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Previous Short stuff
Gwen Shamblin, author of The Weigh Down Diet, a popular Christian weight loss plan, lost a book contract with Thomas Nelson publishers because of her controversial views on the Trinity. The controversy arose after Shamblin wrote an e-mail message to followers Aug. 10 stating: “As a ministry, we believe in God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. However, the Bible does not use the word ‘trinity’, and our feeling is that the word ‘trinity’ implies equality in leadership, or shared leadership. It is clear that the Scriptures teach that Jesus is the Son of God and that God sends the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit does not send God anywhere. God is clearly the head.” Her 1997 book The Weigh Down Diet sold over than one million copies, and there are 30,000 Weigh Down Workshop groups meeting each week around the world, thousands of which are affiliated with evangelical churches. Shamblin’s new book Out of Egypt, scheduled to be released in late September, was cancelled Sept. 6. – Evangelical Press News Service
Occult movies were almost as successful at the box office as family-friendly movies last year, according to Ted Baehr, founder and chairman of the Christian Film and Television Commission. He says the trend is troubling. “I am deeply concerned that, for the first time in the 16 years we have been reviewing movies, occult films have done so well. This is very troubling and an indication that teenagers are looking for something more in their movies.” Reviewers for his Movieguide covered almost all of the 287 movies released into theatres last year. – EPNS
Pokagon (Mich.) Methodist Episcopal Church, the church that gave birth to the well-known hymn “The Old Rugged Cross”, is in danger of collapsing. A $1.5 million US restoration project is underway to restore the building as a museum of church history that would also host weddings. The building was used as a storage barn for over 80 years before being purchased and donated to the current Pokagon United Methodist Church. Visiting revival preacher George Bennard, who wrote over 300 hymns, first sang “The Old Rugged Cross” at the Pokagon church in 1913. – EPNS
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Last modified January 9, 2001.
© 2001 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
Published by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches.
Masthead and usage information.
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