American author Mark Twain once responded to the premature publication of his obituary by saying, “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.”

The same can be said about Christianity: In many parts of the world, belief is soaring.

Subscribe to have The Washington Times’ Higher Ground delivered to your inbox every Sunday.

Just ask evangelist Daniel Kolenda, who leads Christ for All Nations and preaches before crowds of hundreds of thousands in Africa, Asia and Brazil. His story will be told in “Multiplied,” a movie coming to theaters in May. Higher Ground got an exclusive look at the movie’s trailer. You can view it — and read the inside story — right here.

YMCA hit with $350,000 demand over transgender run-in

Townsend, Washington, issued a lifetime ban after she complained about a transgender staffer’s presence in the women’s locker room.

Julie Jaman was a four-decade regular at the YMCA’s Mountain View Pool, but she was kicked out after she confronted the employee. She was barred for violating the Y’s “disrespectful behavior” code, The Washington Times’ Valerie Richardson reports.

Jewish students want Biden to track campus antisemitism

The Biden administration needs to establish a tracking system for complaints about antisemitic incidents on college campuses, a group of Jewish students and leaders said last week.

Joined by Rep. Nancy Mace, South Carolina Republican, the students said the Education Department should establish a Zero Tolerance National Reporting System for the agency’s Office of Civil Rights to make sure Title VI provisions are enforced. Advocates said students keep filing complaints at schools and get no response.

Funding cut for Christian ministry leads to lawsuit

A Christian ministry in Oregon has sued state officials after losing more than $400,000 in awarded grant money. The reason: Those officials yanked the funding when Youth71Five Ministries — one of the state’s top-rated program providers for at-risk youth — wouldn’t agree to hiring people who don’t uphold the ministry’s beliefs.

An attorney representing the ministry said the Supreme Court has issued multiple rulings supporting the principle that states “cannot exclude religious organizations from generally available government benefit programs solely because of their religious character and beliefs.”

Christians attacked in India

An attack on Christians in India sent more than 20 people to the hospital, of which three were reported in critical condition, Hannah Mitchell and Global Christian Relief reported for Higher Ground.

But instead of going after the attackers, police in Telangana state in central India registered cases against 27 Christians present during the violence. Six were arrested and were still in prison as of Feb. 26, while 21 others received “anticipatory bail” and avoided jail time.

Video: Porn star-turned-preacher blasts ‘Satan’s greatest lie’

Joshua Broome, a former porn star who is now a preacher and author, told Higher Ground’s Billy Hallowell that “Satan’s greatest lie” is the one of “god of self [and] approval.” Mr. Broome, now a father of four, has written a new book, “7 Lies That Will Ruin Your Life.”

‘Homophobic’ post could cost Christian actress

The Nigerian-born actress whose allegedly homophobic views cost her a plum British theater role could end up with a six-figure legal bill after losing her court case, Ms. Richardson reports.

Seyi Omooba, age 29, is fighting an “unjust ruling” by a U.K. employment tribunal after her 2019 firing from the Curve Theatre in Leicester’s production of “The Color Purple.” The actress lost the lead role of Celie when another actor found a 2014 Facebook post in which Ms. Omooba said, “I do not believe you can be born gay, and I do not believe that homosexuality is right.”

Evangelical group to require leaders get ‘holistic care’

Following recent scandals involving moral failures by top ministry leaders, a Christian accrediting organization will require its 2,700 members to provide “holistic care” to those leaders as one of their standards for approval.

The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability says the move comes after a great deal of research and reports that 94% of its members believe donor trust is eroded by such “integrity failures.”

In our opinion

RuPaul’s bookstore. Kirk Cameron, actor and successful children’s book author, writes that the “bookstore for all stories” set up by drag queen RuPaul isn’t as “all-inclusive” as advertised.

The online bookstore faced “a whirlwind of criticism” after stocking books from conservatives Mr. Cameron, Kevin Sorbo and Riley Gaines, and then pulled the titles, he said.

Dems’ spiritual crises. “Moral descent” is blocking common-sense solutions to America’s problems, Mr. Hallowell writes. Issues of gender, abortion, the border crisis and the “empowerment of lawlessness” threaten both the Democratic Party and the nation.

Lesser of two evils. A reader asks “Ask Dr. E” columnist Everett Piper if selecting the “lesser of two evils” at the ballot box is a vote for “evil.”

Mr. Piper responds that Christian voters must “triage” the candidates during the cultural “war” engulfing society, including abortion, the corruption of children, destruction of families and a border invasion.