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        <title>Christian Daily International | Church & Missions</title>
        <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/church-missions</link>
        <description><![CDATA[Stay updated on global church and mission news, including evangelical outreach, church planting, discipleship, digital evangelism, and cross-cultural missions. Explore how Christians worldwide share the gospel and build the global body of Christ.]]></description>
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        <copyright>Christian Daily International © 2026</copyright>
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        <lastBuildDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 13:19:24 -0400</lastBuildDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Zurich Reformed Church members to vote on binding climate rules for church buildings]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/zurich-reformed-church-members-to-vote-on-binding-climate-rules-for-church-buildings</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/zurich-reformed-church-members-to-vote-on-binding-climate-rules-for-church-buildings</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[The twin towers of the Grossmünster, where Huldrych Zwingli began preaching in 1519 and set the Swiss Reformation in motion, rise above the Limmat River in Zurichs old town.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ iStock / mr-fox ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ The twin towers of the Grossmünster, where Huldrych Zwingli began preaching in 1519 and set the Swiss Reformation in motion, rise above the Limmat River in Zurich's old town. A gilded rooster crowns the spire at right, the traditional marker of Reformed churches in Switzerland and the emblem behind the name of the "Grüner Güggel," or Green Rooster, environmental certification. Members of the Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Zurich vote Sept. 27 on whether every parish must adopt the scheme. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 11:07:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Members of the Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Zurich vote Sept. 27 on whether to write environmental obligations into the Church Ordinance, the constitutional text of the cantonal church. The proposal sets a target of net-zero emissions from church properties by the end of 2035 and would require every parish to adopt an environmental management system known as the "Grüner Güggel."]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Members of the Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Zurich vote Sept. 27 on whether to write environmental obligations into the Church Ordinance, the constitutional text of the cantonal church. The proposal sets a target of net-zero emissions from church properties by the end of 2035 and would require every parish to adopt an environmental management system known as the "Grüner Güggel," according to campaign statements from both sides published by the Swiss evangelical news portal Livenet.ch.
All church members aged 16 and over may take part. The dispute is less about whether the Zurich church should act on the environment, since care for creation is already anchored in the Church Ordinance, than about who decides how and by when: the cantonal bodies, or the parishes that own the buildings and pay for their upkeep.
The ballot grew out of the Creation Initiative, submitted in 2023 and described by the initiative committee as the first successful popular initiative within a Reformed cantonal church in Switzerland. The Church Council and the Church Synod responded with a counterproposal. The initiative committee withdrew its own text in favor of that counterproposal and is now campaigning for it. The Synod approved the new articles in January.
What the proposal would require
Under the amendment, the cantonal church and its parishes would have to record and reduce their environmental impact systematically and bring building-related CO2 emissions to net zero by the end of 2035. Ecological themes would also feature more strongly in education, spiritual life and parish activity.
The initiative committee says the text sets binding targets rather than prescribing individual measures. It lists energy-efficiency refurbishment of church buildings, the replacement of fossil-fuel heating systems, more sustainable catering at events and the promotion of ecologically valuable green spaces as examples of what parishes might choose.
"The church has been talking about responsibility for creation for years. Now it can show that it also puts its words into action," Tobias Adam, president of the initiative committee, said in remarks published by Livenet.ch. A yes vote, he said, would mean the church was assuming responsibility toward present and future generations.
The pro campaign runs under the slogan "Don't crow. Act.," a play on the rooster that gives the certification scheme its name.
The rooster on the steeple
Much of the argument turns on the "Grüner Güggel," or Green Rooster, a certification mark administered by the Bern-based association oeku – Kirchen für die Umwelt and modeled on the European EMAS environmental management standard. Güggel is Swiss German for rooster.
The name refers to the weather vane that stands on many Reformed steeples in Switzerland. The rooster has long been understood as a symbol of spiritual alertness and repentance, recalling the biblical account of Peter's denial of Christ, and it historically distinguished Protestant houses of worship from Catholic churches, which more commonly display a cross.
"The environmental label of the Grüner Güggel has stood for years for lived responsibility for creation in many parishes," said Maarit Franzki, co-head of the pro campaign. The September vote, she said, would anchor that commitment across the whole church.
Opposition from within the Synod
A committee of synod members campaigning against the proposal wants certification to remain voluntary. On its website, güggelzwang-nein.ch, the committee argues that the label demands considerable work from parish boards and staff, requires recertification after four years and carries costs that fall on the parishes.
By the committee's count, 27 parishes — about a quarter of the canton's total — have been certified so far, despite several years of promotion by the Church Council under an earlier mandate from the Synod. Alternatives exist, including the EcoChurch scheme, and many parishes have pursued environmental measures for decades without any label, the committee says.
Its central objection is to what it calls a double compulsion: mandatory certification combined with the 2035 deadline, applied in the same way to large and small parishes alike. The committee also says the Synod adopted the articles in January after inadequate debate and with narrow majorities.
Subsidiarity and the limits of church law
The opponents' case rests heavily on subsidiarity, the Swiss principle that what must be done locally should as far as possible be decided locally. Parish boards already carry heavy burdens, the committee argues, and parishes know their own historic buildings best. Instead of new requirements, it wants the Church Council to negotiate better conditions for renovation work with heritage protection authorities and to do more to support and motivate parishes.
The committee further argues that a Reformed net-zero target for 2035, together with detailed provisions, would extend legal regulation into areas better left to local judgment. It points to the cantonal ballot of Sept. 28, 2025, when Zurich voters rejected a revision of the energy law by 59.5% to 40.5%. That revision would have written a net-zero date of 2040, or 2050 at the latest, into cantonal law; the Swiss federal target is 2050, and the canton's constitution has committed Zurich to net zero without a date since 2022.
Both committees present the question as one of Christian responsibility rather than policy alone. The initiative committee describes the earth as God's creation and human beings as sharing responsibility for its preservation, and says the church should act accordingly at a time of climate and biodiversity crises. The opposing committee frames environmental care around Christ as sustainer of creation, citing former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams' description of Christ as the heart of creation, and argues that such a commitment is best carried by vital local congregations.
Livenet.ch published the two campaign statements in succession ahead of the ballot. The initiative committee says it will hold events across the canton in the weeks before Sept. 27.
A cantonal church with a wide theological range
The Zurich church is part of Switzerland's Landeskirchen — the Reformed, Roman Catholic and Christian Catholic bodies recognized under cantonal public law, often described in English as state churches, though they govern themselves. It belongs to the Evangelical Reformed Church in Switzerland, the federation of 24 cantonal Reformed churches formerly known as the Swiss Protestant Church Federation, which is part of the World Council of Churches.
Swiss Reformed cantonal churches are generally regarded as theologically liberal, but the leaning varies from parish to parish. Some local Reformed parishes identify as evangelical and are members of the Swiss Evangelical Alliance alongside free churches and independent evangelical congregations.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Michael Youssef preaches in Amman as ministry reports more than 500 professions of faith]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/michael-youssef-preaches-in-amman-as-ministry-reports-more-than-500-professions-of-faith</link>
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                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Attendees fill the courtyard of the Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary during the Christ Our Hope evangelistic service in Amman, Jordan, on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Leading The Way ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Attendees fill the courtyard of the Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary during the Christ Our Hope evangelistic service in Amman, Jordan, on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026. Organizers said more than 1,600 people from across Jordan attended the three-hour outdoor gathering, which was carried live on the KINGDOM SAT satellite channel. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 10:18:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[An open-air evangelistic service led by Egyptian-American pastor Michael Youssef drew a crowd of more than 1,600 to the campus of the Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary in a suburb of Amman on Sept. 4]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
An open-air evangelistic service led by Egyptian-American pastor Michael Youssef drew a crowd of more than 1,600 to the campus of the Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary in a suburb of Amman on Sept. 4, according to the Jordanian Christian news site Milh il Ard. Leading The Way, the ministry Youssef founded, said in a statement released Sept. 9 that more than 500 Jordanians made professions of faith during the evening.
