Latest Church Headlines

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

Feds Investigating Suspected Arson Fire at Historic Kansas City Church

Sep 21 2021 // A federal investigation is underway after arson damaged a historic Kansas City, Missouri, church that now serves a congregation predominantly made up of people from the South Sudan.John Ham of the Kansas City office of the...

Texas Supreme Court Tosses Lawsuits Against Store Over 2017 Church Shooting

Jul 19 2021 // The Texas Supreme Court in late June ruled survivors and relatives of those killed in a 2017 mass killing at a church can’t sue a sporting goods chain for selling the gunman the rifle used in the attack.The court...

People Moves: Church Mutual Adds Stampen as Chief People Officer; Lau Now COO at Robertson Ryan; J.M. Wilson Promotes Mandwee, Hires Head and Durflinger

Jul 16 2021 // Pamela Stampen has been named chief people officer of Merrill, Wisconsin-based Church Mutual Insurance Co., reporting to Rich Poirier, president and CEO.Stampen’s role will encompass all the essential elements of...

Air Force Mostly at Fault in Deadly 2017 Texas Church Attack, Judge Says

Jul 8 2021 // A federal judge has ruled that the U.S. Air Force is mostly responsible for a former serviceman killing more than two dozen people at a Texas church in 2017 because it failed to submit his criminal history into a database,...

Jim Bakker, Missouri Church Settle Suit over COVID-19 Claims

Jun 25 2021 // Jim Bakker and his southwestern Missouri church will pay restitution of $156,000 to settle a lawsuit that accuses the TV pastor of falsely claiming a health supplement could cure COVID-19.Missouri court records show that a...

People Moves: Ogilvie to EVP at Church Mutual; Gross Joins ManchesterStory; RPS Promotes Doyle in Chicago

Jun 24 2021 // Church Mutual Insurance Co., based in Merrill, Wisconsin, has promoted Alan Ogilvie to executive vice president in addition to his existing role as president – subsidiaries.Ogilvie joined Church Mutual in March 2015 as...

AM Best Upgrades Credit Ratings of Southern Mutual Church Insurance

Jun 18 2021 // AM Best has upgraded the Financial Strength Rating to A (Excellent) from A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating to “a” (Excellent) from “a-” (Excellent) of Southern Mutual Church...

Diocese of Buffalo Suspends Three Priests Amid Sex Abuse Claims

Jun 8 2021 // Three priests have been placed on leave in response to claims in a lawsuit filed last month that they sexually abused a boy in the 1990s, the Diocese of Buffalo announced Saturday.Bishop Michael Fisher said the priests all...

Baltimore County to Pay $1.1M to Settle Church’s Religious Bias Claims

May 3 2021 // Baltimore County has agreed to pay $1.1 million to resolve a religious discrimination lawsuit over a county board’s denial of a church’s expansion plan.The Baltimore Sun reports that the county and Hunt Valley...

Central Illinois Church Suffers Extensive Smoke Damage from Fire

Apr 29 2021 // A fire early on April 28 caused extensive smoke damage to a central Illinois church, authorities said.Crews were called to St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Lexington after a passerby discovered smoke coming from the...

Maine Man Charged with Hate Crime in Black Church Arson

Apr 21 2021 // A Maine man accused of setting fire to a Massachusetts church with a predominantly Black congregation been charged with hate crime offenses, federal prosecutors said.Dushko Vulchev is charged in federal court with four...

Missouri Bill Allowing Guns on Buses, in Churches Advances

Apr 14 2021 // Missouri lawmakers on April 12 advanced a sweeping firearms bill that would allow concealed guns on public transportation and in churches.The Republican-led House gave the measure initial approval in a voice vote. It needs...

Church Official Warns of Financial Flood from Clergy Sex Abuse Claims

Apr 12 2021 // A top official with the Archdiocese of Santa Fe says a financial flood from clergy sex abuse claims is coming and a settlement would serve as the dam to prevent devastation to parishes across northern New Mexico.A letter...

People Moves: Cole from XS Brokers to Rockwood; Westchester’s Roberts, Fred C. Church’s Sanderson Promoted

Mar 30 2021 // Rockwood Programs Inc., a full-service managing general agency, has appointed Carol Cole to chief marketing officer.In this role, Cole is responsible for marketing employment practices liability, insurance agents errors...

Fire Destroys Historic Black Church in Northeast Florida

Mar 29 2021 // Officials are trying to determine what caused a fire early Friday that destroyed a historic Black church in northeast Florida.Clay County Fire Rescue tweeted that no one was injured in the fire that started around 11 p.m....

Internet Law Protects Video Platform From Church’s Bias Claim, Court Rules

Mar 15 2021 // Vimeo Inc. is immune to a lawsuit by a church whose account it deleted for promoting gay conversion, the federal appeals court in New York ruled, amid a battle over online speech.Church United and its president and...

Diocese in Minnesota Diocese Settles Abuse Claims for $21.5M

Feb 12 2021 // The Diocese of Winona-Rochester in Minnesota says it has reached a $21.5 million settlement with 145 individuals who were sexually abused by its clergy members.It’s the last Catholic diocese in the state to settle...

Church Mutual in Wisconsin Promotes Carter, Tribble

Jan 14 2021 // Church Mutual Insurance Co., based in Merrill, Wis., has promoted Bruce Carter to assistant vice president – Diversity & Inclusion and John Tribble to vice president – Customer Relationship and Business...

Flooding Brings New Woes to New York City Church Hard-Hit by COVID-19

Jan 7 2021 // A Lutheran church in New York City already reeling from the COVID-19 deaths of more than 60 members of the congregation has suffered a new trauma: Severe flood damage from the rupture of a major municipal water main.The...

9 Appeals Court Judges Recuse Themselves in Louisiana Church Sex Abuse Suit

Dec 17 2020 // All nine judges in Louisiana’s Second Circuit Court of Appeal have recused themselves from a sexual abuse lawsuit against the Catholic Diocese of Shreveport and a late priest.Following the full court recusal, the...