The movement to channel welfare through faith-based organizations that has been so prominent in the U.S. is also gaining support and generating controversy in Britain. The British charismatic magazine Renewal (January) reports that Prime Minister Tony Blair and Conservative Party leader William Hague have pressed for new partnerships with the voluntary sector to deal with problems such […]

A recent violent attack against a Catholic Church in the Caribbean island of St. Lucia by Rastafarians points to a more militant mood among Rasta believers, reports the Los Angeles Times (Jan. 7). In early January, Rastafarians attacked a church in Castries, St. Lucia, torching a dozen parishioners that resulted in two deaths, and setting fire to […]

The Asian influx in Canada is working to counteract secularism in the nation’s three largest cities, according to a recent government survey. The Washington Post (Dec. 30) reports that as Asian immigrants have gravitated to Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal, they have maintained, and in many cases, taken up new devotion to the Buddhist, Sikh, Muslim, Hindu and […]

The Jehovah’s Witnesses may be changing their approach to blood transfusions, as different branches of the movement allow their members to remain in fellowship with the group after undergoing the once-taboo medical procedure. The Christian Research Journal (Volume 23, Number 2) reports that the leadership of the Jehovah’s Witnesses was quick to deny that they were […]

The members of Fulan Gong in the West are mainly wealthy, educated Chinese immigrants, suggesting that the movement is far from a refuge for the superstitious and poor. Much has been written on Fulan Gong, especially on the group’s persecution by the Chinese government, but there has been little research on the meditative movement’s large […]

“Wouldn’t it be easier just to switch to a more congenial congregation or denomination rather than fighting?” It was a question that frequently crossed this writer’s mind after interviewing people involved in efforts to reform their particular denomination or church body. The concern to renew and reform a religion from within is almost as ancient […]

Turkey’s Whirling Dervishes, Muslims practicing mystical dances, are experiencing the same divisions existing between moderate and militant Islam throughout the world, particularly over the role of women. The Washington Post (Dec. 25) reports that the dervishes, known for their whirling, trance-like dances which are seen as a way of communicating with God, have traditionally been for […]

A “radical” youth-oriented church movement in Europe is growing by using high tech entertainment-oriented services, reports Charisma magazine (January). Membership at Zurich’s International Christian Fellowship (ICF) has grown sharply in the past four years, as it has branched out to  seven other congregations in other parts of Switzerland, and neighboring Germany. The church’s services — which are called […]

Many churches are forming new radio ministries through the growth of new low power FM stations. Charisma News Service (Dec. 28) reports that about half of the first 255 new low-power FM (LPFM) licenses offered by the U.S. government’s broadcast licensing body have gone to churches and ministries. Operating at between 50 and 100 watts, the […]

The Way International (TWI), a movement that gained many followers and notoriety in the 1970s, appears to be on an accelerated course of decline after sexual scandals involving leaders and law suits against the organization have recently been revealed. The Christian Research Journal (Volume 23, Number 1), an evangelical countercult publication, reports that The Way, a group […]