c. 2006 Religion News Service

Graham Cited `Most Admired’ in Gallup Poll for 50th Time

(RNS) Evangelist Billy Graham has been named in the Gallup Poll’s top 10 “most admired” men list for a record 50th time.

In a poll taken in mid-December, the 88-year-old evangelist came in fifth. Ranked before him, in order, were President George W. Bush, former President Bill Clinton, former President Jimmy Carter, and Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.

The men ranking behind Graham, in order, were former Secretary of State Colin Powell, Pope Benedict XVI, former South African President Nelson Mandela, former President George H.W. Bush and Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

Graham has been ranked in the poll almost every year the question was asked by The Gallup Organization since 1955. The only two years when he didn’t rank were in 1976, when the question wasn’t asked by the polling firm, and in 1962, said Jeffrey M. Jones, managing editor of the Gallup Poll.

Other frequent top 10 poll finishers are Carter (25 times), the elder Bush (17), Clinton (15), Powell (15) and Mandela (15).

The latest results are based on telephone interviews with a random national sample of 1,010 adults from Dec. 11-14. They had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

_ Adelle M. Banks

Largest A Cappella Church of Christ Adds Instrumental Service

(RNS) The nation’s largest a cappella congregation within the Churches of Christ has decided to add an instrumental worship assembly on Saturday evenings.

Statements on the Web site of Richland Hills Church of Christ in the Fort Worth, Texas, area said the decision came after a lengthy period of fasting and prayer.

“After a three-year period of much study, prayer and fasting, the leadership of the Richland Hills Church of Christ has decided to add a third weekend assembly that will include instrumental praise,” reads one statement on a Web page titled “The Both/And Church.”

An additional statement from elders of the church said the period of reflection inspired them to “become a more externally focused church.”

The congregation, located in North Richland Hills, Texas, is the largest of the 13,000 a cappella churches in the Churches of Christ, reported The Christian Chronicle, a denominational newspaper.

For more than 100 years, instrumental churches and a cappella, or noninstrumental churches, have remained separate while sharing their roots in the Stone-Campbell Movement of the 1830s. Some opponents to instrumental music say instruments are not mentioned in the New Testament.

The newspaper said Rick Atchley, senior minister of the church, has been a national leader in recent efforts to improve relations with instrumental Christian Churches. He told a Dec. 3 Bible study at his church that the decision will permit the congregation “to reach more people who need Christ” and also will ease crowding at the church’s two Sunday morning services.

“I greatly appreciate a cappella praise,” Atchley told congregation members. “There is no intention of this leadership to force anyone to worship any other way if that is their choice. … But I firmly believe that if Richland Hills is to be most faithful to God’s word and Christ’s mission, we must become a both/and church with regard to instrumental and a cappella praise.”

The new service is scheduled to launch on the second weekend of February, the newspaper reported.

_ Adelle M. Banks

Coalition of Religious Groups Objects to Coach’s `Praying’

(RNS) The Washington-based Interfaith Alliance has filed a brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals criticizing a lower court ruling that allowed a New Jersey high school football coach to lead team prayers prior to games in the 2005 season.

U.S. District Judge Dennis Cavanaugh determined in July that coach and Spanish teacher Marcus Borden could bow his head and take a knee during student-led prayers before games at East Brunswick High School.

But a coalition of religious groups led by The Interfaith Alliance, a nonpartisan, grass-roots organization, disagreed with the ruling. The groups filed an amicus, or friend of the court, brief on Dec. 20 opposing Cavanaugh’s decision.

“By bowing his head and kneeling in a prayer circle with students as they pray, Coach Borden unconstitutionally crosses the line from government neutrality to government participation in and endorsement of religious exercise. Coach Borden’s claim that his action lack (sic) religious content is both disingenuous and insulting to sincere religious adherents,” according to a news release issued by The Interfaith Alliance.

The Interfaith Alliance was joined by seven other groups in filing the brief.

When the lower court ruled, East Brunswick School Superintendent Jo Ann Magistro issued a statement saying the district was pleased with the ruling. But when the board found out that it would have to pay Borden’s attorney’s bills because the judge ruled in his favor, it decided to appeal the decision.

Attorney Ronald Riccio, who represents Borden, said he’s “confident the decision by the district court was correct. Bowing your head and taking a knee is not praying.”

But the Rev. C. Welton Gaddy, president of The Interfaith Alliance, said, “The lower court has taken a position that is degrading and dangerous to religion. It is not the role of schools or courts to take away or insert meaning in a clearly religious act.”

Parents complained to the district in September 2005 that Borden prayed with students at pasta dinners on Friday afternoons and in the locker room before the games.

Borden, who led his team to a state championship two years ago, resigned as coach after being ordered to stop praying. He rescinded his resignation and agreed to abide by the new policy so he could resume coaching.

_ Chandra M. Hayslett

Quote of the Day: Singer Usher

(RNS) “I guess God just couldn’t take seeing the Soul Brotha No. 1 from the nosebleed seats anymore.”

_ Singer Usher, in a statement about the Dec. 25 death of music legend James Brown. He was quoted by USA Today.

KRE/JL END RNS