Category: Christian Chronicle

Christian Chronicle, Religion News Service

Stunning reversal: Judge vacates former youth minister’s sex convictions

Charges against Clyde E. Brothers Jr. fell outside Pennsylvania’s statute of limitations, new ruling asserts. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle A highly publicized Pennsylvania grand jury report last year identified more than 300 predator Catholic priests who had sexually abused more than 1,000 children going back decades. But because the crimes were hidden by the church hierarchy, “almost every instance of abuse … Continue reading Stunning reversal: Judge vacates former youth minister’s sex convictions

Unknown's avatarBobby Ross Jr.
Christian Chronicle, Religion News Service

In-depth exclusive: A perpetrator in the pews

Former youth minister’s presence at worship stirs discord in Pennsylvania congregation. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle UNIONTOWN, Pa. — After a longtime youth minister’s recent conviction on corruption of minors and indecent exposure charges, a judge in this western Pennsylvania community did what the Uniontown Church of Christ’s elders refused to do. The judge told Clyde E. Brothers Jr. to stay away from … Continue reading In-depth exclusive: A perpetrator in the pews

Unknown's avatarBobby Ross Jr.
Christian Chronicle

‘Tell somebody. Don’t keep quiet.’

Daughter of a convicted pedophile preacher urges people of faith to speak out when they suspect abuse. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle SOMERSET, Pa. — For so long, no one knew Alex Howlett’s name. In 2011, she confided in her brother Jimmy Hinton that the man he followed into ministry — their father — molested her when she was young. But when the case made headlines, the … Continue reading ‘Tell somebody. Don’t keep quiet.’

Unknown's avatarBobby Ross Jr.
Christian Chronicle, Religion News Service

Racial concerns prompt renaming of Christian university’s auditorium

Main chapel venue at Oklahoma Christian will honor Benton and Paula Baugh, major donors and Christians involved in racial unity efforts in Houston. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle OKLAHOMA CITY — After a half-century as Hardeman Auditorium, Oklahoma Christian University’s main assembly hall has a new name — a change spurred by concerns over a racist statement attributed to the former namesake. As hundreds of … Continue reading Racial concerns prompt renaming of Christian university’s auditorium

Unknown's avatarBobby Ross Jr.
Christian Chronicle

Delaware churches — one white, one black — find new life by merging

Leaders see God in the circumstances that brought these two disparate congregations together. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle WILMINGTON, Del. — In its heyday, the Cedars Church of Christ sometimes topped 350 in Sunday attendance. Many Christians came from the Bible Belt to work for DuPont, the chemical company headquartered in this Mid-Atlantic city. Those workers and their families formed the core … Continue reading Delaware churches — one white, one black — find new life by merging

Unknown's avatarBobby Ross Jr.
Christian Chronicle, Religion News Service

In border wall fight, compassion mixes with concern

By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle As a Christian, U.S. Rep. Brett Guthrie worships with a bilingual congregation that shares the Gospel with Spanish speakers and feeds the hungry without concern for immigration status. As a congressman, the Kentucky Republican points to a definite “crisis at the border” and supports President Donald Trump’s push to build a $5.7 billion wall separating the United States from Mexico. The 54-year-old … Continue reading In border wall fight, compassion mixes with concern

Unknown's avatarBobby Ross Jr.
Christian Chronicle

Three members of Churches of Christ elected to U.S. House

Even with veteran congressman’s retirement, that’s the most in recent memory and perhaps ever. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle In 2005, a freshman congressman named Ted Poe drove his gaudy Jeep with 35-inch tires, six front floodlights and a bumper sticker proclaiming “Texas is bigger than France” to a White House meeting. The colorful former state district judge, who earned his political … Continue reading Three members of Churches of Christ elected to U.S. House

Unknown's avatarBobby Ross Jr.
Christian Chronicle

Five weeks in Congress: one Christian’s journey

Brenda Jones, a Michigan Democrat, reflects on her short-lived tenure in Washington. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle When Brenda Jones took the oath of office for her brief tenure in the U.S. House, her first words related to her faith. “Mr. Speaker, let me start out by saying, ‘To God be the glory.’ I want to thank God for giving me this … Continue reading Five weeks in Congress: one Christian’s journey

Unknown's avatarBobby Ross Jr.
Christian Chronicle, Religion News Service, Washington Post

Cyntoia Brown, granted clemency, says Christian school’s program changed her life

While in a Tennessee prison for murder, Brown got a degree with the help of Lipscomb University. By Bobby Ross Jr. Each semester, the LIFE program at Nashville’s Lipscomb University, which is associated with the Churches of Christ, pairs students with inmates serving time in the Tennessee Prison for Women. This week, the most high-profile graduate of that academic program — offered behind the prison’s … Continue reading Cyntoia Brown, granted clemency, says Christian school’s program changed her life

Unknown's avatarBobby Ross Jr.