Church

Durham is revealed as Church of England low point for Christians
Durham in the north of England is the diocese where Christians are least likely to go to a service of the Church of England, according to latest figures

Why Brian McLaren should leave Onward Christian Soldiers alone
Brian McLaren has thrown down another gauntlet to conservative Christians by rewriting old hymns he regards as too militaristic.

Ancient Christian icon found in Bethlehem
An ancient icon of "great religious and historical value" has been found by craftsmen working on the restoration of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.

Horrific catalogue of child sexual abuse by Christian Brothers in Australia
More than 850 people have complained of child sexual abuse by one or more Christian Brothers in Australia. Three-quarters of the victims were under the age of 13, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has heard.

The Queen makes rare comments about her strong, remarkable Christian faith
The Queen has said that she is "very grateful" to the nation for its prayers for her in a strong statement of her Christian faith. She says she has felt God's "faithfulness" during 64 years on the throne.

Pastor Rafael Cruz blames church inaction for America's moral decline: 'It's now the time to act'
By its inaction, the church in America can only blame itself for the nation's moral decline, said Pastor Rafael Cruz, father of Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz.

Evangelical Alliance: Parents - not the state - responsible for child's education
Parents â not the state â should be the ultimate authority regarding a child's education, according to the Evangelical Alliance.

Was the ending of Mark's Gospel deliberately changed?
We are in the season of Lent, approaching Easter, and before too long we will be reading stories of the Resurrection.

Pope agrees to contraception in emergency cases like preventing Zika virus infection, Vatican confirms
During his flight back to Vatican from his historic trip to Mexico, Pope Francis told reporters that couples could rightly "avoid pregnancy" to prevent the spread of the Zika virus, which has recently been declared a public health emergency.

Russian action in Syria offers hope, claims Catholic bishop
Most people in Syria support the Russian military action against terrorists, according to the country's senior Catholic bishop. They are pinning their hopes on Russia helping negotiate peace in the war-torn land, he said.

Director of church-run nursery released after two years in prison in China
The director of a nursery run by a church in China has been released from prison after serving two years for "engaging in illegal business operations", the charity China Aid reported.

Church leaders in India condemn decision to deny equality to low-caste Christians and Muslims
Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs who are born into the lower castes have been granted special privileges to help them break free of discrimination, but the government has refused to give the same rights to Christians and Muslims.

'Christianity is being chopped': Trump wants to give power back to the Church, encourages pastors to speak up
The United States government has already taken a lot of power from the Church, and Republican presidential candidate will not take this sitting down.

Every Catholic bishop should watch 'Spotlight', says former Vatican sex abuse prosecutor
Archbishop of Malta Charles Scicluna said: "All bishops and cardinals must see this film, especially those in charge of souls, because they have to understand that it is the complaint that will save the Church, not the conspiracy of silence."

Former trainee vicar and youth leader facing jail after multiple rape conviction
A former youth leader and trainee vicar who preached a gospel of abstinence is facing many years in jail after being convicted of the rape of two women. Police are appealing for anyone with more information about the one-time Wycliffe student to come forward.

'One church building is now a centre of ISIS': Syrian Christian speaks out about life in Raqqa
After ISIS took control of the Syrian city of Raqqa in 2014, John â a Christian in his early 20s using a pseudonym â decided to stay in the city and survived living there for eighteen months.