Newsmakers

Evangelical support for Israel has remained unchanged amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, according to a recent survey. Researchers found the belief that "God’s covenant with the Jewish people remains intact today" serves as the greatest impact on support for the Jewish state.

"If a respondent professes this belief, the likelihood that this person strongly supports Israel increases almost threefold (180%)," reads a press release from researchers behind the study.

Dr. Motti Inbari, a professor of Jewish studies at UNC Pembroke, and Dr. Kirill Bumin, associate dean of Metropolitan College and director of Boston University Summer Term Programs, explained to CBN News what they found most stunning about the latest data.

"We've been doing this research for quite some time," Bumin said. "And one of the things that I find particularly interesting is the degree to which the attitudes that we see in the Christian community are crystallized or rigid."

He continued, "We have seen relatively little change in attitudes towards support for Israel, support for Palestinians, or support for neither from 2021 onward."

Bumin said this persists even after the Oct. 7 attack and the subsequent war broke out.

Another factor of interest was generational differences the researchers observed among young evangelicals, who have been found to be less supportive — particularly those under the age of 20 — of Israel. Listen to them break it all down.

Mike Huckabee joins CBN's "Newsmakers" to discuss former president Donald Trump, the state of politics, and what's going on culturally in America.

One of the leaders of an organization working to spread the Gospel to Iranians reports that claims of Middle Easterners encountering Jesus in dreams are "quite common," with the Lord using these interactions to draw individuals closer to Him. "God is using [dreams] to speak to Iranians all the time," Lana Silk, U.S. director of Transform Iran, recently told CBN News. "He uses every method He can. ... The Iranians are open to dreams; they are dreamers. They enjoy talking about their dreams, and they're aware of their dreams, and God uses that to speak to them."

While reports of Jesus appearing in dreams to Middle Easterners are prevalent, the same can't be said for Americans more generally, as such anecdotal reports in the West seem far less rampant. Silk explained why she believes there's such a radical difference between the U.S. and Middle East. 

"I think we have become quite secular in the West, and we have wanted to rationalize and understand everything," she said. "And when you're in a place where it has to be within your frame of reference and something that you can explain away, then you end up taking away some of the exciting, creative ways in which God likes to speak." Silk continued, "So, there is a challenge to us here in the West to take off our need to be able to completely own the information and the process and fully grasp it, and just allow God to 'wow' us and do mysterious things."

As for Iran, specifically, Silk shared several powerful stories surrounding Jesus appearing in dreams. One Muslim woman who was forced into marriage at age 13 and faced extreme trauma told Transform Iran Jesus began appearing to her in her doorway and then in dreams. "[He would] hold out his hand to her and say, 'Come and trust me; come and follow me,'" Silk said. "And then she would go to sleep, and he would appear to her in her dreams, and he would speak to her ... it was a gentle call."

The woman, shocked and assuming she needed to cling closer to her Muslim faith to stop the apparitions, started saying her Islamic prayers more reverently. But when she went to say the name of Muhammad one day, something shocking happened: "The name 'Jesus' would come out of her mouth." She eventually gave her life to Christ and now serves as a pastor on the Transform Iran ministry team. Her story, of course, is just one of many. Hear Silk explain the dream dynamic and other stories like this one.

Evangelist Nick Hall is in the midst of yet another monumental, year-long evangelism campaign.

"Anthem of Grace" kicked off with a massive global broadcast on Good Friday, hitting tens of millions of people with the Gospel. Translated into 60 languages, millions are still consuming the content in nations across the world.

"It's been amazing to see what God is doing," Hall, founder of the Pulse Movement, told CBN News. "And I think we all know this, but ... there's a revival spreading. There's joy, there's hope."

The evangelist said the Anthem of Grace campaign centers on two things "Amazing Grace," the "most sung and most translated hymn ever." Beyond that, he said the campaign seeks to focus on the power of the Gospel to change hearts and minds.

"[It also focuses on the] story of every believer whose life has been changed by this and trying to tell the story of God's grace in our lives, and welcoming people into that anthem of grace," Hall said.

The faith leader said the mission of highlighting the change God has made in people's lives and helping others discover the same transformation in their own journeys is the pinnacle of the campaign. Listen to him explain.

A former pastor at Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, is speaking out in the wake of the Robert Morris scandal to share what he believes are helpful steps to address and prevent abuse in Christian circles. Bob Hamp worked as executive pastor of pastoral care at Gateway Church from 2005-2014, developing the house of worship's Freedom Ministry.

