SPOKANE, WA – In partnership with Tyndale House Publishers and Crossway Books, Olive Tree has released a new iLumina MOBILE package that includes the ESV Bible in place of the NIV. Targeted to a new group of Bible software users, iLumina MOBILE ESV will help Olive Tree continue to expand their customer base and meet the diverse demands of the Bible software community. iLumina MOBILE, both the ESV and NIV versions, are based on the PC iLumina Gold version, but have been retooled to support Pocket PC and Palm OS devices. iLumina MOBILE is now available as the market's first digitally animated Bible and encyclopedia suite-right in the palm of your hand.

"What impressed me most about the handheld is that nothing of the original essence of the PC has been lost. If anything, the graphics are brighter and crisper in the scaled down version," says W. Victor Kore, Marketing Manager from Beers Publishing Group Tyndale House Publishers. "The user interface is well thought out too. >From the main page, you are only a tap away from the Bible, the encyclopedia, timeline or multimedia. It is not only functional, but a pleasure to look at."

”Meet God’s best, by being God’s best—based on God’s Word” is the slogan that summarizes the purpose and goals of a new dating site for Christians, www.DatingDisciples.com. The site offers a variety of Bible-based tools and features, along with the latest dating site communications technologies. Included are forums, audio scriptures, Online Bible studies, sermons for singles and referral based free membership plan.

“The Apostle Paul said in Philippians 4:19, ‘My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.’ People whose needs are met make much better choices in relationships,” he said.

Dating Disciples.com features on-line Bible searches and Bible studies, scripture set to music, audio sermons for singles, forums for discussions and prayer, scripture e-cards and evangelistic “Flash” movies that can be sent to others. It also points members to “good works” ministry opportunities. Members can give and rate suggestions, so the site can be continually improved.

Unlike other dating sites, Dating Disciples.com offers free full membership privileges for those who refer three new paying members. Banners, e-cards, “Flash” movies and other trackable resources are available to help do this.

The Second Annual Theo (Theologian) Awards will be held at the astonishing Hobby Center for the Performing Arts in Houston TX, June 10, 2006. "The purpose of the Theologian Awards ceremony is to acknowledge and bring awareness to the tireless effort and uncompromising dedication of theologians all over the world and never failing commitment to spread the Word of Christ to all." This year’s awards will name multi-Stellar Award winning, Grammy nominated Pastor John P. Kee as Theologian of the year for his commitment to helping others.

Since Kee started the New LIfe Community choir in the eighties he has bee lauded for stepping in and bringing hope to the seemingly hopeless. He used his personal testimony as a product of the streets to deliver other like him, many of whom are members of the choir.The Huricane Katrina aftermath pulled at his heart and he became a "rescue angel" providing much needed items for the southernparishes in Louisiana. It is because of this unwavering commitment to helping others that Kee is being honored as Theologian of the Year. The show will be hosted by Stellar-Award winner and Houston resident, Micah Stampley, comedian Johnathan Slocum and Lexi from The Word Network.

Awards will be given in the following areas: youth, Christian athletics, theologian in the area of gospel music, lifetime achievement gospel music award, humanitarian, lifetime achievement, and theologian of the year.

This year’s performance line-up includes Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Stephen Hurd, Micah Stampley, Daryl Coley, JJ Hairston & Youthful Praise, Lyric, Anthony Evans, Eric D. Carrington, Regina Murphy and a special closing act by the 2006 Theologian of the Year, Pastor John P. Kee & the New Life Fellowship choir and many more.

(LA TIMES) –“The African Methodist Episcopal Church has relieved a Los Angeles minister of his duties after concluding that he sexually molested two underage victims, according to a spokesman for the church, even though no criminal charges have been filed and the pastor denies the allegations.

The Rev. Sylvester Laudermill Jr., a prominent minister in the AME Church, assumed the pulpit of Ward AME Church in 2004 after pastoring a church in St. Louis for 10 years. He has maintained his innocence since allegations against him first surfaced in December 2005, when a 25-year-old man told St. Louis police that Laudermill began a sexual relationship with him when he was 14 that continued until he turned 21.

Another accuser then came forward in Los Angeles, but neither church officials nor police will elaborate on the nature of his allegations, except to say that he is a minor.

