Closings for Sunday

Community members are coming together after an explosion at a church in Bedford County.

Roanoke City’s faith community is coming together to put an end to gun violence. The first public event for the new group “Roanoke Justice Ministries” was held on Sunday.

A coalition of churches across our region got together to help victims of Helene.

Leaders with the Montgomery County Radford City Floyd NAACP Branch are Celebrating MLK Day earlier this year. There's an event happening at the Church on Main Sunday January 14th starting at 3 p.m. Guest speaker is Tameka Paige with the Roanoke City Sheriff's Office and a reception will follow.

A family wants a resolution, trying to find out why their matriarch who recently passed away, cannot be buried in a church cemetery.

Several organizations came together Saturday for a community prayer walk to stand against gun violence.

A pastor from Ukraine is raising awareness in the New River Valley about what’s happening one year after the war started.

There will be an NBA game in Salt Lake City on Sunday night.

Pope Francis says former Pope Benedict is very sick.

One church in the Hill City is hoping to share the love of Christ in the midst of war through a new documentary on Ukraine.

After a shooting left five dead at a gay nightclub in Colorado, the LGBTQ+ community in Roanoke is reflecting on the tragedy.

An investigation by Maryland’s attorney general has identified 158 Roman Catholic priests in the Archdiocese of Baltimore accused of sexually and physically abusing more than 600 victims over the past 80 years.

Bonsack United Methodist Church of Roanoke brought in a guest speaker to talk about the LGBTQ+ community and the church.

The Knights hosted their first ever playoff home game in fall 2021.

After devastating loss, the Dean family created 'Aaron's Mission,' to honor their son's love of missionary work.

Restitution of Indigenous and colonial-era artifacts is one of the many agenda items awaiting Pope Francis on his trip to Canada, which begins Sunday.

More than 400 Detroit families came to Faith Xperience Church to watch 10,000 eggs drop from a helicopter!

Christian worshipers gathered in Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Seplucher, the traditional site of Jesus’s crucifixion, burial and resurrection, to observe the Easter holiday.

Join Lindsey and Rachel as they chat about a woman going viral for dressing up for virtual service and the new apparel line dedicated to the late Gianna Bryant.

Work on the Main Street Renewal Project continues in Lynchburg. Today and Monday, crews will be working near the intersections of Main and 12th, Church and 12th, and Rivermont and 5th. Danville’s Appalachian League baseball team will make an announcement this morning at 9 a.m., possibly revealing its new name. If you were scheduled to get your COVID vaccine yesterday in Roanoke, your appointment was rescheduled for today. In the New River Valley, yesterday’s appointments have been rescheduled for the same time today.

MURDOCK, Minn. – The city council of Murdock, Minnesota has anonymously voted to grant a permit that allows a Nordic heritage church identified as a white supremacist group to gather at an abandoned church. The vote came after Murdock’s city attorney advised town officials that rejecting the Asatru Folk Assembly’s request could violate its religious rights. Council members, who were meeting online because of the coronavirus pandemic, kept video cameras turned off and refused to identify who voted for or against the permit. Mayor Craig Kavanagh said the vote was 3-1 to approve the Conditional Use Permit as long as the group meets the conditions set on the permit. “There has been a lot of concern on this topic in the city of Murdock and rightfully so.

Pastor Jason Arthur is turning to the stars of the DIY Network hit show ‘Barnwood Builders’ to erect a replica of the log cabin chapel from the 18th century. The church was founded in the Moneta area of Bedford County in 1771 -- five years before the Revolutionary War. The ‘Barnwood Builders’ refurbished the 32 beams from a Kentucky tobacco barn. “We’re going to have a historical timeline that’s going to be set up inside this log structure that will tell the story. The ‘Barnwood Builders’ episode is scheduled to air early next year.

LYNCHBURG, Va. – The Lynchburg Police Department ia searching for two suspects wanted for vandalizing and stealing from a church. It happened on October 8th at the First Unitarian Church in Downtown Lynchburg. The church’s minister, Reverend Terre Balof, believes the suspects captured on surveillance video stole a rainbow banner hanging above the entrance, then placed a sticker of a white supremacist group on the church’s free, outdoor library. “If they were trying to intimidate us, that’s not going to work, and we’re ordering another banner,” said Reverend Terre Balof. Anyone with information is asked to call the Lynchburg Police Department.

CARROLL COUNTY, Va. – The coronavirus pandemic has shed light on many issues in our area, but perhaps one of the largest is Internet access. When schools had to quickly adapt to online classes, it became apparent how many students have no access to the Internet outside of school grounds. The Carroll County Public Schools Superintendent, Dr. Mark Burnette, said it’s a mix of availability across the county, affordability for some families and the varying Internet speeds. About 25% of students are facing this issue currently and Burnette was hoping for some help from state lawmakers. Dr. Mark Church said about 35% of his students are struggling with accessibility with up to 17% located completely outside of a broadband coverage area.

