Faith Facts

• Harvest Church in Dothan won sole ownership of its property after disaffiliating from the United Methodist Church.
• The court rejected the denomination’s claim under a trust clause and found no binding property agreement.
• The ruling comes amid a broader wave of congregations leaving the UMC over doctrine and church governance.

A significant legal victory for religious liberty has emerged in Alabama. Harvest Church in Dothan secured sole ownership of its property after leaving the United Methodist Church.

Judge Christopher K. Richardson ruled that the denomination held no legal claim to the church’s assets. The court also rejected the UMC’s effort to enforce a trust clause.

The dispute reflects a larger national movement of congregations departing the UMC over marriage and clergy standards. These churches say they are preserving biblical conviction and local control.

This ruling reaffirms that civil courts can protect the property rights of local ministries using neutral legal principles. May we pray for these congregations as they continue to labor for the Gospel, free from denominations that have strayed from the Word of God.

Read more about the Harvest Church property ruling.

Faith Facts

• Pastor Darthanian Nichols faced a gunman during a Detroit funeral service.
• The pastor said he feared for his life as the confrontation unfolded.
• After the ordeal, ten people gave their lives to Christ.

A funeral service for a teenager lost to gun violence in Detroit became a powerful testament to God’s protection this past Saturday.

When a man pointed a firearm at Pastor Darthanian Nichols and renounced Christ, the Lord intervened to prevent any bloodshed.

Despite the immediate threat to his life, Pastor Nichols remained calm and prayed for safety as chaos erupted in the chapel.

His courageous witness in the face of death moved the hearts of many mourners present.

“I braced myself. I just knew I was going to be shot,”

Nichols shared regarding the intense standoff.

“And even after all of that, God still moved… and 10 people gave their lives to Christ,”

the pastor reported following the miracle.

We praise God for shielding His servant and using this trial to bring neighbors into His eternal kingdom.

May we all stand firm in our faith, knowing that His grace is sufficient even in our darkest hours.

Source

Faith Facts

• Taybeh is the final entirely Christian village in the West Bank.
• Father Bashar Fawadleh is urging prayer and support as tensions rise.
• Church leaders say the community’s homes, fields, and holy sites need protection.

A local priest is calling for global prayer and support for Taybeh, the final entirely Christian village in the West Bank.

Known biblically as Ephraim where Jesus sought refuge, the community faces rising tensions and property seizures by radical local groups.

Father Bashar Fawadleh describes the current situation as a violation of property rights and an affront to a community with a 2,000-year history.

Recent escalations have seen homes, vehicles, and agricultural fields targeted across the region.

“This story is about the life of a Christian community that has been present in this land for more than 2,000 years.”

Church leaders emphasize that these settlements and subsequent skirmishes threaten the peaceful existence of faithful families in their ancestral homes.

They continue to petition for justice and protection of their private property and holy sites.

We must stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Christ who are laboring to keep the light of the Gospel burning in the land of our Savior.

Read more at The Christian Post.