The gathering, held under the banner "Christ Our Hope," was organized by Al Malakoot Sat TV, known in English as KINGDOM SAT, the Arabic-language satellite channel Youssef established. It was hosted by by Imad Maayah, a retired major general and former member of the Jordanian parliament who serves as president of the Jordan Evangelical Council.
For Youssef, the event opened what he has described as a redirection of his ministry toward the Middle East. In an interview with Christian Daily International published the day before the service, he said he had stepped down from the pulpit of the Atlanta congregation he led for nearly four decades and had been urged by his son Jonathan to give his remaining working years to the Arab world. "I want to start in Jordan," he said.
Youssef preached on the account in Matthew 19 of the wealthy man who asks Jesus how to obtain eternal life, speaking through an interpreter, Rev. Yousef Hashweh. Leading The Way said the address was titled "Arms Wide Open."
"I've had the privilege of traveling around the world 78 times in the last 50 years and I've seen the problem of humanity is the same everywhere," Youssef said in remarks distributed by the ministry. "We live in a time filled with deception, and there are consequences to each of the choices we make."
The service ran about three hours and combined the sermon with hymns performed by a Jordanian choir and band alongside Egyptian singers, Milh il Ard reported. Hundreds of those present responded to an appeal to follow Christ, the site said. Munther Nimat, director general of the Jordan Bible Society, said 400 copies of the New Testament were distributed free of charge afterward.
Imad Shehadeh, president of the seminary, said he had first invited Youssef to the campus 12 years earlier and called the service an unforgettable event. He told the crowd that the ministry's motto shared its sense with the seminary's own text, inscribed in Greek on its prayer tower: "Christ in you is the hope of glory," from Colossians 1:27.
Organizers presented the evening as a point of convergence for a Christian community divided along denominational lines. Speaking to Milh il Ard afterward, Youssef said he had been struck by the unity of spirit among the church leaders he met the previous day and by the response to his message. Leading The Way's statement quoted two denominational leaders, one describing the gathering as unique among Jordanian church events and another saying it had given the church "a fresh breath."
Youssef told Christian Daily International before the service that reconciliation among divided Christians was "the joy of my life," and said he would take part in preparations for Jordan's planned 2030 commemoration of the 2,000th anniversary of Jesus' baptism at Bethany Beyond the Jordan if invited to help.
The service was carried live on KINGDOM SAT and streamed on the ministry's online platforms. Farid Garas, a senior director at the channel, said further "Christ Our Hope" events are scheduled for Luxor, Egypt, on Nov. 6 and for the Mokattam district of Cairo on Nov. 15.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[IMB commissions first Lumbee Native American couple to serve Canada's First Nations]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/imb-commissions-first-lumbee-native-american-couple-to-serve-canada-s-first-nations</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/imb-commissions-first-lumbee-native-american-couple-to-serve-canada-s-first-nations</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[IMB missionaries RJ and Elayna Locklear]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ IMB Photo ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ IMB missionaries RJ and Elayna Locklear are part of the Lumbee Native American tribe in North Carolina. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 15:52:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The International Mission Board has commissioned RJ and Elayna Locklear as its first Lumbee Native American missionary couple, sending them to serve Canada's First Nations communities in and around Calgary, Alberta.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Southern Baptist mission efforts among Indigenous peoples in North America reached a milestone this year as the International Mission Board reported commissioning its first Lumbee Native American couple to serve Canada’s First Nations.
RJ and Elayna Locklear, along with their son, Ezra, relocated this summer to Calgary, Alberta, where they will serve as church-planting strategists among First Nations communities in the region.
“First Nations often do not have a traditional Western worldview, so ministry on a reserve where they live requires a missiology that accounts for that,” said Jeff Clark, an IMB missionary focused on rural, unreached people groups. “Our goal is that every reserve in Canada has a culturally relevant, gospel-preaching church.”
Members of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, the Locklears bring shared Indigenous heritage and cultural experience to their ministry. Their path to the mission field, however, involved years of unexpected delays.
RJ was initially scheduled to serve in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic halted those plans. After marrying Elayna in 2022, health issues further delayed their departure. In 2025, the couple welcomed their son before finally arriving in Alberta in 2026.
“The timing was perfect,” RJ said. “We believe that God delayed us until now for this specific job and time to serve First Nations peoples and to share our story as Native Americans with them.”
The Locklears' work is part of a broader partnership between the IMB, the North American Mission Board and the Canadian National Baptist Convention to mobilize Indigenous believers for church planting.
IMB President Paul Chitwood emphasized the role Native American believers can play in reaching people who remain unreached.
“Far too many Native Americans and First Nations remain unreached and even unengaged with the gospel,” Chitwood said. “Clearly the most effective workers will come from our Southern Baptist First Nations and Native American churches, of which there are several hundred across the United States.”
The ministry team faces a complex road ahead. Historic mistreatment of Indigenous peoples by Christian institutions has created long-standing barriers to the Christian message.
Missionaries say their focus is on building long-term relationships and sharing the Christian message through culturally relevant ministry across generations.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Rule change allows Brazilian pastor to resume Texas pastorate]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/rule-change-allows-brazilian-pastor-to-resume-texas-pastorate</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/rule-change-allows-brazilian-pastor-to-resume-texas-pastorate</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Albert Oliveira baptizes a new believer at First Baptist Church of Gordon, Texas, in July.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ First Baptist Church of Gordon ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Albert Oliveira baptizes a new believer at First Baptist Church of Gordon, Texas, in July. The Brazilian pastor resumed his ministry there in April after a change in U.S. immigration rules ended a one-year wait abroad for religious workers. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Tue, 08 Sep 2026 07:25:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[A Brazilian pastor who left the United States in late 2025 rather than stay beyond the expiry of his visa is again leading his congregation in Texas, after a change in U.S. immigration rules ended a one-year waiting period for religious workers seeking to return, Baptist Press reported.]]></description>
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A Brazilian pastor who left the United States in late 2025 rather than stay beyond the expiry of his visa is again leading his congregation in Texas, after a change in U.S. immigration rules ended a one-year waiting period for religious workers seeking to return, Baptist Press reported.
Albert Oliveira came back in April to First Baptist Church of Gordon, in a small town in north Texas, together with his German-born wife, Caroline, and their 4-year-old son, Elliott. Under the earlier rules he would have had to remain outside the country for a full year before applying again for an R-1 visa, the temporary category used by foreign-born clergy and other religious staff working in the United States.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced the change on Jan. 14 and published it two days later as an interim final rule, which took effect on publication. Religious workers who reach the statutory five-year maximum in R-1 status must still leave the country, but the department removed any minimum period they must spend abroad before seeking readmission for a further five years.
DHS said the change was intended to reduce the length of time congregations are left without their clergy. The department described priests, nuns and rabbis as among those affected, and said in a statement attributed to a spokesperson that such workers are "essential to the social and moral fabric of this country." The rule was issued in support of an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in February 2025 establishing a White House Faith Office.
Behind the change lies a bottleneck in the separate EB-4 immigrant visa category, through which many religious workers pursue permanent residency. Demand there has outstripped supply for years, and DHS said adjustments made by the State Department in 2023 lengthened the wait considerably for applicants from certain countries. Workers caught in the backlog frequently exhaust the five-year limit on their temporary status before a permanent visa becomes available.
