Churchgoers Still Watch Livestream Services, at Least Occasionally

June 21, 2023

As many churchgoers continue watching livestream church services at least occasionally, they also recognize limitations in its validity and utility.

According to a Lifeway Research study, nearly 2 in 5 Protestant churchgoers (39%) say they have watched a livestream service instead of attending a church service in person on more than five occasions over the past year. Meanwhile, 1 in 5 (20%) have not watched a livestream service in the last year.

Today, watching livestream services at the highest frequency (18 times or more in a year) is about half as common as it was in February 2021, during COVID (15% v. 32%). Still, churchgoers today are nearly four times as likely to watch church services online 18 or more times in a year than they were in 2019, before COVID (15% v. 4%).

livestream worship services changes chart Lifeway Research

Basic demographic factors such as age and ethnicity play into a churchgoer’s likelihood of not watching a livestream. Churchgoers aged 50-64 (27%) and over 65 (26%) are more likely than younger churchgoers, those 18-34 (13%) and 35-49 (12%), to say they have not watched a livestream instead of attending service in person in the past year. White churchgoers (23%) are also more likely than African Americans (13%) to say they have not watched a livestream.

“The pandemic drove a large increase in the number of churches offering livestreams of their worship services, but some of these viewers were only temporary,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “African Americans were hit harder by COVID, and their churches closed longer. So, it is not surprising they have maintained more online viewers.”

Denominationally, Baptist (22%), Lutheran (28%) and non-denominational (22%) churchgoers are among the most likely to say they have not watched a livestream service in place of attending church in person in the past year. And those who attend worship services most frequently (at least four times a month) are more likely than those who attend one to three times a month to say the same (24% v. 15%).

When is livestreaming a valid alternative to in-person attendance?

Churchgoers believe some reasons for watching a livestream service rather than attending in person are more valid than others. Most churchgoers say a livestream is a valid replacement when sick or caring for someone who is sick (69%), and nearly half say it is valid when traveling (48%). Nearly 2 in 5 (38%) say watching a livestream is acceptable when you live too far away to attend church in person. Fewer than 3 in 10 say livestreams are valid when a non-attendee wants to know more about the church or its teaching (29%), whenever someone wants to watch online (26%) or when you get up late (24%). And 7% say none of these occasions are valid replacements for attending in person.

Compared to 2019, fewer churchgoers today see video streaming as a valid replacement for physically attending church when sick or caring for someone who is sick (76% v. 69%), traveling (60% v. 48%), too far away to attend (45% v. 38%) and when they get up late (36% v. 24%).

“A consistent quarter of churchgoers see any reason as a valid reason to attend church via video streaming, but with additional experience with the approach, fewer are open to its use instead of in-person attendance,” McConnell said.

While the oldest churchgoers (those over 65) are the most likely to say it is acceptable to watch a livestream when sick or caring for someone sick (79%), they are the least likely to say it is valid when you get up late (12%) or whenever you want to watch online (19%). They are also among the least likely to say it is acceptable when you live too far away (31%).

Religious beliefs also play a role in this conversation for churchgoers. Those with evangelical beliefs are more likely than those without to say livestream services are a valid replacement when sick or caring for someone sick (75% v. 65%). But those with evangelical beliefs are less likely to say it is acceptable when you live too far away to attend (31% v. 43%) or whenever someone wants to watch online (23% v. 29%).

Are Christians Called To Judge?

Phil Cooke

June 21, 2023

Recently, I’ve been attacked yet again by other Christians on social media for making firm stands about issues in today’s culture. For instance, whenever I post on current issues, I’ll get some followers who tell me I shouldn’t be speaking up, or that Jesus loves everybody and criticism isn’t Christ-like. In fact, a few are more than happy to point out that I couldn’t possibly say those things and be a Christian.

The mistaken attitude that we have no business judging is so pervasive, that I think it’s time to re-consider what it really means. The scripture from Matthew 7:1, “Do not judge” has been so misunderstood, I think we need to re-examine it. Did Jesus really mean that we should never judge?