AME Bishop John Bryant, who heads the church's 5th Episcopal District that includes St. Louis and Los Angeles, held a closed-door session Monday evening and told the 200 congregants who filled the sanctuary of the accusations against Laudermill, the substantiation and the defrocking. He also told them they would be getting a new pastor in a month.

The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating the more recent charges; Lt. Manny Hernandez said no conclusion had been reached. St. Louis officials investigating local allegations say they may soon make a determination.

"It is still under investigation and we may reach resolution early next week," said Ed Postawko, an attorney in the St. Louis circuit attorney's office.

Laudermill was suspended from Ward AME in March when church administrative committees in Los Angeles and St. Louis launched their investigations.

The St. Louis committee substantiated six of eight allegations brought by the 25-year-old accuser, and the Los Angeles committee sustained both of the allegations brought by the younger accuser, despite Laudermill's strong denials, according to an attorney for the district, J. Stanley Sanders.

"Bishop Bryant did what he was mandated to do," Sanders said. Church disciplinary bylaws read: "If the accused has been convicted of a crime or a complaint has been sustained for child sexual abuse, rape or sexual assault, the bishop must demand the immediate and permanent surrender of the accused pastor's ministerial assignment, responsibilities and credentials," he said.

"Effectively he is barred from any position within the AME Church," Sanders said. "If you are defrocked by the bishop of the 5th, the bishops of other districts will respect that decision."

Neither victim has filed suit against the AME Church, he said, and the church is paying for counseling for both, Sanders said. According to members present at the Monday meeting, Bryant also told the congregation that the alleged victims wanted the church to take action against Laudermill but did not want to sue.

Laudermill had come to Los Angeles with glowing recommendations from St. Louis church leaders and even elected officials, according to church members. Several of them asked Bryant how the church planned to do a more thorough investigation of pastors and whether the congregation would have any say in selecting its new minister.

"Personally, I feel disappointed," said a church usher who was at the meeting. "I know he's a man and man will sin and man will do what he's not supposed to do, but I think when you're a pastor you are held up to a certain expectation; this feels like we all failed.

"It feels like what was I really going to church for? But I'm not the judge," she said. "I'm not anything other than a regular old person so I have to just pray and just forgive and just go on."

WASHINGTON – “Democratic chairman Howard Dean mischaracterized his party's platform on gay rights in an interview courting evangelicals, then set the record straight Thursday when an advocacy group called him on it.

Dean told Christian Broadcasting Network News that the 2004 Democratic platform declares "marriage is between a man and a woman" — just one of the points he made in reaching out to religious conservatives who are largely hostile to the party.

But the platform does not define marriage that way, and his remarks prompted the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force to return a $5,000 donation from the Democratic National Committee.

Dean later acknowledged his misstatement, but the group sent back the money anyway. "We need for Governor Dean to demonstrate real leadership on our issues," executive director Matt Foreman said in an interview, "not to equivocate depending on the audience."

Dean sought to establish common ground with religious conservatives in the interview on Pat Robertson's network, a tall order considering their opposition to the Democratic Party's positions on abortion rights, gay rights and some other social issues.

He went on: "The truth is, we have an enormous amount in common with the Christian community, and particularly with the evangelical Christian community. And one of the biggest things that Democrats worry about is the materialism of our country, what's on television that our kids are seeing, and the lack of spirituality."

With Republicans embracing the traditional definition of marriage in 2004, Democrats sought to appeal to such traditionalists without giving up their support for gay rights.

The result: a platform plank that left the central question about what defines marriage to the states, and specifically rejected President Bush's support for a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.

It asserted: "We support full inclusion of gay and lesbian families in the life of our nation and seek equal responsibilities, benefits, and protections for these families."

He added that the party differs with some religious leaders in believing "everybody deserves to live with dignity and respect, and that equal rights under the law are important."

After the gay rights group went public with its complaints about his remarks, Dean acknowledged: "I misstated the Democratic Party's platform, which does not say marriage should be limited to a man and a woman," and reasserted the party's commitment to equal protection for all.

Foreman said Dean should be persuading Democrats to fight against ballot initiatives seeking to ban gay marriage, but instead has misrepresented the party's "important and affirming plank" several times.

"There has been a disturbing lack of clarity from Governor Dean about where we fit into the party and the country," he said after Dean corrected himself.

NO information from this report can be reprinted without specific written permission from Rabercom Enterprises (info@rabercom.com), the publisher of EUR Gospel.

This is cache, read story here