Last month, Michael Paustian (53) was sentenced to eight years to life in prison for child sexual assault after he pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a six-year-old.

Paustian was the creative director at Group Publishing, a Christian company known for publishing curriculum for churches.

According to its LinkedIn account, Group Publishing specializes in “creating experiences that bring Children, Youth, and Adults into a closer relationship with Jesus,” which includes curriculum for “vacation Bible school, ministry resources, Sunday school resources, children’s resources, adult resources, and women’s ministry resources.”

RELATED: Robert Morris Resigns as Gateway Church’s Senior Pastor Following Sexual Abuse Allegations

According to The Loveland Reporter-Herald, “Paustian pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault of a child from a position of trust for a victim under the age of 15 and sexual exploitation of a child, both class 3 felonies, in mid-May, according to a release from the 8th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.”

“Several other charges, including seven other sexual assault charges, were dismissed in the plea agreement, according to court records,” The Loveland Reporter-Herald added.

Paustian won’t be eligible for parole until eight years of his sentence has been served. If released, Paustian will be required to complete 10 years of sex offender intensive supervised probation, will be a registered sex offender for life, will be required to receive approval to have access to the internet, won’t be allowed to have any contact with children unless approved, and will have to undergo both mental health and substance abuse evaluations.

The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office first learned of Pautsin’s abuse after the survivor, who is now an adult, brought allegations to authorities in September 2022. She was six years old at the time of the abuse.

RELATED: Prosecutors Characterize SBC Youth Pastor as Serial Sexual Abuser Who Moved From Church to Church

During their investigation, authorities learned that Paustian had not only admitted to sexually abusing the six-year-old but also that the survivor’s family members were aware of the abuse and never reported it.

The survivor gave a statement to the judge to be read during Paustian’s sentencing hearing.

“I did what I was supposed to do. I told multiple adults, but now I am here still having to advocate for myself and any other children that might be in harm,” the statement said. “I have waited 17 years to get justice for my 6-year-old self, and I can’t wait to bring her peace and justice.”

U.S. swimmer Hunter Armstrong, now the owner of two Olympic gold medals, loves to compete and perform. But the athlete knows what matters most. “I keep God as a priority,” he recently told Baptist Press. “I can’t really live without him. I can live without swimming or being an Olympian or any of that stuff.”

Armstrong, who’s also passionate about magic, musical theater, and acting, proclaims “GOD FIRST!” on his Instagram bio. The 23-year-old said his Christian faith is “the first thing I want people to see and know about me.”

At the Paris Games, Armstrong’s standout leg in the 400-meter freestyle relay on July 27 helped Team USA win gold. The Ohio native, a backstroke specialist, also won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Last weekend in individual competition, Armstrong didn’t advance to the 100-meter backstroke finals.

RELATED: Some Christians Labeled Simone Biles a ‘Quitter,’ ‘Selfish,’ ‘Sociopath’—But Pastors Should Applaud Her

US Swimmer Hunter Armstrong: Pain Is ‘Catalyst for Change’

Although Hunter Armstrong has been a Christian for years, he admitted to being “sort of on the edge” of faith. “When I’m in competition, I’ll pray, and that will last for a little bit,” he told Baptist Press. “Church camp, same kind of thing. But as soon as I didn’t need [God] anymore, it would fade.”

Several major upheavals in Armstrong’s life changed that. Last June, the coach he’d followed to California left for Michigan. In July, just before Armstrong won his first world title, his grandfather died.

Then in February, days before the 2024 World Championships, the swimmer’s longtime girlfriend broke up with him. “That was my first real relationship. I had a proposal planned out. I was already preordering the ring,” Armstrong said. “I was certain that I was going to marry this girl, and I quickly watched it all crumble.”

Afterward, the swimmer struggled to get out of bed. He missed practices, ordered food deliveries, and binged movies “because that was really the only thing that I knew could distract me.” Armstrong credited his coaches and teammates for encouraging him to seek counseling and spiritual mentoring.