It’s interesting that when you examine the scriptures related to judgment, it’s not just the act of judging that Jesus is talking about as much as our attitude and motivation for doing it. After all, common sense tells us that making judgments is an important part of life and we’re required to do it on a daily basis. Who we let our children play with, what church to attend, where we work, who we associate with, how we spend our time and money, and how we vote, are all judgments, and if we didn’t make them, the quality of our lives would be poor indeed.

In a fallen and sinful world, people must be held accountable. Today the culture tries to convince us that tolerance is the highest virtue. Who are you to judge? is the rallying cry of deviant behavior, heretical teaching, and immoral living. There’s nothing the enemy would love more than if we as believers gave up calling sinners to repentance, and what would our society become if we stopped evaluating student performance, calling failed leaders into account, or arresting criminals? Without proper criticism and judgment, living in a real community would become impossible.

Not only do we have to judge, but we are called to judge, and in today’s society, we need to be more vigilant about judgment than ever. The question becomes, how do we judge as Jesus would, and how can we be sure that love, repentance, and restoration are the principles that we use in making our decisions?

First, anyone can have an opinion, but true judgment happens after serious examination, reflection, and consultation with the scripture. We can’t be frivolous, especially when dealing with an alleged sin of a pastor or Christian leader, but if we follow scripture and investigate properly, we can arrive at a proper decision. Paul’s writings to Timothy and to the church in Corinth are virtual manuals about judgment and correction within the context of the Church.

Second, lose the beam. When Jesus taught in Matthew 7:3-5, he was speaking in the context of a hypocritical religious system that said one thing and did another. The Pharisees couldn’t see clearly because of their own sin and yet felt perfectly free to judge and condemn others. Nowhere in the Bible does it say we have to be absolutely perfect in word and deed before we can practice discernment, but if we point the finger at someone else, as much as possible, we need to be living right before God and have a clean conscience.

Third, judging actions and judging people are dramatically different issues. There’s never a place for gossip or personal attacks in the Church, but serious discernment on issues of doctrine, performance, quality, professionalism, stewardship, moral choices, and skill are absolutely necessary. We can love a pastor or ministry leader, but when their lifestyle becomes abusive or their teaching aberrant, it’s critical for the life of the Church that they be held accountable. Likewise, when Christian employees do a poor job at work, they need to be disciplined. It’s not about them personally, it’s about their performance and the impact it’s having on others.

If we can’t have adult conversations about today’s issues such as the LGBTQ movement, the push to mutilate minors in the name of “gender-affirming care,” abortion, the public school system, politics, or other issues, then our future will be a long slide into oblivion.

It never hurts to keep in mind that our ability to judge is always limited, and one day, we’ll all stand on level ground before the ultimate Judge. But until that time, I hope we will stop being afraid, and continue graciously calling each other to task for our many failures and shortcomings, so that we can, as Paul said, “…press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.

Pastors Who Lack Close Friends: 5 Reasons Why

Charles Stone

June 21, 2023

Barna Research discovered that 61% of pastors are lonely and have few close friends. The loneliest people in churches are often pastors. Why is this so?

The experts say that five key factors inhibit pastors from developing close friendships.

lack of formative modeling: in families of origin some weren’t close to their parents and/or their parents never modeling for them how to create intimate relationships.
some pastors developed a loner tendency: they’d rather be alone.
personality: some personalities can unintentionally push people away.
wounds from the past can compel some to put up walls with others.
fear of sharing loneliness with others: some pastors think that if people knew they struggled, hurt, or had problems, it might lessen the respect they would give and therefore hinder that pastor’s leadership effectiveness.

Number five can be very powerful. Certainly we shouldn’t publicly display all our dirty laundry, or we would diminish our influence. But actually I’ve found that when I have appropriately shared my struggles with others, most people endear themselves to me and respect me even more.

