State churches are organizational bodies within a Christian denomination which are given official status or operated by a state.

State churches are not necessarily national churches in the ethnic sense of the term, but the two concepts may overlap in the case of a nation state where the state boundary largely corresponds to the distribution of a single ethnic group to which a certain denomination is attached as an aspect of ethnic identity. State churches, by contrast, may also be minority denominations which are given political recognition by the state.

China[link]

In the People's Republic of China, there are two branches of state-operated churches; the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association and Three-Self Patriotic Movement.

Pastors are trained at state-approved seminaries and are appointed by the government.

Denmark[link]

• Church of Denmark (Lutheran)
• Church of the Faroe Islands (Lutheran), split from Church of Denmark

Finland[link]

• Church of Finland (Lutheran)
• Finnish Orthodox Church

Georgia[link]

• Georgian Orthodox Church (Orthodox)

Greece[link]

• Church of Greece (Orthodox)

Iceland[link]

• Church of Iceland (Lutheran)

United Kingdom[link]

• Church of England (Anglican)
• For historical reasons, the Church of Scotland, a Presbyterian body, is both established in law and free from state control. It thus regards itself as a "national" church rather than a state church.

See also[link]

• Separation of church and state

Joy Behar
Behar attending the 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards, March 13, 2010
Born	Josephina Victoria Occhiuto (1942-10-07) October 7, 1942 (age 69) Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actress Comedian Writer Co-host on The View Host on The Joy Behar Show
Years active	1984–present
Religion	None (agnostic)
Spouse	Joe Behar (1965–1981) Steve Janowitz (2011–present)

Joy Behar (born Josephina Victoria Occhiuto; born October 7, 1942)^[1] is an American comedian, writer, actress, and a co-host of the talk show The View. Behar had a commentary program, entitled The Joy Behar Show, on CNN's sister network, HLN.^[2] It was cancelled on November 17, 2011.^[3]

Early life[link]

Behar, an Italian-American, was born Josephina Victoria Occhiuto in Williamsburg, Brooklyn on October 7, 1942. Her mother, Rose (née Carbone), was a seamstress, and her father, Gino Occhiuto, was a truck driver for Coca-Cola.^[4][5] Her grandfather was Giuseppe Occhiuto born in Fagnano Castello, Cosenza, Calabria, Italy.^[6] She started off her career as a teacher at Lindenhurst High School. There she taught English class.^[7]

Career[link]

[edit] The early years & The View

Joy Behar got her start in show business in the early 1980s as a stand up comedian, including appearances on ABC's Good Morning America, and The New Show, a short lived Lorne Michaels NBC project. In 1987 she had a talk show on Lifetime Television called 'Way Off Broadway'. From there she continued to work the comedy club circuit, was a regular on NBC's Baby Boom, and had minor film rolls including Cookie, This Is My Life, and Manhattan Murder Mystery. She also was a WABC (AM) radio talk show host, and made appearances on HBO Comedy Specials 'One Night Stand' and 'Women Of The Night 2',

In 1997 Behar became one of the original cast members of Barbara Walters's ABC television creation, The View. Originally, Behar appeared only on the days when Walters was away from the show; ultimately, Behar became a regular co-host, with the panel expanding to five when Walters rejoined. Behar often hosts a segment called "Joy's Comedy Corner" in which she presents up-and-coming comedians.

Star Jones, former co-host on The View, and Behar had well-publicized disputes. On March 27, 2006, Star Jones called in to the show to discuss a recent operation that she had undergone. After talking with the show's co-hosts, Behar abruptly stated to Jones, "OK, Star. That's enough about you. On to us. Bye. Keep your [breasts] perky!"^[8] Jones then responded, "Even today, you [Behar] are still a bitch."^[8]

In August 2009 Behar, alongside her co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg, Sherri Shepherd, Barbara Walters and Elisabeth Hasselbeck, won the 36th Annual Daytime Emmy award for Outstanding Talk Show Host. It follows over a decade of nominations for The View. None of the co-hosts of the show traveled from New York to Los Angeles to attend the ceremony, however.^[9]

Other work[link]

Behar has also made theater appearances in The Food Chain and The Vagina Monologues. Behar wrote a book of humorous essays and stories called Joy Shtick — Or What is the Existential Vacuum and Does It Come with Attachments?, published in 1999. She has also written a children's book called Sheetzucacapoopoo: My Kind of Dog, published in 2006.

