Although Riverside named Braxton its new pastor on Sunday, several representatives from the 2,700-member congregation, filed a motion in Manhattan's State Supreme Court last week, claiming they never had the chance to vote on Braxton's employment package. The group, which includes members from the church's budget committee, say that despite their requests, the church board formed for the yearlong pastoral search refused to reveal any financial details surrounding Braxton's hiring.

A statement from Billy Jones, chairman of the church's executive board, disputed this claim and added that the new pastor's compensation was "in line with other religious leaders in Manhattan who minister to congregations of a similar size and scope." ... Read more

Pastors from the 33 congregations that participated in last September's "Pulpit Freedom Sunday," in which pastors defied Internal Revenue Service regulations by endorsing candidates from the pulpit, are still waiting to hear from the government agency. The goal of the Sunday protest, organized by the Phoenix-based Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), was to begin a courtroom battle over regulations that prevent churches from speaking out publicly for or against political candidates. Yet seven months later, the churches haven't heard a word from the IRS. .... Read more

A report released Monday by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found that roughly half of Americans change their religious affiliation at some point in their lives. Most people who change do so before they are 24 years old, and many of those actually switch multiple times. Not surprisingly, most believers settle into their faith at an older age, with very few people leaving their religion after turning 50. (The majority of those surveyed found their current church home at age 36.) .... Read more