Tag Archives: Michigan

Family Christian Stores Files Bankruptcy

The nation’s largest Christian bookstore chain specializing in Bibles, books, music and church supplies has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Family Christian Stores, the Grand Rapids, Michigan based non-profit company has 266 stores across 36 states.  FCS employs around 4,000 employees.  Corporate officials say that they don’t anticipate closing stores or laying off employees.

“We strive to serve God in all that we do and trust His guidance in all our decisions, especially this very important one,” stated FCS president and CEO Chuck Bengochea. “We have carefully and prayerfully considered every option. This action allows us to stay in business and continue to serve our customers, our associates, our vendors and charities around the world.”

FCS had bought itself back from private equity owners in 2012 with a pledge to donate 100 percent of profits to “widows and orphans.”

FCS released a statement regarding the restructuring:

Through a newly formed subsidiary, Family Christian Ministries will serve as the lead bidder for the Section 363 sale process, putting forward a plan that acquires the streamlined organization’s assets and maintains operation of the chain’s 267 stores in 36 states, as well as its e-commerce site www.familychristian.com. Family Christian Stores is asking the court for a schedule to complete the sale process in about 60 days.

After the judge approves the sale, we’ll be immediately cash-flow positive and profitable. This process is similar to the one taken by the automobile and airline industries in recent years. We see this as the start of a fresh new day for Family Christian Stores and look forward to delighting our customers for many years to come.

Among our next steps are to make various capital improvements to our stores, as well as invest in an expanded product line and implement a new retail strategy that will enable us to better serve our customers.

Half Century Old Cross To Be Removed Because of Anti-Christianist

A cross that stood on a hill above Grand Haven, Michigan for over 50 years will now be removed after an anti-Christian man who does not live in the community threatened a lawsuit.

Grand Haven City Council voted 3 to 2 for the removal of the cross from Dewey Hill despite massive opposition from the community for the move.

Grand Haven resident Brandon Hall, who writes for West Michigan Politics, says that the community is united against a man they see as a bully.

“One thing I want to make clear: Grand Haven is not divided. It is very united in support of the cross,” Hall said. “All my atheist friends hate what is going on here.  It’s very surprising that one guy can come from out of state and start all this. It is very shocking and disappointing.”

Mitch Kayle, who is openly bigoted against Christians, has bragged on social media of his actions attacking anything that might be Christian in public.  He has conducted similar hate campaigns in Hawaii.

“He is an atheist extremist who targets Christians and gives atheists a bad name,” Hall said.

A group of residents is raising funds to purchase the land the cross sits upon to keep it standing above the city.

Satanists Put Up Display At Michigan Capitol

A group of Satanists have placed a display on the Michigan State Capitol grounds to mock the placement of nativity scenes in publicly available areas.

The Satanic Temple set up what they call the “Snaketivity Scene” that shows a snake wrapped around a book called “Revolt of the Angels.”  The whole thing is wrapped around the Satanic cross.

Satanic Temple spokeswoman Jex Blackmore said her group really doesn’t worship Satan despite the fact they’re called the Satanic Temple.

“Having our government endorse one singular viewpoint or method of celebrating the season is problematic when we have a diverse community of people in Michigan,” she said.

Senator Rick Jones, who was sponsoring the nativity scene on the Capitol grounds, said he representa “the light and not the darkness.”

“They could have put theirs up in July or April or sometime. They didn’t need to put it up in the Christmas season,” Jones said. “That’s OK. We’re going to ignore them. I’m not afraid of the snake people. I’m sure that Jesus Christ is not afraid.”

Michigan House Approves Religious Freedom Restoration Act

The Michigan House of Representatives has passed a state version of the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act despite outcry from anti-Christian groups in the state.

The bill, HB5958, cleared the House Judiciary Committee 7-4 and passed the full House 59-50.  The Senate now picks up the bill for consideration.

The bill was introduced in the state house because the federal law, signed into law in 1993 by President Bill Clinton, only applies to federal issues.  Legislators in Michigan wanted to make sure Christians and other people of faith had their rights protected from state groups and organizations.

The statute reads: “The free exercise of religion is an inherent, fundamental, and unalienable right secured by Article 1 of the state Constitution of 1963 and the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.”

The bill is in response to anti-Christian groups that want to eliminate Christians and people of faith from being able to exercise their rights in society.

“I support individual liberty and I support religious freedom,” House Speaker Jase Bolger (R) declared Thursday to the Judiciary Committee. “I have been horrified as some have claimed that a person’s faith should only be practiced while hiding in their home or in their church.”

Street Preacher Case To Be Reviewed By U.S. Appeals Court

A three-judge panel of the 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals voted to review a case that claims police officers in Dearborn, Michigan failed to protect the freedom of speech for Christian preachers.

The court had ruled in August in a 2-1 decision the police did not violate the free speech rights of “Bible Believers” but voted in favor of a review, which is “intended to bring to the attention of the entire court a precedent setting error of exceptional public importance.”

Ruben Israel, a street preacher who organized the Dearborn outreach, told the Christian Post the review is about protecting free speech in America.

