Just after 10 a.m. on Monday (Oct. 14), Zachary Henry (36) crashed his vehicle into Summit Holiness Tabernacle in Troy, Ohio, while fleeing from police. Officers were in pursuit of Henry because Henry has active arrest warrants.

Al Banister, who serves as pastor of Summit Holiness Tabernacle, told WHIO TV that he was first informed of the damage after a church member, who had driven by, called him and told him what had happened.

Banister later arrived at the church before police had removed the car from the scene and was given more details as to what had taken place.

RELATED: ‘This Is Not the Time To Be Lukewarm’—Family of Pastor and Wife Who Died in Car Crash Urge People To Follow Jesus

“It was just a totaled car and a bunch of debris everywhere,” Banister said. “They had already taken the suspect.”

Henry crashed into a glass door on the side of the church that allows congregants to access the upstairs sanctuary and downstairs basement area where Sunday school is held.

Security cameras at a fire station located directly across the street captured the wreck on video. Footage shows an out of control, speeding vehicle violently skidding sideways into the church building. The video shows two Troy police units, who were chasing Henry, pull up behind the crash 10 seconds later.

Authorities said that Henry lost control of his vehicle after crossing a set of railroad tracks located about a half block away from the church. Henry was traveling at a high rate of speed.

RELATED: Man Accused of Stealing Police Car With Officer Inside, Crashing Into a Church Building

Henry had to be CareFlighted to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio, where he is currently being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

No one else was injured during the chase or the accident.

Days after someone stole about $36,000 worth of property from a church in Kansas City, Kansas, police located and returned some of the items and arrested a suspect.

Last Friday (Oct. 11), a burglar (or burglars) made off with musical instruments, electronics, maintenance equipment, clothes, and health products from Forest Grove Baptist Church. In addition, the church building suffered about $500 in property damage.

After receiving a tip in the case, police found some of the church’s property sitting outside a house. Because officers suspected that an armed suspect was inside the house, they deployed a Special Operations Unit. But the suspect walked outside without incident and was detained.

Returning Forest Grove Property Felt Great, Police Said

Officers, who had obtained a search warrant, then entered the premises. Inside the house, they identified and recovered more items that had been stolen from Forest Grove. After confirming that the property did indeed belong to the church, police returned it. “Man, did that feel great,” the department said.

RELATED: Unhoused Missouri Man Stabs Church Member; Pastor Urges Compassion Despite Need for Caution While Helping Those in Need

In a statement, the Kansas City Kansas (KCK) Police Department said:

While property crimes don’t often grab headlines, we know that they not only leave victims feeling violated, but they create a real financial hardship on hard working families, businesses and communities. Today, thanks to a tip, we located thousands of dollars in property stolen from one of our KCK churches and then returned it to their congregation.

While the department’s Property Crimes Unit continues to investigate, police are requesting additional tips from the public. Anonymous callers with any leads can contact Crime Stoppers at 816-474-TIPS (8477).

Church Pledges To ‘Emerge Stronger’ After Burglary

On Oct. 11, after church staff discovered that burglars had struck overnight, Forest Grove Moderator Desmond Lamb shared some photos of the damage. “This is a sad day for our church,” he wrote on Facebook, where he asked people to contact him if they could help.

Two days later, before police recovered and returned some of Forest Grove’s property, Lamb posted a note of thanks online. “In the wake of the recent burglary that has deeply affected our church, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for the overwhelming support and kindness you have shown during this challenging time,” he wrote. “While the loss we experienced was significant, your response has been nothing short of inspiring.”

Lamb said all the expressions of love to the congregation have “reminded us of the strength and unity that exists within our community” and “the love and compassion that [bind] us together.”

An unhoused man is in police custody after entering a church and allegedly stabbing another man. Jarod A. Hill faces charges of first degree assault and armed criminal action following an incident at First Church of the Nazarene in Kansas City, Missouri. 

Police were called to the church shortly after 11 a.m. on Sunday (Oct. 13), and officers entered the church to encounter a man who had a stab wound on his chest and Hill being physically restrained by several other church members. 

While Hill was being detained by police, he also attempted to grab an officer’s weapon, according to KCTV.

Witnesses said that Hill had been living in a tent on the church property for a couple of days. He became enraged on Sunday when he discovered that someone had spray-painted his tent. He entered the church to see if video of the vandalism had been captured by the church’s security cameras. 

