Free Republic

A Jewish group offering therapy for same-sex attraction will be ceasing operations in January as a result of a lawsuit filed against it in New Jersey. Jews Offering New Alternatives for Healing, also called JONAH International, sent an email to supporters on New Year's Eve announcing the closure. "The N.J. court delivered its final judgement on Dec. 18, 2015. Under the order, JONAH must permanently cease operations, including providing referrals and operating its website and listserv,"read the email. "That means that our site, www.jonahweb.org, will no longer be available online after mid- January 2016, and neither of us will be...

I have been Youth Leader at my church (Baptist) for the last 16 years. In that time we have had our ups and downs ministering to teens; the good times and the bad. But never this bad. About 4 years ago, we were averaging 10-15 teens in our group (we're a small church, with attendance in the 80s and 90s.). Then an incident happened which began an unfortunate pattern. "The Incident" (as I call it) involved a Sunday night youth meeting in which I mentioned, in passing, that the Bible condemns homosexuality (the topic was in the news). After everyone...

Around the world, Christians are targeted for persecution and martyrdom, something that is developing even in the United States. But even as church leaders increasingly are on guard against threats of murderous violence, experts warn they may be ignoring a far more common threat – sexual assault against congregants. “Sexual assaults taking place on church property is an epidemic in our nation,” Carl Gallups told WND. “The reasons for it are numerous (and sometimes complex), but the main problem is that most churches have an abysmal lack of adequate security measures. While many churches are concerned about the growing trend...

Dear Mr. Trump, Like millions of Americans, I am intrigued with your meteoric rise to the top of the polls. You have truly captured the imagination of this nation. Because I would love to see you succeed, I’ve got some unsolicited advice for you. And you’re going to love this. It’s free! If you’ll allow me to introduce myself, I’m a Jewish follower of Jesus (just like Peter and Paul and John and the rest of the apostles), an author, professor, minister, and national talk radio host. My wife, Nancy, and I have been married for almost 40 years, and...

Rocky Mount United Methodist Church decided what to do with the gully behind their church–they built a gun range and launched a gun range ministry “in the name of Jesus Christ.”

AWANA Clubs international is a Bible-centered youth ministry with 30,000 charter "clubs" around the world. Their statement of faith describes a sound doctrine. I invite you to take a look.

Former Lesbian: Ministries That Help People Leave Homosexuality Could Soon Become Illegal April 24, 2015 By Melanie Hunter Janet Boynes, the author of “Called Out” and founder of Janet Boynes Ministries, told the C-SPAN audience on Friday that soon ministries like hers, which help people exit homosexuality, will become illegal thanks to the efforts of the homosexual lobby. “Those who seek help to leave the life of homosexuality may soon discover that there is no longer any help out there,” she said. “Homosexual activists and their homosexual attorneys are pushing to ban any type of ministries such as Janet Boynes...

Last week Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., introduced a bill in Congress asking states to ban sexual orientation conversion therapy, often abbreviated as CT, for minors. California is one of two states that have prohibited licensed professionals from offering the practice, which includes efforts to change not only sexual orientation but also gender identity. While the congressional bill is only a resolution—it encourages states to bar the practice rather than proposing the heavier lift of a federal ban—the idea that CT is dangerous and should be banned is gaining momentum ... What do we actually know about the practice of CT...

Now is as good a time as any to tell this story, since I’m telling it from the end.  It’s always easier to tell a story from the end, and here’s where mine ends. Today we closed the prayer room. We didn’t officially close it, because the door is still unlocked.  But come Monday, all the furniture, sound system, and security cameras will be picked up and taken away.  Today we removed all that gear and its wiring, and boxed everything up for removal. Rewind to May 14, 2005, 6:18pm.  That’s the date and time stamp of a file on...

Dr. Myles Munroe, the leader of Bahamas Faith Ministries, was killed Sunday when the plane he was in hit a crane and crashed in the Bahamas. Munroe's wife, Ruth, was also among the 9 victims of the crash in Grand Bahama, according to the Bahamas Tribune. The small plane crashed after hitting the crane on approach to the Grand Bahama Airport, according to officials there, killing all on board In addition to an BFMI Munroe was also president of Myles Munroe International (MMI). . .

A senior citizen and a couple of clergymen in Florida face up to two months in jail for feeding the homeless. A group of volunteers with the non-profit charity Love Thy Neighbor in Broward County face up to a $500 fine and 60 days in jail because they were feeding the homeless last Sunday in Fort Lauderdale, the New Times reports. World War II veteran Arnold Abbott, founder of the interfaith organization, and members of a local church were confronted by Fort Lauderdale police officers because they had reportedly been in violation of the new laws against food sharing —...

