Time magazine had reported this information online Monday and Christianity Today’s politics blog also featured commentary about the possibility that the Obamas’ church search was over.

Well, a McClatchy Tribune Information Services story by Peter Nicholas and Mark Silva with the Tribune Washington Bureau is reporting that Time got it wrong.

 ”The president and first family continue to look for a church home,” White House spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki said in the Tribune Washington Bureau story. “They have enjoyed worshipping at Camp David and several other congregations over the months, and will choose a church at the time that is best for their family.”

Search is still on.

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor

Since before his inauguration, people have been speculating about Obama’s eventual choice of church.

I’m sure a lot of that was due to his one-time association (a years-long association and friendship) with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright of Chicago. Obama had attended Wright’s Chicago church for many years, but distanced himself from the preacher during his campaign amid controversy over Wright’s fiery speeches.

Now it seems that the First Family might have chosen a church — and it’s an unexpected choice.

Read the Time article on the subject: The Obamas Find a Church Home Away from Home.

Read the commentary featured on Christianity Today’s politics blog by going to www.christianitytoday.com/ct/blog/

(AP PHOTO above right: President Barack Obama applauds during a reception with National Finance Committee members on June 29.)

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor

Upon reading the full story, it sounds like the church is taking an idea that Edmond-based LifeChurch.tv has been using to maximum effect for years.

The news service reports that the Church of Scotland wants to use virtual ministers who would preach over a live video link to congregations that do not have a permanent minister.

“Preaching by live video link to vacant congregations is one of many radical changes being proposed by the Ministries Council,” Gordon Bell, media relations officer with the Church of Scotland, told Ecumenical News International.

He said the report to the Presbyterian church’s May 21-27 General Assembly suggests the Kirk, as the Church of Scotland is known locally, should consider the use of video technology in churches which struggle to attract full-time ministers.

The Orkney presbytery, which has 21 congregations spread over more than 10 islands, will be used to test the program by linking four congregations in the archipelago with technology similar to video conferencing.

There are presently an estimated 190 full-time vacancies for clergy across Scotland, which has a population of 5.1 million, the RNS reports.

If successful, church officials say a number of congregations in some of the most remote parts of Scotland would be able to take part in the same service.

Meanwhile, at LifeChurch.tv campuses, whether they be in Oklahoma or beyond (Arizona, Texas, Tennessee, Florida and New York), people attend worship experiences with Craig Groeschel (pictured above), senior pastor, or one of the church’s teaching pastors, delivering the sermon via satellite. Groeschel typically delivers the message live at one of the church sites and this is beamed via satellite. They’ve been doing it for years.

Is this an idea whose time has come? Will we see more ministries doing the same?

If so, Oklahoma is well ahead of the game.   

(PHOTO by Paul Hellstern, The Oklahoman: Craig Groeschel, senior pastor of LifeChurch.tv, sits in the sanctuary of the LifeChurch.tv headquarter campus at Interstate 35 and Second Street in Edmond in this 2005 photograph.)

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor

Not just good things, great things. They fairly gushed about Manley, who was a longtime Oklahoma ministry leader and founder of Cornerstone Assistance Network. 

He was very passionate about ministry and thus he nurtured ShareFest OKC accordingly.

Manley passed away in January but ShareFest, area churches’  one-day community service blitz, continues on today.

He’s surely smiling as he sees thousands of church volunteers fan out into the metro area to perform service projects in the surrounding community (See www.ShareFestOKC.org).

I don’t think it’s a stretch of imagination for me to say that. I only have to think about Manley’s comments during previous interviews to know that he was proud of churches participating in the annual community service effort.  He said it was a way for churches to show the love of Jesus in many, many ways.

Here’s what he said:

Manley speaking of ShareFest in 2008: “You have to show the ‘good news’ before you preach the ‘good news. If people can see Jesus, if they can see the love demonstrated, then they can better understand when you start talking about it.”

In 2007:  ”The Gospel has two components — word and deed. The mandate is on the church to touch the people who are on Christ’s heart, which I think would be the widows, the orphans and poor and afflicted.”

In 2005:  It’s a way, I think, of highlighting what the churches in the area are doing, so it’s like everyone getting their lights together to shine in the darkness.”

I doubt anyone could have said it any better than that.

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor 

A guest preacher from a church that experienced its own tragedy will deliver the sermon Sunday at the Maryville, Ill., church where the pastor was shot and killed.

The Rev. Fred Winters, pastor of First Baptist Church of Maryville, was killed March 8 by a lone gunman who walked into the church during worship services. The Southern Baptist church is east of St. Louis. 

The Associated Baptist Press reported that the Rev. Al Meredith, pastor of Wedgwood Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, will preach at the First Baptist Maryville’s three worship services. 

About 10 years ago, Sept. 15, 1999, a gunman walked into Wedgwood Baptist and opened fire, killing seven and wounding seven before turning the gun on himself.

Associated Baptist Press reported that Meredith wasn’t at the church during the attack, but has experience in dealing with the aftermath of a deadly assault.

Meanwhile, a trust fund is being set up for contributions be made to a trust fund being set up for Winters’ two daughters.