Hamp told CBN News the allegations that Morris molested a 12-year-old girl in the 1980s were not known to him before hearing accuser Cindy Clemishire's harrowing account. Hamp said he joined the church well after these purported events took place and had no involvement; he now runs Think Differently Academy, helping people heal and find spiritual fulfillment in Christ. "I'm heartbroken," Hamp told CBN News. 

Hamp helps people who have been sexually abused. He spoke compassionately about the tragedy of Clemishire being forced to deal with what unfolded as a child and then carry it throughout her life. He also said something else noteworthy surrounding the Morris saga: the specific allegations surrounding the pastor were not in line with what he had been told in the past. "The first thing: my heart just went out to her," he said. "And I think, secondly, I felt a sense of, 'This is not the story that I was told.' So ... a sense of betrayal, and anger about that, and sadness."

Hamp said church leadership at his level at Gateway and the public were seemingly both given the "same information" about Morris' past sin issue. "That information is that there was an inappropriate relationship with a young woman," Hamp said. "And, in that, I think there's a language there that leads to a certain conclusion." He spoke about the ways in which language can sometimes be used in these circumstances to "fog the actual truth."

"So, I, along with, I think, the general public, had heard the same story, which is, at some point in his life, there was a period of, or an experience of, immorality," Hamp said. "Or an inappropriate relationship with... 'a young woman.' I had no idea that it was a 12-year-old little girl." As CBN News previously reported, Morris, 62, who resigned from Gateway Tuesday, offered a recent statement on the allegations against him in which he again used the term "young lady."

As for Hamp, he is speaking out in an effort to try and help people navigate the complex feelings and emotions surrounding this case and church abuse more generally, especially as moral failings, sin issues, and overt instances of abuse continue to unfold within Christian environments. He recently published a post on X explaining, in detail, how he hopes people will react to the situation.

"The purpose of that post was to say, listen, we ought to deal with whatever happened at Gateway Church and ... the years prior. We ought to deal with that in spirit and in truth," he said. "But, if we don't have the bigger conversation, this will happen again, and this will happen again, and this will happen again." Hear the interview to hear Hamp's advice for churches.

Jennie Allen has had a front-row seat to much of the revival unfolding across America, particularly among young people. She's been speaking on college campuses and witnessing Gen Z's rising interest in faith and the Bible. "It is so real," Allen recently told CBN News from the red carpet of the KLOVE Fan Awards in Nashville, Tennessee. "There's no hype. They actually are hungry for God. It's been the most beautiful thing."

Allen has seen massive college-age audiences hang on her every word as she shares the Gospel, with the fervor so strong at some schools she's found herself impromptu baptizing young people in the backs of pick-up trucks — or even in local creeks. "They are responding to the Gospel," she said. "And they are showing up in droves. So, it's been super encouraging that this generation wants God." Allen said she first noticed Generation Z's hunger in 2018 when she spoke at Texas A&M about sin, and the young audience immediately responded in a truly "special" way.

"They were hungry," she said, noting the intense interest wasn't lost on her. "They were willing to be honest; they wanted God." Allen said the experience of ministering to young people has had a profound impact on her life as well. Today, she's focused on reaching youths with the Bible's message of grace and redemption. "I want to just keep my head down, and be faithful, and not be distracted by many things," she said. "So, for me, it's given me such clarity, such boldness. I want to serve God, and I want to serve them well, and I don't want to hold back."

Tasha Layton is known for her Gospel-themed music, but the Christian singer's journey to faith-based music took some truly unique twists and turns. Layton, 41, told CBN News that her journey from singing backup for Katy Perry to embarking on her own quest into Christian music taught her a major lesson: the importance of "trusting God with every step." "Before I entered music to do my own music, there were a lot of years that I wasn't sure how God was going to work it out," she said. "I didn't understand why I was taking this path, or going in this direction, or how He was going to work it all together for His good."

But Layton said she now knows the Lord was weaving together a beautiful story — something she didn't understand at the time. Now, she's encouraging others to trust the Lord and know, "He's got it, and He is essentially carving the way if you are surrendering to Him." Layton said she continues leaning into trusting God to navigate Christian music, an industry that offers some unique challenges. "It's easy to get burned out," she said. "It's easy to let someone else try to tell you who you are. ... So, it's that continual lesson of trust."

And that lesson in trust came after Layton spent years touring the world with Perry. Layton had the chance to embark on a secular music career after but felt called to do something else entirely. "I was offered a deal on ... the secular side, and I felt so firmly that it wasn't what I was called to do," she said. "And there were compromises in that world. ... I wanted to connect people to God with my music, with my actions, with my team, with my integrity — and I didn't feel like I could fully do that with freedom, going that route."

Layton said it was an "easy decision" to turn down that offer and pursue Christian music instead — something she had prayed and dreamed about as a teenager.

