Afghan convert safe after outcry
Said Musa, an Afghan man who was arrested in May and threatened with execution for becoming a follower of Jesus, has been released from prison after an international outcry on his behalf. News of Musa’s release came Feb. 21 in a telephone call from an official with the U.S. embassy in Kabul, confirming that Said Musa was released and safely out of the country, according to the human rights organization International Christian Concern.
Tomlin, TobyMac lead Dove nominees
Chris Tomlin and TobyMac each received six nominations, followed by Jason Crabb with five and Francesca Battistelli with four, as the nominees for the 42nd annual Dove Awards were announced Feb. 16. The awards, which honor Christian music’s top artists, will be handed out April 20 at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre and broadcast on the Gospel Music Channel April 24 at 8 p.m. EST.
GuideStone releases pastor tax guide
Ministers can find additional help in preparing their 2010 federal income tax returns with the annual Tax Return Preparation and Federal Reporting Guide from GuideStone Financial Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. The 2011 guide details recent changes to tax laws and their effect on ministers. The guide includes important tax law changes signed into law in December. The tax guide can be read in PDF format from the GuideStone website, www.GuideStone.org/taxguide. GuideStone participants can order a free printed copy by calling 1-888-98-GUIDE (1-888-984-8433) between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. CST Monday-Friday.
Christian-operated businesses supported
With Christian-owned Chick-fil-A still the target of criticism from homosexual groups, a new Barna survey shows that Christian-based companies have more to gain than to lose when it comes to operating according to their faith – and even promoting it. The Barna survey did not mention Chick-fil-A and it also didn’t include the issue of homosexuality. But it did find that 43 percent of Americans say they would be more likely to buy products from a company that “manages its business according to Christian principles,” and only 3 percent were less likely to do so. In fact, 27 percent say they would be “a lot” more likely to support such a business. Fifty-one percent of Americans are indifferent.