Majority say things are getting better, Gallup reports
For the first time, a majority of people believe the COVID-19 situation is improving, Gallup reported after a year of measuring Americans’ views on the Coronavirus pandemic. While 60% of people say the situation is getting better, 26% say it is the same, and only 14% say it is worsening. The optimism likely reflects a lower number of COVID cases, Gallup reported. Americans are also much less worried about lack of access to COVID testing or medical supplies and treatment than they were a year ago. Still, 70% say their lives have been disrupted by the pandemic, a share that has held steady since last summer.
Pastor jailed over COVID restrictions will stay there until May trial
Canadian pastor James Coates must remain in jail until his trail begins May 3, a judge ruled last week. Coates’s GraceLife Church in Edmonton refused to comply with capacity limits on gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic. After turning himself in to police Feb. 16, the pastor refused to agree to bail conditions and remains in custody.
High Court rules for student barred from preaching on campus
The U.S. Supreme Court said March 8 that former college student Chike Uzuegbunam can seek compensation from the school that prohibited him from preaching and handing out literature on campus. Uzuegbunam was a student at Georgia Gwinnet College when he was twice asked to stop sharing his faith due to school policy.
“The Supreme Court has rightly affirmed that government officials should be held accountable for the injuries they cause,” said Alliance Defending Freedom’s Kristen Waggoner, who argued the case before the Supreme Court. “When public officials violate constitutional rights, it causes serious harm to the victims.”
Zacharias’s ministry to change name, remove content
The daughter of late apologist Ravi Zacharias said his ministry will have a new name after a recent report uncovered allegations of sexual misconduct including rape. Sarah Davis, who also serves as CEO of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, said the ministry is in the process of taking down Zacharias’s content from its website and social media platforms. “We continue to grieve deeply for the victims who have been treated in ways that are completely antithetical to the gospel,” Davis said. “We also painfully and increasingly recognize organizational failures that have occurred and the repentance that needs to take place in both heart and action.”
Judge rules abuse lawsuit against Pressler can proceed
A Texas appellate court said a sexual abuse lawsuit against longtime Southern Baptist leader Paul Pressler can go forward, after the case was initially dismissed in 2018. The dismissal was on grounds that the statute of limitations had expired, but the court ruled Gerald Duane Rollins suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and was unable to report the abuse sooner. Rollins alleges Pressler, who helped lead the Southern Baptist Conservative Resurgence, abused him over a period of many years.
Barna identifies growth potential for online prayer
Four groups can be considered “early adopters” of online group prayer, Barna reported in research on prayer during the pandemic. Nurturing those four groups—younger generations of Christians, practicing Christians, non-white Christians, and churchgoers with high digital openness—can help bolster or launch a church’s online prayer ministry, researchers said.
Sources: Gallup, Christian Post, Baptist Press, Barna