The Texas State Board of Education on Friday gave final approval to establishing a Bible elective for high schools but left specific class guidelines up to local school districts.

Board members voted 10-5 to adopt broad standards for the Bible class. In March, they had already approved current TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge & Skills) guidelines for the Bible class but Friday's vote follows the opinion handed down last week by Attorney General Greg Abbott that affirmed the constitutionality of the proposed standards.

“We have met the requirements of the legislation. We don’t want to stifle what they (school districts) are doing in classrooms," said board member Cynthia Dunbar, according to The Dallas Morning News.

Texas high schools can start offering the Bible class for the 2008-09 school year now that the rule has been approved by over two-thirds of the board.

“Elective Bible courses now have the final green light from the Texas State Board of Education and Texas has now gained an academic advantage," said Jonathan Saenz, director of legislative affairs for Free Market Foundation, who testified before the board in support of the class on Thursday.

Some critics, however, said that the without specific guidelines, school districts offering the course could run into legal issues later if a neutral viewpoint of religion is not maintained in the class.

But supporters of the rule say that such concerns are already addressed in the TEKS guidelines, which call for "religious neutrality" and the accommodation of diverse religious views in the classroom.

Furthermore, they argue, the Bible class examines the impact of the Bible on history and literature and is not about religion.

The author of the original bill, Rep. Warren Chisum, had previously affirmed that the class would not "preach the Bible" but examine it as a "document that has historical value." State lawmakers passed legislation on the Bible course in May.

"As we stated and the Attorney General has now confirmed, the current [standards] are sufficient and we are ready to move forward on the new Bible course laws," added Kelly Shackelford, president of Free Market Foundation, a group that helped passed legislation for the class.

Texas now joins other states like Georgia that offer Bible electives in high schools.

 
Bishop Charles Craig passed away of a massive heart attack on the morning of Saturday, July 5, 2008 at a Detroit Hospital near his home.

Saturday, July 12, 2008 at 10am
Home going Service Second Ebenezer Church 4601 Dequindre Road Detroit, Michigan 48212-1503
(I-75 at East McNichols)

According to Pastor Timothy Wright's personal assistant, (Phillip Culver), in a live interview on radio station WLIB out of New York around 3 p.m. July 5th, the life of Pastor Timothy Wright, has been spared in a tragic auto accident that claimed the life of his wife, Mrs. Betty Wright; and ultimately his grandson, D.J. Wright.

Pastor Wright is coherent and in stable condition, in the Intensive Care Unit, of a Pennsylvania hospital.

The Church of God in Christ mourns the loss of Co-Pastor Betty J. Wright, First Lady of Grace Tabernacle Christian Center COGIC, and the grandson of Pastor Timothy Wright, D.J. Wright, who was called to Glory on Sunday morning, July 6, 2008.

We solicit your prayers for the Wright family, and the Grace Tabernacle Church family.

Stephanie L. Jones spends the first half of the book telling her interesting, but yet painful story. The other half of the book educates us on the mindset, and manipulative strategies of unlikely candidates who commit this kind of abuse. She also demonstrates to her readers how innocent ‘situations’, can be the loss of innocence period. Jones’ book is gutsy and preventive, urging readers to read, “Before you let your child “spend the night” anywhere else.” – – Or “Before you say my husband will never touch my child.”

Written with biblical solutions, I highly recommend this book to your library. Not only for those who are victims of child abuse, but for those hoping to prevent or learn the patterns of it.

-Kris “KP” Patrick
of Path MEGAzine

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http://www.stephanieljones.com

The album Crossover features Dr. Bobby Jones, Ted Winn, Nikita Clegg-Fox, Shawn McLemore, Nikki Ross, Zacardi Cortez and more.

Pastor Gregg Patrick & The Bridge Project featuring the Bridge Mass Choir is an exceptional blend of traditional Gospel, Contemporary Christian, and Praise & Worship songs. This premiere project is sure to be one of the most incredible musical offerings this year.

The project is released under the newly formed joint venture between Tyscot Records & Crossover Entertainment. The album was released last week on CD and DVD, and is in stores/online everywhere.

Rev. Ora says she was compelled to write this book because, "There are far too many broken, hurting, hemorrhaging, dying women in the Body of Christ. And I wanted them to know they are not their yester-pain or their yester-shame. They are Beloved Daughters of the Great I AM who have profound significance and immeasurable value. I wanted my Father's Daughters to know they are God's Women. Exquisite and Magnificent . . . Divinely Framed on purpose, with purpose, by God Himself."

website: http://www.DivinelyFramed.com or http://divinelyframed.com/boutique/

 
In it, you will not just learn how you can make millions. You will learn how you can make millions through God s power and for God s purpose. In this revolutionary book, Toye Ademola reveals seven powerful secrets of the famous Bible-made millionaires of old great Biblical personalities like Millionaire Abraham, Millionaire Isaac, Millionaire David, and Millionaire Solomon. Their secrets are practical, time-proven principles for success that you can apply to your life right away and start enjoying the glorious wealth that God has stored up for all His righteous ones. Friend, yesterday s losses, and set backs do not matter any more. TODAY IS WHAT COUNTS! TODAY, you can break free from every cycle of poverty and mediocrity! TODAY, you can expand your financial base to unimaginable dimensions! TODAY, take the next crucial step forward in your glorious financial destiny start reading Seven Secrets of Bible Made Millionaires. You ll be glad you did! The Lord Jesus became so very poor so that you may become so very rich . . . abundantly supplied (2 Corinthians 8:9). As a believer in Christ, you should be wealthy and in Seven Secrets of Bible-made Millionaires, you ll discover just how you can! Seven Secrets of Bible-made Millionaires, is a how-to-get-rich book with a difference! In it, you will not just learn how you can make millions. You will learn how you can make millions through God s power and for God s purpose.

