Author: Texas Gospel

The sounds of worship and praise filled the sanctuary of the Brocton Tri-City Parish in New York Sunday as church-goers consecrated a new church building.  An arsonist destroyed their previous house of worship four years ago.  Video of the 2013 fire is posted to YouTube.

According to a report from WGRZ, the man who set the building on fire remains in jail. Chautauqua Today identifies the arsonist as Daniel Frey, of Dunkirk.  Court records show Frey was arrested March 2015.  Judge Paul Wojtaszek sentenced Frey in 2016 to four years in prison for third-degree arson. Conditions of his sentence stipulate that his sentence could be extended depending on his conduct while in prison.

The church was established in 1903. The Post-Journal reports the church building was home to Brocton’s Salem Lutheran, Brocton’s Methodist and Portland’s Methodist churches, which consolidated in the 1980s. The fire rendered the building a total loss.

It’s been two years since fire destroyed an historic Minnesota church building.  Investigators determined the blaze that destroyed the building of St. Mary’s church in Melrose, Minnesota, but no arrests have been made and a motive for the fire has not been determined.

WJON radio reports church members held a prayer vigil this week as the two-year anniversary of the March 11, 2016 fire approaches.  A report in MPR News says members of the 120-year-old church have divided into two groups for worship because of the damaged building.

Church leaders last month decided to move forward with plans to rebuild.  KSTP television says the estimated cost to replace the building is $8 million.

A group of college students from a Wayne State University is no longer recognized by the institution because the group requires its members to be Christians.  A report from Fox News says the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship filed a federal lawsuit after the college decided the group violated a non-discrimination policy.

The Detroit Free Press reports the group still holds meetings on campus, but is required to pay $100 each time it meets because of its decertification.

A spokesperson for the 500-member group says anyone may join, but to be a leader in the Christian group, one must be a Christian.  This is the requirement the school claims is discrimination.

A spokesperson for Wayne State University issued the following statement:

Wayne State University took action to decertify the student organization InterVarsity because it is in violation of the university’s non-discrimination policy, which is consistent with the United States Constitution. Every student organization that applies for organizational status must agree to this policy before being certified. Leaders of this group read and agreed to the policy during the application process.

The university is obliged and committed to protecting the constitutional and religious rights of everyone on our campus. Attaining official student organization status is a privilege rather than a right, and is conditional on compliance with our policy of nondiscrimination and equal opportunity.

We have taken every step possible to minimize the impact of the decertification on the group, and we approached InterVarsity last December with an offer to work on a resolution to this matter. Our offer still stands. Any such solution will be guided by our desire to reinstate the group’s organization status while adhering to our nondiscrimination policy.

InterVarsity Christian Fellowship has over 1,000 chapters across the US.  The lawsuit was filed April 6.

The Pastor of an Illinois church says someone is trying to intimidate church members by hanging dead animals on the church property and painting symbols of hate on the church building.

WQAD reports the congregation of Davenport Friends Church New Beginnings in Davenport, Illinois is beefing up security because of the apparent hate crimes.  Pastor Tammy Ruffin says she will be adding security cameras and security lights.

The Davenport Police Department has not yet determined a motivation for the vandalism.

New owners of a well-known Chicago rock station plan to make a change this weekend.  This Saturday WLUP will end its rock tradition and begin playing Christian music.  Sorry Southern Gospel fans, they plan to play contemporary Christian music; but it is still music with a message.

The new owner’s web site says its existing stations play, “…encouraging contemporary Christian music from artist like Chris Tomlin, Casting Crowns, Lauren Daigle, Matthew West and more.”   The company’s mission statement lays out its Bible-based principles.

The Chicago Tribune reports the Educational Media Foundation bought the station for $21.5 million.