Oliveira told Baptist Press the amendment had removed a significant obstacle without resolving the underlying problem. "It did make things a lot easier," he said. "But it's definitely not a solution. But it at least allowed for me and everyone involved to be able to make long-term plans with their churches, to be able to dream together."
He said congregations that struggle to recruit qualified pastors should be able to look abroad without committing years to administrative processes, and framed the question partly in terms of religious liberty. "I believe that churches should be able to have the option to have a pastor from a different country if that's what they believe that they need," he said, calling for an immigration system that is both fair and secure.
Oliveira kept his position while in Brazil, preaching online and holding meetings by video. His return to Gordon was marked by a public welcome, with fire and police vehicles escorting the family and residents gathering along the streets.
According to the Baptist Press report, the congregation has continued to grow and to baptize new members, prompting it to form a committee on church growth and to look for larger premises. "Everybody's just playing musical chairs with the rooms, trying to find a place for everyone," Oliveira said.
He argued that pastors born abroad bring experience that congregations focused on mission cannot easily obtain otherwise, and pointed to his own background. "I for example accepted Christ by the work of missionaries from North Carolina in Brazil," he said. "I know what it's like to receive a team of American missionaries in my house, and I know the challenges of the local pastor after they leave."
Employing pastors from other countries also signals to a community that a church welcomes different cultures, languages and accents, he said.
Oliveira compared the family's experience to that of the first Christians. "If the challenge is immigration, and if the challenge is government changes, those are things that the early Christians had to deal with too," he told Baptist Press. "It's nothing new."
DHS said about 19,000 people were in the United States on R-1 visas when the rule was updated. Because the measure took effect as an interim final rule, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services accepted public comment until March 17 and has not yet issued a final rule. In June the agency published guidance for staff applying the change.
Separate legislation that would allow religious workers to remain in the country until decisions are reached on their applications for permanent residency, the Religious Workforce Protection Act, has been introduced in both chambers of Congress with cross-party sponsorship but has not been passed.
Galen Carey, vice president of government relations for the National Association of Evangelicals, welcomed the effort, saying: “Religious communities unite and serve believers of multiple nationalities. It is important that our leaders have the freedom to serve across national boundaries, and that our churches have access to staff with the expertise they need. The Religious Worker Visa Program has served our country well and has been a blessing to our churches.”]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[FEBC breaks ground on Phnom Penh ministry center after Cambodia broadcast expansion]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/febc-breaks-ground-on-phnom-penh-ministry-center-after-cambodia-broadcast-expansion</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/febc-breaks-ground-on-phnom-penh-ministry-center-after-cambodia-broadcast-expansion</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[A groundbreaking ceremony in Phnom Penh marks the start of construction on a new FEBC ministry center for Voice of Love Cambodia, which will house radio, podcast and video production studios.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ FEBC ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ A groundbreaking ceremony in Phnom Penh marks the start of construction on a new FEBC ministry center for Voice of Love Cambodia, which will house radio, podcast and video production studios. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Mon, 07 Sep 2026 14:37:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Far East Broadcasting Company has begun construction on a ministry center in the Cambodian capital that will house studios for radio, podcast and video production, the broadcaster said in an announcement on Sept. 1.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Far East Broadcasting Company has begun construction on a ministry center in the Cambodian capital that will house studios for radio, podcast and video production, the broadcaster said in an announcement on Sept. 1.
Staff, ministry partners and board members gathered at the site for a groundbreaking and prayer ceremony, FEBC said. The building will serve Voice of Love, the organization's Cambodian ministry, and construction is expected to take roughly 12 to 15 months.
The project follows a broadcast expansion completed last year. A new tower and transmitter that entered service in mid-2025 gave FEBC the potential to reach about 80% of Cambodia's population by radio, the organization said. The center is intended to build on that reach by adding production capacity for streaming, digital audio and video, and by providing space to meet listeners in person.
"This is about much more than constructing a building," said Ed Cannon, president and CEO of FEBC USA. "Radio remains an extraordinarily important part of how we reach people, but today we also have opportunities through streaming, social media, podcasts, video and personal relationships that our founders could never have imagined."
Plans for the facility include expanded production space for both traditional broadcasting and audio and video podcasts. The ground floor is to include meeting rooms where FEBC can receive listeners, run conferences and training sessions, and make space available to partner organizations.
FEBC described the meeting space as central to how it wants to work in Cambodia — connecting listeners with local believers and churches and creating occasions for people to respond in person, rather than relying on broadcast alone.
"Our desire is to be close to the listener," said Samphal Makara, national ministry director for FEBC Cambodia. "With the new tower, we can reach more people across Cambodia. With this new Ministry Center, we will have the space and technology to serve those listeners in new ways."
The organization said the project was financed by donors, with Northwestern Media providing engineering and technical consultation along with financial support. Scott Jones of Northwestern Media said in the announcement that the combination of engineering work and technology would help the Cambodian team "reach and serve more people for generations to come." No construction cost was disclosed.
Construction is taking place during FEBC's 80th anniversary year. The organization was founded in 1946 and now distributes programming through terrestrial radio, digital audio, streaming, social media and video. Comparable expansion projects are in discussion or design stages in other countries where FEBC operates, according to the broadcaster, which did not name them.
"The technology will continue to change," Cannon said. "There will undoubtedly be ways of communicating 10 or 20 years from now that we cannot even imagine today. We want to build facilities and equip our national teams so they are ready to use those platforms when they arrive."]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Save the Parish report warns of 'existential' fall in Church of England parish clergy]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/save-the-parish-report-warns-of-existential-fall-in-church-of-england-parish-clergy</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/save-the-parish-report-warns-of-existential-fall-in-church-of-england-parish-clergy</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[church of England, Anglican church, bible]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ iStock / coldsnowstorm ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ A Save the Parish report published Sept. 4 warns of a crisis in stipendiary clergy numbers and calls for reforms to training, funding and clergy support. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Mon, 07 Sep 2026 09:25:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Save the Parish, a campaign group within the Church of England, published a report Sept. 4 warning that the number of stipendiary parish clergy has fallen to crisis levels and that more priests are now leaving ministry by resignation than by retirement.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Save the Parish, a campaign group within the Church of England, published a report Sept. 4 warning that the number of stipendiary parish clergy has fallen to crisis levels and that more priests are now leaving ministry by resignation than by retirement.
The report, "Parish Ministry: Addressing the Crisis in Stipendiary Clergy Numbers in the Church of England," follows a two-day consultation the group convened March 23-24 at St George's House, Windsor Castle. Participants included two bishops, two archdeacons, principals and lecturers from theological training institutions, two diocesan directors of ordinands, four staff from Church House and representatives of the English Clergy Association.
The document identifies problems in three areas — attracting candidates for ordination, training them and retaining them in post — and sets out six lines of action. Among them are fully funded ordination training, a halt to diocesan clergy cuts, a "covenant of care" for serving clergy and a new method of measuring what parish ministry achieves. In its announcement of the report, Save the Parish said the consultation had produced a consensus among participants on the need to reform training, rebuild trust between clergy and church structures, and secure funding for those preparing for ordination.
Church of England ministry statistics published in May 2026, cited in the report, record 6,682 clergy in stipendiary ministry and 2,440 self-supporting ministers. The largest group of active clergy are retired priests holding permission to officiate, who number 8,368. Of those in stipendiary ministry, 3,153 — close to half — are over 55.
The May figures included data on departures for the first time, according to the report. They show 379 clergy resigned during the year, against 278 who retired.
