Crosswalk CEO resigns; 15 staffers laid off
Christian Web site Crosswalk.com laid off 15 more employees yesterday—nearly a quarter of its 64-member staff. Also gone is William Parker as chief executive officer (though he'll reportedly stay on as a consultant for a while). Parker will be replaced by Scott Fehrenbacher, who previously served as the site's editor-in-chief and led a values-based investing organization. "The restructuring will involve the consolidation of functions to the Chantilly, Virginia headquarters, implementation of more cost-effective means of generating content and further proficiency in utilizing viral marketing," the company—which burned $600,000 a month in the third quarter of 2000—said in a press release. The good news for the company is that it's trading back above $1/share, which puts it out of danger of being dropped by Nasdaq. Other good news for the company: Christianbook.com promised to spend $500,000 or so over the next year in advertising. Hey, at least somebody has money to spend … (Watch for Christianity Today's coverage of the for-profit Christian Web site world in its upcoming special technology issue, due out next month.)

Ex-mobsters face off on conversion storiesTom Papania has appeared on Focus on the Family, CBN, Charisma magazine, and a host of other Christian media. And why not? He's got a great testimony, "From Mafia to Minister," about his life from organized crime to Jesus. Only one problem: another ex-mobster, Robert "Rocky" Scarfone, says Papania is stealing his stories. "''I'm claiming he used true stories to bolster what is untrue—his testimony,'' Scarfone says. He filed a lawsuit against Papania, Focus on the Family, and CBN, saying they conspired ...