The sister denomination of  the Mormons, the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS), is undergoing a serious decline and loss of identity that its leaders have yet to fully address, writes Roger Launius in the Mormon journal Dialogue (Spring). The RLDS has recently been reported as moving away from its Mormon heritage toward a […]

The influx of immigrants, singles, and other non-traditional believers into Mormonism is challenging the religion’s structures and methods of outreach, reports the independent Mormon Sunstone magazine (March/April). Mormon leaders have allowed the existence of ethnic and single wards (or congregations) on a temporary basis, with the expectation that such members would eventually be integrated into the “mainstream” […]

The conservative forces in the Episcopal Church seem to be shifting to a “post-denominational” strategy, reflecting a national mood that de-emphasizes the importance of denominations. The conservative caucuses in the church in the past were mainly concerned with fighting liberal tendencies and extending orthodox influence (such as by electing bishops) within the denominational structure. The […]

Starting two years ago at the 18,000 member St. Stephen Full Gospel Baptist Church in New  Orleans, a new Black Pentecostal movement is now spreading across the nation. Headed by the dynamic leadership of Bishop Paul S. Morton, the loosely aligned Full Gospel Baptist Fellowship now claims membership of over l,000 churches coast to coast. Each […]

Spiritual counselors are finding a following for their blend of  self-help and generic spirituality, much to the consternation of clergy and psychotherapists. Newsday (May 26) reports that an increasing number of people are paying high fees to “receive guidance from self-proclaimed spiritual advisers, medical intuitives or psychics. These unusual counselors say they are able to guide people […]

Christian television is in a state of upheaval with several broadcasters selling their network to secular companies and rethinking the nature of their ministries,  reports Charisma magazine (June). The Christian broadcasters presence on prime-time TV is decreasing because of a growing number of sellouts to secular networks. Pat Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting Network (renamed the Family Channel in 1990) […]

Recent events have brought up the specter of a major split in the United Methodist Church, the second largest Protestant denomination in the U.S. The talk of schism came to a head last month when a United Methodist Church court failed to discipline a Nebraska pastor, the Rev. Jimmy Creech, for performing a marriage ceremony […]

A “religious revival,”  as well as a new burst of religious freedom for Muslims, is growing in Iraq, according to the Washington Post (April 5). Under orders from Sadam Hussein, the long-time secular country has rescinded restrictions against Shiite Islam, the sect accounting for the majority of Muslims in the nation in order to build morale and discourage […]