FRANKLIN COUNTY, VA. – On Monday night, some Franklin County school board members pushed for students to be back in the classroom sooner rather than later, as health officials in the area deal with a spike in COVID19 cases in the county. The school board met in person Monday night as its secondary students have been fully online for the last week and a half. The division has seven students and four staff cases as of the latest update. The Virginia Department of Health said the recent spike in cases is associated with an unnamed long term care facility in the area. Back at the school board they remain hopeful numbers will decrease.

GRAYSON COUNTY, Va. – Authorities have arrested the man they believe attacked an off-duty state trooper with a hatchet at a church in southwest Virginia on Sunday night. On Tuesday, around 3:15 p.m., state police arrested 31-year-old Gregory Graham, of Marion, Va., without incident at his home on Brushy Mountain Road, according to Virginia State Police. ORIGINAL STORYState police are searching for the man who they say attacked an off-duty state trooper at a church on Sunday night. An off-duty Virginia State Police trooper opened the door to find a man and a dog just outside. Anyone with information about this man is asked to call Virginia State Police by dialing #77, 276-228-3131 or by emailing questions@vsp.virginia.gov.

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. – Black and white, young and old, about three dozen people gathered at the Pigg River Community Center Thursday afternoon to listen to community leaders speak about topics related to the coronavirus. The event was organized by the Franklin County NAACP chapter. “We’re just trying to make it known that there is an NAACP chapter in Franklin County,” Franklin County NAACP President Walter Lawson Jr. said. Questions for Franklin County Schools’ superintendent, not all of which were related to the virus, however, took up the bulk of the hour-long event. Volunteers were also on hand to help people become members of the Franklin County NAACP and register to vote.

That’s what Franklin Heights Church members are doing this summer. It's also the name of the garden they've grown to help those in need. That's what Franklin Heights church members are doing this summer. (Franklin Heights Church)We caught up with the man now in charge who told us he doesn’t even have a farming background. The goal is to love our neighbor in a real practical way,” said Pastor Stan Parris at Franklin Heights Church.

ROANOKE, Va. – When Virginia’s mask requirements go into effect on Friday, churches are one place where they’ll be required. Two weeks ago, when Virginia entered phase one, the government announced nine mandatory requirements for houses of worship to open. At that time, it was merely recommended that those at services wear a face covering. Ralph Northam’s Executive Order 63, seven types of places where masks will be required are listed; however, churches and other houses of worship, are not explicitly mentioned. This restriction does not apply to persons while inside their residence or the personal residence of another.

The governor’s office has released a 5-page document, providing guidelines for how religious services can be conducted during Phase One.

BEDFORD, Va. – The Bedford Town Police Department is still receiving complaints about people gathering at a church, despite Virginia’s ban on gatherings of 10 or more people. Bible Truth Tabernacle is no longer having services inside its building, but rather, holding drive-in services. Late last month, 10 News reported on the church when it had a packed parking lot and was still holding services inside its building. Police Chief Todd Foreman said his department has received several phone calls about people getting out of their cars during these services. 10 News has reached out to the pastor Wayne Lawhorne for response at the time of this post we had not heard from him.

BEDFORD, Va. – A church in Bedford is refusing to follow the governor’s orders to close. Now, local police are unsure whether or not they can charge church leaders. A photo of Bible Truth Tabernacle Church in Bedford was posted on Facebook on Sunday. “We’re trying to balance all that because we can’t go put chains on the door of a church," said Foreman. They are also talking with the church leaders about the situation.

ROANOKE, Va. – Churches that are part of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia will not be meeting for two weeks. Just yesterday, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a global pandemic. Employers large and small, some in our own Diocese, are directing employees to stay home and telework. Numerous dioceses, including the Dioceses of Virginia and Washington, D.C., have suspended or sharply curtailed church activity. There our 10 churches in our viewing area effected by this decision:

TROUTVILLE, Va. – Safety is once again a top concern in places of worship after a deadly shooting Sunday at a church in Texas. Investigators are still working to figure out why a gunman opened fire, killing two people at West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, Texas. Executive Security Concepts, which is based in Roanoke, is helping places of worship keep their congregations safe. The company recently contracted with two local churches to provide armed security and safety team consulting. Executive Security Concepts has been providing safety and security globally since 2005.

Pulaski Church of God had a massive fire in January 2017. This weekend, they are about to have their first church service in their new building. For the Pulaski Church of God, this weekend’s Sunday service is one that’s been years in the making. The church was completely destroyed in the 2017 fire, which was a devastating loss for Tony Eads, the church’s music minister. Rebuilt from the rubble, the new church will allow everyone to carry on the congregation’s mission.

ROANOKE, Va. – The stained glass windows inside Greene Memorial United Methodist Church’s sanctuary are no longer obscured by scaffolding. The sanctuary, which was built in 1892, reopened for Sunday service after it had been closed for repairs since March. “There is an energy that was crackling in the sanctuary today," said Greene Memorial United Methodist Church’s pastor, Rev. "It’s an enthusiasm and a hopeful feeling as they looked at all we had done in 8 months. Greene Memorial had held its services in its basement and in its lobby while the sanctuary was being repaired.