Pastors

A federal judge ruled in favor of Lakewood Church last Tuesday in a copyright court case involving Senior Pastor Joel Osteen and his wife, Victoria, versus Richard Cupolo and John Emanuele, who perform as indie music duo "American Dollar."

Cupolo and Emanuele filed the suit against the Osteens and Lakewood Church in August 2011, arguing that Lakewood Church continued to use the duo's song, "Signaling through the Flames," after the year-long copyright agreement had expired. The duo sought $3 million in damages.

A 58-second clip of the song was used in advertisements for the DVD "Supernatural," which features Joel Osteen offering inspirational words on God's plan for every individual. According to the music duo, their song continued to be featured in advertisements for the DVD after the one-year copyright contract had expired. more >>

NASHVILLE – Sex is a topic that should be discussed in church more than it currently is, said Chip Ingram, senior pastor of Venture Christian Church in California and president of Living on the Edge ministry.

The dependency between love and physical intimacy is an ongoing topic with which many couples struggle, Ingram told The Christian Post at the National Religious Broadcasters convention in Nashville, Tenn.

His latest tutorial, "House or Home?: Marriage Edition," revisits the topic of relationships and sex (the minister has already wrote two books about it, Love, Sex & Lasting Relationships and Sex 180). more >>

As New York Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin continues making sports headlines across the country and around the world, his Christian faith is also drawing praise from one of America's biggest megachurch pastors.

Joel Osteen, pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, which draws 50,000 worshipers a week, remarked in an interview with Times Union that he is a big fan of both Lin and Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow – even though he admits the athletes express their faith in notably different ways.

"He's humble. He's passionate. He's an underdog," Osteen said of Lin, the first-ever Chinese-American to make such a stir in the NBA. "I like what he stands for." more >>

Thursday marked the second day of the C3 Conference at the Fellowship Church in Grapevine, Texas. The three-day conference, hosted by Pastor Ed Young and his wife, Lisa Young, seeks to address the importance of creative inspiration in the modern church culture.

The conference began Wednesday evening with "C3 Nights," and included musical performances to get participants in the mood for worship.

Thursday featured an array of inspirational pastors speaking to the thousands in attendance. Pastor Ed Young shared the stage with his father, Homer Edwin Young (Ed Young Senior) to discuss the importance of perseverance in building a ministry. more >>

Senior pastor of Mars Hill Church, Mark Driscoll, and other church leaders responded in a joint statement Monday to recent media reports that describe the discipline within the church as "cult-like."

Reports have been emerging recently comparing the Seattle, Wash., megachurch to a despotically ruled "cult" with Driscoll as a strong-willed leader who encourages harsh punishment techniques on sinful congregants.

In the midst of the controversy is a congregant named Andrew who apparently cheated on his fiancee, engaging in sexual contact with another woman, and was consequently shunned by the congregation, as he told Christian blogger Matthew Paul Turner. Turner described the issue and published a letter in which church leaders seemingly prepared rules for shunning the unruly church member. According to the letter, Andrew was brought under church discipline on Dec. 18 and was informed of his new status. more >>

The divorce case between Georgia megachurch pastor Eddie Long and wife Vanessa Long has been closed and dismissed, according to the DeKalb County Online Judicial System. However, there remains a possibility the case could continue in the future.

According to the online judicial system record, there are three new entries as of Feb. 13 related to the Longs' divorce case with the descriptions "dismissal," "certificate of service" and "dismissed without prejudice" noted.

"Dismissed without prejudice" means the case may be re-instituted or re-filed in the future. According to the Judicial Branch of Georgia website, "A dismissal without prejudice does not stop the plaintiff from re-filing the claim and proceeding as long as the claim is made timely (within the statute of limitations) and service can be secured." more >>