Category: News affecting the Church

Televangelist James Robison, founder of LIFE Outreach International, dies at 82

Published on by Texas GospelLeave a comment

Ronald Stone

James Robison, the Texas-born televangelist who spent more than five decades bringing his Christian message to stadiums, living rooms, and relief camps around the world, has died. He was 82.

LIFE Outreach International, the ministry Robison founded, announced his passing but did not release a cause of death.

Robison began his preaching career in 1968, and what followed was a ministry of remarkable reach. His organization says his message found its way to more than one billion people worldwide, delivered across more than 600 cities. For many of those years, he shared that platform with his wife Betty on the television program LIFE Today, a show the couple co-hosted together and that became a fixture in Christian broadcasting households.

Born in Pasadena, Texas, Robison channelled his faith into multiple ventures over the decades. He authored several Christian books and, in 2015, launched The Stream, a Christian news platform that added a digital dimension to a ministry already operating on multiple fronts. Together, he and Betty raised three children and were surrounded by 11 grandchildren.

In a statement posted to social media, the LIFE Outreach International board described a man defined by his sense of calling.

“James devoted his life to sharing the Gospel and bringing hope, help, and healing to those in need around the world,” the statement read, adding that the ministry he built “has touched countless lives and will continue impacting generations to come.”

The organization said it would carry on Robison’s core mission: delivering food, clean water, and what the ministry described as the hope of Christ to communities in need. It asked supporters to pray for Betty Robison and the broader ministry family in the days ahead.

The board closed its tribute with a verse from Matthew: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Retired pastor convicted for preaching near hospital buffer zone sparks free speech debate

Published on by Texas GospelLeave a comment

TEXAS GOSPEL STAFF

A 78-year-old retired pastor with no prior criminal record has been convicted and fined in Northern Ireland after preaching a sermon near a hospital abortion buffer zone, a case that has drawn international attention and renewed debate over the limits of free speech and religious expression.

Clive Johnston, a former president of the Association of Baptist Churches in Ireland, was found guilty on two counts by a district judge following a July 2024 open-air service he held on a public sidewalk across from Causeway Hospital. He was fined £450.

Prosecutors argued Johnston had conducted a protest capable of influencing a “protected person” near the edge of a hospital buffer zone, and that he failed to comply with police orders to leave the area.

Johnston and his legal team at The Christian Institute maintain the conviction was unjust. They say he carried no banners or placards, made no mention of abortion, and delivered a sermon drawn from John 3:16, one of the most familiar passages in Christian scripture.

“It was a small open-air Sunday service near a hospital,” Johnston said. “I did not harass, threaten, or verbally attack anyone.”

Johnston said police video evidence supports his account, and he described the conviction as deeply troubling given what he called an overly broad application of the buffer zone law.

The Christian Institute plans to appeal the ruling.

US evangelist Franklin Graham drew wider attention to the case through a post on Facebook, saying Johnston had simply preached the Gospel without any reference to abortion. Graham said he hoped the legal team would succeed on appeal.

US: Louisiana chapel damaged by fire and vandalism, suspects arrested

Published on by Texas GospelLeave a comment

(Photo courtesy Diocese of Alexandria Facebook page)

TEXAS GOSPEL STAFF

COLUMBIA, La. — St. John Chapel in Columbia was burglarized, vandalized and intentionally set on fire last week, damaging the only Catholic church in Caldwell Parish, Louisiana according to a press release from the Diocese of Alexandria.

The incident occurred during the late evening hours of Thursday, March 26, or the early morning of Friday, March 27, the diocese said. No parishioners were present at the time, and no injuries were reported.

Local authorities confirmed that suspects have been identified and arrested in connection with the crime. Initial assessments indicate that portions of the church were desecrated during the incident, according to the release. Local media in Alexandria identify the suspects as a male 19, and a male, 20.

Alexandria Bishop Robert Marshall, Father Robert Johnson, the church’s pastoral administrator, and parishioners were on site Friday to cooperate with civil authorities and assess the extent of the damage.

“It is deeply unfortunate that this has occurred at any time,” Marshall said in the release, “but especially as we prepare to enter the most sacred season of Holy Week and Easter.”

