The most-awarded female gospel artist was invited to perform on the Season 22 finale of “American Idol.” CeCe Winans chose to sing “Goodness of God” for more than 20 million viewers.

“I’ve known you as a Father; I’ve known you as a friend. And I have lived in the goodness of God,” Winans sang.

CeCe Winans Sings ‘Goodness of God’ on ‘American Idol’ Finale

As another season of “American Idol” came to a close, the three-hour finale included performances from current and former contestants, as well as guest appearances from the judges and other musical artists.

CeCe Winans has won dozens of awards throughout her decades on the stage. “It would be easy to look back and rest on such illustrious honors, but Winans has always had her eyes fixed firmly on the future and is constantly evolving,” says her website.

During the “American Idol” finale, Winans chose to sing the worship song, “Goodness of God.”

“Goodness of God” was written by Ed Cash, Ben Fielding, Jason Ingram, Brian Johnson, and Jenn Johnson and has been sung by countless worship artists. The song provided a beautiful and worshipful moment for those in attendance—whether they sang along or were quietly moved by the lyrics.

‘Cause all my life you have been faithful
And all my life you have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

Winans was joined by Roman Collins and a full ensemble for the musical piece. The worship leader at Calvary Baptist Church in Hawthorne, California, Collins was a contestant on the show but was eliminated just before the Top 10.

The finale also served as a tribute to long-time judge, Katy Perry, who was leaving the show after seven years.

According to USA TODAY, the Top 12 female contestants shared the stage and sang a collection of Perry’s songs. Then, Perry sang a duet with Jack Blocker, a contestant who took third place in the competition. Perry was wearing a custom dress that provided her own tribute. Her extra-long skirt contained the faces of each of the Top 24 contestants from the past seven seasons.

“It was just going to be a pretty skirt with a silver top and I was like, ‘No, let’s do something. Let’s make a moment. Let’s pay homage to all the contestants,'” Perry told USA TODAY after the finale filming. “It was just to show how much these kids have really lifted me up.”

A polarizing college commencement speech by Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker continues generating headlines after more than a week. Although the Chiefs organization hasn’t issued a response, the wife and daughter of the team’s co-owner and CEO both recently addressed the controversy.

On May 11, Butker told graduates at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, that women should prioritize homemaking. The three-time Super Bowl champion and outspoken Catholic also railed against hot-button issues such as Pride Month and President Biden’s support of abortion.

RELATED: Harrison Butker Slams Biden and Taylor Swift During Controversial Commencement Address at Benedictine College

Since the speech, 220,000 people have signed a petition calling for the Chiefs to dismiss Butker. The Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica denounced the speech, and the NFL said the athlete’s views don’t represent the league.

Meanwhile, Butker’s jersey sales have spiked, and conservative figures are supporting the kicker—with one encouraging the Chiefs to give him a raise.

Tavia Hunt: It’s ‘Not Bigoted’ To Affirm Motherhood

On May 16, Tavia Hunt, wife of Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt, shared a lengthy Instagram post about the Harrison Butker controversy. Next to photos of her and her children, she wrote, “I’ve always encouraged my daughters to be highly educated and chase their dreams. I want them to know that they can do whatever they want (that honors God).”

 

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“But I also want them to know that I believe finding a spouse who loves and honors you as or before himself and raising a family together is one of the greatest blessings this world has to offer,” she continued. “Studies show that committed, married couples with children are the happiest demographic, and this has been my experience as well.” With her post, Hunt included screenshots about the pros and cons of stay-at-home parenting and a study that showed marriage increases people’s happiness.

Hunt, who didn’t mention Harrison Butker by name, added that it’s “not bigoted” but rather “empowering” to affirm motherhood and to highlight the “sacrifice and dedication” of moms. “Countless highly educated women devote their lives to nurturing and guiding their children,” she wrote.

“Someone disagreeing with you doesn’t make them hateful; it simply means they have a different opinion,” said Hunt. “Let’s celebrate families, motherhood and fatherhood. Our society desperately needs dedicated men and women to raise up and train the next generation in the way they should go.”

Hunt, who quoted Proverbs 31:28, encouraged people to embrace God’s “beautiful roles” and engage in dialogue. She also warned against taking words out of context. “Sound bites overlaid with hateful comments are not what we want to model for our children or others,” she concluded.

International House of Prayer Kansas City’s (IHOPKC) Forerunner Church held its final service on Sunday (May 19) amid an ongoing sex abuse scandal centered on its founder, Mike Bickle. 

IHOPKC cut ties with Bickle in December 2023 but continues to grapple with the fallout of his alleged abuse. The accusations against Bickle include allegations that he groomed and sexually abused a teenage girl while pastor at a St. Louis church in the 1980s. Several other women have also come forward to accuse Bickle of abuse. 

