Latest Church Headlines
All the headlines from our Church Topic Page, ordered by recency.
California Assembly Panel Passes Bill On Sex Abuse Lawsuits
Aug 27 2013 // Some victims of childhood sexual abuse would have one more year to file civil lawsuits against private or nonprofit organizations that employed their alleged abusers under a bill that passed a key legislative committee...
Arbitrator: Mass. Diocese Needs Up to $49M From Insurer to Replace School
Jul 18 2013 // An arbitration panel has ruled that the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, Mass., should get as much as $49 million from its insurance company to replace Cathedral High School, which sustained such severe damage during...
Insurer Denies Coverage in Kansas City Diocese Settlement
Jul 15 2013 // A former insurance company for the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Mo., is seeking to avoid paying for priest sexual abuse settlements. The Chicago Insurance Co. said in a federal court filing that it has no...
Randall Named ACSR of the Year by Texas Independent Agents
Jul 11 2013 // The Independent Insurance Agents of Texas (IIAT) has named Delia (Dee) Randall, personal lines ACSR at Duncan Fraser & Bridges Insurance Agency in Pampa, the Accredited Customer Service Representative (ACSR) of the...
4 Men Sue Boy Scouts, LDS Church in Idaho
Jun 26 2013 // Four men are suing the Mormon church and Boy Scouts of America in federal court, saying they were sexually abused while attending scouting functions in Idaho. Attorneys Gilion Dumas, Andrew Chasan and Timothy Walton filed...
Church Mutual Insurance Hires Names as Chief Information Officer
Jun 21 2013 // Scott Names has been hired as vice president — chief information officer (CIO) at Merrill, Wisc.-based Church Mutual Insurance Co. Former CIO Chris Graham has been named vice president — chief technology officer. He...
After Blast, Texas Town Fights to Keep its Residents
Jun 7 2013 // John Crowder stood on the gray concrete slab where his house once was in West, Texas, pointing out one spot after another. There was the garage where an overflow of guests would eat their Christmas dinner. There was the...
South Carolina Copper Thefts Continue Despite Tougher Laws
Apr 9 2013 // Although tougher laws have been passed, officials in South Carolina say metal robbers continue to plague homeowners, churches, government agencies and utilities. The Greenville News reported that thefts continue despite a...
1980s Computer Monitor Blamed For Utah Church Fire
Mar 25 2013 // Investigators are blaming a 1980s-era computer monitor for a fire that ravaged a Clearfield church this week. The Standard-Examiner reports the old monitor had overheated and sparked the Tuesday afternoon blaze in the...
Company Settles Oklahoma Man’s Employment Discrimination Lawsuit
Mar 21 2013 // A Nebraska-based company accused of refusing to hire an Oklahoma man because of his religious beliefs has settled a discrimination lawsuit in the case. Voss Lighting agreed to pay $82,500 to former job candidate Edward...
From Rubble to Renewal: Kentucky Town Responds to Last Year’s Tornado
Mar 5 2013 // Tax preparer Betty Helton no longer meets her customers at a park bench in this tornado-ravaged Appalachian town. Hungry customers are back ordering burgers and shakes at Freezer Fresh. A bank moved out of a grocery store...
‘Devil’s Tooth Exorcism’ Results in $3.7M Claim Against Tennessee Church
Feb 26 2013 // A Tennessee pastor said he cast out a parishioner’s demon, but a lawsuit contends that only the plaintiff’s tooth was exorcised. According to The Mountain Press, Andrew Byrd filed a $3.7 million lawsuit against...
Fired Coach Sues Northern California Diocese
Feb 22 2013 // A former Catholic high school coach is suing the Diocese of Sacramento in Northern California claiming he was fired in retaliation for reporting sexual hazing by his players. Officials at Vallejo’s St. Patrick-St....
Former Oregon Resident Files $16M Sex-Abuse Suit Against Church
Feb 19 2013 // A 34-year-old woman who was raised near Portland, Ore. has filed a $16 million lawsuit, alleging she was the victim of sexual abuse as a teenager. The Oregonian newspaper reported that Cristie Prasnikar, who now lives out...
Catholic Bishops Urge Birth Control Reprieve in Fiscal Bills
Feb 18 2013 // U.S. Roman Catholic bishops stepped up their battle against President Obama’s contraceptives policy on Friday by urging Congress to use its fiscal debate to free religious employers from a mandate requiring insurance...
Catholic Bishops Reject Obama Compromise on Contraception Coverage
Feb 8 2013 // U.S. Roman Catholic bishops on Thursday rejected the Obama Administration’s latest bid for compromise over a hotly disputed health policy that requires employees at religiously affiliated institutions to have access...
Obama Offers Compromise on Birth Control Insurance Coverage
Feb 4 2013 // The Obama administration on Friday sought to settle a dispute with religious leaders over whether employees at faith-affiliated universities, hospitals and other institutions should have access to health insurance coverage...
Florida Marks I-75 Crash Anniversary; Tragedy Triggers Safety Measures, Lawsuits
Jan 29 2013 // The pre-dawn traffic moved fast on Interstate 75 through Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park outside Gainesville. The highway had been closed for hours after thick fog combined with smoke from a nearby wildfire reduced...
Lawsuits Against Birth Control Benefit Appear Supreme Court Bound
Jan 28 2013 // The legal challenges over religious freedom and the birth control coverage requirement in President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul appear to be moving toward the U.S. Supreme Court. Faith-affiliated charities,...
Arkansas Lawmakers Advance Guns in Church Bill Minus Insurance Provision
Jan 25 2013 // An Arkansas Senate panel advanced a proposal this week to allow concealed handguns in churches, but rejected an amendment to require places of worship to carry more insurance if firearms are permitted. A House committee...