“It truly made me a better person,” Armstrong said of the challenging time. “I learned and grew so much from that experience.” He added, “The biggest catalyst for change in life tends to be pain. Sometimes God will put you in a position where you have no other choice than to turn to him.”

Olympian Hunter Armstrong Wants to Represent God Well

Hunter Armstrong also credited his teammates for nurturing his spiritual growth. Fellow U.S. swimmer Michael Andrew has prayed with him and shown him “how you use faith in competition.” Armstrong also accepted Andrew’s invitation to attend Bible studies with other athletes.

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif’s decisive victory over Italian Angela Carini at the Olympics on Thursday has resulted in a wave of criticism about Khelif’s eligibility as it relates to her gender identity. 

Khelif won when Carini abruptly forfeited the contest after the pair exchanged only a handful of blows. Later, Carini indicated that the pain caused by Khelif’s blows made it impossible for her to continue. 

“I felt a severe pain in my nose, and with the maturity of a boxer, I said ‘enough,’ because I didn’t want to, I didn’t want to, I couldn’t finish the match,” Carini said after the fight. 

“I am not here to judge or pass judgment,” Carini added. “If an athlete is this way, and in that sense it’s not right or it is right, it’s not up to me to decide. I just did my job as a boxer. I got into the ring and fought. I did it with my head held high and with a broken heart for not having finished the last kilometer.”

On social media, a number of Americans, including some Christian leaders, expressed outrage that the Olympics allowed Khelif to fight Carini. 

“The world is at war against Nature and Nature’s God, and you are a fool if you don’t think it has entered a new stage of hostility,” said Colin Smothers, executive director of the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW). 

“The feelings of weak men now mean more than the safety of REAL women,” said worship leader and right wing activist Sean Feucht. “This is sick. This is demonic. The Olympic committee and every democrat politician supporting this should be called out.”

“Your conscience should be telling you that it’s wrong for a man to beat up a woman,” said Denny Burk, president of CBMW and professor at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. “Don’t ignore or suppress your conscience on this. It’s telling you the truth, even if the International Olympic Committee says otherwise.”

Referencing the Olympics’ controversial Opening Ceremony, which featured a drag parody of Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper,” Mike Cosper of Christianity Today said that “the revaluation of values dramatized in the opening ceremonies has real-world consequences. In this case, today, a biological male breaks a female athlete’s nose in competition and is rewarded for it by advancing to the next round.”

“Think about it. In the name of sport, we’re rewarding violence by men against women. We’re setting a standard that will almost surely, in many categories, [crowds] biological women out of the games,” Cosper said. “It’s not just about blasphemy and respecting sacred symbols. It’s about culture and civilization and norms that safeguard women and children.”

RELATED: Retired NFL Player Benjamin Watson Lauds Simone Biles for Olympic Comeback, Humility and Resilience

“Men are beating up women and they’ll be rewarded with Olympic medals. It makes me sick,” said Christian blogger Samuel Sey. “This is what LGBT ideology does to society. Feminists don’t care, but it ultimately protects depraved men and punishes women.”

(RNS) — Known for its original Moravian architecture and annual Christmas festivities, the Historic Moravian Bethlehem District in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, is now the 26^th U.S. site to be included on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, joining the Statue of Liberty, Grand Canyon National Park and the San Antonio Missions, among others.

The designation, announced Friday (July 26), was over two decades in the making and is expected to significantly boost tourism to the city, located roughly 90 miles from New York City in eastern Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley. Moravian church settlements in Germany, Northern Ireland and Denmark are also included in the World Heritage listing, which is the first transnational listing put forth by the U.S.

“It comes down to the outstanding universal value of this site, and the preservation effort to protect and preserve the structures and story,” said Craig Larimer, a spokesperson for Moravian University in Bethlehem. “But it’s really about the Moravians. You can’t tell one part of the story without the other. Without the Moravians and their ingenuity, industry and sense of community, this wouldn’t be a thing at all. There wouldn’t be a Bethlehem.”

Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland applauded the news in a Friday statement, calling it an honor for the World Heritage List to include a U.S. site “where visitors from around the world are able to learn about the rich history of Moravian settlements, their cultural tradition and spiritual ideals.”

In 1741, Bethlehem was founded by a small band of Moravian Church immigrants hoping to spread Christianity in the region. Known for their communal living, personal piety, sense of spiritual revival and unique liturgical practices — including lovefeasts, simple meals served during a song service as a form of fellowship — the Protestant group was considered radical by many of its Christian peers. The Bethlehem settlement completed the Gemeinhaus in 1743, a community building used for worship and shared meals, and soon erected a network of other buildings for the choirs, or groups, that comprised the community, including the single sisters’ house and single brothers’ house.

The historic district, which was named a National Historic Landmark in 2012, spans 10 acres and includes nine structures, four ruins and a cemetery. It contains North America’s first pumped municipal water system, the world’s oldest surviving Moravian example of a Gemeinhaus and a 1761 tannery, the only 18^th-century Moravian industrial building still existing in the world, according to Charlene Donchez Mowers, senior adviser/historian of the Bethlehem World Heritage Council and Commission.

“The first school to educate women with the same curriculum as men was founded here in Bethlehem in 1742, less than a year after the founding of the community,” Donchez Mowers added.

The process for landing on the World Heritage List was complex and took more than two decades. The site had to first become a national landmark, and be added to the World Heritage Site nominating list. The effort required cooperation from the city, Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites, Moravian University, Central Moravian Church and the Bethlehem Area Moravians, an umbrella group that represents Bethlehem’s Moravian churches. It involved the U.S. Office of International Affairs of the National Park Service and included a 400-page nomination document and evaluations from an on-site assessor from the World Heritage Center. The U.S. site also coordinated with the international locations, gathering at over 40 Zoom meetings across several different time zones since 2018, said Donchez Mowers, who spearheaded much of the project.

The Moravians continue to have a strong presence in the Bethlehem area today. The city’s mayor, J. William Reynolds, is Moravian, as is the president of Moravian University, which traces its roots to the 1742 founding of the Moravian girls’ school.

(RNS) — The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church launched a get-out-the vote effort, chose new bishops and finalized the restructuring of some departments during its quadrennial meeting in late July.

During the five-day meeting of the historically Black denomination, held July 24-28 in Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S. bishops were urged to get their constituents informed and involved in the election season, ramping up voter registration and education efforts in their districts.

“Each area was challenged to register a minimum of 1,000 new voters,” said the Rev. George McKain, a consultant and former public affairs director for the denomination, and to inform double that number about issues that were key to their local areas.

RELATED: Anglican Church in North America Elects Steve Wood as Archbishop

Some 3,000 people attended the meeting, where they heard speeches from several prominent guest speakers, including the Rev. William Barber II, an anti-poverty activist who urged conference-goers to mobilize voting among low wage, poor and infrequent voters.

The Rev. Al Sharpton, president of the National Action Network, spoke at the conference during an evening dedicated to freedom and social justice.

The Rev. George McKain. (Courtesy photo)

Founded in 1796 and long known as the “Freedom Church,” the AME Zion Church, which McKain said has 1.2 million members, aims to return to the mission at its roots through this year’s focus on voting, according to the spokesperson.

“It never attempted to just be against anybody or to prove anything to anybody,” McKain
told Religion News Service on Monday (July 29). “It was always about striving to minister effectively for the freedom and liberation of all people.”

Bishop Mildred Hines, the first woman bishop, was among the leaders memorialized during the quadrennial meeting. She died in 2022 at the age of 67.

Among those elected during the meeting was Bishop Melanie Miller, who will lead the Western District, which includes several states in the American West. Miller, who was pastor of St. Paul AME Zion Church in Ewing, New Jersey, becomes the second and now only living woman bishop in the historically Black denomination.