Entries to ordination training peaked at 591 in 2020, the report says, then dropped to 370 in 2024, with a partial recovery to 417 in 2025. The 2025 figure was supplied to the consultation by the Rev. Canon Nicholas McKee, the Church of England's director of ministry.
Marcus Walker, chairman of Save the Parish and rector of Great St Bartholomew in London, wrote on the social media platform X that the fall in ordinations and the rate of departures together threaten the church's basic functions.
"This is existential for the CofE," he wrote. "If we don't have men and women coming forward for the priesthood we can't have priests ministering the sacraments, preaching the Gospel, visiting the sick, baptising babies. And we won't have priests coming forward if the clergy are burnt out."
Save the Parish described the parish priest in its announcement as becoming an "endangered species."
Wellbeing identified as the main obstacle
The report draws a direct line between the condition of serving clergy and the shortage of candidates. At a national vocations conversation held in York in 2024, 71% of participants — heads of theological colleges and diocesan directors of ordinands — identified clergy wellbeing as the primary factor working against vocations, outweighing demographic change and lack of resources, the report says.
It cites the Living Ministry survey, a longitudinal study of clergy conducted between 2017 and 2025 and published by Church House in December 2025, which found that 29% of clergy recorded scores indicating possible mild to clinical depression and that two in five reported feeling isolated. According to the same research, administrative workload rather than total hours worked is the main source of stress, because it displaces pastoral work. The survey also found that only 3.9% of respondents regarded the church's leadership as a source of hope.
Participants agreed that parish clergy are often deeply unhappy, the report states, describing them as feeling "undervalued, under-resourced, overworked, frustrated and vulnerable" — and therefore poorly placed to encourage others toward ordination.
Several groups at the consultation identified a breakdown of trust between parish clergy and dioceses or the national church. The report attributes this to the emphasis on numerical growth, pastoral reorganization, lack of job security, parish finances and a sense that senior leaders are unaware of local pressures. Competitive bidding for funding from the Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board, it says, places parishes in competition and sometimes sets clergy up to fail.
Insufficient theological education
On training, the report says a large majority of participants across disciplines considered theological education to have become functional and managerial, with insufficient teaching in Anglican ecclesiology, liturgy, history and theology. A majority held that theological and biblical formation needed strengthening.
Participants also raised the relationship between initial ministerial education before ordination and the training that continues afterward, arguing the two phases are neither properly integrated nor clearly distinguished. Shifting theological content into the post-ordination phase, without the resources of a training institution, risks that material never being taught, the report says.
Candidates frequently arrive with little knowledge of Anglican liturgy, orders or theology and struggle when they reach parish ministry in their curacy, according to the document. It also records that dioceses often lack the resources for vocations work and that candidates have no access to grants for travel or books, which the report says disadvantages those with less money.
Recommendations to pave a way forward
The report's central argument is that recruitment, training and retention all depend on a clear theological account of Anglican priesthood. Without a confident understanding of the office, it argues, neither candidates nor serving clergy can be sustained.
Its recommendations include a course in "Anglican basics," delivered in parishes or deaneries with accompanying online material, beginning as a pilot and intended for national use.
Other proposals are a national conference on the nature of Anglican priesthood; full funding for ordination training in both residential and non-residential modes; grants for candidates' travel and books; and removal of the fixed retirement age for clergy, alongside representation for retired clergy on synods. Retired clergy conduct about half of all services, the report says, yet have no formal representation.
Under the heading of a covenant of care, the report calls for an end to clergy post cuts made as a savings measure, a support and study group for every ordinand, and a mentor for every cleric, separate from any formal assessment.
The Rev. Gillian Straine, chief executive of the Guild of Health and St Raphael, will work on an alternative model of impact that measures ministry by lives touched rather than by numbers, the report says, to be piloted alongside research into the wellbeing of the clergy taking part. The report also suggests a return to part-time or time-limited diocesan roles so that senior clergy remain close to parish work.
A review of theological education to be led by the Rt. Rev. Martin Seeley, the retired bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich who chaired the consultation, may take forward the work on initial ministerial education, according to the report.
The consultation took place against a background of diocesan deficits and reductions in stipendiary posts, the report acknowledges, adding that its recommendations may appear modest in that setting.
Speaking to Christian Today, Walker said clergy who find joy in their work are the church's most effective recruiters. "This report isn't the answer to everything, but it has got all the right people into the room to start working out how we can use the money, talent, passion, and grace we have been gifted to revive the spirit of the priesthood in the Church of England," he said.
Save the Parish said it would seek funding to produce short videos commending parish ministry to young people and would look for a theological training institution to partner with on the proposed conference.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Global Methodist Church adopts Articles of Faith, elects first full-time bishops at Johannesburg conference]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/global-methodist-church-adopts-articles-of-faith-elects-first-full-time-bishops</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/global-methodist-church-adopts-articles-of-faith-elects-first-full-time-bishops</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Delegates from across the Global Methodist Churchs worldwide connection met in Johannesburg for the denominations 2026 General Conference]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Global Methodist Church ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Delegates from across the Global Methodist Church's worldwide connection met in Johannesburg for the denomination's 2026 General Conference, which closed Sept. 5 with the election and consecration of eight bishops and action on 451 petitions. It was the first General Conference the denomination has held in Africa. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Mon, 07 Sep 2026 08:27:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The Global Methodist Church adopted a set of Articles of Faith and elected eight bishops to its first regular Assembly of Bishops during a General Conference that closed Saturday (Sept. 5) at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, the denomination said.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
The Global Methodist Church adopted a set of Articles of Faith and elected eight bishops to its first regular Assembly of Bishops during a General Conference that closed Saturday (Sept. 5) at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, the denomination said.
It was the second General Conference in the history of the denomination, which launched in May 2022 as a theologically conservative alternative to the United Methodist Church, and the first held on the African continent. Delegates, both clergy and lay, met under the theme "The Beauty of Holiness" and acted on 451 petitions.
The denomination announced the adoption of the articles in a social media post on the final day, saying they had passed with overwhelming support and describing them as a shared expression of the faith uniting the connection. It said the full adopted language would be released later.
Doctrinal statement adopted
The text was developed by the Discipleship, Doctrine and Just Ministry Commission with input from church members and refined through the legislative process. The Doctrine and Sacraments Legislative Committee used the commission's report, listed as Petition 1441, as its base text during meetings in Johannesburg.
According to a statement issued by the denomination, the articles address teaching on God, Scripture, humanity, salvation, the church, the sacraments and the Christian life. The Global Methodist Church said the aim was to state the beliefs held in common across its congregations in a form consistent with the historic Christian faith and the Wesleyan tradition.
The 451 petitions were first handled by eight legislative committees — Doctrine and Sacraments; Social Witness; Local Church; Ministry; Superintendency; Conferences; Constitution, Connectional Organization and Finance; and Judicial Administration — before advancing to the full conference. They covered material throughout the Book of Doctrines and Discipline, including clergy and lay ministry, episcopal leadership, annual and local church life, connectional governance and finance.
A complete record of adopted legislation and other official actions will be released after final review and certification by the General Conference secretary, the denomination said.
Eight bishops elected
The Global Methodist Church said the bishops were elected over five ballots and consecrated on the final day of the conference. They will serve as general superintendents for the 2026-2032 term, which begins Nov. 1.
Those elected were Luther Oconer, Johnathan Lee, Mark Webb, Lyndol Loyd, Jerry Kulah, Eduard Khegay, Paul Lawler and Carolyn Moore, each assigned to one of eight episcopal areas. The areas combine annual conferences from different parts of the world, an arrangement the denomination said reflects its understanding of bishops as teachers and superintendents of the whole church rather than regional administrators.
The vote replaces the interim episcopal structure adopted at the 2024 Convening General Conference in San José, Costa Rica. Bishops whose active service is ending are John Pena Auta, Kimba Evariste, Jeffrey Greenway, Leah Gregory, Scott Jones and Kenneth Levingston.
In a letter released with the conference statement, the Assembly of Bishops said the handover will take place Oct. 31, with outgoing bishops stepping down that day. The letter asked members to pray for the incoming assembly and said the outgoing bishops "will be missed."
Delegates also elected members of the Connectional Council, commissions and other connectional bodies.
Rapid growth since 2024
The Rev. Mike Schafer, the denomination's connectional operations officer, reported that the church has grown from roughly 4,700 congregations after the 2024 General Conference to 7,250, according to the statement.
The number of annual conferences rose from 36 to 55 over the same period, Schafer said, with six additional emerging areas that may become annual conferences. The denomination said the number of annual conferences outside the United States has more than doubled.
The figures continue a pattern reported earlier this year. Christian Daily International reported in February, citing The Christian Post, that the denomination had passed 7,000 member congregations worldwide, four months after announcing it had reached 6,000.
Bishop Mark Webb said at the time that the milestone reflected "the faithfulness of God and the willingness of His people to boldly follow the Holy Spirit's leading and God's call."
Covenant with Korean Methodists
The conference unanimously approved a covenant of understanding with the Korean Methodist Church, which the Global Methodist Church said builds on more than a century of shared Methodist history. The document was signed in Johannesburg in the presence of President Bishop Kim Jung-seok and a delegation of Korean Methodist bishops and leaders.
Separately, participants took part in a Mission Experience in communities across Johannesburg and Soweto, working with local congregations on evangelism, prayer, leadership training, health ministries, children's ministry and discipleship. Those taking part included church workers from South Africa, Liberia, Zimbabwe, Fiji and the United States.
Origins in the United Methodist split
The Global Methodist Church says it was formed by Christians seeking to preserve the doctrinal integrity of the historic Christian faith, particularly the authority of Scripture, and that it is grounded in the Wesleyan tradition and guided by its Book of Doctrines and Discipline.
Its formation followed a long dispute within the United Methodist Church over rules in that denomination's Book of Discipline prohibiting the blessing of same-sex unions and the ordination of noncelibate homosexuals. In January 2020, a group of 16 United Methodist leaders backed a proposed separation protocol that would have created a path for disaffiliation and set aside funds for a new theologically conservative denomination, The Christian Post reported.
The United Methodist General Conference that was to consider the protocol was postponed repeatedly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Organizers announced in March 2022 that they would launch the Global Methodist Church that May without waiting for approval.
Thousands of congregations subsequently left the United Methodist Church, with most joining the new denomination and others becoming nondenominational, according to The Christian Post. The United Methodist General Conference voted in 2024 to remove the contested rules, while allowing regional bodies and local congregations to continue applying them.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Kenya registers about 60 churches every month as Attorney General questions leadership structures]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/kenya-registers-about-60-churches-every-month-as-attorney-general-questions-leadership-structures</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/kenya-registers-about-60-churches-every-month-as-attorney-general-questions-leadership-structures</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Vincent Matinde]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Kenya Attorney General]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ CRC ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ AG Dorcas Oduor said some of the disputes brought to her office involve leadership and control of church finances. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 10:45:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Kenya is registering nearly 60 churches every month, Attorney General Dorcas Oduor has said, as she raised concerns over increasingly bitter disputes within some religious organizations, including leadership contests that she said can become violent.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Kenya is registering nearly 60 churches every month, Attorney General Dorcas Oduor has said, as she raised concerns over increasingly bitter disputes within some religious organizations, including leadership contests that she said can become violent.
Oduor made the remarks Thursday, Aug. 27, during a panel discussion at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi.
“At the Office of the Attorney General, we are registering almost 60 churches a month,” Oduor said. “Every time they have elections, they disagree. And elections in churches are more brutal, sometimes fatal; they are very violent, and they still come to us for advice.”
She said some of the disputes brought to her office involve leadership and control of church finances.
The comments put the rapid growth of religious organizations against a longer-running debate in Kenya over how churches should be registered and regulated while preserving the constitutional right to freedom of religion.
The issue has received renewed attention since the 2023 Shakahola tragedy, in which hundreds of followers of self-proclaimed pastor Paul Mackenzie died after following teachings associated with his Good News International Church.
The Senate committee that investigated the deaths found that 429 bodies had been exhumed and recovered from Shakahola by Oct. 13, 2023. The committee was also tasked with examining the proliferation of religious organizations, their registration and compliance status and the country's legal framework for regulating them. 
The tragedy was not the first time the government had attempted to strengthen oversight of religious organizations.
In November 2014, the Office of the Attorney General announced a moratorium on the registration of religious societies. According to evidence later submitted to Parliament, the decision followed reports of illegal activities by some religious societies, including alleged extortion, as well as concerns about radicalization among young people in places of worship.
The government subsequently developed draft Societies (Religious Societies) Rules in 2015. The proposed rules were intended to address what the Attorney General's office considered weaknesses in the existing system for registering and overseeing religious organizations.
The proposed regulations faced strong opposition and were eventually abandoned. 
The registration moratorium was lifted in June 2022 after the government introduced administrative guidelines and standard operating procedures for religious societies. Those measures were developed in consultation with religious leaders.
Religious studies certification
The new requirements included theological qualifications from recognized institutions, certificates of good conduct and tax compliance or exemption certificates for officials. 
Applicants were also required to provide identification documents and tax identification numbers, while founders had to disclose their involvement in other religious societies and obtain recommendations from registered religious organizations in good standing. 
The scale of Kenya's religious sector had already presented a significant regulatory challenge.
When officials from the Attorney General's office and the Registrar of Societies appeared before the Senate committee investigating Shakahola in 2023, they said the Societies Registry held records of approximately 100,000 registered societies. About 40,000 were described as religious in nature, including churches, mosques and temples. 
The officials told the committee that the registry had received 978 applications for registration of faith-based organizations through the e-Citizen platform after the 2022 lifting of the moratorium. At the time of their submission, only 11 applicants had been issued registration certificates after meeting the requirements. 
The government also established a Presidential Taskforce on the Review of the Legal and Regulatory Framework Governing Religious Organizations in May 2023, shortly after the Shakahola deaths came to light.
The taskforce was specifically mandated to review the registration and regulation of religious organizations and consider measures to prevent religious extremism, radicalization, spiritual exploitation and similar abuses. Its terms of reference also recognized that freedom of religion and freedom of association are protected by the Constitution while requiring the state to protect people's lives and welfare. 
The Senate committee subsequently recommended a legislative framework for regulating religious organizations and annexed a proposed Religious Organizations Bill to its report. The committee said the existing framework needed to be reviewed in light of the Shakahola tragedy and other concerns surrounding religious organizations. ]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Rev. Dr. Michael Youssef on hope, reconciliation, and the role of Christians in Jordan]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/michael-youssef-to-visit-jordan-talks-zionism-and-hope</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/michael-youssef-to-visit-jordan-talks-zionism-and-hope</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daoud Kuttab]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Rev. Dr. Michael Youssef, right, with Rev. Dr. Imad Shehadeh, president of the Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Rev. Dr. Michael Youssef, right, with Rev. Dr. Imad Shehadeh, president of the Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Thu, 03 Sep 2026 23:15:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Prominent Christian leader Rev. Dr. Michael Youssef will visit Jordan to take part in a public ministry event Sept. 4 at the Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary (JETS) in Amman. The event is sponsored by retired Maj. Gen. Imad Maayah, a former member of the Jordanian parliament and president of the Jordan Evangelical Council.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Prominent Christian leader Rev. Dr. Michael Youssef will visit Jordan to take part in a public ministry event Sept. 4 at the Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary (JETS) in Amman. The event is sponsored by retired Maj. Gen. Imad Maayah, a former member of the Jordanian parliament and president of the Jordan Evangelical Council.
