When evangelist Bryce Crawford recently saw a man in unusual dress standing outside a Los Angeles library, God tugged on his heart. Crawford’s resulting encounter with “Chad,” an avowed satanist, has since gone viral.

Crawford, a 20-year-old full-time missionary, podcaster, and social media influencer, shared the gospel and prayed with Chad, who was dressed in black and wore heavy face makeup. Crawford, who’s associated with the missions organization EquipNet, said he plans to follow up with Chad and keep showing him the love of Jesus.

Before moving to L.A., Crawford got saved in a Waffle House in Georgia. He credits Jesus with freeing him from anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation.

Bryce Crawford Converses With Satanist in LA

During his conversation with the satanist, Bryce Crawford learned that Chad worships the demon Cherubini—and that he’d been unhoused at one point but is now studying medicine at UCLA. Chad revealed he had given up worshiping Jesus “a long time ago,” citing the hypocrisy and judgmental attitudes of Christians.

When asked about his opinion of Jesus, Chad said he would have set him on fire, not crucified him, “because he’s a witch.”

Crawford challenged Chad’s claims that life has “been better” for him since he began worshiping Satan. “Yeah, I believe it, like in the physical. I believe that Satan would give me the things I want, you know, and there’s a lot of things that I want,” Crawford said. “And there’s been times that I’ve prayed to God and asked God for things that I wanted, but that’s not what I needed.”

The missionary continued: “As a Christian, when I ask Jesus for stuff when I pray, Jesus protects me from certain stuff because he knows what would harm me and steer me away from him.” After sharing that he’d once been “tormented by mental struggles,” Crawford said Jesus gave him the hope he needed.

Influencer Bryce Crawford Prays for a Satanist

Next, Crawford shared John 10:10, saying the devil comes to steal, kill, and destroy, while Jesus offers abundant life. The evangelist told Chad that with Christianity, you “don’t have to work for Jesus”—as opposed to other religions that require ongoing efforts. “I remember growing up, trying to set myself free,” Crawford recalled.

“Have you heard the gospel?” he then asked Chad. “It’s the good news. Can I tell you?” Crawford explained humanity’s sin and need for a Savior. He ended their time together by asking if he could pray for Chad—who accepted the offer.

 

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A Connecticut man is facing multiple charges after allegedly stealing a police car with an officer inside before crashing the vehicle into a church. Stacey Footman, 49, was caught on camera entering the driver’s side of the car and driving away. 

The charges against Footman include second degree larceny, second degree kidnapping, assault of a public safety personnel, second degree criminal trover, and interfering with an officer.

In security footage from Sunday night, Footman can be seen approaching the driver’s side vehicle, which was parked outside of a police substation on Congress Avenue in New Haven, Connecticut. 

Police say that an officer was seated in the passenger seat of the vehicle writing a police report while his partner was inside. The officer said that Footman was yelling at him to get out of the car. When the officer unlocked the car’s doors to get out and speak with Footman, Footman quickly opened the driver’s side door and entered the vehicle. 

RELATED: Woman Attempts To Steal Gas From Church Van; Church Responds by Giving Away Gas Cards in Community

The car can then be seen in the security footage driving away. The officer’s partner can be seen exiting the building and running after the vehicle. 

The officer in the cruiser said that he feared Footman might hit another car or pedestrian, so he pulled the vehicle’s steering wheel. The police cruiser then crashed into Deliverance Temple Pentecostal Church.

ChurchLeaders has reached out to Deliverance Temple Pentecostal Church for comment and will update this article in the event of a reply. 

Footman and the officer both sustained injuries during the crash. Footman is being held at a local hospital under police guard. His bond has been set at $500,000. 

The officer has been discharged from the hospital. 

RELATED: TN Man Attempts To Kidnap Toddler, Steal Car From Woman in Church Parking Lot

Police say that Footman had in his possession a small glass pipe. According to FOX61, police in the area are familiar with Footman, and Footman had previously been arrested for other offenses. 

(RNS) — Frenzied speculation over who Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris would tap as her vice presidential running mate came to an end Tuesday (August 6), with the current vice president reportedly choosing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to be her successor should they win in November.

Walz’s profile has risen in the weeks since President Joe Biden announced he was bowing out of the presidential race. The midwesterner has appeared regularly on national television programs to make the case for Democrats, coining the now widely adopted “MAGA is weird” line of attack, and winning fans as he advocates for liberal policies with the same folksy charm that’s made him popular in his home state.

Some are calling his persona “Midwestern Dad” energy, but Minnesotans know Walz as something even more specific: a “Minnesota Lutheran” Dad.

Here are five faith facts about Walz:

Walz, like many Minnesotans, is Lutheran

Walz is Lutheran, as is more than 20% of the Minnesota population according to Pew Research Center, making it one of if not the most Lutheran state in the U.S. thanks to a wave of Scandinavian Lutherans who settled in the region in the 19th century.