Bishop Bernardo Ngunza, who will lead the Central Southern Africa District, is the first Indigenous bishop to serve in the district that includes several African countries, including South Africa.

The others elected to lead districts of the AME Zion Church are: Bishop Daran Mitchell, who pastored Trinity AME Zion Church in Greensboro and will lead the Mid-West District; Bishop Anthony Witherspoon, who led Metropolitan AME Zion Church in St. Louis and will oversee the Southwestern Delta District; and Bishop Dwayne Walker, who pastored Little Rock AME Zion Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, and will lead the Alabama-Florida District.

The new bishops will join others in leading a restructured AME Zion Church, said McKain.

He said that a new church growth and development department is the result of a merger of home missions and evangelism. Likewise, the church literature department was folded into the Christian education department.

“It’s been a process and this is the conclusion of it,” McKain said.

This article originally appeared here.

With 50 No. 1 hits, Steven Curtis Chapman is one of the most decorated Christian music artists in history. It’s no wonder that Ricky Skaggs officially invited Chapman to be the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry.

“This is my favorite place to sing. I feel at home,” said Chapman.

Steven Curtis Chapman Feels ‘At Home’ as the Newest Member of the Grand Ole Opry

For nearly 100 years, the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, has been said to be the “true home of country music.” Country legends as well as rising stars are invited to join the elite group, based on their “passion for country music’s fans” and “connection to the music’s history.”

After Steven Curtis Chapman spent “35 years writing and performing genre-defining songs that shaped a generation,” the Grand Ole Opry management officially invited the Christian music artist to be a member.

After Chapman performed at the Grand Ole Opry on July 27, country music legend and Grand Ole Opry member Ricky Skaggs took the stage, while holding a framed picture. Chapman recalled a “memory from some 40 years ago.”

The framed picture Skaggs held was of Chapman at his first performance at the Grand Ole Opry. Chapman remembered, “That’s my George Jones outfit, right there.”

“I was 19 years old the first time I performed on the stage of The Grand Ole Opry,” shared Chapman. “I’d grown up listening to my dad tell me stories about this magical stage where some of the greatest moments in music took place.”

Chapman grew up with a musical family in rural Kentucky. “When the weather was just right we could tune it in on our staticky AM radio in Paducah, Kentucky, and hear the magic happen,” he said. 

“The wonder of that stage was in ‘full force’ as the one and only Ricky Skaggs invited me to be an official member of the Grand Ole ‪@Opry‬ family,” Chapman said of the evening.

“You’re going to be the next member of the Grand Ole Opry,” offered Skaggs. “You deserve to be here.”

Chapman was visibly shocked and knelt down on the floor of the stage. “Are you kidding me?” he asked. “If you ever wonder if this is a surprise, yes, I promise you this is a massive surprise.”

“I am so honored and just so grateful. What an amazing family to be a part of,” Chapman said. “I feel like this is my family.”

Charismatic preacher Benny Hinn, a televangelist associated with the prosperity gospel, has been served divorce papers from wife Suzanne for a second time. The couple, who were originally married from 1979 to 2010 and had four children, remarried in 2013. But Benny and Suzanne have been living in separate houses in Florida, where she filed for divorce on July 26.

According to Trinity Foundation, the couple have four properties in Florida worth more than $5 million. Although some reports indicate that Benny Hinn Ministries (officially known as World Healing Center Church) is worth up to $100 million, it has faced financial difficulties and declining viewership.

In his autobiography, Hinn, now 71, wrote about meeting Suzanne in 1978, when she was attending Evangel College. Thanks to a partnership with Stephen Strang, Hinn became a high-profile charismatic TV preacher. His bestselling books include “Good Morning, Holy Spirit.” For several years, Suzanne Hinn had her own California-based ministry called Purifying Fire.