Speaking in a wide-ranging interview ahead of his travel, Youssef said his focus is renewed hope in Jesus Christ, reconciliation among divided Christians, and a faithful commitment to truth and justice amid regional tensions. "At this stage in my life… I'm only two years away from 80," Youssef said, noting that after nearly four decades of preaching every Sunday, he has stepped down from the pulpit. "My son Jonathan… said, 'We need you to come now, dedicate those years to the Arab world,' and I said, 'I want to start in Jordan.'"
Youssef, an Egyptian-American pastor who founded the Al Malakoot satellite television station, has preached for more than 52 years and written 57 books. He described a long history of ministry across the Middle East and around the world, including decades of radio and television outreach. "Whenever you lift up Jesus, there is hope," he said. "We live in a world that is losing hope—whether in the West or the East. I will continue to travel… because I'm seeing there's a loss of hope everywhere I go. And so… I want to spend [my time] bringing hope, and the only one who brings hope is Jesus."
He also spoke about serving communities in the region through sharing the gospel, encouragement and faith-based unity — especially as Jordan prepares for the 2030 commemoration of the 2,000th anniversary of Jesus' baptism at Bethany Beyond the Jordan. The UNESCO-recognized site on the east bank of the Jordan River is where John baptized Jesus and where Christ's public ministry began. Asked whether he would encourage Christians to take part, Youssef said: "If I'm invited to help, I will be there."
On Christian Zionism and Israel
Asked about views often linked to Christian Zionism and dispensationalism, Youssef described himself as Reformed in theology with a preference toward preaching "peace and reconciliation."
"Israel has the right to exist and has the right to defend itself," he said. But he added that he does not endorse unchecked violence on either side.
Asked whether Palestinians are "Amalek" in biblical terms, Youssef said: "No… not any more than Israel is the old Israel." Amalek was a people the Israelites were commanded to destroy in the Hebrew Bible, and the reference has been invoked by some in rhetoric following the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks.
Youssef, who has hosted Rev. Dr. Imad Shehadeh, the president of JETS, in Atlanta, said he is happy to support efforts related to reconciliation and peace. He called reconciliation "the joy of my life" and said he would be ready to engage if asked.
On the Church's identity
Youssef addressed political and religious pressures affecting the Christian community in Jordan, including concerns about full recognition, ecclesiastical authority and the protection of Christians in the region.
In his message to Christians and communities in Jordan, Youssef said that the Church, and not any other body or group, maintains continuity with Israel's biblical identity, citing the biblical language used by Paul and Peter. "The Church… is the center," he said, referencing passages about the "holy nation" and "royal priesthood."
He said Christians should respond more courageously to violence and persecution, and he condemned attacks against Christian clergy anywhere in the world. He said he would speak against attacks on Christians "in a heartbeat," saying that "anybody who loves the Lord… loves justice, mercy, and truth" must respond. He encouraged leaders to address grievances at the highest levels.
On the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Youssef said he hopes for a move toward negotiation rather than military solutions, citing Jesus' words in the Beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount. "Blessed are the peacemakers," he said.
Youssef urged that faith must be protected from distortion. "Our faith is being abused or misunderstood," he said in response to concerns that some Christian voices are perceived as justifying conflict.
Youssef also gave his position on ministry roles, saying, "Scripture is very clear. A woman can minister in any area except being the senior pastor." He linked that view to biblical leadership structures and to church life as an extension of family order: "The church is nothing but the extension of the family… the head of the household… has to be a male."
Youssef said he does not believe the question should divide Christians, and pointed instead to faithfulness and mutual understanding.
His visit is expected to include ministry engagements with local church leaders. Youssef said he wants to bring hope, and that Jordan is where he chose to start.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Gafcon-led Global Anglican Communion to establish headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/gafcon-led-global-anglican-communion-to-establish-headquarters-in-abuja-nigeria</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/gafcon-led-global-anglican-communion-to-establish-headquarters-in-abuja-nigeria</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[National Ecumenical center, Abuja, Nigeria]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ iStock / Em Campo ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Abuja, Nigeria, will become the administrative base of the Gafcon-led Global Anglican Communion, its governing council announced Aug. 29. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Thu, 03 Sep 2026 16:23:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Gafcon, the body governing the Anglican grouping that broke with Canterbury last year has decided to establish its headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria, according to a communique released Aug. 29 by the Most Rev. Laurent Mbanda, chairman of the Global Anglican Council.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Gafcon, the body governing the Anglican grouping that broke with Canterbury last year has decided to establish its headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria, according to a communique released Aug. 29 by the Most Rev. Laurent Mbanda, chairman of the Global Anglican Council.
Mbanda said the decision was taken at a council meeting in Recife, Brazil, on Aug. 22, where members considered how to support the future work of the fellowship. He described the choice of Abuja as fitting because of the city's place in the group's recent history.
The move would give a physical base to a network that has spent the past year building parallel structures to those of the Anglican Communion, whose central office is in London. Gafcon, which says it speaks for the majority of the world's Anglicans, declared in October 2025 that it no longer recognized the authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury or the other bodies known as the Instruments of Communion, as previously reported by Christian Daily International.
The communique said the headquarters would begin as an administrative center. Mbanda wrote that while technology allows the fellowship's leaders to work across borders, there is "great value in a physical home and administrative hub" for its shared life and mission.
He added that the council hopes the site will in time serve as "a place for gathering, training, and equipping leaders." No timeline, budget or site was given, and Mbanda said much work remains in shaping the new base.
The council is exploring the plan with the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), which Mbanda said had responded with enthusiasm. The Church of Nigeria is among the largest provinces claiming Anglican identity and hosted the group's Abuja conference in March.
Abuja was the setting for G26, a gathering held March 3-6 that Gafcon has described as the first conference of the Global Anglican Communion. Organizers said 347 bishops and 121 lay and clerical leaders from 27 provinces attended, hosted by the Church of Nigeria.
The conference closed with a statement known as the Abuja Affirmation, which said Gafcon had reordered the Anglican Communion into a global church. The same document replaced the Gafcon Primates' Council with the Global Anglican Council as the fellowship's leadership body, with Mbanda, who is archbishop and primate of the Anglican Church of Rwanda, as chairman.
The Most Rev. Miguel Uchôa Cavalcanti, primate of the Anglican Church in Brazil, serves as vice chairman, and Bishop Paul Donison as general secretary. Uchôa hosted the August council meeting in Recife, where leaders also attended the installation of a new cathedral dean.