Behar frequently incorporates her Italian-American culture into her comedy and once told Charlie Rose on his PBS program that her grandmother kept a picture of Mussolini in her home.

She appeared on the eighth season of Bravo's Celebrity Poker Showdown and finished in fourth place, behind Robin Tunney, Christopher Meloni and Macy Gray, but ahead of Andy Dick. She played for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.

Beginning in 2007, she has occasionally filled in as a guest host on Larry King Live. On June 11, 2009, Behar announced that she would be hosting her own news/talk program on CNN's HLN beginning in the fall of 2009, titled The Joy Behar Show. She did not leave The View, but worked on both shows simultaneously.^[2] The final broadcast of the The Joy Behar Show was on December 15, 2011.

Behar played the part of "Dr. Lucy" in the 2011 comedy film Hall Pass.^[10]

Personal life[link]

Occhiuto married Joe Behar in January 1965; they divorced in 1981. They have one daughter, Eve (b. 1970).^[11] Joy Behar has been in a relationship with Steve Janowitz since July 10, 1982, whom she called her 'spousal equivalent'. On March 17, 2009, Behar announced on The View that she might eventually marry Janowitz.^[12] Behar called off the engagement three months later^[13] because she wanted people to stop talking about it. On August 11, 2011, Behar married Janowitz.^[14]

Behar holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from Queens College (class of 1964), and a Master of Arts degree in English education from the State University of New York at Stony Brook (class of 1966). She taught English in the late 1960s and early 1970s at Lindenhurst High School on Long Island, New York. She has identified herself as agnostic.^[15] She resides in Manhattan. Behar became a grandmother on February 28, 2011 when her daughter had a son, Luca.^[16] Behar is a member of the Delta Zeta sorority.^[17]

Filmography[link]

• Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012) ... Eunice (post-production)
• Hall Pass (2011) ... Dr. Lucy
• Buzz Lightyear of Star Command (2001) ... 42 (1 episode)
• Love Is All There Is (1996) ... Mary
• Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist (1996) ... Joy (2 episode)
• 'M' Word (1996) ... Carol
• Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993) ... Marilyn
• This Is My Life (1992) ... Rudy
• It's Gary Shandling's Show (1989–1990) ... Joy Mull/Joy Smith
• Baby Boom (1988–1989) ... Helga Von Haput (13 episodes)
• Cookie (film) (1989) ... Dottie
• Hiding Out (1987) ... Gertrude

Awards and nominations[link]

GLAAD Media Award

• 2010 Excellence in Media Award

Daytime Emmy Award

• 1998 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Show (The View)
• 1999 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Show (The View)
• 2000 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Show (The View)
• 2001 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Show (The View)
• 2002 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Show (The View)
• 2003 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Show (The View)
• 2003 Award for Best Talk Show (The View)
• 2004 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Show (The View)
• 2005 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Show (The View)
• 2006 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Show (The View)
• 2007 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Show (The View)
• 2008 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Show (The View)
• 2009 Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host(s) (The View)
• 2010 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Show Host(s) (The View)

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Rozen, Leah (July 9, 2010). "After Work With Joy Behar:Stand Up; Sit Down; Talk, Talk, Talk". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/11/fashion/11WITH.html. 
• Mitchell, Russ (March 28, 2010). "Joy Behar: Left Front Center". CBS News. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/03/28/sunday/main6341367.shtml. 

External links[link]

• Joy Behar at the Internet Movie Database
• Joy Behar at AllRovi
• The Joy Behar Show
• The View Official Profile

This article's tone or style may not reflect the encyclopedic tone used on Wikipedia. Specific concerns may be found on the talk page. See Wikipedia's guide to writing better articles for suggestions. (July 2010)

Donald Andrew McClurkin, Jr. (born November 9, 1959) is an American gospel music singer and minister. He has won three Grammy awards, ten Stellar awards, two BET awards, two Soul Train awards, one Dove award and one NAACP Image award for his work.

Early life[link]

McClurkin was born Copiague, New York and raised in Amityville. When he was eight years old, his two-year-old brother was hit and killed by a speeding driver. After the loss, McClurkin found comfort in church and through an aunt who sang background vocals with gospel music musician Andraé Crouch. He began to play piano and sing with his church youth choir. He formed the McClurkin Singers by the time he was a teenager, and later formed another group, the New York Restoration Choir.^[1][2]

Ministry[link]

He was hired as an associate minister at Marvin Winans' Perfecting Church in 1989.^[3] The Winans are a well-established family of singers who dominated the contemporary gospel charts in the 80's and 90's,while experiencing cross-over appeal, and continue to be voices of influence in 2012. McClurkin served as an assistant to Pastor Marvin L. Winans for over a decade, while living in Detroit,MI.

