Christians who experience moral failures or mental decline late in life will not forfeit rewards stored up from earlier acts of faithful service, theologian and author John Piper said in a recent episode of his “Ask Pastor John” podcast. ... Read full Story
Founder of Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, Robert Morris, appeared in Osage County Court, Oklahoma, with his wife, Debbie, and his attorney, Mack Martin to answer to multiple counts of child sex abuse Friday. ... Read full Story
Evangelical and other Protestant leaders have provided a range of reactions to the election of Pope Leo XIV, from some believing he is exactly what the world needs to others who fear he will be a "woke" pontiff. ... Read full Story
More than 1,000 Evangelical pastors and ministry leaders from 56 countries are expected to gather in Berlin, Germany, for the European Congress on Evangelism later this month. Hosted by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA), the event will take place May 27–30 at the JW Marriott hotel. ... Read full Story
Former-pastor-turned-registered sex offender Duane Youngblood has refiled a motion to dismiss a defamation lawsuit filed against him and 10 other unidentified individuals by Bishop T.D. Jakes, for alleging Jakes sexually assaulted him when he was a teenager some 40 years ago. ... Read full Story
Mannahouse Church, formerly City Bible Church in Portland, Oregon, has announced the death of its former longtime pastor and author, Frank Damazio. He was 75. ... Read full Story
Days after publicly defending his longtime friend and prophetic ministry pastor, Micah Turnbo, from allegations of being a false prophet, senior pastor of the Vineyard Church Northwest in Cincinnati, Ohio, Luke Haselmayer, has withdrawn his comments from social media. ... Read full Story
More than 7,750 people were baptized in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Huntington Beach, California, on Saturday, an event organizers say marked the largest single-day baptism in American history. ... Read full Story
No pope was elected after a first ballot of the papal conclave on Wednesday, as black smoke billowed out of a chimney of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. ... Read full Story
The United Methodist Church leadership has clarified that a recent ruling from its top court allowing pastors to determine if they can officiate same-sex weddings dispute objections from church trustees does not overrule regional bans on the unions. ... Read full Story
Luke Haselmayer, senior pastor of the Vineyard Church Northwest in Cincinnati, Ohio, defended his prophetic ministry pastor, Micah Turnbo, on Monday after he was recently dismissed as a false prophet by Mike Winger of the BibleThinker online ministry. ... Read full Story
Megachurch Pastor John Gray has publicly apologized to his wife, Aventer, and thousands of followers for inappropriate relationships that almost ended his marriage and ministry and blamed his actions on sexual repression and childhood sexual abuse manipulated by demonic forces. ... Read full Story
Two dioceses of The Episcopal Church that were jointly ruled by the current presiding bishop before he was made head of the mainline Protestant denomination have ended their partnership. ... Read full Story
A woman who lost nearly all her belongings due to Hurricane Helene is thanking the Evangelical Christian charity Samaritan's Purse for gifting her with a new camper home and car. ... Read full Story
A pastor who regularly calls out false teachers on his YouTube channel says televangelist Jesse Duplantis’ teachings that Christians can create their own worlds and possess the same DNA as God is “flat out heresy” and “satanic.” ... Read full Story
The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) saw widespread growth in 2024, with notable increases in membership, giving, and professions of faith, according to the denomination’s latest five-year statistical summary published by the Administrative Committee. ... Read full Story
Events that occurred this week in Christian history include Dwight Moody being accepted into church membership, the election of Orthodox Patriarch Jeremias II, and the Presbyterian Church (USA) amending its rules on marital fidelity for clergy. ... Read full Story
The United Kingdom-based humanitarian organization Christian Aid is set to cut its staff nearly in half as part of an international restructuring. ... Read full Story
A forum hosted by South Korean Evangelical leaders this week renewed criticism of the upcoming World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) General Assembly in Seoul, which has faced controversy since its announcement. ... Read full Story
With a conclave to elect a new pope scheduled to begin next week, several names have popped up as potential replacements for Pope Francis. Here are things to know about the potential contenders for the next bishop of Rome. ... Read full Story
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 8, 2025 is:
cataract • \KAT-uh-rakt\ • noun
Cataract refers to a clouding of the lens of the eye, or of its surrounding transparent membrane, that obstructs the passage of light. Cataract is also used, often in literature, to refer to a waterfall, steep rapids in a river, or to a downpour or flood.
// Cataracts are common but can be corrected with surgery.
// The roaring cataract is one of the park’s most majestic sights.
“I became a grandmother at the beginning of the decade and again at the end. I decided what kind of grandmother I wanted to be. I came to accept my identity as a writer. I retired from teaching after twenty years. I continue to work as a social work consultant. I had cataract surgery and can see better than I have in years.” — Lyn Slater, How to Be Old: Lessons in Living Boldly from the Accidental Icon, 2024
Did you know?
The ocular meaning of cataract that English users are most familiar with is also the oldest. It dates to the 14th century and comes from the Latin word cataracta, meaning “portcullis,” probably because a cataract in one’s eye obstructs vision much like a portcullis’s heavy iron grating obstructs passage into a fortress or castle. Cataracta has another meaning, however—“waterfall”—and that meaning gave English the water-related meanings that came in later centuries. The connection between the two Latin meanings can be seen in katarassein, the Greek source of cataracta. It means “to dash down,” describing the action of both the slamming portcullis and the cascading waterfall.