RELATED: Mike Winger Says Benny Hinn Is Not a Christian During Interview With Charisma

Benny Hinn and Wife Are Splitting Again

When the Hinns reconciled following their first divorce, Benny revealed that Suzanne had been addicted to prescription medications that made her “behave erratically at times.” He also admitted he had been “so caught up with the ministry, I forgot about my family.”

The couple’s second marriage was officiated by Pastor Jack Hayford in 2013. More than 1,000 people attended the event, which took place at Orlando’s Holy Land Experience. Hinn later sold DVDs of the ceremony for $25 each.

In 2019, Hinn distanced himself from prosperity teachings, saying he didn’t want to be rebuked when he gets to heaven. But earlier this month, the preacher told followers that giving “seed” money to his ministry would protect them financially in today’s volatile world.

Hinn has said he spent $5 million fighting a 2007 congressional inquiry into televangelists. As a result of the investigation, Hinn announced some governance changes at his ministry.

Costi Hinn, a nephew of Benny’s, is a pastor who’s been vocally opposed to prosperity teachings.

After First Divorce, Benny Hinn Faced Scandal

Soon after Suzanne Hinn filed for divorce the first time, Benny was photographed holding hands with televangelist Paula White as they exited a Rome hotel. Benny denied having an affair, saying he was “just friends” with White. He also said their friendship had nothing to do with the dissolution of his marriage.

After the photos of Hinn and White were published, Strang’s Charisma Media sued Hinn for violating the morality clause of a book deal. Hinn, however, said there was “no immorality whatsoever.”

Liberty University is being sued by Ellenor Zinski, a former employee who was fired for being transgender in August 2023.

The lawsuit was filed by the ACLU on behalf of Zinski and claims that the university is in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Zinski, who was born a male and now identifies as a trans woman, was hired as a full-time Information Services Apprentice at Liberty University’s help desk under a male name. According to the lawsuit, Zinski was “successful” at the job and “met Liberty’s legitimate employment expectations,” per bi-monthly performance reviews.

RELATED: Liberty University Announces It Will Pay Former President Jerry Falwell Jr.’s Retirement and Severance

A few months into the job, Zinski sent an email to Liberty University’s human resources (HR) department requesting to be “identified as a trans woman.” Additionally, the email said that Zinski “had been undergoing hormone replacement therapy” and intended to pursue a legal name change.

Liberty University’s HR department responded three days later to inform Zinski that representatives would soon respond to the request and that Zinski should continue work as normal.

A month later, after feeling anxious from not receiving any correspondence from HR, Zinski followed up. This time, Zinski was informed that a meeting had been scheduled for that day.

The meeting was attended by Liberty University’s executive vice president of HR, Steve Foster, and chief information officer and executive vice president of analytics, John Gauger. During the meeting, the university “terminated” Zinski’s employment because of the gender transition.

The lawsuit argues that Zinski “experienced fear and anxiety” while waiting for a response from Liberty University’s HR department. The lawsuit claims that Zinski’s anxiety was so great that it caused vomiting. The suit further says that after Zinski felt “disbelief, emptiness, and hurt at being ostracized for being transgender” after being terminated.

RELATED: Liberty University Agrees to $14 Million Fine for Safety Violations, Failing To Respond to Sexual Abuse Allegations

Zinski is demanding a trial by jury and is seeking $300,000 in damages, including “back-pay damages, with pre-judgment interest at the prevailing rate.” Zinski also is asking for “equitable relief reinstatement, or front pay in lieu of same,” for the university to admit it violated Title VII, and for Liberty University to pay the acquired attorney fees.

Former NFL player and Super Bowl champion Benjamin Watson praised Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, who with the rest of the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics team won gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics Tuesday. Watson noted Biles‘ resilience following the mental health challenges she faced at the last Olympic Games; the gymnast received criticism from some for withdrawing from the team final in Tokyo after realizing the “mental’s not there.” 

“So many people disparaged Simone Biles four years ago. She did what so many people are scared to do. She acknowledged her humanity and sought help for her complete health,” said Watson, who is a Christian pro-life and racial justice advocate, in a Wednesday morning post on X. “To see her come back with dignity, excellence, humility and joy has been worth the wait.” 