I’ll never forget a story I heard a well-known pastor share years ago in a conference. The specific details are hazy, but the impact on me remains.

On one of his study breaks he told about a Sunday night visit to a small church. After the sermon, the pastor stood before his flock and in tears shared a heartbreak he had experienced from his son. He said he felt like a failure and wasn’t sure what to do. He then closed the service. Spontaneously the people rushed to the front and surrounded him, hugged him, and wept with him. The pastor sharing the story then used a term to describe the scene: “the circle of brokenness.” As he drew thousands of us into this story, with misty eyes I realized that every pastor yearns for that kind of acceptance.

R.C. Sproul: We’re Called To Make Disciples, Not Simply Converts

R.C. Sproul

June 21, 2023

We should take notice of what Jesus did not say in the Great Commission. He did not say, “Go therefore and make converts of as many people as possible.”

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matt. 28:18-20)

One of the most exciting times of my life was when I was first converted to Christ. I was filled with a zeal for evangelism. However, much to my consternation, when I told my friends about my conversion to Christ, they thought I was crazy. They were tragically amused, remaining unconvinced despite my sharing the gospel with them. Finally, they asked me, “Why don’t you start a class and teach us what you have learned about Jesus?” They were serious. I was elated. We scheduled a time to meet, and I got there a little bit early—but they never showed up.

Despite my profound desire for evangelism, I was a failure at it. This realization came to me early in my ministry. Yet, I also discovered that there are many people whom Christ has called and whom He has gifted by His Spirit to be particularly effective in evangelism. To this day, I’m surprised if anybody attributes their conversion in some part to my influence. In one respect, I’m glad that the Great Commission is not a commission principally to evangelism.

The words that preceded Jesus’ commission were these: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” He then went on to say, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” When Jesus gave this commission to the church, He was speaking authoritatively. He gave a mandate to the church of all ages not simply to evangelize but to make disciples. That leads us to a significant question: What is a disciple?

The simplest definition of disciple is one who directs his mind toward specific knowledge and conduct. So, we might say that a disciple is a learner or pupil. The Greek philosophers—people such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle—had disciples. Socrates described himself ultimately as a disciple of Homer, the person Socrates regarded as the greatest thinker of all of Greek history.

We tend to think of Homer as a poet rather than a philosopher. But Socrates saw him as the supreme teacher of ancient Greece. Then, of course, Socrates had his own student—his chief disciple—whose name was Plato. Plato had his disciples, the chief one being Aristotle. Aristotle also had his disciples, the most famous being Alexander the Great. It is astonishing to think about how drastically the ancient world was shaped by four men: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and Alexander the Great. In fact, it is nearly impossible to understand the history of Western civilization without understanding the influence of those four individuals, who in their own way were each disciples of another.

Aristotle, in particular, was known as a “peripatetic” philosopher. That is, he was a nomadic teacher who walked from place to place, not teaching in a fixed location. The students of Aristotle would follow him as he walked the streets of Athens. In one respect, Aristotle’s disciples lived life with him, learning from him in the course of a normal daily routine.

The aforementioned concepts help illumine the nature of discipleship. However, they fail to capture the full essence of biblical discipleship. Discipleship in the biblical sense involves walking with the teacher and learning from his words, but it is more than that.

Jesus was a rabbi and, of course, the most important peripatetic teacher and disciple-maker in history. Wherever He walked, His students would follow. At the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, He chose particular individuals to be His disciples. They were required to memorize the teachings that He spoke as He walked. What’s more, people didn’t file an application to get into the School of Jesus. Jesus selected His disciples. He went to prospective disciples where they were, whether in the marketplace or at their place of work, and give this simple command: “Follow Me.” The command was literal—He called them to drop their present duties. They had to leave their work, their families, and their friends in order to follow Jesus.

Why Even Worry About Church Growth?

