(RNS) — When asked about Christianity’s recent contributions to society, Americans cited more negatives than benefits, according to a new survey. The negative contribution cited most was hatred or violence in the name of Jesus, according to the Barna Group…

NEW ORLEANS (RNS) — Even with the deep-sea oil hemorrhage halted and much of the fishing in the Gulf of Mexico reopened, major charity groups say the needs of impacted families remain dire. Officials from the local affiliates of Second…

Two Concordia University System schools have received major grants from the U.S. Department of Education. Concordia College, Selma, Ala., is one of 96 historically black schools that were awarded grants in the Strengthening Historically Black Colleges and Universities Program. The…

By Kim Plummer Krull Ten months after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake devastated Haiti, news stories report how little has changed, including that more than 1 million survivors remain homeless and that none of the U.S. government’s pledged $1.15 billion in…

LCMS World Mission is seeking two short-term missionaries to serve as soon as possible in Slovakia. The missionaries would serve for about three months as English teachers at a high school in Kosice, Slovakia.  Duties will include teaching English grammar,…

The completion of the first phase of a 45,000-square-foot expansion of the Walther Library at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, will give the institution more space for library services than it has had since the seminary moved in 1976 from…

The following institutions of the Concordia University System are seeking candidates for positions: Concordia College — New York, Bronxville, N.Y., seeks to fill the following positions: senior manager of Student Enrollment and Support Services; director of Student Life. Concordia University…

The Synod’s policy of full financial disclosure provides for making available to members of the Synod (congregations, pastors, teachers and others on the roster), on written request, the salary grid scales of all Synod and district officials, staff and faculty…

Note:  Reporter cannot accept notices about items offered for sale or that people wish to purchase.  Items described as “Wanted” or “Available” are sought or may be obtained for shipping costs only. Available The Lutheran Hymnal, CPH 1941, approximately 150…

The President of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod herewith calls for nominations for the position of chief mission officer (CMO) of Synod.  The CMO is a new position mandated by the 2010 Convention, to be appointed by the President in concurrence…

LEROY W. MASON, Browns Valley, Calif., has applied for reinstatement to the Ministers of Religion-Ordained roster of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. CORINNE M. BIELENBERG, Willmar, Minn.; KYLE BRYAN CHUHRAN, Shelby Township, Mich.; and LINDA N. ERKKINEN, St. Louis, Mo., have…

In response to Res. 4-03 of the 2010 LCMS convention, “that each November, the Vice-President-Finance–Treasurer of the Synod use widely available means (i.e., The Lutheran Witness, Reporter, LCMS website) to state the financial position of the Synod in a form…

WASHINGTON (RNS) — Islam is a valid religion that is entitled to constitutional protection, said a U.S. attorney who stepped into a debate about a proposed mosque and Islamic center in Tennessee. “To suggest that Islam is not a religion…

(RNS) — The Crystal Cathedral, the gleaming Southern California megachurch known for its “Hour of Power” television broadcast, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection from creditors. Senior Pastor Sheila Schuller Coleman on Oct. 18 said in a statement that…

(RNS) — If you stacked all the Bibles sitting in American homes, the tower would rise 29 million feet, nearly 1,000 times the height of Mount Everest. More than 90 percent of American households own a Bible, and the average…