The husband of a retired children's ministry director in North Carolina has been charged with two counts of first-degree sex offense with a child and three counts of indecent liberties with a child for allegedly sexually abusing a child, between the ages of 7 and 8, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Raleigh. Prosecutors allege that former church member Kenneth Newcomer, 61, groped a female child and asked her to perform oral sex, per WRAL. Newcomer's attorney insists that "He will be found not guilty." The church is calling on individuals whose children have ever participated in the church's children's ministry to contact the church or local law enforcement if they have ever experienced abuse in the ministry. Read more.

As the debate over transgender medicalization spreads across the nation amid proposed legislative restrictions on the experimental practices for minors, a question has emerged: What is going on with parents trans-ing their own children? Sometimes called "Munchausen syndrome by proxy," the term refers to a disorder in which a parent draws attention to themselves by projecting a disease or psychological condition onto their child even though the child is not unwell. This article from CP takes a deep dive into the political agenda of key medical groups such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, explores the rise in the number of gender dysphoric patients in recent decades, and shares key insights from Dr. Miriam Grossman, author of the forthcoming book Lost in TransNation: A Child Psychiatrist’s Guide Out of the Madness, and Dr. Roger Hiatt, a child and adolescent psychiatrist. "Once the child has been identified as gender dysphoric or transgender, there is a huge push in much of the medical community to medicalize that child, to address the issue with medical interventions. It basically locks in both child and parent to a patient role or the parent of a patient role. And not only for the parent but also for the child there is a secondary gain from that: feeling important or different, unique or special. That absolutely is a factor, not in every case, but in many cases," says Hiatt. Read more.

Authorities investigating the killing of Auxiliary Bishop David G. O’Connell in Los Angeles have arrested the husband of a woman who worked as a housekeeper for the bishop. L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna announced during a Monday press conference that investigators have identified Carlos Medina as a suspect in the killing. While no motive was disclosed, Luna said Medina claimed O’Connell owed him money and was reported to exhibit odd behavior following the shooting. Luna also revealed that investigators were able to identify Medina from security camera footage, and weapons were recovered from Medina’s home. He is being held on $2 million bail. The Irish-born Bishop O’Connell was found with "at least one gunshot wound to the upper body" on Feb. 18 at a home owned by the Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Read more.

In this editorial, exclusive columnist Wallace B. Henley weighs in on the current revival events taking place across U.S. college campuses and draws comparisons between today's events and the Welsh Revival of the early 1900s. "[T]he fruit is the real proof of revival, and the standard of measurement of the revival that may be forming now in America through the students could be a hint of what is to come. So, think now about all those students 'calling down lightning' on college campuses in our day. ... Is revival on the horizon? We need to join in spirit and soul at least their worship and intercession," he writes. Read more.

Author and homeschooling mom Barb Winters shares her struggles after discovering that her teenage son was watching pornography. Winters, who says that reading pornography statistics helped her deal with feelings of inadequacy as a parent, shares ten findings from a recent report on teens and pornography to demonstrate the pervasiveness of its use and shed light on how best to relate with your children about this issue. Among the findings: Nearly three-quarters (73%) of teens reported consuming pornography, with just under half (44%) of teens stating they had done so intentionally. Read more.

The Christian Post is honored to present "Unmasking Gender Ideology: Protecting Children, Confronting Transgenderism" on March 23, 2023, at the First Baptist Church of Dallas. The event will feature a panel of knowledgeable experts who have been combating gender ideology in different fields.

You won’t want to miss these rich discussions on topics that cover the dangers of gender ideology, the indoctrination and medical abuse of children around the world, as well as the plight of other vulnerable groups who are increasingly subjected to gender self-ID laws. Book Your Tickets

A healthy fear of the Lord is a key component of prayer, says apologist and author Ray Comfort. During a Q&A with CP, Comfort shared why he believes that misconceptions about prayer often boil down to people having an inaccurate understanding of the word "faith." The apologist, who recently penned How to Make Sure God Hears Your Prayers, says, "We tend to think that faith is believing in something without the evidence. And that’s why we believe in God. Just a blind faith. But that’s not true. There is some credible scientific evidence of God’s existence all around us. In the same way, if you look at a building, you don’t believe or have faith there was a builder, you know there was a builder, because buildings don’t build themselves. A building is proof of a builder. ... And the same thing applies when talking about the existence of God. The creation is evidence that there’s a Creator. There is order from the atom through the universe." Read the full interview here.

Lauren Daigle surprised a Christian contestant in Las Vegas auditioning for season 21 of "American Idol." Megan Danielle, 21, shared how she became a Christian singer following the death of her grandfather, who asked her to use her talents to honor God. During her introduction video, the Georgia native reflected on the significance of her relationship with her grandfather. "My childhood, I would always spend most of my time at the shop with my grandpa," she explained. As a teenager, she performed in a band that played at bars and other venues, but she said she had to pretend she was someone she was not just so "people would like what they were hearing." One day, her grandfather pulled her aside and told her that wasn't what she was supposed to be doing. She ultimately decided to shift to Christian music. While auditioning with Lauren Daigle's "You Say," Danielle was surprised when Daigle entered the room, and the two continued the audition together. Judge Katy Perry, who grew up as a Christian singer but is now a pop star, was noticeably emotional and requested the duo sing their "magical" duet again because she wanted to feel "the spirit." Watch the audition here.

Jon Erwin first considered bringing "Jesus Revolution," the story of the greatest spiritual awakening in American history, to the big screen nearly a decade ago. He never imagined that the film's release would hit theaters at the same time a revival would be breaking out on campuses across the United States. "For years, we’ve been working on this story. We almost got it made, and then COVID got it shut down. I just think there's a divine hand on the timing of the film. And the reason we made it was … the thing that we've said for years is, if it happened then, it can happen now. If it happened once, it can happen again," Erwin told CP. "Jesus Revolution" follows Greg Laurie in the 1970s as he, along with a slew of young people, search for truth and meaning on the West Coast. There, he meets a charismatic young evangelist, Lonnie Frisbee, who introduces him to Jesus and invites wandering youth to church, challenging traditional church culture. What followed was a countercultural movement that continues to impact society and the Church today. Laurie, who leads Harvest Christian Fellowship, told CP that his experiences in the 60s and 70s are similar to what today's youth are experiencing—despondence, mental health issues, and a search for answers. "This generation needs hope, just like our generation needed it. And I pray that this movie will be a spark," Laurie said. "Jesus Revolution," which stars Kelsey Grammer, Joel Courtney, and Jonathan Roumie, hits theaters Feb. 24. Learn more.