Marking the eighth anniversary of Leah’s captivity, Christian organisations call for her release amid rising abductions of women and girls in the country.

The proposed law aims to curb underage marriages, eliminate gender-based disparities and strengthen child protection mechanisms in the province.

Cardinal Reinhard Marx, a highly influential figure in the Catholic Church in Germany, will begin the process in June to grant the Church’s blessing to “divorced and remarried persons, and couples of all gender identities and sexual orientations”.

The Finnish prosecutor would have condemned Jesus when, in John 8:11, he said to the woman caught in adultery, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and sin no more”.

I never imagined I would have to go to Burundi to see such an open conversation among Christian couples deeply concerned for building good marriages.

The parliament drafts the law with the aim of complying with the the European Union standards. Faith groups say that the law goes beyond equality between men and women, promoting ideological issues.

The Court of Justice of the EU has ruled in favour of two men who married in Germany but whose legal union was not recognised in Poland.

These believers tucked away in a secluded tropical community exhibited good Bible knowledge and a humble determination to apply God’s word to their daily lives.

My preparations for this trip powerfully illustrate the change in Christianity’s center of gravity. I feel that I have more to learn than to teach.

The Supreme Court held a rare oral hearing without asking the Finnish politician any questions. “This is a battle that must be fought to the end”, said Räsänen after the hearing.

Finnish Christian politician, Päivi Räsänen, is about to face her final trial for her writings on Biblical marriage. “I pray the hearing could open up opportunities to present the Gospel”, she says.

The historic Anglican churches in Ireland and Spain say they will not join the Global Anglican Communion. Anglicanism has a limited presence in Europe, with 23 million baptised members.

The 14-year-old girl was kidnapped at gunpoint from her home. She was tortured, sexually assaulted, forced to convert to Islam.

“Though this law is restricted to the Islamabad territory, it will help pave the way for a similar law in Punjab province, where Christian girls are the prime targets”, said a Christian attorney.

Religious marriages fall to a quarter of the total at the beginning of the century and the presence of Catholicism in public schools is reduced by half.

It will raise the legal age of marriage to 18. “It is also critical to protect Christian girls from the scourge of forced faith conversions", says a Christian deputy.  

The legal committee's proposal did not receive the required three-quarters qualified majority.

The mainline Lutheran Church in the southern region says the church has been “guilty” of “intrusion into private life with coercive consequences for life courses”. LGBTQI couples will now have full wedding ceremonies.

I recommend the Seoul Statement to a wide readership, It presents in a concise way an approach to mission that has the potential to bring together theologians and practitioners. 

She was abducted two months prior by a Muslim neighbor who forcibly converted her to Islam and coerced her into marrying him.

Research at European Union level warns that there are many citizens who feel involuntarily isolated. Psychologist Josep Araguàs points to technology and the ageing of the population and emphasises the relational role of churches.

The average age of marriage has risen to 28. “Society and churches prepare people for the wedding, but not for marriage”, says a pastor from Cluj-Napoca. Hypersexualisation and uncertainty about the future do not help either.

Jesus talked of wheat and tares growing up together. Here is a random sample of both in the last 25 years.

A report of FEREDE denounces obstacles to the opening new places of worship, discrimination and the lack of a solution for retired pastors without pensions.

Christians protested against an anti-discrimination law that would restrict the freedoms of churches and individuals to live out their faith.