Bickle has admitted to “engaging in inappropriate behavior” but denies all allegations of abuse. However, following an independent investigation, IHOPKC formally “separated” from Bickle following Bickle’s months long leave of absence. 

RELATED: IHOPU’s President Resigns Less Than 2 Weeks After IHOPKC Permanently Cuts Ties With Mike Bickle

In a leaked email sent in April, the IHOPKC leadership team confirmed that the organization was no longer financially viable and would be “closing for good in a staggered fashion, with different things such as stipends, work emails, etc. being eliminated over the next couple of months to prepare us to close.”

“The leadership feels the best way to resolve the issues is to close IHOPKC as an organization and shift to a more missional church structure in the future,” the email said. “This would still include night and day prayer with worship in the context of a church. It would also mean far fewer compensated staff members and a much bigger pool of volunteers.”

On Sunday, Forerunner Church Pastor Isaac Bennett said, “This morning, our heart is really just to express gratitude to the Lord and gratitude toward those that have served and been a part of this community over the years.”

“There’s no easy way to do this,” Bennett went on to say. “How do you bring a close to something like this, to the Forerunner Church? And so I appreciate your grace and your patience and your sensitivity during this time.”

Bennett went on to acknowledge that “this has been a very painful season. It’s been marked by very painful events.”

RELATED: Attorney of Mike Bickle’s Alleged Victim Won’t Participate in Independent Investigation With IHOPKC’s Third Party Investigator

“We are in a season of expressing gratitude to the Lord, but there’s a real loss that many have expressed and are experiencing,” he added, apologizing both to those who were present and those “who have moved on.”

Editor’s note: This article refers to sexual violence committed against a child, which some readers might find triggering and/or disturbing.

A California man who co-founded Living Faith Church in San Diego with his wife, Angela Dela Cruz (who is co-pastor as well as an adult entertainer), pleaded guilty to raping his younger sister and faces 30 years in prison.

Stephen Dela Cruz pleaded guilty to committing eight felonies, all “considered violent…under California law,” against his sister, Samantha, that she says occurred when she was eight years old.

“Samantha was incredibly brave, courageous and just never gave up,” said Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko, who prosecuted the case, in a press release. “Despite multiple setbacks and delays, she kept fighting for justice and to have her voice heard in court.”

“Because of her determination to see her brother held accountable for these egregious crimes, the legal process did ultimately work,” he added.

RELATED: ‘For Sinners by Sinners’ Church Pastored by Active Porn Star and Husband

California Man Pleads Guilty to 8 Felonies

Stephen Dela Cruz’s website says he is “a dynamic entrepreneur, speaker, and Board Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist.” He and his wife, Angela, founded Living Faith Church in September 2021. 

At the time, they described the church as “for sinners, by sinners,” stating, “Come be part of an amazing community that’s nonjudgmental, open minded, fun and loves Jesus. Where else will you find a adult actress who is also a pastor?! This is a unique church that welcomes all sinners but glorifies Jesus!” 

The couple has been open about Angela’s occupation as a sex worker. In an Instagram post in May 2021, Angela said that God had helped her find healing and accept herself for who she is. “Love me, hate me, I don’t care because I love who I am,” she said. “If you judge me because of my occupation that is your problem.”

On May 14, Stephen Dela Cruz pleaded guilty to “three counts of forcible rape, three counts of forcible oral copulation, and two counts of sexual penetration by a foreign object,” according to the DA’s office, which added, “[Dela Cruz] also admitted to the special allegations that the victim was under 18 years of age.”

Over the weekend and on Pentecost Sunday (May 19), more than 12,000 people were baptized across the state of California through a movement called “Baptize California.”

According to its website, Baptize California is a “statewide movement of water baptisms on Pentecost Sunday, 2024. It unites local churches under a part of theology we can all agree on, which is the public profession of faith through water baptism.”

Pentecost Sunday commemorates when the Holy Spirit was first poured out on the church in Acts 2:1-4. The day is recognized in many Christian churches throughout the world.

Baptize California’s Mark Francey, who is also the pastor at Oceans Church in Irvine, California, told CBN News Digital’s Billy Hallowell earlier this month that he is excited about uniting churches in California.

RELATED: Harvest Christian Fellowship, Greg Laurie Baptize 4,500 People in a One-Day, ‘Jesus Revolution’-Style Baptism

“There will be hundreds of hosting churches with some of the largest churches in the state, from Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal, Charismatic, and everyone in between” uniting for the event, Francey said.