Walz does not often discuss his personal faith publicly, but has posted about attending worship during Christmas and other services at various Lutheran churches. Walz refers to Pilgrim Lutheran Church in St. Paul — a congregation in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, a mainline denomination — as “my parish.”

Walz sometimes describes himself as a “Minnesota Lutheran,” an identity he frames as a sort of midwestern cultural subtype. He has referenced the idea during speeches, such as when he addressed the North America’s Building Trade Unions legislative conference in April.

“Because we’re good Minnesota Lutherans, we have a rule: if you do something good and talk about it, it no longer counts,” Walz said after he was introduced. “So what you have to do is to get someone else to talk about you.”

He made a similar joke while speaking at a conference hosted by the Center for American Progress last year, suggesting that, like Minnesota Lutherans, Democrats don’t talk enough about their accomplishments. When moderator and Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne asked aloud if that made Democrats political Lutherans, Walz responded, “I don’t know — maybe.”

In 2019, Walz appointed Jodi Harpstead, the former head of Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota and a self-described “Lutheran girl” herself, to run the state’s Department of Health and Human services.

If elected, he would be the second (and maybe first) Lutheran vice president

If elected, Walz would become only the second Lutheran Vice President, depending on how you count it.

There are multiple Lutheran denominations in the U.S., all of which trace their lineage back to Martin Luther, the famed German priest who is credited with ushering in the Protestant Reformation that begat all of Protestantism. Some Lutheran groups are affiliated with American evangelicalism, but the largest denomination — and the one associated with Walz’s own church — is the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, a mainline denomination on the more liberal end of the spectrum.

(RNS) — In a surprise announcement, Pope Francis has appointed Bishop Richard G. Henning of the Diocese of Providence as archbishop-elect of Boston. Henning, who has only been a bishop since 2018, will replace 80-year-old retiring Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley, who has served as one of Francis’ closest advisers since the beginning of his papacy.

Asking for prayers at a press conference after the announcement Monday (Aug. 5), Henning said, “I am not worthy of this call. I was deeply shocked and surprised by this call, but I know the goodness of God suffices in all things. I will trust in him.”

“I’m humbled by the size and the history of this archdiocese, and I am very well aware that I have a lot to learn,” said Henning, who emphasized that he would lean on O’Malley as a “tutor.”

Henning, who has led the Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island, and its some 600,000 Catholics for just over a year, will now lead an archdiocese of more than 1.8 million Catholics in a region of the country where Catholicism, though declining, still remains a dominant religion. Before his appointment to Providence, Henning was an auxiliary bishop in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York.

At the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Henning has served on the Committee on Doctrine and the Subcommittee on the Church in Latin America.

Introducing Henning, O’Malley emphasized his “heart of a pastor,” fluency in Spanish and extensive academic credentials. “The arrival of a new archbishop is always a time of renewal and hope,” O’Malley said.

San Jose, California, Bishop Oscar Cantú, who has served with Henning on the Subcommittee on the Church in Latin America, told Religion News Service in an email that he was “happy” for the Archdiocese of Boston because they will have a “loving, compassionate shepherd.”

Cantú said he had gotten to know Henning while both were studying in Rome. “I found him to be kind and pleasant, always listening before speaking,” wrote Cantú.

On the subcommittee, Henning “was always measured and thoughtful in his comments,” Cantú said, as well as “friendly, personal, and genuine.”

Echoing Francis’ famous words in an interview after he was elected as pope, Henning told reporters, “The first thing is simply to say that I am a sinner in need of grace and that I place my faith, my trust, my hope in the Lord Jesus who is bread for the world and the king of love.”

Henning recounted an ad limina visit when New York bishops met with Francis and the pope urged the bishops to practice closeness to the Lord, their people and other bishops. Henning said he told Francis that closeness to the pope should be added.

“On this day in particular, I feel very close to the Holy Father and again grateful for his shepherding of the universal church,” Henning told reporters.

In an interview with a Providence TV station, Henning emphasized that while he was grateful for the pope’s trust and dedicated to obedience, he had “mixed feelings” about leaving Rhode Island.

“I have loved Rhode Island so much, and so even as I will certainly throw myself into this new mission, I will always feel Rhode Island here,” said Henning, pointing at his heart.

Given his short time in Providence, Henning said at the press conference that he had felt “safe” and that when the apostolic nuncio called him, he thought it was about another matter and he answered the call “innocently.”

Henning’s appointment comes five years after O’Malley’s 75th birthday, the age when bishops are required to submit a retirement letter to the pope, who can choose to wait longer to accept it.

O’Malley became archbishop of Boston in 2003 as the archdiocese was still reeling from the Boston Globe’s revelations of extensive clergy sex abuse and coverups.

The Capuchin priest had served in Hispanic ministry in the Archdiocese of Washington before becoming coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands in 1984, then Bishop of Fall River, Massachusetts, in 1992, and then bishop of Palm Beach, Florida, in 2002.

After becoming archbishop, O’Malley was elevated to cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006, and he went on to become the only North American member of Francis’ council of cardinals. In the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, O’Malley served as the chair of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities.

