Stacy Francis Controversy: BET Sunday Best Attracts Fame-Hungry Singers?

EEW Magazine gets lots of mail from gospel music supporters who believe shows like BET's Sunday Best are unhealthy for the gospel music community. According to critics, Sunday Best provides a platform for fame-hungry singers to get "put on" and "pretend" it's all for the glory of God. Well, the controversy brewing around 42-year-old single mom and X Factor contestant, Stacy Francis, just might be proof positive that those simply seeking the glare of the limelight gravitate toward shows like this. Pop the hood to get details of this story and see what YOU think.

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BABY BUZZ: Bishop Joseph & Dr. Stephaine Walker are Pregnant with 1st Baby!

The two were united in holy matrimony in an absolutely breathtaking ceremony back in 2009. Now Bishop Joseph Walker III, pastor of the 25,000-member Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Nashville, and his lovely bride, Dr. Stephaine Walker, a former Neonatologist and Instructor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, are expecting their first baby together! Congrats you two! Read more when you pop the hood...

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HOLIDAY BUZZ: CeCe Winans Tapes "The Stellars Tribute to the Holidays" to Air on GMC

The lovely CeCe Winans tweets a smiling photo of herself appearing on the television monitor during her taping of the Stellar Awards Tribute to the Holidays to air during the holiday season.

It's the first day of November which means Thanksgiving is right around the corner. It looks like CeCe Winans is already in the holiday spirit, too. Yesterday, she tweeted a somewhat fuzzy picture of herself standing next to a Christmas tree during a taping of "The Stellars Tribute to the Holidays." From the looks of it, she was radiant, adorned in red and black wearing her bright signature smile. Go inside to learn more about the tribute and read what CeCe Winans had to say about getting older...

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Halloween, Hallelujah, or Nothing at All? Should Christians Celebrate October 31?

Halloween is celebrated by millions of Americans who get dressed up in their best costumes, go door-to-door asking for candy, and party it up. The widely recognized day has its origin in "All Hallow's Eve," a pagan festival that took place on October 31 before the Catholic holiday, All Saints' Day. Rooted in "Samhain, " believed to be an ancient forerunner of Halloween, Samhain began as a Celtic celebration marking the end of harvest and the beginning of winter's hardship. Still today, many Christians warn against celebrating Halloween because of its pagan roots, but some believe it is something even more sinister than that.

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How Sweet the Sound: Salvation & Deliverance Choir of Tarboro, NC Wins

Verizon capped off its 2011 "How Sweet the Sound" choir competition this year by crowing "America's best church choir." Salvation and Deliverance of Tarboro, N.C. stole the show Friday at the Staples Center and walked away with the win. Gospel greats Donald Lawrence and CeCe Winans hosted the event, while Marvin Sapp, Shirley Caesar and Israel Houghton acted as judges who offered guidance and critique to zealous choir members from across the country. More inside...

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Gay Being Called "The New Mainstream" as LGBT TV Inclusion Skyrockets

One of the most profound ways messages, images, and ideas are pounded into our psyche and imbedded in the public's consciousness, is through media. This is something promoters and advocates of greater acceptance of homosexuality as a mainstream lifestyle, know full well. That's why Christians should pay close attention to a new report called "The New Mainstream" released by Nielsen in connection with Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). It shows how Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) inclusive programming garnered 28 percent of broadcast primetime TV viewing and 22 percent of ad dollars. This, according to Nielsen data. "LGBT characters and plots were woven into some of the most popular broadcast primetime programs last season, and advertisers were investing their budgets there too," the report says. Go inside for more information about the statistics that ought concern Christians.

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Gospel Today Magazine Founder Dr. Teresa Hairston Steps Down, Passes Legacy to Her Son

by Diane Richardson, EEW Magazine Editor

In a day and age where influential black women in media, particularly women of faith, are few, EEW Magazine has learned that Gospel Today Magazine Founder, Dr. Teresa Hairston, is stepping down from her post. But Hairston's retirement does not mean the publication will join hundreds of ill-fated magazines forced to fold in this tumultuous economy. Her duties will simply be transferred over to her  31-year-old son, Roland T. Hairston, II. Perhaps he is able to breathe new life into the magazine and improve sagging sales.

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MUSIC BUZZ: Listen to New Music from J Moss 'Wanna Be With You'

You may not know whether to lift your hands to the Lord or cuff with your boo when you check out this new jazz-tinged track from Super Producer, J. Moss of PAJAM. He delighted his Twitter followers with the leak of a new track called "Wanna Be With You." Pop the hood to check it out and see if you can expect a full album from the "Just James" crooner.

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