For information on where to send donations, go to the church’s Web site: First Baptist Church of Maryville.
Read about Winter’s funeral service in a Baptist Press story: “Widow of slain Ill. pastor points to ‘celebration day.’” 

(AP PHOTO: Memorial service for the Rev. Fred Winters, pastor of First Baptist Church of Maryville, Ill.)

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor

Roman Catholics traditionally abstain from eating meat on Fridays during Lent, the 40 days before Easter Sunday.

Christ the King is selling Lenten enchilada dinners from 3 to 6 p.m. today and Friday, April 3. The dinners include 12 cheese enchiladas, rice, beans, chips and salsa. Cost is $20 per order and folks interested in the Mexican fare can pick their orders up at the church in drive-thru fashion. The church is at 8005 Dorset Drive in Nichols Hills.

All proceeds benefit the church’s Peru Mission Trip Maintenance/Expenses Fund.

For more information, call the church at 842-1481.

Look for more Lent-related blog postings here on the Religion and Values blog in the days ahead. 

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor   

Convention president Johnny Hunt announced the theme for the annual meeting this week.   

The Baptist Press reported that Hunt said he hopes the LoveLoud emphasis will “challenge our denomination to demonstrate to our communities, our country and around the world the difference Jesus Christ makes in our lives and in our churches.”

“This world has HEARD much from the church about who we are and what we believe. Too often they don’t SEE the church as being a different entity than others in their communities.

“The church simply has to become more of a force to penetrate the darkness that is increasing in our world,” Hunt told the Baptist Press.

Registration is now open for the meeting where the 150th anniversary of the founding of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary also will be celebrated.

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor

Curiousity about the eventual church home of the new president still abounds, judging by a quote from White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs which was recently featured as the Religion News Service’s Quote of the Day.

“Obviously, I think given the enormous problems that the country faces, it’s quite safe to assume that prayer, even not in the confines of a church, is something that he practices regularly,” Gibbs reportedly told reporters in explaining that the Obamas have yet to find a permanent church home in Washington.

I guess the minute the First Family makes their pew arrangements permanently, it will make headlines.

(AP PHOTO: President Barack Obama speaks at the National Prayer Breakfast on Feb. 5 in Washington, D.C.)

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor

Findings from a new Gallup Poll are out and it seems that Oklahoma is among the top 10 “most religous” states in America.

However, Mississippi beat out the Sooner State and eight other states for the No. 1 spot.

The new Gallup Poll, based on more than 350,000 interviews, finds that Mississippi is the one where the most people — 85 percent — say yes when asked “Is religion an important part of your daily life?,” the Religion News Service reports.

The RNS said joining Mississippi in the top “most religious” states are other notches in the Bible Belt: Alabama (82 percent), South Carolina (80 percent), Tennessee (79 percent), Louisiana (78 percent), and Arkansas (78 percent). Oklahoma came in at No. 9 with 70 percent.  

Less than half of Vermonters (42 percent) answered yes to the question at hand. New England predominated the top “least religious” states, with New Hampshire (46 percent), Maine (48 percent), Massachusetts (48 percent), Alaska (51 percent) and Washington (52 percent) following Vermont.

“Clearly, states in the South in particular, but also some states in the Southwest and Rocky Mountains … have very religious residents and New England states in particular, coupled with states like Alaska and others, are irreligious,” said Frank Newport, editor-in-chief of The Gallup Poll.

Overall, Gallup researchers found that 65 percent of all Americans said religion was important in their daily lives. The total sample of 355,334 U.S. adults, including respondents with land-line telephones and cellular phones, had a margin of error of plus or minus 1 percentage point. Some states had margins of error as high as plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Newport tol the Religion News Service he was surprised that one state — Utah — did not make the “most religious” list, given the state’s large Mormon population.

Following is Gallup’s entire list of states, as reported by the Religion News Service, in order of what percentage of respondents said religion is “an important part” of their daily lives:

— Mississippi (85)

— Alabama (82)

— South Carolina (80)

— Tennessee (79)

— Louisiana (78)

— Arkansas (78)

— Georgia (76)

— North Carolina (76)

— Oklahoma (75)

— Kentucky (74)

— Texas (74)

— West Virginia (71)

— Kansas (70)

— Utah (69)

— Missouri (68)

— Virginia (68)

— South Dakota (68)

— North Dakota (68)

— Indiana (68)

— Nebraska (67)

— New Mexico (66)

— Pennsylvania (65)

— Florida (65)

— Maryland (65)

— Ohio (65)

— Iowa (64)

— Minnesota (64)

— Illinois (64)

— Michigan (64)

— Delaware (61)

— Wisconsin (61)

— District of Columbia (61)

— Idaho (61)

— Arizona (61)

— New Jersey (60)

— Wyoming (58)

— Colorado (57)

— Hawaii (57)

— California (57)

— Montana (56)

— New York (56)

— Connecticut (55)

— Nevada (54)

— Rhode Island (53)

— Oregon (53)

— Washington (52)

— Alaska (51)

— Massachusetts (48)

— Maine (48)

— New Hampshire (46)

— Vermont (42)

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor