1.5 million blessings

1.5 million blessings: At a Georgia church, a donor’s $1.5 million gift is shared by the congregation and spent in the Lord’s name. Page 1 lead.

Let God write the story.

Pulpit minister Don McLaughlin made that request of the 1,400-member North Atlanta Church of Christ last fall as he revealed astonishing news.

A donor who asked to remain anonymous had given $1.5 million to be divided among all present that Sunday — from first-graders up — and spent on good works in the Lord’s name.

“The most amazing thing to me was that if you were at the service that day, even if you were a visitor, you could get a voucher because the elders felt like God had placed that person there for a reason,” said longtime member Cari Thornton, who has taught children’s Sunday school classes for more than 30 years.

But please, McLaughlin asked, no Facebook posts, no Twitter messages, no mass e-mails about the news.

Cecil Cooper adjusts to life out of baseball (reporting from Katy, Texas). Inside Story.

Boys from Haiti reunited (reporting from Ada, Okla.). Second Front.

Faith and technology: Snowed in, members take a seat at home, log on to ‘online church.’ National.