By Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Monday, September 15, 2025Jim Cymbala, senior pastor of The Brooklyn Tabernacle in Brooklyn, New York, speaks to his congregation about the response to the assassination of Christian conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Sept. 14, 2025. | YouTube/Brooklyn TabernacleJim Cymbala, the senior pastor of the multi-racial Brooklyn Tabernacle, condemned the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk as an act of hate on Sunday and rebuked Christians who have been celebrating his death as anti-Christian.“I want to say this to you: If you took some joy or some satisfaction or you somehow justified the killing of Charlie Kirk, you're a very sick individual and you should, you really got to get along with God and check yourself because something's really wrong with you,” Cymbala told his church on Sunday morning. The congregation attracts about 10,000 worshipers in downtown Brooklyn each week. “And don't tell me how long you've been in church. You're more ethnic, racial or political than you are a Christian. A Christian doesn't rejoice in anyone's death,” he added to applause.The 31-year-old Kirk, a polarizing and influential Christian conservative activist who also founded TPUSA Faith, was fatally shot in the neck at 12:20 p.m. last Wednesday while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem.His death sparked a divided reaction around the world, including some who have been celebrating (language warning) his death. Some Christian leaders, like the Rev. Howard-John Wesley, senior pastor of the historic 12,000-member Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia, declared on Sunday that he would not honor Kirk’s life because, in his opinion, he was a “proud racist.”“Charlie Kirk did not deserve to be murdered. But I'm overwhelmed to see the nation's flag fly at half-staff for a man who was a proud racist and spent his entire life sowing seeds of division and hatred into this land,” Wesley claimed from his pulpit on Sunday.“And then these hypocrites with selective rage who are mad about Charlie Kirk but didn't say anything about Melissa Hortman and her husband when they were gunned down in their living room,” the Virginia megachurch pastor argued as he compared the response to Kirk’s death to responses to the lone wolf assassination of former Democratic Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman in their Brooklyn Park home on June 14.“Tell me that I ought to have compassion for the death of a man who never showed compassion or respect for my life. Y'all, there's nowhere in [the] Bible we are told to honor evil. And I know I'm going to get in trouble for this, but how you died does not redeem how you lived,” Wesley argued. “Your death does not make you a hero. It does not make you one who should be honored. It does not make you one who should be respected. I can be sorry about your death but not celebrate your life.”In his preamble before rebuking Christians for celebrating or finding satisfaction in Kirk’s death, Cymbala presented a biblical thesis in which he said that it is hate that is driving divisions and conflict in the world right now, and the Church must respond with Christ’s message of love.“We live in a very ugly, hateful world right now. … We have churches being burned, Christians being killed in different places. Hate. … We have it in our country. It's political. It's racial. It's ugly,” Cymbala opined.“So, what are we to do with that? So let's step back for a moment. Jesus said, ‘Go into all the world and preach the Gospel.’ Why? Because people in the world need to be saved. They need to hear the Good News of Christ, get a new heart, and see their lives changed. … The people that are supposed to do that are the Church. We're the light of the world. Not a country, not a political party, the Church, born-again believers like us.”But “instead of evangelizing the world," Cymbala argues that "the spirit of the world" often "comes in the Church.”“So we have haters in the Church, and that, of course, is just overwhelmingly sad, tragic. So you have people who go to church and sing surely goodness, surely mercy. But if someone opposes them or they have opposing factions against them, they hate. ... They're not about to discuss anything,” he argued.Citing Scriptures from 1 John 3:11-15 and 1 John 4:19-21, Cymbala said that anyone who does not demonstrate love is not reflecting true Christianity.“Whoever does not love their brother and sister whom they have seen cannot love God whom they have not seen. And He has given us this command. Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister,” Cymbala said.“If five years ago you somehow rejoiced or took satisfaction when George Floyd was killed, you're a very sick individual because Christ died for George Floyd. Christ died for Charlie Kirk. Christ died for everyone. How can we rejoice over the death of someone that Jesus loves?” he asked.“I'm not giving you my opinion. I'm giving you the Word of God. And there are some people now — and it's more and more in churches — they are ethnic, racial, political first, Christian second. My last word is this: Do not identify yourself first as anything but a Christian. We are Christians first.”