RELATED: KS Pastor Accused of Sexually Assaulting UT Woman With an Intellectual Disability

The victim assisted Hill, giving him food, according to The Kansas City Star. But after the victim told Hill that the cameras did not capture the incident, Hill became more angry, calling the victim a liar. Hill was in apparent psychological distress, blaming the vandalism on “the Masons” and a former romantic partner.

Later, when the victim was looking up directions to a laundromat for Hill, Hill allegedly put him in a headlock and brandished a knife. 

Hill allegedly stabbed the victim in the chest before being restrained by other church members. 

A church member with medical experience reportedly tended to the victim before emergency personnel arrived roughly 10 minutes later. 

The church members who restrained Hill were part of the church’s emergency response team, which provides security and response to crisis situations. 

RELATED: Family of Slain Pastor Cries Out Against ‘Backed Up System’ After Years-Long Trial Delay

“We try to be open, but we do try to be cautious,” Dr. Dale Jones, the church’s executive pastor of finance and administration, told KCTV. “That’s why we have these teams.” 

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — For the second time in less than a year, Pope Francis met with transgender and intersex Catholics on Sunday (Oct. 13) at the Vatican, where he listened to their stories of pain, solitude and redemption.

Members of the transgender community, a U.S. doctor who provides gender-affirming care and parents of a transgender daughter who struggled with her gender identity were among the 11 people present at the nearly 90-minute meeting.

“Hormones and surgeries are not just physical transformations. They are holy affirmations of who I am in God’s eyes. I have not interfered with God’s plan for creation. I have simply become more fully the person God created me to be,” said Michael Sennett, a transgender man and theology student, in his written remarks at the Vatican.

RELATED: Former Liberty University Employee Sues After Being Fired for Being Transgender

Sennett told his story of marginalization and suffering as he struggled to define his gender in a Catholic context, but said he found consolation in the words of some clergy who offered welcome and understanding.

Nicole Santamaria, who fled from her family in El Salvador after they beat her for being born intersex, also said her life changed when a Jesuit priest made her feel recognized and worthy. Her parents had decided she was a boy at birth and put her through several surgeries as a baby. She said that as an adult, she’s discovered her identity as a hermaphrodite woman.

“I work with the Trans community because, although it is not my entire experience, I can understand the suffering of expressing your identity and of being excluded, violated, and even exterminated, since I was also forced to be raised in a gender that wasn’t my biological one,” she said.

The meeting was arranged by Sister Jeannine Gramick, who has 50 years of experience ministering to the queer community and co-founded New Ways Ministry in 1977 to provide support for LGBTQIA Catholics in the U.S.

Gramick asked to meet with Pope Francis after the Vatican’s doctrinal department issued a declaration in April, “Dignitas Infinita,” or Infinite Dignity, which rejected gender-affirming surgery and condemned gender theory as “a concession to the age-old temptation to make oneself God.” Gramick wanted the pope to listen to the stories of transgender and intersex Catholics, according to a statement by New Ways Ministry.

“I recognize the concerns of the church with gender theory, but we have learned that there simply is no connection between gender theory and transgender individuals, people who struggle with gender dysphoria as defined by the medical profession, something that clearly is not a personal choice or the result of some ideology,” said Deacon Raymond Dever and his wife, Laurie, in their speeches to the pope.

RELATED: Alistair Begg Takes Heat for Advising Grandmother To Attend Grandchild’s Transgender Wedding

The pastoral ministers struggled for 10 years to help their transgender daughter, who attempted suicide as she underwent her difficult transition. Raymond Dever said he was struck by “the stunning lack of compassion within so much of the church for transgender people,” and he urged the church to rethink the way it relates to these issues.

Citing statistics in the U.S. for transgender individuals, Cynthia Herrick, co-director of a gender medicine clinic, said gender-affirming surgeries have a profound impact on people’s well-being. “Numerous patients have told me this care saved their lives,” she said.

Pope Francis listened to the stories “with very pained looks when people described any moments of suffering that they went through. He would clutch his pectoral cross and his face looked visibly disturbed,” said Francis DeBernardo, the executive director of New Ways Ministry, in an interview with RNS on Monday.

Editor’s note: This article contains language that some might find disturbing. The purpose of this article on Stedfast Baptist Church is to report news that the ChurchLeaders editors believe is important for the church to know. This article is not an endorsement of the perspectives being reported. 

A letter claiming to be from members of a Texas church notorious for saying that gay people should be executed was reportedly sent to a TikTok influencer who identifies as LGBTQ+ and said that the letter was supposedly from new neighbors.

