The Church did not experience a year unlike any other with Christian headlines in 2023. There was tragedy and triumph, scandal and celebration. However, it gave Christians worldwide a reason to pause, think about God’s work and our connection to it, and how to respond to Christian-related news.
Many churchgoing people avoid the news because it’s so sad and depressing, but that’s our vantage point of the world we serve. We need to know about our community to make an effect–how to pray, what to say, when to serve, and why it matters. Yet, when we see or hear about Christian headlines–the kind involving leaders who are doing something good or caught up in something bad–we need to act, on our knees.
During 2023, the top Christian headlines we saw were more of the latter, but need our intercession all the more. Do you remember these headlines? How did you respond to this breaking news? Let’s pray together. These were the 10 biggest Christian headlines of 2023.
10. Pastor Bubba Copeland and Brittini Blair Summerlin
Meet F.L. “Bubba Copeland,” the mayor of Smiths Station, Alabama, population 6,756. Copeland had so much respect in this conservative, Bible Belt town. He was also a grocery store owner and Baptist pastor. But, he had a secret, as most Christians do. Only, his got out in could have eclipsed the sun in Smiths Station. Bubba is also known as ‘Brittini Blaire Summerlin’, a self-described “transgender curvy girl.”
A progressive, news-hawk Alabama website, 1819 News, went looking around online and discovered “Brittini.” When Craig Monger’s story went live, his public and private lives went viral with ferocious speed. Copeland, 49, said he cross-dressed to alleviate stress, but all people–churchy and otherwise–played Whack-a-Mole with his self-esteem.
The Church didn’t support him and within a week, Bubba Copeland took his own life. A permanent end to a temporary story. Awful.
9. The Church of England Goes Gender-Neutral
Same-sex relationships are accepted and welcome in the UK, but in the Anglican Church, it’s a source of division and lengthy diatribes. Of course, any debate among priests with Anglicans or Catholics ends up at the Holy See. Pope Francis’ legacy among progressive congregants is the Synod on Synodality. Essentially, the Pontiff wants to explore otherwise taboo subjects, such as women in the Church, sexual abuse intolerance, and LGBTQ inclusion.
When someone at work says “Transgender Catholics can be baptized or serve as Godparents,” you may think, “Yeah, so?” But in a Catholic Church, that is an unbelievable state of affairs. A month later, Pope Francis upped the anty with “Priests may bless same-sex couples.” Those are two unbelievable Christian headlines of 2023, but for the Vatican, those are all-timers.
8. Mike Bickle Falls Out of Grace with IHOPKC
Closing out 2023’s Christian headlines for the year was the cataclysmic fall of Mike Bickle, the founder of the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, MO. If you watch the GOD Network, there is a channel dedicated to the church pioneering 24/7 live worship. It’s truly a marvel when you consider every bit of it–for years–has been done by volunteers.
This I say for your own profit; not that I may ensnare you, but for that which is appropriate, and that you may attend to the Lord without distraction. (1 Corinthians 7:35 NKJV)
Allegations came out just past Thanksgiving that Bickle had a habit of “sexual misconduct.” He admitted some of those (from 20 years ago) were real, but the most current ones were fabricated. Nonetheless, IHOPKC cut ties with Pastor Bickle. Although Bickle is no longer a pastor, he’s still a child of God. What’s interesting is how the Christian media responded–just like they should. Bickle was shown love for his trespasses, but no remorse for the punishment.
7. Mass Shooting at Nashville Christian School
According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been 627 mass shootings in 2023–getting close to two a day! Any mass shooting in this country is one too many. Some in the Church may erroneously believe they are absolved from these things, but what happened at the Covenant Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee was a stark reminder that evil lurks everywhere.
On March 27, a 28-year-old former student named Aiden Hale (born Audrey Elizabeth Hale) wanted to protest the school’s stance on transgenderism. Instead of a signed letter, a video recording on social media, or even a sit-in protest, Hale decides to load up a couple of fully automatic machine guns and killed six people—three students and three staff. If only these sinister acts would wake up policy changers and decision-makers to do something about this. But that’s a different conversation entirely. At least, it should be.
6. Mike Johnson Elected Speaker of the House
The Republican party had a small issue when Rep. Kevin McCarthy was fired from his gig as Speaker of the House. Now, they had to find a replacement. The person who eventually became the No. 3 person in charge of the United States was Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA). Aside from the fact the national media needed a map to find out who he was, Johnson is an unabashed Holy Ghost Christian.