By Leah MarieAnn Klett, Assistant Editor Monday, September 15, 20255-0 Studios LondonFor generations, the Winans family has been recognized as gospel music royalty, with numerous Grammy, Stellar and Dove awards under their collective belts. But for Michael Winans Sr., the fifth oldest of the Winans children and member of “The Winans” singing group, the family’s true legacy is not about fame but about covenant.“I just have to be thankful,” the 66-year-old Detroit, Michigan, native told The Christian Post. “It could have been any other family. But God’s faithfulness toward us, and our faith in Him, makes all the difference. I am very thankful that He chose us.” “This was never about fame,” Winans added. “It was about a covenant. One family. One name. And the God who never let go.”Winans, a five-time Grammy Award-winner, serves as the executive producer of “Scroll of the Winans: A Journey with Asher and Isaiah,” a new animated series from 5-0 Studios London. Inspired by the forthcoming film series “Thankful” and accompanied by a 12-volume children’s storybook collection, Isaiah — Walking with the Winans, the project seeks to reimagine one of gospel’s most celebrated dynasties for a new generation.“Scroll of the Winans” follows two 11-year-old boys: Asher, the quiet angel who observes Scripture, and Isaiah Winans, a child destined to carry his family’s promise forward. Together, they travel through generations of Winans history — witnessing miraculous survival, courageous marriages and the building of churches in the face of segregation.Guided by a glowing scroll, Isaiah sees his family’s journey unfold, from the moment his grandfather Louis survived yellow fever to the rise of children and grandchildren who would one day change the sound of gospel music forever.Each episode pairs a pivotal moment in the Winans’ story with a parallel biblical event, something Winans said stemmed from a desire to give children something different.“Scripture says, ‘Train up a child in the way it should go, and when they get old, they will not depart,’” he said. “It’s our job to get to these kids as early as possible, because everything that’s being sent out there is negative. And I think it’s our job to let people know you have the choice to pick good from evil, and we would love to lay that out for kids as early as possible.”For Melanie Greene, the series creator and fellow executive producer, framing the Winans’ journey through the Bible was essential. She shared how, delving into the Winans’ family history, she was struck by their commitment to their faith despite obstacles.“When we began to research, we could see that every step in their story was already in the Word,” she said. “When his great-great-grandfather survived yellow fever, that moment was a seed. It allowed the family to grow and blossom. Every generation since has stayed within the church, spreading the Word, making the Gospel their lifestyle. So when you connect it with Scripture, you see it’s already there.”The Winans' story traces back nearly two centuries, when the family’s ancestor, Louis Winans, was ordained. He had 12 children, and the family continued to grow, each generation remaining closely tied to the church.“They all stayed synonymous with God’s blessings,” Greene explained. “From the very beginning, no one veered off the road. That’s why this story is so powerful; it shows how faithfulness carries through generations.”“All we knew was church,” Winans added. “I remember sitting on my great-grandfather’s knee — I must have been 8 years old — and he would give us quarters. Until I became of age and chose it for myself, that’s all I knew. Be faithful to God and faithful to His Word the best I can. We all fall, but it’s a matter of getting back up and standing up for what is right.”Both Greene and Winans credit David Winans Sr., “Pop,” and Delores, “Mom” Winans, with planting the seeds that continue to flourish today. “The Winans,” comprised of siblings Marvin, Carvin, Michael and Ronald, were mentored by Andraé Crouch and went on to win Grammy Awards. Younger siblings BeBe and CeCe Winans also produced chart-topping hits, winning Grammy, Dove and Soul Train Awards.CeCe has become the best-selling female gospel artist of all time, selling over 19 million records worldwide. She is also the most-awarded female gospel artist, with 17 Grammys, 31 Dove Awards, and 19 Stellar Awards, among other honors.“It’s an ongoing relationship with Christ that keeps you focused, helps you not to grow weary in doing well, and to make sure that your life pleases Him. Then your music will follow,” CeCe recently told CP.Greene credited “Pop” Winans for “pouring all of his faith” into his children, creating an enduring legacy. “Pop Winans poured all of his faith into his children,” Greene said. “He gave everything to them. And that seed grew into a garden. That’s what this animation is about — showing children that when you grow the seed of faith well, you’ll see a beautiful harvest.”For Winans, that inheritance is still unfolding. “Dad and Mom poured everything they had into their children, and I’m a living witness,” he said. Now a grandfather of three, he sees the next generation following in their footsteps as writers and producers. “It feels good to see the work and time you put into your children constantly continue, especially for the good.”Music runs through “Scroll of the Winans “as both storytelling device and spiritual heritage. Winans is composing the soundtrack and original score alongside his daughter, LaShay Whitt, with contributions from his children and grandchildren.“We’re sitting on over 2,000 songs and scoring ideas. Once you see us in a studio working, you’re gonna say, ‘Wow, they’re on one accord, on one mind. They have one job to do, and it’s gonna be done in harmony,’” he said.Greene added that the project has reached far beyond the Winans’ immediate circle. “We connected with 150 gospel artists from 35 countries for the soundtrack,” she said. “Even if children don’t see the film, they will encounter the music. That’s why the animation was so important. Through Isaiah, we can show children walking with Jesus, with the women of the Bible, and with others who lived their faith. We want to catch them early.”“Scroll of the Winans” is part of a multi-platform creative vision encompassing the “Thankful" film series, a book, the 12-title children’s collection and a devotional series. Together, they form an intergenerational project designed to teach, inspire and encourage families around the world, according to Greene.“Isaiah’s journey will continue through the Bible, walking with others and showing children that God is the way,” she said. “If we can help them see that at a very young age, then we’ve done our job.”“To leave this kind of spiritual legacy for future generations — it really feels good,” Winans added. “And I just hope it gives hope. Things may look bad right now, but give it another day. It may totally turn around.”