Rich Birch

June 21, 2023

worry about church growth — Adobestock #440057950

You have a lot going on at your church. In an average week, a typical pastor spends time on message prep, counseling, training, attending leadership meetings, and dealing with the administrative hassles that occur when running the “small business” aspects of a church. Just being on the treadmill of keeping the church running every week consumes a vast majority of a pastor’s time. Being a part of a church is an all-consuming endeavor that requires more effort and energy than we would have ever believed when we were in seminary. Considering those circumstances, do you ever have time during your day to worry about church growth?

In some ways, the term “church growth” feels like something from the 1980s. When I think of church growth, I conjure up images of VHS tapes in clamshell cases, wire-bound binders full of fill-in-the-blank forms, and lots of charts demonstrating various factors that drive church effectiveness.

Why Even Worry About Church Growth?

I wonder if the idea of church growth has fallen out of the common vernacular of our leadership simply because some of those ideas seem outdated and disconnected from a pastor’s everyday life. I know that thinking through the future of your church and whether it is as effective as it could be isn’t always on the top of most leaders’ to-do lists. Getting this weekend’s message together or dealing with a conflict with the youth pastor typically ranks higher in the list for most leaders than asking what we’re doing to see greater attendance this weekend, let alone later this year. However, there is nothing more important for us to consider today.

Over the last ten years, I’ve had the chance to walk with two leadership teams as their churches died. The amazing part of those stories is that our church had the privilege of participating in the rebirth of those ministries as a campus of our church. However, walking through that process with those leaders was incredibly humbling. Seeing them realize that their ministries had come to an end motivates me to think about how our churches should be reaching more people than ever before to keep our ministries healthy and alive.

I still remember how one of those church leaders leaned way back in his chair, reflected on the past, and declared that he always thought that if his church just kept doing what they had always done, then they would just keep reaching people. They had ridden that train for twenty years, and the church had gone from above 400 in attendance to down below 30.

When another leader realized that things were coming to a close at her church, she asked with some desperation in her voice if I thought there would ever be a time when kids would return to the church. You see, it had been decades since anyone had brought a young person to that church because, frankly, that ministry had left its effectiveness back in the 1960’s.

Take Up Your Cross – 3 Meditations

Ray Hollenbach

June 21, 2023

take up your cross — Adobestock #447832564

Have you ever planned to think about something? To set the direction of your thoughts, so whenever they are free and looking for something constructive to do, the direction is already determined? There’s no better topic for sustained meditation than the words of Jesus, because his words broke forth from of old and will continue on forever. His words established the earth; his words will create a new heaven and new earth. Take up your cross. What does it mean to us as followers of Jesus? Here are three meditations to the Lord’s simple statement, “”If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself andtake up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9: 23)

Some meditation starts best with questions. What would it mean to “take up his cross daily?” How is self-denial connected to our ability to lay hold of the cross?

Take Up Your Cross – 3 Meditations

Perhaps I can suggest three appetizers for the disciple who would feast on the Lord’s words, “take up your cross”:

1. Take up your cross is an intentional act.

The cross doesn’t happen to us. We take it each day by the choices we make. These choices can small and private, they needn’t prove anything to anyone. Jack Hayford, a wonderful pastor and example of a disciple, once said he reads the scripture each morning at his bedside–on his knees. He does so to signal to God and remind himself of his willingness to submit to God’s will.

Classroom Management Strategies: 4 Tips for Maintaining Order

Jody Capehart

June 20, 2023

Classroom management strategies are essential for any Sunday school or Christian education program. Read on for 4 ways to keep classrooms running smoothly so children can learn.

You love God and children. You feel called to teach and be enthusiastic about Bible lessons. But now you face disruptive children. You don’t want to give up; you’re just frustrated beyond belief.

This probably sounds familiar. Most children’s ministry teachers and volunteers have the passion and the right attitude. But relatively few are equipped for when the “little angels” behave less than angelically. Unfortunately, that leaves many formerly upbeat Sunday school teachers ready to throw in the towel.

How can you prevent discipline problems from diminishing your effectiveness and joy? Here’s a bounty of practical classroom management pointers from my 40 years in kidmin.

