Missiologist, missionary, writer, teacher, and Church Growth specialist
CHR Comment: Wagner was a major figure in the Church Growth Movement, which intended to revitalize and grow churches by drawing on sociological principles. The reaction of church and theologians to the movement has been mixed and the results of church growth principles have been controversial.
World Watch Monitor’s sources said the prosecutor’s office is seeking advice on how to proceed with the case.
CHR Comment: After receiving evangelism training, some Ethiopian teens handed out a book that addressed issues raised by a South African Islamic scholar. The book they passed out was titled, “Let’s Speak the Truth in Love.”
Hundreds of churches across the world are ringing funeral bells to draw attention to the suffering Syrian city of Aleppo.
CHR Comment: A Lutheran vicar in Finland, Teemu Laajasalo, started ringing the church bells to raise awareness of the immoral acts against civilians in Aleppo. More than three hundred other churches on four continents have joined in and rung their bells to raise awareness of the problems. Traditionally, church bells signal a call to pray, which is a fitting response to the atrocities in Syria. Lord, have mercy.
An interview with the author of “Assimilate or Go Home: Notes from a Failed Missionary on Rediscovering Faith”
CHR Comment: An interesting dialogue about Roman Catholic and Protestant views of mission work today.
Israel last week suspended its ties with UNESCO over the draft resolution.
CHR Comment: Toward the end of the article is a statement from an Arab representative who states that the UNESCO resolution acknowledges sites as Jewish, Islamic, and Christian though only Arabic names are used, which could be interpreted as excluding the Jews. (Arabic is a language used by both Christians and Muslims but apparently not so much by Jews.)
Officials in nearby Mali report that two people were killed at the scene during the abduction.
CHR Comment: Youth with a Mission is a Christian aid society.
Warren called the moment “historic”, before Alberto Flores became the 45,000th person to be baptised by the church.
CHR Comment: Saddleback Church is a member of the Southern Baptist Convention, which has reported the issue of repeated Baptisms in their denomination. In other words, some Baptists who have fallen away from the church get baptized a second or third time when they recommit as Christians. Although Christians in the U. S. should celebrate the many Baptisms at Saddleback Church, we should also view this large number in perspective with popular practice among Baptists.
Source: 45,000 People Baptised At Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church | Christian News on Christian Today
CHR Comment: Earlier reports made clear that many of these girls are from Christian families. See the New York Times article below.
Source: Nigeria’s Boko Haram frees 21 kidnapped Chibok girls after 2-1/2 years | Reuters
Greetings in Christ. I’m grateful to the many visitors on my site. This month I am catching up on news since I recently served as a guest lecturer in South Africa and I am beginning new service at a parish in Ohio. Please continue to share your thoughts and use the resources compiled here. Great to know that others share my interest in emerging church history and new discoveries about the past. I’m looking forward to writing a summary of church history from 2016.
Site Administrator Rev. Edward A. Engelbrecht, STM
“The local church is the greatest engine for good in human history,” businessman and philanthropist Bill Simon says of his hope for Catholic parishes.
CHR Comment: American conservative, Bill Simon, is a devout Roman Catholic who recently published “Great Catholic Parishes,” for which he studied 244 parishes. He advocates Bible Study, church music, and preaching as key to vital parish life.
Source: William Simon’s Mission to Make Parishes Great Again
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