By Anugrah Kumar, Christian Post Contributor Monday, September 15, 2025Schloss Goldenstein is a historic Austrian convent and a private girls' school founded in the 15th century near Salzburg, Austria. | Wikimedia Commons/Ricardalovesmonuments/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Schloss_Goldenstein_(Elsbethen)_1.jpgThree elderly nuns in Austria have returned to their former convent after leaving a Catholic care home where they say they were placed against their will. With the help of former students and a locksmith, the women broke into the building, restored basic utilities and are now refusing to leave.The nuns, aged 82 to 88, were the last remaining members of the Kloster Goldenstein community in Elsbethen, a town near the city of Salzburg in Austria’s Salzburg state, before the convent was officially dissolved in early 2024. The building, a castle that had served as a girls’ private school and religious community since 1877, was taken over by the Archdiocese of Salzburg and the Reichersberg Abbey in 2022, according to The Telegraph.Sister Bernadette, 88, who first entered the convent as a student in 1948, said they were moved to a Catholic care facility in December 2023 without being consulted.“We weren’t asked. We had the right to stay here until the end of our lives and that was broken,” she was quoted as saying.Sister Regina, 86, joined the convent in 1958 and eventually became the headmistress of the school. Sister Rita, 82, arrived in 1962 and, like the others, spent decades teaching at the institution.The school, which began accepting boys in 2017, remains operational. But by 2023, only the three women were left. After the community was dissolved, they were granted lifelong residence rights at the convent, conditional on their physical and mental health.Markus Grasl, provost of Reichersberg Abbey and the sisters’ new superior, later determined that independent living at the castle was no longer viable and arranged for their transfer to a retirement home.The nuns said they had long felt uncomfortable and out of place at the care home.Sister Bernadette said she would rather die alone in a field than spend her final days in the retirement home.Earlier this month, they quietly packed their belongings and returned to the convent with the assistance of former students. Finding their quarters locked and utilities disconnected, they called in a locksmith, brought in generators and water canisters and began restoring the space.Power and water have now been partially restored.A stream of visitors, including many former pupils, have arrived with food, medicine and other supplies. A doctor has examined the women and continues to monitor their condition. One former student, Sophie Tauscher, said, “Goldenstein without the nuns is just not possible,” according to the BBC.The three nuns now occupy their old rooms, which had been stripped of electricity, water and even the stairlift used to navigate the steep staircase. In videos posted to Instagram, they are seen praying, eating meals together and climbing the stairs unaided.In one video, Sister Rita challenged viewers to a race to prove her mobility. Their posts have drawn widespread support, with hundreds of messages cheering them on.Provost Grasl has said the sisters’ return was “completely incomprehensible” and described it as “an escalation.” He insisted that the care home had provided them with “absolutely essential, professional, and good medical care.”Grasl said the convent’s current condition made it unsuitable for elderly residents and that the women’s wishes regarding the school’s operation had already been considered.The Austrian Conference of Religious Orders has supported Grasl’s position, saying the convent’s condition makes it unfit for habitation. However, the sisters remain defiant and appear determined to stay. They said they do not view themselves as squatters or intruders but as rightful residents reclaiming their home.The sisters have not received any formal notice to leave and have continued to receive visits from former students and supporters. Their most recent video shows them at prayer in a small chapel within the convent.