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Anya Miller Hall, founder of TeKton Ministries International and Rhema PWM, will teach you how spirits operate and manifest in human lives from religion to gender identity conflict. As the Kingdom of God moves forward, Hall helps us to understand our enemy, his purposes, and his plans. Finally, she provides a detailed scriptural and historical perspective of these principalities, how they came into rulership, and what we must do as an apostolic army to slaughter them.

By revealing her fresh strategy on how to overcome the spirits of foretelling, blasphemy, and perversion that have invaded our government, church, and society, believers are challenged to come forth in their anointing and take back what the enemy has stolen. Now is the time for action!

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Gospel artists “painted the White House black with praise” June 17 in the East Room. The occasion was the Salute to Gospel Music in observance of Black Music Month. Spensha Baker, Kurt Carr and the Kurt Carr Singers and Edwin and Walter Hawkins–all African Americans–were bestowed with the auspicious honor of entertaining President George W. Bush during his final term in office.

In a room filled with music executives and Washington luminaries, it was a “history” lesson and superior entertainment rolled into almost 2 inspiring hours.
President Bush began by remembering the recently fallen father of Rock and Roll, Bo Diddly.

“We mourn his loss, yet we know this — that his memory will live on in the songs and the joy he brought to millions — including a little fellow like me.”

In his welcome salutation Bush recognized America’s musical genesis and a past of injustice and segregation that fertilized its richness.

“In 1882, President Chester A. Arthur invited to the White House the first black choir ever to perform here — the Jubilee Singers from Fisk University in Tennessee. Of course, during those days they had trouble finding a place to stay,” the President said noting their warm reception at the White House.

“As a matter of fact, after The Temptations came here a couple of months ago, I was so inspired that I thought I would take up singing. Laura said, you might just stick with practicing your speaking," He joked about himself with his trademark snicker and grin.

But as he continued to highlight the White House’s historical rendezvous with Black Music (or musicians) he had a slip of the tongue that wasn’t funny and stressed his need to take his wife’s advice.

Bush adds, “President Franklin Roosevelt called on the talented Maria [sic] Anderson to sing "Ave Maria" for the King and Queen of England,” Bush erroneously stated.

The “Maria” he referred to was, of course, world famous opera contralto, Marian Anderson. An enormous speech writer’s oversight, this fact is more in context to Black Music Month as First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt resigned from the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1939 when its members refused to allow Anderson to perform at Constitution Hall because she was Black. Mrs. Roosevelt arranged an outdoor concert where Anderson sang on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial before 75,000 people standing in the Lincoln Mall, a well-documented triumph in Black, American and Women’s history.

This faux pas tainted an otherwise sound and sincere speech that was in part written to mark Bush’s legacy as a president who embraced both music and diversity.

Theresa Hairston, founder of Gospel Today Magazine, emceed the event.

During the ceremony, the sole gospel artist on Geffen Records, Spensha Baker, 15, encouraged the leader of the free world to hold on, as she sang a song from her upcoming debut album.

In a surprise and noble gesture, Kurt Carr invited 89-year-old Narcissus to join him and his group on stage. Carr said she was a star singer in Connecticut where he was raised and the Lord placed it on his heart the day before the event to send for her because she’d never sang at the White House.

Her voice, a clone of the late, great Mahalia Jackson, singing “This Little Light of Mine” immediately engrossed the audience.

Kurt Carr and his singers performed a medley of “Kumbayah,” “For Every Mountian,””Presence of the Lord,” and the praise and worship banner that has been translated into nine languages, “Sanctuary.”

The final act, gospel legends Edwin and Walter Hawkins presented “Marvelous,” “Some Day We’ll All Be Together,” and their ground-breaking, over 30-year old favorite, “Oh Happy Day.” Pastor Marvin Sapp joined them on stage adding his soulful take to the classic.

Throughout the ceremony, the president lifted his hands, bopped his head and rocked to the beat of the music he said is making the Good News sound sweeter than ever.

Guests in attendance included: Mark Morial (President of the Urban League), Alphonso Jackson (who was celebrationg his 75th birthday), Dorothy Height, John Styll (Gospel Music Association President), Maurette Brown Clark, Armstrong Williams (radio talk show host), Neicy Tribbett (Gospel artist Tye Tribbett’s mother and manager), Verity/Zomba Gospel reps Tracey Artis and Kimberly Norsworthy, Dr. Bobby Jones, and Veda Brown among others.

-Written By: Mona Austin