"The cool famous venues, the cool private plane thing — I'd already done all that," Layton said. "And there's a reason Paul says, 'You can gain the world and lose your soul.'" Full-time ministry was always Layton's goal, so, while it might have seemed tough to say, "No" to potential fame and fortune in the secular space, doing so ushered her into what she believes is God's will for her life. "I'm so fulfilled," she said. "I'm standing in the fulfillment of prayers."

A pastor who went viral for stopping in the middle of his sermon to offer kindness to a homeless man is sharing the real-life story behind the touching video of his compassionate act. Pastor Ed Newton of Community Bible Church in San Antonio, Texas, told CBN News why he chose to engage the man — named Anthony — and why he believes the interaction offers an important lesson. For those unfamiliar, the story began when Anthony yelled expletives toward the pulpit during an April church service, leaving Newton and parishioners in a bit of shock.

Anthony wasn't angry, though; he had reportedly noticed the pastor's shoes and yelled out a curse — an inappropriate reaction inside a church — to express how "cool" he thought they were. The scenario put Newton in a strange position as a pastor on stage, mid-sermon, in front of a massive audience. The preacher paused to briefly address the incident and ask for Anthony's name, then "just moved on and then got into the bulk of the message." The moment has since gone viral. 

"We were actually preaching through our core values, and the core value of that weekend was 'celebrate life change,'" Newton told CBN News. "We [had] ... just baptized like over 200 people, and so we celebrate." Newton continued, "We actually have like a pep rally when people get baptized." After Anthony interrupted, the pastor went back to talking about the story of the parable of the lost sheep found in Matthew 18 and Luke 15, and how the Pharisees were critical of Jesus. Little did Newton know, but Anthony was about to call out to him again from the audience.

"That's ... where Anthony yells out again and ... as I'm talking about the Pharisees, he goes, 'That's blank, blank," Newton said, indicating Anthony again cursed aloud. "All I knew to do in that moment was to go, 'Hey, listen, if we're one on one, I'm not correcting you,' but because we got little ears in the room, I had to somewhat kind of just say, 'Hey, you're welcome here. You're loved here [but let's not curse].'" It was a gentle and loving rebuke, but a moment that preceded something Newton likely couldn't have imagined. Anthony spoke aloud again and revealed that another man in the audience named Michael had brought him to church that day — and had saved his life.

See, Anthony was reportedly planning to commit suicide that morning before Michael met him and took him to church. Hear Newton explain what happened next.

A new faith and family-friendly video came company is looking to transform the entertainment landscape. Hollywood is already making Christian content, but now TruPlay is joining in to create faith-inspiring games — and more. CEO and founder Brent Dusing joins "Newsmakers."

"This ... has been the most difficult thing we've ever faced." That's how Missouri state Rep. Ben Baker described the tragic murder of his daughter and son-in-law, who were killed last month while selflessly serving as missionaries in Haiti. "They were special people, exceptional in so many ways — very mature beyond their years," Baker said of Natalie and Davy Lloyd. "And it played out in their life."

Despite dealing with the unimaginable pain of what unfolded, Baker said he and his family want to "tell the story of Davy and Natalie," explaining why he believes their "example is just so unique and powerful." "Their life was such a contrast to our current culture, where people are so caught up in self and worried about all the things that really don't matter," Baker said. "And Davey and Natalie were completely sold out to the calling of God ... and they were an example of selfless love toward people that, even, ultimately in this situation, did not return that love."

As chaos has increasingly raged this year in Haiti and gang rule has overtaken parts of the country, Davey, 23, and Natalie, 21, had declined to leave before their deaths, seeking to stay behind to help. "They wanted to make sure that the kids [in the orphanage] had somebody there," Baker said. "The kids would have had nowhere to go if they would have left, and that's the kind of mentality they had. And it was just a beautiful thing to see."

The grieving father shared that Davy, who was born in the states, served as a missionary to Haiti since his birth. According to Baker, "the people of Haiti were Davy's family" and "Haitian Creole was his first language." He always intended to become a missionary, and was living that out when they were killed. As for Natalie, Baker said his family has a deep history serving as missionaries, making her decision to minister in Haiti a natural progression.

While some might struggle to understand why people would so selflessly put themselves in harm's way, Baker said he has always taught his children to listen to the voice of the Lord. "I've always taught my children that the will of God is the absolute ... most important thing that you could pursue in your life, no matter where that takes you," he said. "Natalie chose missions and even in a dangerous place, but it was something that we still supported." Though Baker doesn't have all of the answers surrounding why the situation ended the way it did, he knows he can still fully trust God.