In 1991, a sharp pain and swelling, followed by internal bleeding, led, he says, to a diagnosis of leukemia. The doctor suggested immediate treatment, but McClurkin, who was then 31, decided to take his own advice. "I tell people to believe that God will save you," he says, "[and] I had to turn around and practice the very thing that I preached."^[4]

He was ordained and sent out by Winans in 2001 to establish Perfecting Faith Church in Freeport, Long Island, where he is now Senior Pastor.^[5][6]

Music[link]

A friendship with a Warner Alliance executive resulted in his signing to the label for his 1996 self-titled LP, with producers Mark Kibble of Take 6, Cedric and Victor Caldwell plus Andraé Crouch. The disc, which featured the perennially popular "Stand," went gold shortly after being publicly lauded by Oprah Winfrey.^[7] At the 48th Annual Grammy Awards, he won in the category Traditional Soul Gospel Album, for "Psalms, Hymns & Spiritual Songs".^[8] McClurkin is best known for his hit songs “Stand” and “We Fall Down” which were played in heavy rotation on both Gospel and Urban radio. His three solo albums have topped the Billboard charts.^[9]

Dovetailing off the success of his near double-platinum selling album,"Live in London and More" McClurkin released "Psalms,Hymns and Spiritual Songs" in 2005 and “We All Are One: Live In Detroit” in 2009 which also topped Billboard charts across various musical genres. McClurkin's love for people and desire to share gospel music,globally, is why he includes a language medley:Japanese, Russian, Spanish, and Dutch in most live performances.

Radio and television[link]

Tom Versen and Tony Sisti of T&T Creative www.tandtcreative.com signed Grammy winner Donnie McClurkin to a radio syndication deal with advertising giant Dial-Global and syndicator Gary Bernstein. T&T Creative provided a mobile recording studio in Pastor Donnie's church that he can also take on the road. He is quoted as saying "As much as I love music and singing, I really love doing radio and the direct feedback I get from my listeners all over the country. I never thought I would be having this much fun doing radio and I could touch and impact so many people."[19]

In 2009 he also broadcast his own television show titled “Perfecting Your Faith” on cable television.^[10] His television appearances include Good Morning America, CBS Saturday’s Early Show, and the View. He has also been featured in movies like “The Gospel”, “The Fighting Temptations” and television shows “Girlfriends” and “The Parkers.”

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

Live albums[link]

Compilation albums[link]

Singles:

• Stand (1996)
• Speak To My Heart (1996)
• Love Will Never Be (1996)
• We Fall Down (2000)
• Love Melodies (1998)
• We Love You, Lord (2000)
• Ooh Child (2005) with Kirk Franklin)
• The Prayer (2003)(with Yolanda Adams)
• I Call You Faithful (2005)
• That Great Day (2007) (with Tye Tribbett, Da' T.R.U.T.H.)
• Wait on the Lord (2009)

Filmography[link]

• Hopeville (2007)
• The Gospel (2005)
• The Prince of Egypt (1998) wrote and sang "I Am" & "Humanity"
• 25 Strong: The BET Silver Anniversary Special
• The Donnie McClurkin Story: From Darkness to Light (2004)
• Apollo at 70: A Hot Night in Harlem (2004)
• The Fighting Temptations (2003)

Notable television appearances:

• SuperBowl Gospel Celebration (2012)
• CNN Saturday Morning (2012)
• CNN Pierce Morgan Tonight (2012)
• BET Awards-performance (2011)
• Sunday's Best/ BET Sunday Best -Judge (2011)
• BET Sunday Best - Judge (2010)
• 25th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards-Hosted (2010)
• 24th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards-Co-Hosted (2009)
• An Evening of Stars: Tribute to Stevie Wonder (2006)
• 20th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards (2005)
• 19th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards (2004)
• 18th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards Preshow (2003)
• 17th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards (2002)
• Essence Awards (2003)
• The Parkers (2002)
• Girlfriends (2001)
• 1st Annual BET Awards (2001)
• Essence Awards (2001)
• An Evening of Stars: A Celebration of Educational Excellence (2001)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Donnie McClurkin: official site
• The Donnie McClurkin Show: radio broadcast
• Perfecting Faith Church: official site
• Exclusive Interview on BlackGospel.com (October 2008) : Interview