Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world. In today's edition:

• Making Sure Relief Funds Are Used Honestly

• Classical Christian School Attempts To Provide A Biblical Justification For Southern Slavery

• Compassion Provides Tsunami Disaster Relief

• Conservative Minister Quits Episcopal Church To Become Bishop

Making Sure Relief Funds Are Used Honestly
Jeremy Reynalds, Assist News Service

Americans have responded with overwhelming generosity to meet relief needs in the wake of the devastating Dec. 26 earthquake and tsunami in Asia. But how do they know their donations are being used as they intended? Richard E. Stearns, president of the Christian relief and development organization World Vision, said donors need to know their gifts are being used responsibly. In a press release, Stearns suggested that before giving to any agency donors should do a little homework. He said they need to ask what percentage of their donation goes to administration, request a copy of the organization's annual report and find out how long the agency has been operating. In addition, he said, if supporting a particular charitable project on an ongoing basis, donors should request periodic updates on the project they're contributing to. Stearns emphasized that charities should be using donations for the purpose for which they were given - and if for any reason a charity ends up unable to use a gift for the project it was given for, the charity should communicate with its donors and offer to refund the gift. Responsible organizations carefully monitor their programs and costs, Stearns said in the release. While donors are considering to which charitable relief organization they should donate, groups have to address serious misconceptions in the American public about disaster relief.

Classical Christian School Attempts To Provide A Biblical Justification For Southern Slavery
AgapePress

A classical Christian school in North Carolina is being questioned over its use of a booklet that attempts to provide a biblical justification for southern slavery.  At issue is a booklet being used at Cary Christian School titled "Southern Slavery As It Was."  In it, authors Doug Wilson and Steve Wilkins argue slavery was not a systemic evil, but rather a benign institution. Idaho Presbyterian pastor Jack Davidson, who has written a critique of the booklet, says it purports to be a biblical and historical treatment of slavery, but falls well short of that. Wilson and Wilkins, according to Davidson, week to use anecdotal accounts of relationships between slaves and masters to discredit the traditional view of slavery in America.  Davidson says the controversial material is a double indignity to black Americans.  "What we're doing when we accept into our curriculum booklets like Wilson and Wilkins -- even though it sounds as if we're trying to speak in a conciliatory way -- is it basically robs the black American of his history.  That's what it does," the pastor says.  "It basically tells him and her there was really no problem; there was really no issue."  Cary Christian School would not return phone calls seeking comment.