08/18/2023
Curated for you byCP Editors
Good afternoon! It's Friday, August 18, and today's headlines include the IRS' hunt for a fake missionary, retailer Target's losses following backlash to its LGBT-themed products, and Willie McLaurin's resignation from the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
The Internal Revenue Service is searching for a 45-year-old man accused of wire fraud and laundering millions of dollars in donations from organizations that thought they were giving the funds to a Christian ministry in China. Jason Gerald Shenk of Georgia is accused of misdirecting more than $30 million in donations to various shell corporations. Many of the donations came from faith-based donors and charities, most of whom were Amish and Mennonite communities in Ohio and North Carolina. Full Story.
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Retail giant Target saw its first quarterly drop in six years as the company faced backlash and calls for a boycott for promoting LGBT-related products during pride month, including "tuck-friendly" swimsuits designed to enable trans-identified biological men to wear women's swimsuits more easily by hiding their genitalia. Meanwhile, competitor Walmart saw an uptick in sales during the same period. Read more.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has ruled 3-0 that Washington, D.C., authorities engaged in viewpoint discrimination, as they "selectively enforced" a defacement ordinance against pro-life advocates who wrote "Black Pre-Born Lives Matter" on a sidewalk in 2020 but not against protestors and rioters who chalked "Black Lives Matter" and spray painted anti-police messages on streets, sidewalks and buildings. Read more.
Congressman Max Miller of Ohio's 7th District called on Ohio Right to Life's communications director, Elizabeth Marbach, to take down her social media post that declared "There's no hope for any of us outside of having faith in Jesus Christ alone," with Miller asserting it was "one of the most bigoted tweets I have ever seen." The lawmaker, who faced backlash for his comments, including from cultural commentator Matt Walsh, later apologized. Read more.
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Dr. Kimberly Milhoan writes about the wildfires in Maui and the continued difficulties the community faces. "We are a small community. Everyone has been touched in some fashion. We are mourning. Many are angry. We need your prayers," she writes. Read more.
Christian Post Executive Editor Dr. Richard Land discusses the life and legacy of Dr. Adrian Rogers, who is credited as being a prominent leader in the "Conservative Resurgence" in the Southern Baptist Convention. Calling him a gifted preacher who was focused on investing in future generations of preachers, Land expresses hope for the continued tradition of the Adrian Rogers Preaching Conference. Read more.
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Willie McLaurin, the interim president and CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, has stepped down from the position after search committee members discovered he had false credentials on his resume. McLaurin falsely claimed to hold degrees from several universities, including Duke University Divinity School. Read more.
Worship with Wonders Church Pastor Myles Rutherford says it's time for the increasingly "silent" Church to "speak truth with love, but with accuracy." Rutherford, who recently penned Raise Your Voice: An Urgent Call to Speak Out in a Collapsing Culture, lamented how the pandemic and the rising wave of cancel culture have effectively silenced many Christians during an interview with CP. Read his interview here.
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During this interview with CP, Ricky Hill shares how he knew God was calling him to play professional baseball despite being born with a birth defect that required him to wear braces on his legs. Hill, who also faced a stern Baptist father who wanted him to enter the ministry, persevered to achieve his dream. His story is now featured in the film "The Hill," starring Dennis Quaid, Scott Glenn, Colin Ford, Randy Houser and Joelle Carter. Watch the interview now.
Thank you for spending part of your day with us. We look forward to seeing you again on Monday! -- CP Editors