Among several key beliefs stated in the letter were “that Jewish people and Muslim people are pedophiles” and that “LGBTQ people are groomers and unclean and should be lined against a wall and shot in the back of the head.” The influencer, who was unnerved by the letter, asked followers for “suggested actions.”

“Not your usual content here,” said the TikTok influencer, who goes by the handle @enbyofcrows and whose name appears on the platform as “Crow.” Crow showed viewers a typed letter Crow said had been taped back together after the influencer’s wife ripped it apart in anger. Crow read the repaired letter aloud in a TikTok video, saying it was from neighbors who had moved in recently and lived directly across the street. 

“As devout Christians, we feel it is our duty to reach out to you and spread our faith. We are longtime members of Stedfast Baptist Church,” the letter began, explaining that “our church is one of a growing number of New Independent Fundamentalist Baptist churches spreading across this country.”

Stedfast Baptist Church Denies Sending Letter

Stedfast Baptist Church is a church that has made headlines in recent years for a number of incendiary statements. The church was evicted in February 2022 from a building it was renting in Hurst, Texas, after Pastor Jonathan Shelley said that gay people are “worthy of death.” The congregation then moved to Watauga, Texas. Stedfast was again evicted later that year, and the church subsequently purchased a building in Cedar Hill, Texas.

While in Watauga, church leader Dillon Awes said during a sermon that gay people “should be sentenced with death, they should be lined up against the wall and shot in the back of the head! That’s what God teaches.”

Shelley has repeatedly used homophobic slurs, said that Jewish people “want to destroy everything that’s holy and everything that’s righteous,” and has said that women don’t earn as much as men because “they’re not as good at working.”

RELATED: Church That Supports Executing Gay People, Denies Holocaust Purchases Building Following Multiple Evictions for Hate Speech

Crow first posted about the letter at the end of August and posted additional updates in the weeks that followed. The first of “five main points of belief” stated in the letter is “the King James Bible is the one true version, the inherent Word of God. All other versions are blasphemous. We believe this so strongly that we have Bible burnings as least once a year where we will burn all other versions of the Bible.”

“So far, not overly concerning,” said Crow. “Freedom of speech—get it.”

On Oct. 7, polemical news site Protestia posted a video purporting to show Shelley leading Stedfast members, including children, in burning copies of the Bible when the church was still in Watauga. In a statement to ChurchLeaders, Stedfast said the video actually showed Pure Words Baptist Church in Houston.

The letter went on to say, “We believe that Jewish people and Muslim people are pedophiles and should be cast into the fire,” and, “We believe LGBTQ people are groomers and unclean and should be lined against a wall and shot in the back of the head.”

In June 2022, beloved Pastor Ronald K. Mouton Sr. was shot and killed in an apparent road rage incident. The suspect is currently free on a $500,000 bond. But the victim’s family continues to grieve and await the trial—now set for three years after Mouton’s death—that will hopefully bring justice and closure.

“I know we have to have patience and wait on a backed up system,” Mouton’s twin brother told ABC13. “Losing my brother was very important to me.”

Family Decries 3-Year Trial Delay After Murder of Beloved Pastor Ronald K. Mouton

A family, church, and community lost a beloved pastor in an apparent road rage shooting. Mouton was driving alongside another car on the Gulf Freeway in Houston, and the two drivers were arguing. A witness reported the other driver extended his hand, holding a pistol, outside the car window and shot the pastor, according to Click 2 Houston. Nearby surveillance footage showed a man running back and forth on the sidewalk before Mouton crashed his white car.

One month after Mouton’s shooting, Deshawn Longmire, an Uber driver, was charged with the murder. Police identified the man running back and forth on surveillance footage as Longmire.

Longmire originally told law enforcement that he wasn’t in the area at the time of the murder. But Uber records showed that Longmire was, in fact, at the location at the time of the incident.

Longmire’s trial was initially set for September 2024 but was delayed and set for April 2025. The recent postponement was due to a scheduling conflict with the defense attorney.

The family is frustrated with the trial delay, which the Harris County District Attorney’s office blamed on COVID-19 and Hurricane Harvey. The trial is set to begin in April 2025, nearly three years after Mouton was killed.

This isn’t the only trial experiencing delays. ABC13 reported that at the 208th District Court—the court handling Mouton’s case—34% of cases have been pending for more than a year. However, the National Center for State Courts states that 98% of felony cases—such as this one—should be settled within a year.

