Displaying items by tag: North America

Mike Bickle, founder of the 24/7 worship centre in Kansas known as the International House of Prayer, is facing multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, said to span several decades. His church has been hosting continuous prayer and worship for around 15 years, and a livestream of its praise music is watched by millions around the world. In the 1990s he also led a group known as the Kansas City Prophets, which conducted international mission trips, introducing many Christians, including in the UK, to prophetic words and pictures. A statement by three investigators said: ‘When these allegations were brought to our attention, we were shocked. The allegations seemed out of character to the man we thought we knew, but they were so serious we could not ignore them.’ In their view, he used his position of spiritual authority over several victims to manipulate them. Although Mike Bickle denies the allegations, he has agreed not to preach or teach until the situation is resolved. It is reported that he preached on the issue of false allegations just last week.

A Catholic healthcare clinic is challenging a Colorado law that forbids giving women a natural hormone to reverse the effects of the abortion pill and save a baby's life. Mother and daughter nurse practitioners Dede Chism and Abby Sinnett founded Bella Health and Wellness, a ‘life-affirming, dignified healthcare’ facility for men, women, and children. It is one of many healthcare clinics across the nation which offer progesterone, a naturally occurring hormone essential for maintaining a healthy pregnancy, to women at risk of miscarriage. But Colorado has now passed a law that prohibits clinics from offering progesterone in order to reverse the effects of the abortion pill, in spite of evidence of its safety and efficacy. Now, Chism and Sinnett say they run the risk of losing their medical licences and being liable to pay $20,000 per violation if they continue their ministry to pregnant women who seek their help. In September California's attorney general filed a lawsuit against two major pro-life pregnancy centres to stop them from advertising abortion pill reversal services, claiming that the natural hormone used to reverse the abortion pill is risky and ‘has no credible scientific backing’. However, the Abortion Pill Rescue Network (APRN) website says that there is a 64-68% success rate for women who follow their protocol, adding that ‘thousands of lives have been saved’.

Wab Kinew has been elected as the premier of the Canadian province of Manitoba, becoming the first First Nations leader to hold the post. This comes after his left-of-centre New Democratic Party (NDP) won 34 seats out of 57 in elections held this week. Kinew is the son of a chief from First Nations land in the neighbouring province of Ontario. His father was a professor at the University of Winnipeg. Becoming leader of Manitoba is especially significant because indigenous Canadians were not allowed to vote until 1960, and some rights were not fully recognised until 1982. In his victory speech, Kinew said: ‘That is a testament to our province and country moving forward. Long way to go, but you cannot tell me that we haven’t made progress.’ He has promised to fix healthcare, make people’s lives more affordable, and invest in more social housing.

US president Joe Biden's administration is to build a section of border wall in southern Texas in an effort to stop rising levels of immigration. Around 20 miles (32 km) will be built in Starr County, where officials report high numbers of crossings. Building a border wall, a signature policy of Donald Trump, was fiercely opposed by Democrats. In 2020, Mr Biden promised he would not build another foot of wall if elected. The US Customs and Border Protection defended the latest move, saying it was using funds already allocated for a border barrier. The rising number of illegal border crossings has made the issue a vulnerable one for the president. More than 245,000 crossings have been made this year in the Rio Grande Valley area alone. Several US cities say they are feeling the strain of the influx. New York City mayor Eric Adams predicted the cost of housing the more than 100,000 new arrivals since last year will rise to $12bn over the next three years. ‘We are at capacity’, he said.

Prime minister Justin Trudeau has apologised for giving a standing ovation to a war veteran who served in the Nazi Waffen-SS during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Canada. Yaroslav Hunka, a 98-year-old Ukrainian veteran, was applauded by the House of Commons, who were unaware of his Nazi past. House speaker Anthony Rota later apologised for introducing him for applause, calling it a mistake. Trudeau condemned Rota's actions and described the incident as deeply embarrassing for the parliament of Canada and all Canadians. Jewish and Holocaust education organisations raised concerns about the celebration of a Nazi veteran. Rota, who accepted full responsibility for his actions, extended his apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world. The incident occurred after Volodymyr Zelenskiy delivered a speech seeking support from Western allies. Hunka's Nazi unit has been accused of committing crimes against Polish and Jewish civilians during the Holocaust.

Canada's high commission in India has said that it has decided to ‘adjust’ staff presence in the country temporarily after some diplomats received threats on social media platforms, adding to spiralling tensions between the two countries. The statement from the high commission came soon after an Indian company published a notice that it was suspending visa services for Canadian citizens. Tensions between the two countries escalated earlier this week when Canada said that it was ‘actively pursuing credible allegations’ linking Indian government agents to the murder of a Sikh separatist leader in British Columbia in June. Prime minister Narendra Modi's government has categorically rejected the claims. With both nations expelling a diplomat each, and India urging its nationals in Canada to ‘exercise caution’, relations between the two countries have touched the lowest point.

President Biden's son, Hunter, has been criminally charged with three counts of lying when buying a firearm, after a proposed plea deal collapsed. This is the first time the child of a sitting president has been criminally prosecuted. All three counts relate to Mr Biden allegedly lying on forms while buying a firearm when he was a drug user. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison, the justice department said in a statement. The younger Mr Biden's legal woes have become a political lightning rod as his father seeks re-election. Earlier this week, Republicans in the House of Representatives announced an impeachment inquiry into President Biden: among the accusations being levelled against him are that he lied about his involvement in his son's business dealings while serving as vice-president. Two Internal Revenue Service investigators have also claimed that the justice department stymied their investigation into Hunter Biden's tax return.

The first translation of the Bible into the Mohawk language has been published in Canada. Portions of the Bible in Mohawk were published in 1715 in a book of Morning and Evening Prayer, but this is the first time the entire Bible has been in print in the language indigenous to North America. Harvey Satewas Gabriel has studied his native language all his life and dedicated 40 years to his goal. In a recent interview, 84-year-old Harvey said, ‘You never get tired of working with the Word of God’. Translation of and engagement with the Scriptures is strategic and valuable for revitalising language and culture. The Canadian Bible Society hopes that having the whole Bible in print will make a positive contribution to the life of the Mohawk church.

Firearms are the most common cause of death for people under 17, outranking traffic accidents. Gun-related deaths amongst youths have doubled in ten years. Pew Research found gun deaths among under-18's in the USA rose by 50% between 2019-2021. It is not just the physical wounds that need treating. Experts who work with gunshot victims say that children who have been shot are much more likely to be shot again because they go back to the same places and the same people. That child not only gets traumatised physically, but also mentally. Young victims need help getting back on the right track - that means enrolling in school, finding new friends, and getting a job - to break the cycle of violence. Dr Katie Donnelly has launched a youth violence intervention programme. Instead of treating gun-shot wounds as isolated incidents, it takes that horrific moment in a young person's life and turns it into a starting point for change.

A handful of twenty-somethings went outside the four walls of their church to share the Gospel on the streets every Sunday night for five years. On fire with Holy Spirit power, they led their peers to Jesus - even changing the spiritual atmosphere of the area. They knew there was more for them than saving souls, and their actions led to planting a church for the new Christians led by Ivan, the son of the pastor who encouraged their outreach. He organised the United Church to disciple, train, and send followers of Jesus to proclaim His salvation. The church then birthed Jesus March, a ministry of United Revival Ministries, both under its auspices. The ministry has hosted 125 prayer and worship events, connected with 200 churches, commissioned 6,500 evangelists, and introduced thousands of people to Jesus since its formation five years ago. By 2024 United Revival will have brought Jesus March and evangelism training, worship, and prayer to nine American cities.