Newsmakers

Country singer Granger Smith stunned fans when he announced he would be retiring from music to pursue ministry, with the musician telling CBN Digital how he plans to serve the Lord. "I'm just so excited about it," he said. "I have so much joy just even thinking about it." Smith said he's already begun speaking before audiences about his Christian faith. While he once traversed the nation and world...

North Korea remains the worst nation in the world for Christian persecution, with the situation in Nigeria continuing to devolve, according to a new report on global religious discrimination. Overall, Open Doors’ World Watch List 2024 found 4,998 Christians were killed over their faith, a figure the organization said is likely much higher due to underreporting. Meanwhile, 365 million Christians fa...

As global persecution rages, a watchdog is launching a first-of-its-kind, open-sourced database allowing people to track incidents of violent religious persecution across the globe. Global Christian Relief and the International Institute For Religious Freedom have teamed up to create the Violent Incidents Database (VID), which is being dubbed the "first and only events-based global religious freed...

Dr. Päivi Räsänen, the Finnish politician who was victorious in court this past November after facing a years-long legal battle for sharing her biblical views on sexuality, is back in the prosecution's crosshairs. Räsänen's attorneys with ADF International released a statement Friday revealing the Finnish state prosecutor is appealing the case to Finland's Supreme Court, potentially forcing Räsäne...

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." -- Welcome to "The Newsmakers Podcast," a show where we go behind the headlines each day to bring you interviews with pastors,...

Eighty years after diabolical German leader Adolf Hitler went on a reign of terror, killing millions of Jewish men, women, and children, the stories of pain, horror, loss, and tragedy continue to reverberate. Victims like Jochen "Jack" Wurfl continue educate today's generations about what unfolded, with his new book, "My Two Lives" releasing just weeks before Hamas' deadly Oct. 7 terror attack on...

Persecution watchdog is delivering a pointed message to the Biden administration after the U.S. State Department again declined to list Nigeria on its Countries of Particular Concern list, with the expert warning that there's a "slow-motion genocide" unfolding against Christians inside the African nation. Jeff King, president of International Christian Concern (ICC), told CBN Digital there have be...

A Christian pastor is reportedly facing criminal charges for violating zoning laws and housing the homeless. Pastor Chris Avell of Dad's Place, a church in Bryan, Ohio, and First Liberty attorney Ryan Gardner join the "Newsmakers Podcast" to discuss the shocking case. "[Avell's] facing 18 criminal charges for violating the city’s zoning laws," a First Liberty news release reads. "The city is going...

Actor and Comedian Rob Schneider recently offered a powerful -- and public -- message of forgiveness. He explains why he's now embracing faith, God, and forgiveness. Plus: hear about some of his new projects on this episode of the "Newsmakers Podcast" with Billy Hallowell. -- Welcome to "The Newsmakers Podcast," a show where we go behind the headlines each day to bring you interviews with pastors,...

Actress and producer Roma Downey has built a long career in Hollywood, creating TV and film content that inspires and entertains. The “Touched By An Angel” star has also carried her uplifting, family-friendly messages into literary works, including a new children’s book, “A Message in the Moon.” Downey said her touching new book is deeply personal, with the concept predicated upon her childhood. “...

A theology lecturer in the U.K. who was reportedly fired from his job at a Christian college over a tweet about biblical sexuality is suing to raise awareness and to stop similar instances from unfolding. Dr. Aaron Edwards was terminated from Cliff College in Derbyshire, England, in March after he sent a tweet defending traditional marriage, something he said was sparked by what he sees as a retre...

Evangelist Nick Hall has spoken to thousands around the U.S., bringing the powerful world of the Gospel to young and old Americans, alike.  Hall, founder of Pulse, a global evangelistic organization, is embarking on a multi-year effort to bring biblical truth to every corner of North Dakota. He recently spoke with CBN Digital about some of the powerful moments of spiritual revival observed through...

The wife of an Arizona man who was shot in the head last month while street preaching in Glendale, Arizona, said she and her family have witnessed a "miracle" every day after doctors initially assumed her husband wouldn't survive the ordeal. Zulya Schmidt, wife of 26-year-old Hans Schmidt, told CBN Digital her husband continues to make stunning progress despite facing a litany of medical uncertain...

Actress Candace Cameron Bure, star of Great American Family's "My Christmas Hero," has had a long career in Hollywood. The popular performer joins the "Newsmakers Podcast" to break down her latest projects — and her reaction to so many Hollywood actors finding Jesus. Listen to this powerful episode of the show. __ "The Newsmakers Podcast" is a daily podcast based on "Newsmakers," a weekly TV show...

Actress Danica McKellar has spent decades in the public eye after breaking into the Hollywood scene playing Winnie Cooper in the hit 1988 show "The Wonder Years." McKellar has since enjoyed a successful career as a performer and book author, taking her acting chops most recently to Great American Family. The actress, who stars in the new film "A Royal Date for Christmas," has also been on an authe...