Among the churches that participated were Saddleback Church, Sandals Church, Zoe Church, Restoration Life Church, Higher Vision Church, and VIVE Church.

Bethel Music, Martin Smith (Delirious?), SEU Worship, Bodie (“The Voice” Season 22), ISLY, Bryan and Kate Torwalt, Circuit Riders, Ryan Ellis, Cecily, Ocean’s Music, Alexander Pappas, and Sean Feucht (Let Us Worship) performed at a two-day event, which took place at Huntington Beach.

“What a historic weekend for our state and our nation,” Feucht told ChurchLeaders. “Yesterday, I was a part of the largest synchronized baptism recorded in the history of the world.”

“We had over 12,000 people. The numbers are still coming in,” he added. “But over 12,000 verified people baptized on the same day in the same state—over 6,000 in Huntington Beach where I was.”

RELATED: Sean Feucht, Eric Metaxas, and Russell Johnson Set To Lead ‘United for Israel March’ at Columbia University

“We’ve seen the ‘Jesus Revolution,’ we’ve heard of Azusa Street, but this is another wave,” Feucht said.

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Weeping Madonnas, bleeding hosts and saintly apparitions will have to be approved by the Vatican’s doctrinal office, according to a new document issued by the same office on Friday (May 17), at a time when social media spreads reports of supernatural occurrences well beyond diocesan borders and away from church oversight.

The new norms “are not intended to control or (even less) stifle” the spirituality of the faithful, read the statement by the Vatican Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, but “in some events of alleged supernatural origin, there are serious critical issues that are detrimental to the faithful.”

While the Shrines of Lourdes, Fatima, Aparecida and Guadalupe are widely known sites of miracles and Marian apparitions, there are hundreds of supernatural reports every year. Since the 1950s only six cases have been officially investigated by the Vatican, meaning that most cases “were either handled differently or just not handled at all,” the statement read.

RELATED: Vatican To Weigh In on the Supernatural, Marian Apparitions

According to the new norms, the local bishops will have to investigate the supernatural phenomenon by creating an Investigatory Commission, made up of one theologian, one canonist and one expert on the specific occurrence, and submit their judgment for approval to the Vatican’s doctrinal office.

Until the bishop receives the Vatican approval, he is not allowed to make any public pronouncement on the case.

After its own investigations and reflections, the Vatican will confirm the bishop’s decision or issue a new judgment. The Vatican may decide that the case needs further study; that, while some issues remain, its popularity among the faithful makes it difficult to discern; or that a group or individual are using the supernatural phenomenon for their own gain. They might also declare that there are critical issues in the phenomenon that need clarification or that the event is not of a supernatural nature.

Argentine Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, left, head of the Vatican doctrine office, and Sister Daniela del Gaudio, head of the Observatory on Marian Apparitions and Mystical Phenomenon, attend a press conference at the Vatican, Friday, May 17, 2024. The Vatican on Friday radically reformed its process for evaluating alleged visions of the Virgin Mary, weeping statues and other seemingly supernatural phenomena that have long punctuated church history, putting the brakes on making definitive declarations unless the event is obviously fabricated. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

A novelty in the new guidelines is that the Vatican or local bishops will no longer make a pronouncement declaring there is certainty of a miracle, apparition or supernatural event. Instead, the church will issue a “nihil obstat,” which in English translates to “nothing impedes,” which allows faithful to approach the supernatural phenomenon but doesn’t sign off on its miraculous nature. Previously approved cases will not be changed, but only the pope will have the power to confirm a supernatural event from now on.

“Granting a Nihil obstat simply indicates that the faithful ‘are authorized to give (the phenomenon) their adhesion in a prudent manner,’” the document stated.

The Vatican’s doctrinal department can at any time change its pronouncement on a supernatural event, the document states.

The new norms replace the previous ones, which were drafted in 1978 and only made public in 2011. Previously, it was up to the bishops to determine the veracity of a supernatural event, which the Vatican believes led to confusion among the faithful. The bishop’s approval of a miraculous phenomenon “oriented the faithful to think they had to believe in these phenomena, which sometimes were valued more than the Gospel itself,” the statement read.

The previous norms also led to decadeslong investigations and — sometimes contradictory — pronouncements by the Vatican and the local bishops.

The decision by the Vatican to rein in supernatural apparitions is partly motivated by the considerable number of cases where these events are used to trick, defraud or abuse faithful. In the document, the Vatican also warned against doctrinal errors and the spread of “sectarian mentalities.” The recent case of the Madonna of Trevignano, in a small town near Rome, saw the self-declared clairvoyant Maria Giuseppe Scarpulla placing pig’s blood on a statue of Mary to get $100,000 checks from unsuspecting believers.