RELATED: Gateway Church Applying To Join ECFA Amid Class Action Lawsuit Over Allegedly Misallocated Funds

“It ain’t about not understanding death or not understanding that in this life, we leave one another. I get all of that,” Mouton’s twin brother told ABC13. “But to know that his killer has the freedom he has to be around this long, going on three years before it even goes to trial, while we’re suffering to see the end of this, that’s the part that hurts my family more than anything.”

“That sun is hot,” said former President Donald Trump before donning his signature red hat in Coachella, California, over the weekend. Trump held a rally on Saturday (Oct. 12) in the desert city made famous by music festivals, and several Southern California politicians and influencers were in attendance. 

After walking out to Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.,” Trump began his characteristically freewheeling speech with the familiar talking points of crime and immigration, criticizing “Kamala, as she calls herself,” for the nation’s woes. 

While most of Trump’s criticism focused on Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump did pause at one point to call President Joe Biden “a weird dude,” in contrast to vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance, whom Trump said “has a very good brain.”

Again focusing on Harris, Trump said that he only refers to the vice president by her first name, wrongly pronounced, “because if I say ‘Harris,’ nobody knows who the hell I’m talking about.”

At the end of his speech, Trump argued that election day will “be the most important day in the history of our country” because “we stand on the verge of the four greatest years in the history of our country.”

Prior to Trump’s speech, the rally featured Southern California natives Pastor Greg Laurie and actor Dennis Quaid.

Pastor Greg Laurie Urges Christians To ‘Vote Biblically’

Laurie, who is a well-known evangelist and the founding pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship, a multisite church based in Riverside, California, offered an invocation. 

“How many of you are proud to be an American today? Raise your hand up,” Laurie said. As the crowd cheered, Laurie nodded and said, “I thought so.”

“How many of you fly an American flag outside of your house? I do too,” he added. “Some of you fly really big American flags on your trucks; I’ve seen it.”

“You know, there are those who would try to marginalize us who are Christians and call us Christian nationalists,” Laurie went on to say. “And I consider myself a Christian patriot, and I’m proud of that.”

“We’re not trying to impose our faith on anyone else. We want the same First Amendment rights that all Americans have to stand boldly for our faith and say what is true,” Laurie said. “We’re not trying to push that on anyone, but we do want to share it.”

Explaining that “Jesus called us to be both salt and light,” Laurie argued that voting is an essential aspect of a Christian’s role of being a moral “preservative.”

“So I am urging everyone who claims to be a follower of Jesus Christ to vote and to vote biblically in this election,” Laurie said. “No election in my lifetime is as consequential as this one, so we all need to engage.”

RELATED: Donald Trump’s Favorite Bible Might Be on the Way to Oklahoma Schools

Laurie then led rally goers in prayer. 

“Father, America was your idea before it was the idea of any man,” Laurie prayed, going on to say that the United States’ wealth and prosperity has allowed it to “be a blessing to the world.” 

“Lord, you’ve blessed America, and we all have benefited from that blessing,” Laurie said. While Laurie prayed a blessing on all political leaders, he prayed “especially for our friend today, President Donald Trump.”

When “Glorious,” the debut album from secular rapper GloRilla, dropped on Friday (Oct. 11), some Christians were shocked to see a collaboration with gospel musicians. The song “Rain Down on Me”—which features Kirk Franklin, Maverick City Music, Kierra Sheard, and Chandler Moore—is sandwiched between other tracks with explicit lyrics.

Some fans applauded the project, saying it could sow seeds of faith in listeners’ hearts. Others criticized the appearance of Christians working so closely with “sinners.” Franklin, Moore, and Maverick City previously faced backlash for collaborating with secular artists.

RELATED: ‘I’ll Do Better’—Kirk Franklin Tells Lecrae He’s Willing To Be Challenged About His Actions

GloRilla’s Rap Song Asks God To Rain Down Blessings

GloRilla, whose real name is Gloria Hallelujah Woods, goes by glorillapimp on social media. The 25-year-old native of Memphis, Tennessee, grew up a Christian home, sang in the church choir, and was homeschooled until high school.

On the “Tamron Hall Show” earlier this year, the rapper said she initially planned to become a gospel singer and that she and her mother pray for each other. “I always have to put God first in whatever I do,” said GloRilla, and not let “too much negativity get to me.”

