Indiana court rejects

PCUSA property claim

Citing conflicting interpretations of the Presbyterian Church (USA) Book of Order, and affirming that the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution prohibits civil court interpretations of ecclesiastical documents, Indiana Judge Carl Heldt of the Vanderburgh Circuit Court has rejected PCUSA claims to a local church’s property.

Six Pakistani employees of World Vision were killed, and eight others wounded, Wednesday morning by masked militants who stormed its office in northwest Pakistan armed with guns and grenades. It was the worst single act of violence in the organization’s 60-year history, The New York Times reports. The Federal Way, Wash.-based organization, among the largest Christian charities in the world, has since suspended its operations in Pakistan. Speaking only from his own experiences in missions and as a long-time World Vision supporter, John Huffman said Wednesday’s attack will have a much different long-term effect.