RELATED: Some Christians Labeled Simone Biles a ‘Quitter,’ ‘Selfish,’ ‘Sociopath’—But Pastors Should Applaud Her

So many people disparaged Simone Biles four years ago. She did what so many people are scared to do. She acknowledged her humanity and sought help for her complete health. To see her come back with dignity, excellence, humility and joy has been worth the wait. Congratulations to… pic.twitter.com/StUrwnt0gY

— Benjamin Watson (@BenjaminSWatson) July 31, 2024

Simone Biles Wins Eighth Olympic Medal

Simone Biles, who Tuesday became the most decorated U.S. Olympic gymnast of all time, shocked the world when she withdrew from several events at the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021. She did so after a shaky vault performance where she experienced “the twisties,” a term referring to when gymnasts lose track of where they are in the air.

“I just felt like it would be a little bit better to take a back seat, work on my mindfulness,” Biles explained at the time. She said she did not want to injure herself or jeopardize the team’s chance of medaling (they ended up winning silver). 

Biles also spoke of the pressure she sometimes feels: “It wasn’t an easy day or my best but I got through it. I truly do feel that I have the weight of the world on my shoulders at times.” 

While many praised Biles for having the wisdom to pay attention to her mental health, others severely criticized her. The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh called her a “quitter” and said her actions were “disgraceful and selfish” and “an absolute embarrassment.” He said people should not “celebrate cowardice.” 

Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk called Biles a “selfish sociopath” and a “shame to the nation.” Seth Dillon, CEO of The Babylon Bee, compared Biles to a soldier running away from battle, saying, “Cowardice is not courage; weakness is not strength. Great athletes understand this.”

Pastor Barnabas Piper, however, praised Biles, saying, “I hope my daughters grow up to be weak people like Simone Biles. That would be amazing.”

Abuse survivor and Christian Rachael Denhollander, who is a former gymnast known for speaking out against USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar, said she remembered gymnasts who got “lost in the air” and “suffered catastrophic injuries that altered their lives. The fact that Simone walked out of that meet safely is everything.”

A former Texas pastor has been charged with soliciting prostitution after being caught in a sting operation. Terren L. Dames was fired from his position as senior pastor of North Dallas Community Bible Fellowship (NDCBF) in Plano, Texas, for his “moral failure.” 

On May 2, the Plano Police Department conducted a sting operation to apprehend suspects attempting to purchase sex, according to WFAA. On that day, police say that Dames, 51, called an undercover officer and offered to pay $150 for sex. 

Dames then agreed to meet the undercover officer at a motel. Dames was recorded arriving at the motel and knocking on the door of a room he believed to be occupied by a sex worker. Dames also confirmed he was at the door via a text to the undercover officer. 

After leaving the motel, Dames was stopped by police and read his Miranda rights. Dames reportedly told police that he was meeting a friend at the motel. 

Dames then reportedly suffered a medical episode. The Plano Fire Department evaluated Dames and determined that his vitals were low but that he did not need to be taken to the hospital. He was released from the scene. 

Earlier that day, Dames could be seen leading a devotional via NDCBF’s Facebook livestream. 

“The fruit-bearing in our lives is a demonstration that we are successful,” Dames said during the video, during which he focused on the story of Gideon.

In June, Dames was indicted for soliciting prostitution as a result of his involvement in the sting operation.

In a statement given to WFAA earlier this week, NDCBF indicated that Dames had been removed from his role as senior pastor in May due to a “moral failure.”

The church did not mention the criminal charge against Dames.  

RELATED: Pastor Steps Down Amid Backlash for Failing To Report Possible Child Sex Abuse Material on Fellow Clergy Member’s Computer

“NDCBF leadership remains devoted to the church’s mission of making disciples and vision to empower each member to impact the world by doing the work of Jesus Christ,” the church said. “Sound, biblical doctrine remains a priority.”