Category: U.S.

U.S.

Remembering NRB’s Dr. Ben Armstrong

Charisma Staff
There are seldom words to describe the emotion felt by those who are left, when a giant of the faith passes to glory. That is certainly true this week, as the National Religious Broadcasters mourn the loss of Dr. Ben Armstrong, the association’s first Executive Director. Armstrong’s legacy is far-reaching, and his life was lived well; it is a privilege for us to share even a brief overview of his time at NRB.

Ben Armstrong began working for NRB in 1966, just 22 years after the association’s founding. The early pioneers of religious broadcasting had recognized the dwindling of religious radio, as the “Golden Era” of radio broadcasting in the 1930’s gave way to draconian restrictions on paid religious programming in 1943. Almost overnight, evangelical ministers were unable to purchase radio airtime, and in 1944, 150 forward-thinking leaders met and created the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB). By 1966, NRB was effective, but its reach was still small. The Executive Committee decided to make Armstrong, then the Director of Radio for Trans World Radio (TWR), NRB’s chief administrator. He was given a $9,000 budget, a part-time secretary, and no office space.  Armstrong was already a seasoned religious broadcaster who knew the impact of using media to take the Gospel to the world, and during his 23-year tenure he grew NRB from a small office in his home to an influential association with a full-time staff of 25.

U.S.

Most Americans Don’s Understand Bill of Rights

Charisma Staff

The Bill of Rights protects many freedoms but do you know what they are? An alarming number of American adults can’t tell you what those rights are, according to a Bill of Rights Institute study conducted by Harris Interactive.

When asked questions about the nation’s founding documents, American adults selected the correct answer 32 percent of the time, on average, on questions about the Bill of Rights and the freedoms it protects and American government.

U.S.

ORU Remembers Oral Roberts One Year After Passing

Charisma Staff

It’s been a year since Oral Roberts went home to be with the Lord. But his legacy lives on at the university he founded in 1963. Oral Roberts University (ORU) continues to focus on the vision and mission of one of this generation’s most effective evangelists and the school is paying tribute to its founder in an online collection of photos and videos.

“Oral Roberts was a great man who profoundly impacted the world for Jesus Christ. We are deeply thankful for his life,” says ORU President Mark Rutland. “Nowhere is the imprint of this man of God more evident than ORU. This university is the enduring legacy of Chancellor Roberts.”


U.S.

Tennessee Schools Fight for Right to Celebrate Christmas

Charisma Staff

The American Civil Liberties Union, or ACLU, is threatening Tennessee school districts with legal action if students and teachers recognize Christmas. The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) is stepping in to offer free legal assistance to protect the constitutional rights of the schools.

The drama started when the ACLU sent letters to public school superintendents in Tennessee warning them that the schools will violate the Constitution if they recognize Christmas without recognizing every other winter holiday.

U.S.

Marriage Group Tackles Apple’s Christian App Censorship

Charisma Staff

The black turtleneck-and-blue-jeans-wearing Apple CEO Steve Jobs has landed smack dab in the middle of Christian censorship controversy.

In response to the iPhone-maker’s decision to remove a pro-life app that supports traditional marriage from its iTunes Store, the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) has launched a video called “The Iconic Steve Jobs”  that paints Jobs as a “Big Brother.”

Steve Jobs built his reputation as an iconic marketer in the famous 1984 commercial for the Macintosh computer in which Apple promises to take on “Big Brother,”  says Brian Brown, president of NOM. Jobs has made billions taking on “Big Brother,” yet the irony is that in refusing to allow citizens to support pro-life and traditional marriage positions he’s become the very “Big Brother” he has decried.


U.S.

Christian Billionaire Pledges to Donate Half His Wealth

Charisma Staff

What does David Green have in common with Warren Buffet, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, and Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg? First, they are all billionaires. Second, they are all giving away half their wealth to charity.

The CEO of Hobby Lobby, Green, a devout Christian, is among a growing list of billionaires who have pledged to give away most of their money. Green and his wife, Barbara, are officially part of The Giving Pledge, an effort to invite the wealthiest individuals and families in America to commit to giving the majority of their wealth to the philanthropic causes and charitable organizations of their choice either during their lifetime or after their death.

U.S.

Oregon Professor Fired Over Islam Teaching

Charisma Staff

Lane Community College should rehire a teacher that was fired after the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, complained about a class he was scheduled to teach about Islam. So says the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ).

The ACLJ is arguing that the Eugene, Oreg.-based community college violated the contractual and constitutional rights of the teacher, Barry Sommer, by firing him and canceling the class in the wake of pressure from CAIR.

U.S.

‘Excitement and Fervor for God’ Budding in Last Place You’d Expect

Charisma Staff

The Holy Spirit is on the move in prisons, and He is targeting the wounded hearts of women inmates. According to prison ministry Daughters of Destiny, in the last year, more than 20,000 inmates have attended evangelism events, and more than 7,500 have made decisions to follow Christ.

Daughters of Destiny is a prison ministry dedicated to spreading the gospel and seeing women inmates give their lives to Jesus Christ. They hold Bible meetings and evangelism events in 203 detention facilities in 25 states across America.

“There’s an excitement and fervor for God. In the past, 7 to 10 percent of the inmates at a facility might attend our meetings. Now we’re seeing 30 to 90 percent,” said Annie Goebel of Daughters of Destiny.

The Colorado Springs, Colo.-based ministry is run by founders Annie and husband Mel Goebel, and approximately 850 trained volunteer staff. They teach and nurture all the women who respond in faith and relationship with Jesus Christ through their ministry that begins while the women are incarcerated and continues after their release back into the community.

U.S.

Daystar’s Joni Lamb: The Holy Spirit Told Me My Husband is Worth The Fight

Charisma Staff

On a sober yet uplifting episode of the Celebration Tuesday, Marcus and Joni Lamb, the husband-wife founders of Daystar television network, discussed an “inappropriate” relationship Marcus Lamb had several years ago with another Christian woman.

The one-hour show included not only the Lambs’ admission of the affair, but also details about their marriage restoration process. They also described a blackmail scheme that contributed to the couple deciding to share their story on their international network.

According to Joni, three people–unaffected by the Lambs’ marital problems–had demanded Daystar pay them $7.5 million to keep this story out of the media.

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