4 Classroom Management Strategies

1. Rely on God.

Ground your discipline strategy in God’s Word. Hebrews 12:11 says, “No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening; it’s painful! But afterward, there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.” Children usually don’t view discipline as training in right living, though. They often interpret strictness as meanness. Although the former is okay, the latter is never appropriate.

Classroom management is really a discipleship process that allows us to demonstrate Jesus’ love. Although we may not like everything children do each moment, we always love them. They need to hear and feel that from us often.

Adults’ character and conduct are very contagious to children. Kids learn more from how we act than from what we say. So it’s important to respond in a Christian manner rather than react in the flesh. When adults rely on God to model respect, manners, concern for others, and a gentle spirit, we teach volumes.

Classroom management and discipline are far more effective when you move slowly and quietly, praying for God’s guidance. Prayer is the Christian version of “counting to 10.” It slows down our human reactions, puts things in proper perspective, and gives the Holy Spirit opportunity to work. In our weakness, God can use us to glorify him.

2. Define your system.

Create a classroom management plan before problems arise. Teacher training should include details about how to handle common behavioral problems and when to seek help for “bigger” issues. Try these steps:

Set ground rules. Three simple rules work well for children of all ages: 1. When you want to talk, raise your hand and wait to be called on. 2. When someone else is talking, be quiet. 3. Keep your hands and feet to yourself unless you have permission. (For young children, you may need to repeat these guidelines weekly.)
Establish a clear discipline process. I recommend this simple three-step approach: The first time children violate a rule, walk over and quietly tell them the rule. Assume they have rule amnesia, which is prevalent in childhood. State the desired behavior first. For example, “We use our hands to love and help, not hit.” For a second violation, approach and ask what the rule is in your room. For a third violation, have an immediate consequence related to the misbehavior.
Develop logical consequences. The purpose of a consequence is to retrain the brain and transform the heart. The deed and consequence must be logically related, and discipline must occur right away. The consequence helps children see that their choices determined what happened. This builds accountability too.

Consequences must maintain children’s dignity. Respond only to the current misbehavior. Don’t bring up lists of past offenses. Instead of saying, “You always…” or “You never…,” simply say, “Because you’ve chosen to do this behavior, this is the consequence.”

For example, if children talk rudely and inappropriately, they must find a nice way to say the same thing. If kids hurt someone else, they must do something kind for him or her. Connected, immediate consequences can lead to significant changes in behavior.

Katy Nichole Tells Candace Cameron Bure the Supernatural Story Behind Her Hit Single

Jessica Mouser

June 20, 2023

Breakout Christian musician Katy Nichole revealed that she prayed over a video of herself singing the chorus of “In Jesus Name (God of Possible)” prior to the clip going viral—and that was the first time she had prayed over any of her videos. Appearing on Candace Cameron Bure’s podcast Tuesday, June 20, Nichole shared that she believes the song “carries something that is not from me.”

Katy Nichole: This Song Was ‘So Different’

Actor and producer Candace Cameron Bure, the chief creative officer at Great American Family channel, just dropped the first episode of Season 3 of her podcast. The season will be a “summer song series” featuring Katy Nichole. In the first episode, Nichole shared how she got into music as a career and how she created her hit single, “In Jesus Name (God of Possible).”

The song, which has been certified platinum, spent 20 weeks in the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs chart and nine weeks on Billboard’s Christian Airplay chart. It was nominated for a GMA Dove Award in 2022 and won Worship Song of the Year at 2022 K-LOVE Fan Awards. Nicole was also nominated as Favorite Inspirational Artist at the 2022 American Music Awards.

“Contemporary Christian and worship is my favorite,” said Bure as the episode commenced. “That’s what I listen to.” Bure said she loves dwelling on “uplifting” lyrics that remind her of who God is and the “goodness in life.”

“I’m so grateful that I get to create music that has an encouraging, uplifting message so that someone can be given hope throughout their day,” said Nichole, who is 22. “This is my heart. This is the expression of my relationship with God.”

