Latest Church Headlines

All the headlines from our Church Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Regular Church Attendance Could Offer Unique Insurance ‘Blessings’

Jun 26 2006 // West Des Moines, Iowa-based GuideOne Insurance says being a faithful churchgoer could provide some real insurance blessings.GuideOne’s year old insurance product, FaithGuard, an auto and homeowners insurance policy...

Investigation Found No Evidence Wash. Sex Abuse Claim is True

Jun 12 2006 // Spokane, Wash., Catholic Bishop William Skylstad says his own investigation found no evidence to support a woman’s claim that he sexually abused her 40 years ago.Skylstad, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic...

Vermont Diocese Sues Insurer to Recover Abuse Settlement Monies

May 18 2006 // Vermont’s Roman Catholic Diocese in Burlington has been searching for insurance documents dating back three decades, in hopes of showing it should recover the $965,000 it recently paid to settle a complaint about...

Insurers paid $43 million in Boston clergy abuse case

May 8 2006 // The Roman Catholic Church in Boston has paid $150.8 million through June 2005 to settle claims of sex abuse by clergy, with $43.3 million of that paid by insurance companies, according to financial information released by...

Spokane Roman Catholic Diocese settles claims with more insurers

May 8 2006 // The Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane recently reached settlements totaling $4.25 million with two of its insurance carriers in a dispute over coverage of sex-abuse claims, according to Bishop William Skylstad.It was the...

Insurers paid $43 million in Boston clergy abuse case

May 8 2006 // Recovery from insurance carriers was complicated by the fact that one of the insurers, Lumbermens Mutual, faced financial difficulties.News Currents The Roman Catholic Church in Boston has paid $150.8 million through June...

Spokane Roman Catholic Diocese settles claims with more insurers

May 8 2006 // The Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane recently reached settlements totaling $4.25 million with two of its insurance carriers in a dispute over coverage of sex-abuse claims, according to Bishop William Skylstad.It was the...

Vlazny Tells Oregon Catholics of Cash-Flow Problem

May 4 2006 // Portland, Ore., Archbishop John Vlazny is warning Catholics throughout Western Oregon that the Archdiocese is facing “serious cash flow problems,” and needs to cut $1 million from its budget for the upcoming...

Diocese Settles Claims With More Insurance Companies

Apr 24 2006 // The Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane has reached settlements totaling $4.25 million with two of its insurance carriers in a dispute over coverage of sex-abuse claims, Bishop William Skylstad says.It is the second time in...

Vermont Church Settles Abuse Lawsuit

Apr 21 2006 // A lawsuit filed by a former altar boy who claimed he was sexually abused by a Catholic priest in the 1970s has been settled for $965,000 as the case was due to go to trial.Michael Gay, 38, of South Burlington had claimed...

Ind. Pastor Mom Charged with Stealing Soldier’s Life Insurance Money

Apr 21 2006 // A pastor whose soldier son died in Iraq was charged with spending $250,000 in insurance money meant for the soldier’s young daughter.Prosecutors said Janie Lee Espinoza spent all the cash on cars, jewelry, a Florida...

Insurers Paid $43 Million of $150 Million Boston Clergy Abuse Settlements

Apr 20 2006 // The Roman Catholic Church in Boston has paid a total of $150.8 million through June 2005 to settle claims of sex abuse by clergy, with $43.3 million of that paid by insurance companies, according to financial information...

Archdiocese uses reserves to settle sex-abuse claims, pays $5.25 million

Apr 17 2006 // News CurrentsThe Seattle Archdiocese looked deep into its reserve funds to cover the cost of settling sex abuse claims, church officials said. Meanwhile, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane, Wash., and one of its main...

Ala. Officials Arrest 3 Following February Church Arson Fires

Mar 8 2006 // Authorities and residents of Alabama got some good news on Wednesday following a series of church fires last month.Three college students from Birmingham were arrested in connection with nearly a dozen church fires in the...

Bell says tenth Ala. church fire ‘unrelated’ to previous nine

Mar 6 2006 // It’s likely that the 10th fire at a the Beaverton Freewill Baptist Church near the Mississippi line was started by an arsonist whose actions are totally unrelated to the arsonists responsible for any of the other...

Commissioner Bell: 10th Alabama Church Fire ‘Unrelated’ to Previous 9

Feb 16 2006 // It’s likely that the tenth fire at a the Beaverton Freewill Baptist Church near the Mississippi line was started by an arsonist whose actions are totally unrelated those of the arsonists responsible for any of the...

10th Alabama Church Torched, Authorities Suspect ‘Bosom Buddies’

Feb 13 2006 // Investigators believe a pair of men in their 20s or 30s, likely “bosom buddies,” are responsible for a string of church fires in rural Alabama, as authorities confirmed the latest blaze at a Baptist church on...

Insurance Companies Offer Rewards in Ala. Church Fires

Feb 10 2006 // Two companies insuring several rural churches burned in Bibb County and west Alabama are offering rewards that could total more than $77,000, in addition to state and federal rewards totaling $10,000.Five church fires Feb....

Burned Ala. Churches File Claims as Fires Ruled Arson

Feb 8 2006 // The five rural Alabama Baptist churches either damaged or destroyed in fires last week were able to begin filing insurance claims Feb. 6 after all the fires were formally ruled arsons by the state insurance commissioner,...

N.Y. Church Sues Insurer Over $1.2 Million Thefts Blamed on Priest

Jan 26 2006 // A Roman Catholic church in Manhattan has sued the Travelers Casualty and Surety Co. charging breach of contract, claiming the insurance carrier has improperly refused to pay $1.22 million stolen by a priest.The Church of...