In its October 2025 declaration, Gafcon said the Anglican Communion would be reordered around the Bible as its sole foundation of communion, and rejected the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lambeth Conference, the Anglican Consultative Council and the Primates' Meeting as bodies that had failed to uphold Anglican doctrine and discipline, according to Christian Daily International's earlier reporting. Mbanda said then that provinces in the new grouping would not take part in meetings called by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
That declaration followed the election of the Rt. Rev. Cherry Vann, who is in a same-sex relationship, as Archbishop of Wales, and the naming of Dame Sarah Mullally, who has supported blessings for same-sex couples, as the first woman appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
Mbanda closed the communique by asking for prayer as the council works on the plans, and said the group hopes to serve Anglicans in every region from Abuja. A separate communique issued Aug. 25 said the council will hold an invitation-only prayer conference for lay people, called G27, in Recife from April 20-23, 2027.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[European evangelicals prepare for HOPE 2026]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/european-evangelicals-prepare-for-hope-2026</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/european-evangelicals-prepare-for-hope-2026</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Hope for EU]]></media:title>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Thu, 03 Sep 2026 15:50:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Evangelical leaders from across Europe will convene in Golem, Albania, Oct. 5-9, 2026, for HOPE 2026, a continental gathering aimed at addressing complex social, political and spiritual challenges.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Evangelical leaders from across Europe will convene in Golem, Albania, Oct. 5-9, 2026, for HOPE 2026, a continental gathering aimed at addressing complex social, political and spiritual challenges.
Hosted by the European Evangelical Alliance (EEA) under the theme “Hope in Uncertain Times,” the event will bring together delegates from churches, ministries, networks and national evangelical alliances to discuss the future of evangelical witness across the continent.
“Without hope, we face life’s difficulties and uncertainties with despair,” Connie Duarte, co-general secretary of the EEA, previously told Christian Daily International about the event, citing Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 15:19. “But with our eyes fixed on Jesus, we face them with joy.”
Duarte described Christ as “our hope for now, our hope for the future, and our eternal hope,” who strengthens believers across Europe and promises a day when all nations will worship together.
Unlike traditional speaker-driven conferences, HOPE 2026 is designed around collaboration and participation. Organizers say the insights and solutions needed to address Europe’s current challenges are already present among the attending leaders. The schedule will include plenary sessions, worship, devotionals, workshops and networking discussions.
A central goal of the five-day gathering is to strengthen practical partnerships among national evangelical alliances, thematic networks and leaders working across various sectors of society.
The event is part of a broader series of gatherings in Golem. Delegates can participate in four partner conferences taking place immediately before and after HOPE 2026, organized by the International Council of Evangelical Engagement with Muslims, the European Evangelical Mission Association, the Fellowship of European Evangelical Theologians and the Peace and Reconciliation Network.
Organizers have opened registration and are urging participants to sign up early to assist with logistical planning, accommodations and program capacity. Full schedule details and registration are available on the official HOPE 2026 website.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[German evangelist Lothar Velten, known for 'Life to the Full' tent missions, dies at 82]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/german-evangelist-lothar-velten-known-for-life-to-the-full-tent-missions-dies-at-82</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/german-evangelist-lothar-velten-known-for-life-to-the-full-tent-missions-dies-at-82</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
                                                                                                                            <media:content  url="https://www.christiandaily.com/media/original/img/0/52/5228.jpeg">
                            <media:title><![CDATA[Lothar Velten, who spent six decades as an evangelist in Austria and Germany and shaped the modern practice of tent mission, died Aug. 31 at 82.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Bestattungshaus Keil ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Lothar Velten, who spent six decades as an evangelist in Austria and Germany and shaped the modern practice of tent mission, died Aug. 31 at 82. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Thu, 03 Sep 2026 15:41:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Lothar Velten, a German evangelist who spent six decades preaching in Austria and Germany and became one of the best-known figures in the country's tent mission movement, has died at 82. The evangelical news agency IDEA reported that he died during the night into Aug. 31, citing the Deutsche Zeltmission.]]></description>
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Lothar Velten, a German evangelist who spent six decades preaching in Austria and Germany and became one of the best-known figures in the country's tent mission movement, has died at 82. The evangelical news agency IDEA reported that he died during the night into Aug. 31, citing the Deutsche Zeltmission.
Velten joined the Deutsche Zeltmission (DZM), a tent evangelism agency based in Siegen in western Germany, as a preacher in 1998 and remained associated with it for the rest of his life. In an obituary published by the agency on social media, the DZM said his aim had been to bring faith into people's everyday lives. IDEA described him as having shaped the way tent evangelism in Germany is now practiced.
Tent missions have a long history in German-speaking Europe. Agencies erect large marquees in towns and villages for a week or more of evening meetings, usually at the invitation of local congregations.
Adapting to the local context
Velten preached under the slogan "Voll das Leben" — "Life to the Full" — which the DZM described as his trademark and which he used to invite people to a life with Jesus Christ.
The agency said he adjusted each program to the social and cultural conditions of the place he was working in, drawing both church members and people with no church background. Mayors, rural women's associations, fire brigades, sports clubs and brass bands were brought into the events.
"Velten gave the local dignitaries a stage, in order then to tell of the Greatest," the DZM wrote.
In his first year with the agency he introduced a bistro area inside the tent, which the DZM said has since become standard in German tent evangelism. He also developed a format called "3mal voll das Leben" ("Life to the Full — Three Times Over"), working with performers including Klaus Kreischer and the entertainer known as Mr. Joy.
From electrician to evangelist
Velten trained as an electrician before studying theology at the mission school in Unterweissach, near Backnang in southwestern Germany, according to IDEA. He then worked for 12 years as a preacher for a mission association in Austria.
From 1978 to 1998 he directed the evangelistic work of the German youth association Entschieden für Christus (Decided for Christ), known as EC, IDEA reported. The DZM obituary refers more broadly to decades of evangelistic ministry with the EC in Austria and Germany.
A chronicle published by the German Evangelists' Conference lists Velten among the successive leaders of its working group of tent missions, an alliance of agencies that coordinated summer campaigns nationally.
'Warm and humble'
Klaus Göttler, general secretary of the German EC Association, paid tribute to Velten on Facebook as a mentor and a "wonderful friend." Göttler said the two had first met in the 1980s and that Velten had influenced and accompanied him since then through what he called his warm and humble manner.
Velten carried out his work as an evangelist "from the heart and with great passion," Göttler said. He described Velten as having a deep affection for young people and for Jesus, adding: "It was his greatest concern to bring the two together."
Board service and restructuring
Velten continued to preach after reaching retirement age and served the DZM for several more years as chairman and as a member of its board.
In 2015 he voted in favor of a far-reaching restructuring of the organization and the launch of its Camissio Camp2Go program, despite reservations he had raised himself. When he withdrew as a member in 2021, he said the decision had been an important one and had proved a blessing, according to the DZM.
The DZM statement closed by calling Velten an ambassador of God who was now experiencing his own program in full.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Colombian evangelical body backs pastor as court finds prayer at presidential inauguration breached religious neutrality]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/colombian-evangelical-body-backs-pastor-as-court-finds-prayer-at-presidential-inauguration-breached-religious-neutrality</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/colombian-evangelical-body-backs-pastor-as-court-finds-prayer-at-presidential-inauguration-breached-religious-neutrality</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Lizzie Sotola]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Pastor Eduardo Cañas prays for Colombia during the presidential inauguration of Abelardo de la Espriella on Aug. 7 in Cali.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Still from the official broadcast ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Pastor Eduardo Cañas prays for Colombia during the presidential inauguration of Abelardo de la Espriella on Aug. 7 in Cali. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:24:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The Evangelical Confederation of Colombia (CEDECOL) has expressed its "absolute support" for Pastor Eduardo Cañas Estrada after a court found that the religious content of President Abelardo de la Espriella's inauguration breached the state's duty of religious neutrality.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
The Evangelical Confederation of Colombia (CEDECOL) has expressed its "absolute support" for Pastor Eduardo Cañas Estrada after a court found that the religious content of President Abelardo de la Espriella's inauguration breached the state's duty of religious neutrality.
In a statement dated Sept. 1 and signed by its president, Pastor Lyda Elena Arias, the confederation criticized the legal action as an attempt at "censorship and stigmatization against faith in the public sphere."
