Christianity Today

Foreign aid cut from religious charities

CHINA When it comes to charity, every little bit helps. But no longer in China, where religious groups that want to perform charity work must now do so without the help of foreign donations. The State Administration for Religious Affairs recently decided that charitable religious groups not associated with the government "should stick to the principle of self-reliance, and be free from the influence of external forces." The regulations seem largely aimed at Tibetan and Islamist groups whose political beliefs make the government wary after the Arab spring.

Mail carriers refuse to deliver New Testaments

ISRAEL Are mail carriers evangelists? Postal workers in Ramat Gan refused to deliver thousands of copies of Hebrew-language Christian materials, including copies of the New Testament. They asserted that distributing the materials would violate Jewish law because it would be proselytizing. The Israel Postal Company, noting that Israeli law does not prevent the dissemination of written materials, said that as a government entity it would ensure the New Testaments were distributed.

Seminary president resigns

The embattled president of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri, resigned prior to a confrontation with trustees over his performance. R. Philip Roberts had been accused of misleading trustees and auditors about improper use of government grants and other designated funds at the seminary, which has struggled financially in recent years. Roberts faced similar accusations in 2007, but a forensic audit made this year's confrontation more serious due to potential legal ramifications.

Public displays of faith under fire

UNITED KINGDOM British Christians face two high-profile ...

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