Pastor Creflo Dollars Admits He Misled Congregants About Tithing
In a Sunday sermon titled “The Great Misunderstanding,” Creflo Dollar the founder and senior pastor of World Changers Church International in College Park, Georgia, addressed his nearly 30,000-member congregation and said that after studying Romans 6:14, he was convinced that “tithing is an Old Testament concept that has been retired in the dispensation of grace in which Christians should now be living.” Dollar, who has long been regarded as a controversial church figure and proponent of prosperity gospel also drew criticism back in 2015 when he asked congregants to help him buy a $65 million private jet. Despite his recent renouncement on tithing, Dollar says he won’t be offering any apologies to his followers for that which he now admits was “not correct.”
Supreme Court Sides with Football Coach’s Appeal for Prayer on the Field
Coach Joseph Kennedy, former Bremerton, Washington high school football coach was handed a ruling recently by the Supreme Court who decided 6-3 constitutional he has the right to pray on field. Kennedy, who served the Bremerton High School for seven years as head coach of the junior varsity football team sought to kneel on the field after games. Kennedy who began praying himself on the 50-yard line in 2008, was soon joined by students who later also prayed with him while in the locker rooms. When it was discovered, he was asked to stop out of concerns he could be sued for violating the religious freedom rights of the students. Kennedy stopped praying in the locker rooms but instead kneeled on the field after the games in silent prayer. The school responded by placing him on paid leave and recommended he not be rehired because of his failure to follow district policy. Ironically it was Kennedy who pursued a lawsuit and sued the school over his own religious freedoms and won both the support of conservative activists and the Supreme Court who ultimately ruled in his favor.
Manhattan Church Rebuilt Following 9/11 Attacks
Two decades after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York demolished the Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church on Liberty Street they have finalizing rebuilding the church structure. The church originally founded in 1916 in lower Manhattan on nearby Cedar Street. The rebuilding was funded in 2019 by a nonprofit group overseen by the Friends of Saint Nicholas. The church, which is located within Ground Zero, faced a series of stops and starts during their fundraising efforts. Saint Nicholas was the only church destroyed on September 11, 2001. The new church, designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava who also designed the World Trade Center Transportation Hub, was consecrated during an Independence Day services to recognize Saint Nicholas as a national shrine. The new church which will continue its Orthodox Christian services will now also feature interfaith and nonsectarian spaces.
Richmond, VA Host 12th Annual Gospel Concert Fest
The 12th Annual Gospel Music Fest is set to take place on Sunday, July 10th in Richmond. VA. The all-star concert, hosted by Sheilah Belle aka “The Belle” will feature artists from ranging from Inspirational Praise and Worship, Neo Soul, Traditional and Quartet all scheduled to appear on the Dogwood Dell Stage at 5:00pm. Special guests will include Jokia, Minister Earl Bynum, The Virginia Aires, Mervin Mayo and others. The labeled as one of the largest outdoor gospel events on the East coast, is free and open to the public. More information is available on TheBelleReport.com.
SAGMA Master Class Announced for Stellar Awards Weekend
The Stellar Awards Gospel Music Academy (SAGMA) has announced the Stellar Master Class on “Navigating Through the New Music Industry.” The event which begins with a meet and greet will feature a panel discussion by industry experts including Arica McKennon, VP, Nielsen, entertainment attorney Heather Beverly, Esq., GMA President/Executive Director, Jackie Patillo, Kortez Harris, Lewis Kortez Group, Phil Thornton and Grammy Award-winning producer/songwriter Donald Lawrence. The event will be held at the Cobb Galleria Centre at 9:00am. SAGMA is a not-for-profit organization that supports, encourages and promotes Gospel music worldwide. SAGMA is an umbrella association that provides their members with an environment for industry professionals to mobilize their efforts in promoting Gospel music.