The case turns on a tutela filed over the Aug. 7 ceremony in Cali, at which Cañas and clergy from other traditions took part in a segment of prayer and praise. A Bogotá court ruled at first instance that the ceremony violated state neutrality, but it dismissed Cañas and the other religious representatives as parties and directed its orders at the officials who organized the event. The dispute has revived a longstanding question in Colombia: how far the state must go to avoid favoring one faith without restricting the public expression of religion.
"[Cañas'] participation in the ceremonial protocol was a legitimate invocation of peace and blessing for the nation," the confederation said, while rejecting any stigmatization or judicial persecution tied to the public exercise of faith.
The tutela and the ruling
A tutela is a fast-track judicial mechanism by which a person may ask a judge to protect their fundamental rights when they believe those rights have been violated or threatened. In this case, a citizen, Omar Alberto Franco Becerra, alleged that the religious content of an official act of state had impaired his freedom of conscience and of worship.
The Fifth Labor Circuit Court of Bogotá ruled in favor of the claimant. It held that the ceremony had breached the state's duty of religious neutrality and ordered De la Espriella to apologize publicly to the Colombian people in an address broadcast on radio and television on Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. In that address, he must say he will refrain from conduct implying a leaning toward the Catholic Church or any other creed. He must also issue a directive requiring public servants to respect and enforce state religious neutrality at official events.
The court also issued an order to the president of Congress, Honorio Miguel Henríquez, because the inauguration took place within the framework of a legislative session.
The ruling did not sanction Cañas or bar him from praying. The court released Cañas, Rabbi David Michaan and Monsignor Francisco Javier Múnera from the action, according to information published by Cambio. In the court's view, responsibility lay with the officials who determined the content and the institutional character of the ceremony.
For that reason, to say that Cañas was "sued for praying" gives an incomplete impression. His prayer was one of the facts examined in the tutela, but he was not the recipient of any judicial order.
De la Espriella apologized publicly on Aug. 30, before CEDECOL released its statement. El Espectador reported that, in his remarks, he defended his right to profess his faith and said he respects the separation of church and state. The presidency maintains that this satisfies the court's order, although the ruling set Sept. 30 for an address on radio and television.
The prayer at the inauguration
When Cañas took the lectern on Aug. 7, he prayed for Colombia, for the new government, for the Military Forces and for various sectors of society. It was an act of faith before members of Congress, national authorities and international guests.
De la Espriella assumed the presidency at the Arena USC in Cali for the 2026-2030 term. Alongside the constitutional protocol for the transfer of power, the ceremony included a segment titled "Invocation and Praise."
Representatives of different religious traditions took part in that segment: Michaan; Cañas; the chaplain of the presidency, Álvaro Duarte Torres; and Múnera, president of the Colombian Bishops' Conference. There was also an image of Our Lady of Fátima and a rendition of "Aleluya" by the singer Maía.
Cañas, founder of Manantial de Vida Eterna, offered a Christian prayer for the country. El Heraldo reported that he asked for protection and wisdom for Colombia and its authorities.
The prayer took place within an official ceremony rather than at a private, campaign or congregational event. That is what brought the matter into judicial dispute.
Cañas' response
Cañas defended his participation in a video released after the proceedings became known. "I am not ashamed of the Gospel ... nor of having represented a Christian people who love God," he said.
His post drew messages of support from believers and Christian leaders.
The constitutional argument
CEDECOL said the presence of spiritual representatives at events of national significance should be seen as an expression of pluralism, not a breach of state neutrality. It cited Article 19 of the Colombian Constitution, which guarantees freedom of worship and the right of every person to profess and disseminate their religion individually or collectively, and recognizes that all confessions and churches are equally free before the law.
The statement also invoked Article 192, which provides for the presidential oath "to God" and before the people. A spiritual invocation at an inauguration, CEDECOL argued, is not foreign to the country's constitutional tradition.
The confederation further challenged the idea of a secular state understood as the exclusion of God or of religious expression from the public square. The constitution, it said, defines Colombia as a pluralist state, called to recognize and respect the diversity of beliefs among its population.
Colombia is a secular state, which does not mean it is atheist or hostile to religion. Within that framework, the state may not adopt an official faith or institutionally favor one confession over the others. The Constitutional Court explained in Judgment C-350 of 1994 that religious neutrality seeks to protect pluralism, equality among confessions and the autonomy of churches from political power.
CEDECOL said the evangelical churches will go on praying for the authorities and for Colombia, which it called an inalienable right of believers.
Original reporting by Diario Cristiano, Christian Daily International's Spanish edition.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Bible societies mark Bible Month with festivals, exhibitions and two anniversaries]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/bible-societies-mark-bible-month-with-festivals-exhibitions-and-two-anniversaries</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/bible-societies-mark-bible-month-with-festivals-exhibitions-and-two-anniversaries</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Diario Cristiano]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[The Biblia del Oso is a great legacy of faith for Spanish-speaking Christians. Reinas version was the first translation of the complete Bible into Spanish to use the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts as its textual basis.]]></media:title>
                                                            <media:credit role="author" scheme="urn:ebu">
                                    <![CDATA[ Christian Daily International / Lizzie Sotola ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ The Biblia del Oso is a great legacy of faith for Spanish-speaking Christians. Reina's version was the first translation of the complete Bible into Spanish to use the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts as its textual basis. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:02:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Bible societies in Argentina, Spain, Peru and the Dominican Republic are marking Bible Month this September with conferences, exhibitions, festivals and anniversary celebrations.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Bible societies in Argentina, Spain, Peru and the Dominican Republic are marking Bible Month this September with conferences, exhibitions, festivals and anniversary celebrations.
Each society has a program running through the month. Two are also marking milestones of their own: 190 years of work in Spain and 75 years in the Dominican Republic.
September was chosen for two reasons. The first complete Bible in Spanish was printed in September 1569. And Sept. 30 commemorates Jerome of Stridon, who translated the Bible into Latin.
In Argentina, the Argentine Bible Society (Sociedad Bíblica Argentina) will hold MDB Conf '26 on Sept. 19 in Quilmes, Buenos Aires. The event will bring together young people, families, leaders and pastors, with biblical teaching, music, worship, an exhibition of Bibles and study materials. More information.
In Spain, the Bible Society (Sociedad Bíblica) will celebrate 190 years of work. Every Monday in September it will offer an online seminar on Bible translations, the Biblia del Oso and the history of Casiodoro de Reina. It will also visit churches in Valladolid, hold a conference and a public reading in Segovia, and present the exhibition "Bible and Culture" in Guadix. Full program.
In Peru, the Peruvian Bible Society (Sociedad Bíblica Peruana) will take part in ExpoBiblia and the Christian Book Fair, held Sept. 11-27 in Lima. The fair will feature Bibles, books, Christian resources and a Bible Museum. A Children's Bible Festival and a Youth Festival are set for Sept. 12, and a United Service for Bible Day for Sept. 30. Schedule in Lima.
In the Dominican Republic, the Dominican Republic Bible Society (Sociedad Bíblica Dominicana) will celebrate its 75th anniversary under the motto "The Word of God: light for the Dominican Republic." The program includes services, Bible workshops, activities for children, music, webinars and celebrations in the churches, along with a banquet to mark the anniversary. Program of activities.
The 1569 translation was produced by Casiodoro de Reina and is known as the Biblia del Oso ("Bear Bible"). Cipriano de Valera later revised the text, producing the Reina-Valera version.
Original reporting by Diario Cristiano, Christian Daily International's Spanish edition.]]></content:encoded>
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