Lyrics to “Rain Down on Me,” which features the gospel artists, ask God for protection from enemies plus a downpour of blessings. The first verse begins:

Feelin’ like I’m God’s favoritе,
and that’s the best feeling evеr.
Rain down on me, Father God,
I won’t use an umbrella. (Rain down on me.)
Forgive the ones who play with me,
apparently, they don’t know no better.
At times, I don’t know who to trust,
I randomly rebuke the devil.
It’s hard to talk about my blessings,
they be sayin’ I’m actin’ cocky.
Always and forever humble,
they just don’t wanna see me pop it.
Five feet and I’m praisin’ you
with every inch up in my body.
So I pray you watch my back,
along with those who say they got it.
Watch over my family, Lord,
and watch over all of my partners.
And even though he hate me, Lord,
watch over my baby father.
Watch over my haters,
they the ones that make me go the hardest.
I just want us all to win,
I just want us all to prosper.
Thank You, Lord.

In the bridge, GloRilla sings:

I know I’m a sinner, Lord,
and I know I might sin again.
So thank You for not givin’ up
and still givin’ me the strength to win.
Protect me from the evil
that I can’t see with my eyes.
And if it’s any blessing-blockers ’round me,
help me cut them ties. In Jesus’ name.

On another song, “Glo’s Prayer,” the rapper asks for God’s guidance about how to leave a man. “Prayin’ to the Lord to get this [expletive] off my mind,” she sings.

Fans React to Gospel Artists’ Collab With GloRilla

On social media, fans shared mixed reactions to Christian artists participating in an expletive-filled album. One wondered if it was a prank, while another wrote, “I dunno if this is what the Bible meant by being set apart.” Someone asked, “How is Maverick City on the same album as Sexxy Red? Like what are we doing?”

RELATED: Kirk Franklin and Chandler Moore Join Will Smith for Live Performance at the BET Awards

(RNS) — America’s pastors are tired.

The decline of organized religion, the aftermath of a worldwide pandemic, political polarization — and the burden of caring for their congregation’s soul — have left many clergy feeling burned out and wondering how long they can hang on.

The title of a 2024 report from the Hartford Institute for Research summed up what clergy are saying: “I’m Exhausted All the Time.” Small wonder that about half of clergy had thought about leaving their congregation — or the ministry altogether — in recent years.

“This is a challenging time for all congregations. They’re getting smaller, they’re getting older, they’re not as vital as they once were, and then the pandemic traumas of closing and opening,” said Scott Thumma, director of the Hartford Institute and leader of a five-year study of how COVID-19 affected congregations.

Racial divides and political issues have disrupted faith communities, said Thumma. All these factors have undermined the relationship between religious leaders and their congregations, leading to clergy burnout and discouragement.

That has made it crucial for clergy to pay attention to their mental health, experts say.

While burnout and poor mental health for clergy may often be gradual, the recovery process requires a lot more intentionality, said Rae Jean Proeschold-Bell, director of the Duke Clergy Health Initiative at Duke University.

That’s why it’s important for clergy to monitor feelings of being overwhelmed so they can be addressed before becoming a larger issue, she said.

Making plans for incorporating intentional practices can help clergy decrease stress and regain spiritual well-being. During the pandemic, the Duke Clergy Health Initiative partnered with the United Methodist Church for a study on mindfulness practices.

Clergy took eight classes on mindfulness techniques. They participated, on average, for 28 minutes a day for six months. They saw a reduction in stress and an improvement in their heart rate variability — the heart’s ability to recover.

Proeschold-Bell recommended that clergy try a practice called the Daily Examen, which has been practiced by Catholics and other contemplative Christians.

“There’s a little bit of gratitude. And then review the last 24 hours of the day with gratitude, but also to notice what emotions came up for them during that review,” said Proeschold-Bell. “Pray on that with God, and if they felt like they needed forgiveness for anything, to ask for forgiveness from God. And if they needed guidance, pray for that guidance. And then they closed it out with, again, gratitude for the day.”

Other intentional practices include exercise, taking time to eat nourishing foods and getting enough sleep. The most important thing is taking time away from work and its stressors so clergy can connect and meet their physical and psychological need, experts say.

Therapy can also help, said Gary Gunderson, professor of faith and the health of the public at the Wake Forest School of Divinity. Therapists can be great resources for clergy to talk about the issues they are facing without judgment for struggling.

“Pastors and priests, people in ministry, people in caring professions, they carry a lot of suffering,” said Dr. Mary Beth Werdel, director of the Pastoral Mental Health Counseling program at Fordham University.