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Amnesiac pastor's post precarious
He reportedly can't remember his past, and now his future's shaky too. As noted earlier in Weblog, married youth minister Wesley Barrett "Barre" Cox disappeared one day near San Antonio. He reappeared 16 years later as James Simmons, an amnesiac but still a preacher. Now he's senior pastor at White Rock Community Church, a predominantly gay congregation in Dallas. As doubt continues to swirl around Cox's/Simmons's story, the pastor has called for a vote. Unless two-thirds of his new congregation affirms him, he'll leave. Apparently the vote is in doubt: message boards on the church Web site indicate a pretty divided congregation.

More churches and pastors in trouble:

• Baptist Temple congregation moves on | More than 600 people gathered Sunday morning in a high school auditorium for first services after federal seizure (Associated Press/The Indianapolis Star)
• Church won't discipline pastor | United Methodist pastor who pleaded guilty last fall to a charge of giving false testimony in a road-rage case (The Seattle Times)
• Church child care needs more oversight by state, say groups | Laws exist governing church-run locations in Indiana, but critics would like to see more. (Associated Press/The Indianapolis Star)

Pop culture:

• Pat Boone backs Eminem | "We must respect an individual's right to speak his mind," says Christian musician (Associated Press)
• Earlier: Why Pat Boone went "Bad" | His controversial mission to interpret pop culture for cranky Christians. (Christianity Today, Oct. 4, 1999)
• Mexican Pokemons in symbolic burning (BBC)

Homosexuality:

• Religious outrage over pink tourism | Religious leaders tell Cape Town mayor to stop promoting the city as the "gay capital of the world." (The Independent, Johannesburg, South Africa)
• ORU's gay alumni plan event | Oral Roberts University extends "cautiously cordial'' invitation to homosexual graduates (Associated Press)
• Britain will hear Cayman's complaints on gay laws | U.K. government will accept petition from Caymanian church leaders angered over revocation of territory's laws against homosexuality, but it does not plan to change its decision. (Associated Press)
• A man and a woman, period | Holy matrimony excludes same-sex unions, interfaith coalition says (The Toronto Star)

British Christian dating service:

• Christian dating agency goes online to find perfect partners | A new dating agency for Christians is asking members to quote their favorite biblical passages and describe their religious beliefs in order to ensure that they are matched with their perfect partner. (The Daily Telegraph, London)
• Getting to know you, after an intimately Christian fashion | Organizers of www.christianconnection.co.uk believe their matchmaking service will fill a hole in the hearts of many young people for whom the traditional church is no longer the place to meet Mr. and Mrs. Right. (The Guardian, London)

Falun Gong and religious liberty:

• Psychiatric abuse reportedly used to repress sect | China's crackdown on the Falun Gong spiritual movement is focusing new attention on Beijing's practice of imprisoning dissenters in psychiatric hospitals. (The New York Times)
• Falun Gong poses test in Hong Kong | Beijing tries to extend its crackdown (The Washington Post)
• Catholic bishop slams 'evil' label for Falun Gong | "If Falun Gong is accused of causing disorder in Hong Kong society just because of peaceful protests, then such a label can easily be applied tomorrow to the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission, to the diocese and to many Christian bodies," says Bishop Joseph Zen (Reuters)

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February (Web-only) 2001, Vol. 45