“We had to get [the case] out of Dearborn and we had to get it out of Detroit. Now, since the circuit has picked it up, we believe and trust that they will set the record straight,” Israel said in an interview with The Christian Post. “Free speech sometimes may not be very gracious. But there is something called ‘the hecklers veto.’ That is when you can say something very unpopular and it is protected. We believe that since the circuit wants to and has gone ahead and picked it up, now we believe that we have a pulse. We are thankful for our court system that we still have the appeal case and that’s working.”

The group was blocked by police from preaching in the majority Muslim town outside of a Muslim street festival.

“I told [the police officer] that we were already getting pelted with water bottles and he says ‘oh that’s Ok, we will keep an eye out for you.’ He turned around and he walked away. Of course, that was it,” Israel said. “The police did confront us several times. Every time they came to talk to us and tell us that we had to leave, everything got stopped. Once they walked away, it just turned around and did the same thing all over again.

Clerk Adds “So Help Me God” To Oaths of Office

A recent Supreme Court ruling that Christian prayer was legal at government meetings is having a trickle-down effect in government operations.

Stanley Grot, clerk for Shelby Township, Michigan, has added the phrase “so help me God” to the end of all oaths of office for the township.  Grot said that while the phrase is officially included in the oath, an office holder can refuse to say the phrase if they wish to refuse.

“We are a nation built on Judeo-Christian values and political correctness should not play a role in invoking the Lord’s name,” Grot said.  “We should honor the nation’s traditions and never compromise on our principles.  America is, after all, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

The Detroit News reported the first person sworn in after the oath was changed had no problem saying the phrase.

“My faith in Jesus Christ and God is very important to me,” Laura White said.  “And as a public servant, I have no problem adding that onto my oath.”

Great Lakes Facing Significant Recovery

Federal experts are putting a positive spin on the record cold and ice that is covering the Great Lakes will help replenish levels hurt by low rain levels.  The lakes hit a low in January 2013 and the increased rainfall will help the shipping industry who has been fighting low water levels.

However, the same officials had to admit that it was possible some areas could see flooding because of the high levels of ice and snow surrounding the lake and rivers that feed into it.

The Lakes are now over 91 percent covered, the highest total since 95 percent coverage in 1979.   Ice coverage in surrounding rivers and streams could also cause flooding issues if they create ice dams as the ice pack starts to melt.

“Any additional rainfall on top of that snowpack would add to that flood threat,” said Keith Kompoltowicz, hydrology branch chief with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers told the AP. “We’re certainly paying very close attention to the weather in the next few weeks.”

The forecast from the Army Corps of Engineers says that Lake Superior will be more than a foot higher than last year.  Lake Michigan and Lake Huron are also expected to be over a foot higher.

Michigan State Departments Assist Residents During Propane Shortage

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder announced today that state administration is taking action to assist residents who have been affected by the ongoing propane shortage.

The Department of Human Services and legislature are working together to dedicate $7 million to the Low Income Heating and Energy Assistance Program in addition to another $7 million that was devoted to heating assistance from the Michigan Energy Assistance Program.

A loan program is also being initialized to help propane dealers and distributors who are struggling to meet demand by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

Additionally, the state is pushing for increased propane supply. More than 1.3 million gallons of propane have been delivered to the state this week.

Missing Doctor Confounds Investigators

Investigators in Michigan are marveling over the disappearance of Teleka Patrick.

The 30-year-old doctor had been in residency in Kalamazoo, Michigan when she failed to show up for work on December 6th.  She has not been seen since.

Patrick’s car was found 100 miles south of Kalamazoo in a ditch next to Interstate 94.  The car was abandoned but not crashed and search dogs show Patrick’s scent disappearing 30 feet from where the car was found.

Now, police have found a series of videos Patrick made for an unknown person that they believe could be connected to the disappearance.  They have also been given a security video from a hotel in Kalamazoo that showed Patrick talking to the desk clerks the night of her disappearance.

Patrick’s family says they did not know of her being involved with anyone.  The series of videos discovered on Patrick’s computer and storage shows her talking to an unknown person, showing a dinner set for two stating ‘this is where you would sit if you were here’ and also discussing ways they can be together.

Police say they have no evidence of foul play and no conclusive evidence regarding Patrick’s movements after she left the hotel and boarded the hotel’s courtesy van.  However, they warn this situation could be a warning regarding giving out personal information on the internet and communicating with people you don’t know in person.  It’s possible that Patrick was abducted by someone not who they claimed to be in their communications with her.

Michigan State Legislature Approves Removing Mandatory Abortion Coverage

The Michigan State Legislature has approved an initiative that would require any woman that wishes to have abortion coverage purchase it as a separate rider on their insurance rather than having it covered as part of Obamacare’s main packages.

Michigan Right To Life began the citizen-initiated petition drive after Republican Governor Rick Snyder vetoed similar legislation last year when it was inserted into a bill to change the state’s Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Republicans in the legislature said taxpayers should not have to pay for a woman’s abortions. Representative Nancy Jenkins said the bill doesn’t stop abortion in the state in any way or even restrict access to abortion for any woman.

Almost all Democratic members of both houses were vehemently and loudly opposed to the initiative and passage. They said that the bill was an overreach of government.

Democratic Representative Marcia Hovey-Wright said that supporting the bill to not make the state pay for abortions via Obamacare placed someone on the wrong side of history.