Breaking Christian News on The Gospel Herald

Churches in Haiti and around the world prayed Sunday for those affected by last week’s devastating earthquake, which has claimed as many as 100,000 victims and left more than three million in need of aid.

The National Evangelical Christian Fellowship in Malaysia is calling upon believers to pray and fast for their country following the recent spate of attacks on churches of various denominations, including Pentecostal, Evangelical, Anglican, Catholic and Lutheran.

Christians throughout Malaysia gathered Sunday, praying and calling for national unity and an end to the violence that ensued following a high court’s decision to allow non-Muslims to use the word “Allah” to refer to God.

Three more churches in Malaysia were targets of arson Sunday and another was vandalized in the latest wave of attacks on the country’s Christian minority.

Three churches in Malaysia were attacked with firebombs Friday as Muslims in the country pledged to stop Christians from using the word “Allah” to refer to God.

The situation in Darfur remains "very serious," according to Christian humanitarians working in Sudan's conflict-ridden region.

Gunmen opened fire late Wednesday in a shopping district and outside an eastern Egyptian church, killing at least five Coptic Christians ahead of their Christmas celebrations, local and federal officials reported.

Malaysia’s government will file an appeal against a recent ruling by the Supreme Court that found a ban on the use of the word “Allah” by non-Muslims to be unconstitutional, government officials said Sunday.

Christians in Malaysia have the constitutional right to use the word “Allah” to refer to God, the country’s high court declared Thursday.

Malaysia’s high court has reportedly postponed a decision on whether the government of the predominantly Muslim country can bar Christian groups from referring to God as “Allah.”

Malaysia’s high court is expected to announce its decision this week on a case contesting whether the government of the predominantly Muslim country can bar Christian groups from referring to God as “Allah.”

Tens of thousands of Filipinos celebrated Christmas in temporary evacuations centers Friday after having fled their homes in fear of a major volcanic eruption. With the alert level for the Philippines’ Mayon volcano at the second-highest stage, more than 40,000 evacuees had to stay away from their homes and settle for a Christmas in crowded gymnasiums and schools, where they shared rations of noodles, fried fish and fruit, and where children opened donated presents.

Delegates at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, concluded their historic two-week gathering Saturday with a nonbinding "Copenhagen Accord" that signals a new start for rich-poor cooperation on climate change but falls short on concrete steps against the global phenomenon.

Malaysia’s high court has set Dec. 30 as the date that it will rule on a case contesting whether the government of the predominantly Muslim country can bar Christian groups from referring to God as “Allah.”

Malaysia’s high court began hearing legal arguments Monday over the use of “Allah” by Christians as a translation for God. While the Catholic Church in Malaysia insists that the word “Allah” is not exclusive to Islam and has been used by Christians and Muslims in Arabic-speaking countries for centuries, Senior Federal Counsel Datuk Kamaluddin argued otherwise, saying that the word is exclusive to Islam and that its sanctity must be protected.

A large group of NGOs organized a Climate Change demonstration Saturday that mobilized as many as 100,000 participants to march from Copenhagen Cathedral in downtown Copenhagen to the Bella Center – the venue for COP15, the 15th United Nations Climate Change Conference.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) will honor formerly imprisoned journalist Roxana Saberi with its 2010 Award of Valor next month during its annual convention in Atlanta.

Prayers are being sought for Christians in North Korea as the country goes through “100 days of combat” just days after “150 days of combat.”

Delegates from 192 countries have gathered in Copenhagen for the high-anticipated U.N. summit on climate change, which seeks agreement on a post-2012 climate change deal that will replace the current Kyoto Protocol.

For the 118th time, The Salvation Army has kicked off its annual Red Kettle Christmas campaign. This year, however, may prove to be much different from years past with the implementation of modern day technologies.

The Salvation Army officially kicks off its 2009 Red Kettle Christmas campaign Thursday during the nationally televised halftime show for the Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game against the Oakland Raiders.

Two Canadian church leaders who will be attending the U.N. Climate Change Conference next month believe faith and science “must intersect” at the highly- anticipated gathering of world leaders.

Christian humanitarian agency World Vision has launched a global five-year campaign to reduce the number of child and infant deaths, which currently stands around 8.8 million each year.

America will always speak out for the core principles that have served as the nation’s “compass,” President Obama said during his first full day of his visit to China.

International Christian groups are responding to the recent flooding and mudslides in El Salvador that has claimed at least 130 lives so far and left another 60 missing.