The diocese said Masses will be celebrated each Sunday at 11:30 a.m. at the Winters Clinic, located next to Caldwell Memorial Hospital at 421 Main St. in Columbia, until further notice.

The Diocese of Alexandria expressed gratitude to first responders for their efforts in addressing the fire and securing the site.

A restoration fund has been established to assist with repair and recovery efforts and is available through the Diocese of Alexandria website at freedonationkiosk.com. The diocese asked the faithful to keep the St. John Chapel community in their prayers.

US: Indiana man who said he targeted Church over satanic beliefs sentenced to federal prison

Published on by Texas GospelLeave a comment

JEFF TURNER

PLAINFIELD, Ind. — A 21-year-old Indiana man who told investigators he targeted the Maple Grove Baptist Church in Plainfield because of his involvement in Satanic groups has been sentenced to 10 months in federal prison for vandalizing a Baptist church sign, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana.

Steven James Perkinson, of Plainfield, Indiana, pleaded guilty to intentional damage to religious property and making a false statement to a United States agency. Chief Judge James R. Sweeney II of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana imposed the sentence, which includes three years of supervised release following Perkinson’s prison term.

Investigators say a forensic review of Perkinson’s cell phone revealed searches for local churches, including “Maple Grove Baptist Church Plainfield,” “Churches near me,” and “Plainfield Bible Church photos.” His phone also contained searches for occult-related terms, including “Noctulian Blood Covenant” and “Nexion 435,” as well as searches for the “address of largest Jewish church in America,” the press release said.

Agents also found online messages in which Perkinson claimed to have access to firearms and encouraged mass violence, along with photographs of him posing with recently deceased animals and evidence that he had set fire to a dumpster, according to the press release.

Perkinson told investigators he was motivated by involvement in various Satanic groups and that he targeted the sign specifically because it belonged to a Christian church.

On Nov. 18, 2024, Perkinson spray-painted a pitchfork and the numbers “666” over the display on the sign in front of Maple Grove Baptist Church in Plainfield, and painted an “X” over the sign’s cross symbol, the press release said.

When agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation first questioned him, Perkinson denied any knowledge of involvement in the vandalism. He admitted to the act only after agents executed a search warrant on his cell phone.

The FBI had first become aware of Perkinson in 2023 following an Instagram post referencing school shootings, according to the press release.

Perkinson had no prior criminal record. The case was investigated by the FBI.

Renowned US geneticist & Christian author Francis Collins honored with top science award

Published on by Texas GospelLeave a comment

JEFF TURNER

Francis Collins, founder of the BioLogos faith and science organization, received the National Academy of Sciences Public Welfare Medal on Jan. 22 for his groundbreaking genetics work and leadership of the Human Genome Project. The academy’s most prestigious honour, established in 1914, recognizes exceptional scientific contributions serving public welfare.

Collins directed the National Center for Human Genome Research beginning in 1993, overseeing hundreds of researchers who completed the first full human genome sequence. This achievement revolutionized biomedical research and established foundations for precision medicine and genetic disease treatments. He implemented the Bermuda Principles, requiring daily public release of genome data in an unprecedented transparency commitment.

The geneticist was appointed by President Barak Obama to head the National Institutes of Health, a position he held from 2009 to 2021, serving under three presidential administrations whilst managing responses to the Ebola outbreak and COVID-19 pandemic. He championed Alzheimer’s research funding, launched the BRAIN Initiative for neuroscience advancement, and initiated the Cancer Moonshot programme.

Collins helped develop the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, safeguarding Americans from genetic data exploitation. He later advised President Joe Biden from 2022 to 2023, co-leading the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and directing a national hepatitis C elimination initiative.

His numerous accolades include the Presidential Medal of Freedom, National Medal of Science, Gairdner Foundation International Award, Templeton Prize, and membership in Britain’s Royal Society.

Collins has authored several influential books blending science and Christian faith. His key works include the bestseller The Language of God, which argues for the compatibility of faith and science, and the 2024 book The Road to Wisdom, which addresses truth and trust in a polarized world.

The National Academy of Sciences Public Welfare Medal presentation will occur during the academy’s 163rd annual meeting on April 26.