Faith News Network

Cleveland, TN–Over 1,000 have registered for the 36th Ministerial Internship Program Commissioning Celebration, the capstone of the 2014—2015 program.

Cleveland, TN–Spring graduation festivities at Lee University took place this past weekend as over 475 degrees were awarded to the Class of 2015. The May 8-9 event involved a hooding ceremony for masters level candidates, followed by a Commissioning on Friday night and the commencement on Saturday morning.

The Church of God Chaplains Commission has reported that a number of Community Service Chaplains from the Caribbean were some of the first to respond to the devastating earthquake which recently took place in Nepal. Chaplain Ismael Ponce who coordinates Community Service Chaplaincy in the Hispanic Caribbean has continued to update the Chaplains Commission with regular reports from the devastated country.

May 7, 2015–Lee University Class of 2014 alumnus Clark Beckham advanced into the finals of “American Idol” at the end of Wednesday night’s episode. Beckham, 22, of White House, Tennessee, will be joined by two other finalists, Jax Cole, 19, from New Jersey and Nick Fradiani, 29, of Connecticut.

The stage is set for the two-night final on FOX this coming Tuesday and Wednesday, May 12 and 13. The finale comes after months of auditions of thousands of potential contestants from across the nation. The three contestants making it this far have survived based on nationwide votes via text, online and phone. The winner, chosen by a nationwide vote and announced on live television this Wednesday, will be awarded a major recording contract.

This is the 14th season of American Idol, a talent search where three celebrity judges critique the contestants on live television. Beckham is not the first Lee graduate to advance in the competition, but he has gone the furthest. Seven years ago, alumnus Phil Stacey made it to the final six contestants, while Chase Guyton and Jermaine Purifory barely missed the group that makes it to the live performance level in Hollywood.

In last night’s two hour live episode the “Idol’s” Final Four sang three songs and videos of visits to their hometown were shown. Members of Lee University’s Campus Choir made a surprise visit to White House, Tenn., to join Beckham in a couple of songs during the hometown concert. Beckham sang in the Campus Choir while a student at Lee, and publicly acknowledged the powerful influence his experience with the choir and Lee University had upon his life. The choir, dressed in Lee University T-shirts, could be heard singing the chorus “Great and Mighty” throughout the last portion of the video.

In addition to the judges’ comments, this year’s contestants have been mentored by record producer Scott Borchetta who last week chastised Beckham, portraying him as unwilling to listen to the professional’s advice.

According to a report by the Chattanooga Times-Free Press, Lee University professor Dan Buck said, “I know Clark very well and that is definitely not true of him. He respects those opinions but at the same time he wants to be his own man, be true to his music. I think Scott Borchetta was a little rude with Clark and out of character.”

Apparently the critique did not have a negative impact on Beckham’s ability to advance.

Beckham’s three songs in Wednesday night’s performance were all chosen for him, conceivably to reflect the singer’s style. The three judges chose “Earned It,” by the Weekend; “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding, which was the hometown choice; and “Beautiful Day” by U2, Borchetta’s choice.

Winning the competition is based on the number of votes cast for the contestant via electronic avenues. Those with the least number of votes each week are sent home. Last night, contestant Rayvon Owen of Richmond, Virginia was ousted, but will be one of the Top Five who will tour 27 cities this summer on the “American Idol Tour.”

Voting remains open for the three remaining contestants until Tuesday, May 12 at 9:00 a.m. EST. Up to 20 votes can be cast for each contestant from each method. To cast votes for Beckham, go to www.americanidol.com, text the number “9” to 21523, or call 1-866-436-5709.

The three finalists sing for votes Tuesday night and the winner of Season 14 will be crowned on Wednesday.

On Monday, May 4, over 100 Church of God delegates, the Deputy Prime Minister, provincial governors, and dozens of high ranking government officials from the Kingdom of Cambodia, as well as humanitarian leaders joined the residents of Andong Village near Phnom Penh, Cambodia, for the ribbon cutting ceremony of the BUILD A CITY (BAC) initiative in Andong. The project was spearheaded by People for Care and Learning (PCL).

April 28-30, 2015 was a defining moment for the Church of God Philippines, as nearly 8,000 attendees jam packed Manila’s SMX Convention Center for the 13th National Assembly under the theme, Bigger & Better. Delegates from each major region of the Philippines, as well as many from Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and the Middle East, were deeply motivated by the anointed preaching and worship celebrations.