and certain aspects of my career, I chose to stay quiet because I knew the truth,” he added in a statement. “To be exonerated of all charges shows the power of trusting in God, and is a wonderful Christmas gift for me and my children.”
On March 11, Winans was arrested on a misdemeanor domestic assault charge and was briefly held at the Davidson County jail after his ex-wife, Debra Winans, accused him of pushing her to the ground during a Feb. 13 “verbal altercation” over “custody issues dealing with their children.”
The Winans were married for 16 years before divorcing in 2003 and have a 13-year-old daughter and a 10-year-old son.
Though late in coming, Debra Winans said her decision to speak out was made with the hope that it would help other abuse victims who suffer through abuse rather than reaching out for help.
“Until you realize something’s not changing, you pray all day long,” she told a local NBC affiliate.
