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Monk Wins $259 Million Powerball Lottery, Finances 'Glory of World' Play About Christian Spiritualist Thomas Merton
New York's newest play to debut this month, "The Glory of the World," only happened after a onetime Episcopal monk, Roy Cockrum of Knoxville, Ky., bought a Powerball ticket at his local supermarket in 2014 and won $259 million. Written by Charles Mee, the production takes a silence-and-strife-filled look at the life of Thomas Merton, the 20th-century American Catholic thinker who remains a spiritual inspiration and guide for many people.
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Georgia Lawmakers to Champion ‘Religious Liberty’ Anti-LGBT Bills, Providing Protection For People Of All Faiths
When conservative lawmakers in Indiana and Arkansas last year promoted "Religious Freedom Restoration Act" (RFRA) legislation designed to legalize anti-LGBT discrimination, a similar bill was considered in Georgia. Now that proposed measure is set to return among these Southerners legislators, along with another pro-discrimination bill.
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'Duck Dynasty' Willie and Korie Robertson Adopt Teenage Boy, Growing Family To Eight
"Duck Dynasty's" reality TV star Korie Robertson this week packed a surprise into her New Year Facebook posts: She and her husband, Willie, are adopting a 13-year-old boy. Willie and Korie already are parents to five, with biological children John Luke, Sadie, and Bella, adopted son Will, and their foster daughter, Rebecca, who first came to the family as an exchange student from Taiwan in 2004.
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Country Singer Craig Strickland Found Dead in Oklahoma, Wife Still Praises 'Father In Heaven', Bandmates Ask for Prayer for His Family
After nearly a week of searching, Oklahoma Highway Patrol officials confirmed Monday (Jan. 4) the body of missing country music singer Craig Strickland was recovered. He was a 29-year-old vocalist in the country rock band Backroad Anthem. His body was found in the original search area of Kaw Lake in Oklahoma. Fans already are sending extra prayers to the family on social media.
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Supreme Court Scalia: 'Don't Cram' Government Religious Neutrality 'Down Throats of Americans'
U.S. government having to be neutral about religion is not supported by the Constitution and is not rooted in American history, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia said Saturday at a speech at a Catholic high school in Louisiana.
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[10th CCOWE] Edmund Chan: The Greatest Crisis Facing the Church Is Putting 'Mission Ahead of the Mandate'
Rev. Edmund Chan urged the global Church to prioritize inner spiritual formation ("Mandate") over external ministry ("Mission") to faithfully fulfill the Great Commission.
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[10th CCOWE] Rev. Wayne Chen: When Everything Is 'Mission,' the Church Loses Its Way
Rev. Wayne Chen calls on the Chinese church to move beyond the false dichotomy between "evangelism" and "social concern," urging a return to the cross-centered Gospel as the core—trusting that the Gospel is inherently holistic and that it alone drives the church into the world without losing its focal direction.
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[10th CCOWE] Clement Chia and Chuang Yu-ming Dialogue: 'What Kind of Christian Does the World Need?'
Revs. Chia and Chuang called the Church to return to the full, embodied Gospel of Christ the King—beyond moralism—so that believers' transformed lives visibly demonstrate God's Kingdom.
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MyFaithTV Founders Step Down, File for Divorce After 34 Years of Marriage
André and Jenny Roebert, founders of the global Christian network MyFaithTV, are divorcing after 34 years, with Jenny citing biblical principles and severe family harm, as legal proceedings over assets and ministry leadership begin.
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[10th CCOWE] Hong Kong International Churches See 37% Surge as Youth Seek Cultural Shift
The surge in English-speaking international churches in Hong Kong—driven by returnees and youth seeking cultural relevance—contrasts with declining Cantonese congregations, not because the gospel changes, but because church culture must evolve to foster belonging, relational warmth, and intergenerational empowerment.