Just a quick update here to list a few of the news headlines that caught my attention. It was a generally quiet week and since I am in the middle of a couple of other analyses for this blog I will keep it short.

I saw a couple of articles this week about denominations selling off unused churches. The second is one that I don’t normally track but the pattern is worth noting.

Kirk’s historic churches for sale – from Herald Scotland; “BUYERS have been moving to secure a slice of Scottish heritage after a
surge in the number of historic churches being put up for sale by the
Kirk.”

Uniting Church puts properties up for sale to clear debts – from ABC News; “The Uniting Church is putting $100 million worth of property in
Victoria up for sale in an attempt to clear its debts by December 2014. The collapse last year of the church-run school, Acacia College, left the church with a $36 million debt.”

In continuing developments from the previous update:

Presbyterian Moderator pays a visit to graffiti-hit church – from the News Letter; reaction continues following the sectarian vandalism

ANC equal with God on earth? – from News24; President Zuma’s comments at the Presbyterian Synod meeting continue to draw critical reactions

And another from Ireland:

Presbyterians spend £6.2m on new projects – from the News Letter

A story linking Scotland and the church bombing in Pakistan

Kirk minister Aftab Gohar forgives his family’s killers – from BBC News

While in the South Pacific

Vanuatu Presbyterian Church calling for ban of same-sex marriage – from Radio New Zealand International

Finally in the PC(USA)

Largest Presbyterian Church’s (PC USA) Property Ownership Case Headed to Court – from The Christian Post; It was decided that the case would be heard in state, not federal, court. And note that the news outlet consistently gets the size rank wrong: while they are the largest in Texas they are the fourth-largest across the denomination.

Film reaches out to Presbyterians as Detroit prepares to host convention – from the Detroit Free Press; a film made by a local Presbyterian promoting the city for the General Assembly.

So there is a snapshot of that week. Hoping to get a couple of new posts up in the next few days.