Died • Martin Hengel, noted New Testament scholar, on July 2 in Tübingen, Germany, from cancer. Hengel, 82, is credited with helping to reverse the trend of skepticism regarding the historical reliability of the New Testament and early Christian writings.
Appointed • Paula White, ex-wife of Randy White, as senior pastor of the Tampa, Florida-based Without Walls International Church, after Randy stepped down in July for health reasons.
Appointed • Karl D. Eastlack, as CEO of World Hope International. Eastlack replaces founder Jo Anne Lyon, who served as CEO from 1996 until 2008, when she was appointed general superintendent of the Wesleyan Church.
Died • Robert L. Short, author of The Gospel According to Peanuts, on July 6 in Arkansas. Short, 76, was theologically liberal but inspired many evangelicals to look for religious themes in popular culture.
Appointed • Francis Collins, former head of the Human Genome Project, as chief of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The openly evangelical Collins believes faith and scientific theories can be reconciled. The NIH recently set new guidelines for stem-cell research that displeased moral conservatives.
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