"Food for the Poor Gets Good News, Bad News from Feds"

Food for the Poor, still under FBI investigation, gets $25 million from Department of AgricultureFood for the Poor, a Christian relief and deveopment ministry working in Latin America and the Caribbean, is still reeling from its founder’s resignation over sexual and financial impropriety. The FBI continues its fraud investigation. But things may be looking better for the organization. According to the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability has approved the organization as financially sound, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture gave it a $25 million grant for food relief. A Department of Agriculture spokeswoman said the department was unaware of the ongoing FBI investigation.

Welcome to Wrenland! First there was Heritage USA, then The Holy Land Experience, then rumors of Messiahville. But the latest Christian theme park being touted as a “spectacular family adventure” may be one of London’s most famous sites: St. Paul’s Cathedral. The Daily Telegraph reports that the Anglican church is trying to combat dwindling numbers of visitors by taking a note from Disneyland, “employing actors as storytellers to dramatize the mosaics and paintings of St Paul and Adam and Eve,” and promoting “adventure trails” and other activities for children. Admission fees— £5 ($7) for adults, £2.50 ($3.50) for children—account for 40 percent of the church’s income. But unlike other amusement parks, St. Paul’s reads the Lord’s Prayer aloud each hour and asks visitors to stay quiet for a full minute. Oh, and they have worship services sometimes, too.

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