(SRN NEWS)-( ) Rural churches in Minnesota are struggling to stay open. Shrinking congregations mean fewer donations for heating, maintenance and clergy, while pastor shortages add pressure. Bethlehem Lutheran near Backus now holds just six summer services, while Maple Hill Lutheran near Pine River meets monthly. Crosslake Presbyterian is considering fewer services or closure when its pastor retires in January. Its members are also exploring using the property for housing for seniors or young families. Experts say this problem is not unique to Minnesota, but is afflicting church congregations in rural communities across the U.S.
( ) Four New Hampshire families who have taken the Trump Administration to court over new restrictions on Medicaid funding for sex-change operations on children have had their day in court. Attorneys for the families argued that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services should not be allowed to determine which categories of care not to cover. Last year, New Hampshire banned so-called gender-affirming care for all new patients under the age of 18 but the plaintiff families are covered under the continuing care clause. President Trump has vowed to end taxpayer support for sex-change operations on kids.
( ) A former southeast Georgia librarian is suing her county and library system. LaVonnia Moore has filed a federal lawsuit that claims her Civil Rights were violated when she was fired from the Three Rivers Regional Library System last June. Moore says Pierce County commissioners fired her for displaying a book about a transgender child. A growing number of states and counties are forbidding their public libraries from offering books that promote the LGBT agenda to children. There’s also an effort underway to rid the libraries of public schools of similar material after numerous complaints from parents across the nation.
( ) A new affordable housing development in Tennessee is helping longtime residents remain in their neighborhood despite rising housing costs. Elevate North Nashville, a charitable organization connected to the House of God Church, recently completed income-based rental duplexes on Scovel Street. Organizers say construction took less than a year and the project is intended to serve families being priced out of the community. The church owns more than four acres of land and hopes to add additional housing, park space and other neighborhood improvements. Community leaders say they will help expand the effort.
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