His faith is front and center, as seen in his work with the Alliance Defense Fund (now known as Alliance Defending Freedom). In his initial speech to Congress as Speaker, he said, “I believe that Scripture, the Bible, is very clear: that God is the one who raises those in authority.” And that man has the authority to help shape this nation. Considering how “Christian prejudice” is fully acceptable in this country, this was one of the top Christian headlines of 2023.
5. The UCCF Gets a Teamsters’ Investigation
The Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship (UCCF) supports and trains university Christian Unions in the UK on how to evangelize their fellow students. Yes, it’s a Christian Union, like the steelworkers, postal workers, or Teamsters. And when its leadership is thrust into the conversation, it demands a pause and purpose for improvement. In October, a 10-month investigation into its practices concluded.
For the most part, Christians aren’t even familiar with this influential organization–in the UK or across the pond. UCCF’s board of trustees suspended National Director Richard Cunningham and Field Director Tim Rudge in December 2022, to “assist with the integrity” of a formal independent investigation into “various allegations” against them, not relating to sexual misconduct. This was a first for this influential organization, and when it comes to the well-being of Christian students, that’s one time way too few!
4. The Number of the Beast: 660?!
You may have missed this one but among theologians and Biblical scholars, this news was unsettling at the least and OMG-ish at most. For centuries, the “Number of the Beast” has been taught as ‘666.’ It’s even in the Bible.
Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.” (Revelation 13:18 NKJV)
As the infallible Word of God, how can that be wrong or misunderstood? It’s fairly cut-and-dry there. Yet, earlier this year, Hank Hanegraff, the “Bible Answer Man,” shared with the Christian Post that the feared number of the beast is 660. Wait, what?! We have always been taught that the number that humans will have to brandish is 6-6-6. And with the advent of a cashless society, it’s looking fearfully close to happening.
But Hanegraff’s rationale is “Obviously no amount of wisdom and insight would have enabled a first-century audience to calculate the number of a 21st-century beast.” So, there’s that.
3. The SBC and CMA Expelled Women Pastors
In a stilting and polarizing 9,437 to 1,212 vote, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) and the Christian and Missionary Alliance (CMA) ousted women pastors on staff–or, what they called “disfellowship.” Taking a relatively “old codger” approach to the Pauline Epistles, these guys don’t believe women should be pastors or have a place of biblical authority in the Church.
This vote wasn’t without serious detractors as two of the largest churches in the SBC and the nation, Saddleback Church (Rick Warren, pastor) and Elevation Church (Steven Furtick, pastor) asked the boards to reconsider. When that didn’t happen, they tore up their membership cards in a strong public fashion. Both Saddleback and Elevation have women, sterling models of evangelism, on staff. This rule would have forced the pastors to fire those ladies. They chose God and His work through them instead.
Now, if only the SBC and CMA would do that. What a wonderful world this would be.
2. Hamas Attacked Israel
On October 7, thousands of Hamas terrorists attacked Israel, near the Gaza border in the worst attack on Israeli soil in history. On the bodies of some dead Hamas soldiers were copies of their orders, “Kill as many people and take as many hostages as possible.” No other reason than hate. According to Al-Jazzera, at least 21,672 people killed and 56,165 injured in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7–both Israeli and Palestinian.
Hostages have been taken and returned. Buildings and homes have been destroyed. The occupied West Bank has been raided and attacked numerous times. Israeli’s Army has obliterated 70% of Gaza’s homes. What Hamas did was reprehensible. How Israel defended itself was understandable, but when will the madness stop? So many innocent people are caught in the crossfire, which is what matters to God in this centuries-old war.
Continue to pray for everyone caught in this struggle. Any war in the Holy Land is never good.
1. The Asbury University Revival
What happens in Israel concerns the Body of Christ more than most things. At least, it should. Yet, to see what happened to a small, conservative but evangelical Christian private school in Kentucky, shows us all that despite the heinous acts happening in the world, God is still up to something. It was a normal chapel service for the school, but 30 people felt God wasn’t done dealing with them. So, they kept worshipping the Lord.
That’s all it took to become the Asbury Outpouring. Word spread across the campus and students came back, and stayed around the clock! From February 8 to 24, the Holy Spirit filled the lives of tens of thousands from around the world. There are a little over 6,000 people in Wilmore, Kentucky, but the media in Russia, Japan, France, the UK, and all over the states urged Christians to flock to Asbury. Between 50,000 to 70,000 people showed up to worship and be close to the Lord.
There is still a hunger in the world for more of God. Regardless of the end days looming, this should encourage everyone that Jesus is still alive, well, and working miracles for us all.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In