Note: In the following article, I refuse to refer to Campus Crusade for Christ by their new name. I find their removal of the words “Crusade” and “Christ” to be offensive and demeaning (and just incredibly silly).Nearly half of the abortions in this country are performed on college-age women. According to Students for Life of America, 70% of all abortion-providing and abortion-referring facilities are located within five miles of a college campus. Given those staggering numbers, it would seem that campus ministries would be positioning themselves to do something about the problem. But most are doing nothing at all. If...

It is summer time in San Antonio. Mid-July, the 15th to be exact. The temperature approaches 100 degrees. It is a Texas summer day to be sure. Pastor Roman Herrera, instead of sitting inside enjoying lemonade and air conditioning, is instead working his way through alleyways.

A Mississippi abortion doctor who kills babies all day long has once again used GOD to market his business. In an Esquire article posted this week, which highlights the abysmal practices of abortionist Willie Parker, titles the story the Abortion Ministry of Dr. Willie Parker. Excuse me- Abortion Ministry? Are you kidding? How is the brutal murder of unborn children all-of-a-sudden a ministry? To add insult to injury- the pro-abortion website posing as a news outlet interviewed abortionist Parker who said this, “I see women who are crying because they are Christians,” he continues, “and they are torn up by...

A second American aid worker in Liberia has tested positive for Ebola, according to the Christian humanitarian group she works for. Nancy Writebol is employed by Serving in Mission, or SIM, in Liberia and was helping the joint SIM/Samaritan's Purse team that is treating Ebola patients in Monrovia, according to a Samaritan's Purse statement. Worst Ebola outbreak in history Writebol, who serves as SIM's personnel coordinator, has been living in Monrovia with her husband, David, according to SIM's website. The Charlotte, North Carolina, residents have been in Liberia since August 2013, according to the blog Writebols2Liberia. They have two adult...

A 33-year-old American doctor working for a relief organization in Liberia's capital has tested positive for the tropical disease Ebola, according to a statement from Samaritan's Purse. Dr. Kent Brantly, medical director at one of the country's two treatment centers run by the organization, recognized his own symptoms and confined himself to an isolation ward. It was not immediately clear how he caught Ebola. The relief group's Melissa Strickland said that he had followed strict safety protocols when treating patients. "It's too early to try to explain it. We will have an intensive and thorough investigation," she said. Across Guinea,...

An Edmond teenager faces a possible life in prison sentence after authorities say they learned about shocking crimes he allegedly committed on an African mission trip. The suspect was volunteering at a Kenyan children’s home when he allegedly raped and molested a number of young children. According to court records, 19-year-old Matthew Durham confessed to raping several young girls, forcing some boys to perform oral sex on him and even making other kids watch. “This is a young man in our community that made choices to exploit children in an orphanage,” said United States Attorney Sanford Coats. “It’s a...

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- An evangelical Christian group plans to try to convert children as young as 5 at Portland apartment pools, public parks and dozens of other gathering spots this summer -- a campaign that's got some residents upset. They've banded together in recent weeks to warn parents about the Child Evangelism Fellowship's Good News Club, buying a full-page ad in the local alternative weekly to highlight the group's tactics. "They pretend to be a mainstream Christian Bible study when in fact they're a very old school fundamentalist sect," said Kaye Schmitt, an organizer with Protect Portland Children, which...

BING TRANSLATION: "Friends need prayers! Friends, we need prayers! Today, the court closed our friend and pastor of the church of Roma [Roman Catholic Church] in Transcarpathia Miklos Lakatos. All of our service [Christian ministry] Roma started and kept by these men of God. It was closed on the fabrication that he personally beat the child and broke the arm of a woman. And all this because Nicholas was the one who began to speak the truth and speak out against the tyranny of the local baron, who paid tribute to the police and prosecutor's office. Currently, his church, several...

Mass confusion is still extant pertaining to three key Christian words -- each related to "ministry" and those who serve God: "priesthood" "saints" "ordination" Each of these words have, unfortunately, been largely skewed by the historical Church: The first two by Roman Catholicism; the latter by Protestantism. 'Holy Priesthood...Royal Priesthood' No New Testament-based Church can neglect 1 Peter 2:4-9 and Revelation 1:5-6 plus Revelation 5:10 in its definition of "priesthood." In 1 Peter 2, the "holy priesthood" (verse 5) and the "royal priesthood" (verse 9) are described as a privilege presented to those who... ...come to Christ (verse 4); ...are...