In a transparent conversation with Zach Sang on “The Zach Sang Show,” actor and singer Joshua Bassett explained how he came to trust in Jesus and reflected on how different his views are now from when he was previously on the show. 

“The very fact that I am here before you talking about Jesus and believe in Jesus is a testament to the fact that there might be something there because I was so vehemently opposed,” Bassett said during an interview published Aug. 1 [Editor’s note: This interview contains language some might find offensive.]. “I mocked God on this couch.” 

Bassett, who rose to fame starring in Disney+’s “ High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” grew up in a Christian family, but rejected Christianity for some time. However, he has since come to trust in Jesus “despite me mocking God in interviews, despite me saying that’s totally wrong, my family’s crazy.” 

“I thought my family was dumb,” Bassett said. “I thought any Christian was dumb. I thought they were so wrong. And then I had an encounter with the actual living God.”

Joshua Bassett: ‘I Was Completely Lost’

In addition to being an actor, Joshua Bassett is a musician who is currently touring to promote his new album, “The Golden Years.” In early 2023, Bassett started using his platform to share that he had trusted in Jesus and to encourage others to do the same.

“Jesus Christ is the only way,” he said in a tweet posted Jan. 5, 2023. “His death and resurrection are historically documented. Turn away [from] hate, seek forgiveness and come home to Him.”

RELATED: Disney Star Declares Faith in Jesus, Gets Baptized at Bethel Church

Bassett has shared publicly that he was sexually abused as a child and a teen and that he has struggled with anxiety and depression. This struggle became more severe following a major health crisis when he was hospitalized with septic shock. He told People magazine that after leaving the hospital, “I was even more depressed and stressed. I had a panic attack every single day.”

During his most recent conversation with Sang, Bassett said he wanted to “speak completely transparently” about his spiritual journey. He explained that he grew up in a Christian home but was not Christian at the time. Rather, he was “forced” to go to church. “My mom had to drag me,” he said.

But even though Bassett was rejecting Christianity, he was seeking the source of truth, love and peace. “I spent my entire life seeking truth, trying to find peace,” he said. Yet the only time he actually found peace was the “moment I accepted Jesus.”

“I struggled a lot with addiction,” said the singer, who shared that he did mushrooms, “plant medicines,” and ayahuasca, a psychoactive beverage used in some South American cultures for spiritual ceremonies. Bassett even invited Sang to come with him to experience the ayahuasca, but Sang declined. Sang said that he—and even Sang’s mother—were worried about Bassett at the time and that he is relieved Bassett is doing better.

After bringing on guests such as Priscilla Shirer, Matt Chandler, and Jackie Hill Perry, Christian hip hop artist Lecrae invited his mom, Ormie, to join him on his podcast. The duo kept the conversation “real” as they discussed growing up in the church, incredible success, abuse at home, and family relationships.

“We gotta keep it real. We gotta come from underneath that rug, sweep the dust off us, and get down with it,” shared Ormie.

Lecrae and His Mom Talk About ‘Deeper Wounds’ They Have Together

As a single parent, Ormie fought to give Lecrae the life she wanted for him. The two struggled for years, both being arrested at different times, both wanting better for the other, and both going about life differently. “I get pushback in the family for being too transparent, maybe too vulnerable,” said Lecrae.

Ormie reflected on her favorite moments in Lecrae’s career. “Jimmy Fallon was a moment. The Today Show was a moment,” she said. “Then, your friends calling you saying, ‘Oh, I saw your son.'”

Before all of Lecrae’s success, there was chaos in the home. Ormie was a single mother who brought other trouble for her family. “It was my fault, my fault for that mess. ‘Cause I saw the mess coming, and I stayed,” she remembered.

“I remember the yelling. The fighting was so intense,” Lecrae said about a time when he was 12 years old. He used to sleep with a knife under his bed to help protect his mom and himself.

In an effort to create a stable home, Ormie committed to a man who was “toxic.” Lecrae recalled, “I don’t feel like you contributed to my trauma. I just think you were fighting for something that was never going to happen.”

Ormie shared more about her past and how she felt about church. She grew up in a “strict” and “rigid” church, attended youth group, and sang in the choir. Occasionally, her church would put up a tent outdoors with sawdust on the floor, and hold a revival. “Please, I don’t want to go to another revival,” she said.

When Lecrae mentioned that some people liked that type of upbringing, Ormie continued, “I felt restricted and I felt uncomfortable and I felt judged.” She described how church leaders would pray over her, and she had to “fake” like she was “falling out” to appease those praying over her.

Ormie’s grandmother said to her one day, “You’re such a pretty girl. You’re going to hell.” Her grandmother didn’t approve of Ormie’s makeup or red nail polish.

“I felt like an outcast,” Ormie said. Her family couldn’t go to basketball or football games because the church felt the events were “secular.” She continued to try and go to church, and even sang in the choir, until Lecrae was a little kid. Then, Ormie had had enough.

The two left the church, and Ormie later found a loving church that welcomed her and taught biblical truths.