“As a momma, I’m very, very proud of you,” said Bure, who is 47 and has three children close to Nichole’s age. Seeing Nichole use her talent to honor God “makes my momma heart want to cry.”

Nichole shared that she originally had no plans to go into the music industry, but went to medical school to become a certified medical assistant and also spent two years as a full-time worship leader at her church. Leading worship “was an amazing thing and I loved doing it, but I had no idea where I really wanted to go with that,” she said.

After finishing her medical certification, Nichole said, “I started to feel as though the path that God was leading me down wasn’t medical, and it was music-related.” She thought at the time that journey would lead to being a worship leader. “Honestly, I would’ve been fully satisfied with that,” she said, “because I love having the community of that, and I love being able to lead people well in that, so that space was always a comfortable space for me, but I think God was trying to pull me out of that comfort zone.”

Those familiar with Nichole might know that in early 2022, a clip of her singing part of “In Jesus Name (God of Possible)” went viral, gaining 80 million impressions (Nichole explained that an impression is when people used her song in one of their videos). But what her fans might not know is just how much the Holy Spirit was working in her life in order to use the song in the lives of others.

Nichole had signed with her record label before the song went viral, and even the record deal was an answer to prayer. One month before being offered it, she had written in her prayer journal that being signed to a label was a dream of hers. She wrote down her dream, “laying it at the feet of Jesus, not really thinking much of it,” she said. Then God answered that prayer.

AI-Generated Images of Hobby Lobby Selling Satanic Statues Create Stir

Jesse T. Jackson

June 20, 2023

Earlier this month, AI-generated images in which Hobby Lobby is depicted as selling demonic statues caused confusion among customers and fans of the Christian-owned arts and crafts store.

The images were created by Jennifer Vinyard, a member of The Satanic Temple, using a generative artificial intelligence program called Midjourney.

Vinyard posted realistic images of the demonic god Baphomet appearing to be sold in Hobby Lobby stores, labeling the post with the caption: “I think we need to talk about what is going on at Hobby Lobby…won’t somebody please think of the children!?”

The post was shared more than 6,000 times, garnering over a hundred comments before Facebook turned off commenting—but not before it created confusion for Hobby Lobby enthusiasts and supporters.

One commenter, who knew the images were fake, said, “Hobby Lobby is gonna get cancelled if people believe these are real.”

“I couldn’t believe how many likes and shares the photos got,” Vinyard told Motherboard Tech by VICE. “I’ve read so many comments that cracked me up, mostly from the people who thought they were real and were super angry. I even got some mean Messenger messages from them.”

Vinyard shared how easy it was to create the images, explaining that the “prompt was actually very simple, it was something along the lines of ‘Hobby Lobby selling Satanic products.’”

Adding that the images only took approximately 10 minutes to create, Vinyard said, “I’m actually a little embarrassed that they weren’t better…If I knew they were going to blow up the way they did, I would have spent more time on them.”

When asked why she created the images, Vineyard told the VICE-owned website, “I just thought it would be funny to use the Satanic décor, since Hobby Lobby pretends to be a Christian store.”

Hobby Lobby was founded by the Green family in 1972 and has long been known for voicing conservative Christian belief and values during interviews, through social media, and even in ads. Similar to the popular Christian-owned restaurant chain Chick-fil-A, Hobby Lobby is closed on Sundays. In fact, one of the Green family members, Steve, founded the Museum of the Bible in 2017.

Although the post was uploaded to a private AI Facebook group, the fake images made their way throughout social media and had people questioning whether they were real.

Facing Possible Amputation, CU Coach Deion Sanders Says, ‘I Have Full Trust in Jesus!’

Stephanie Martin

June 20, 2023

University of Colorado (CU) head football coach Deion Sanders recently revealed that he might need to have his left foot amputated. As ChurchLeaders has reported, the former pro athlete and outspoken Christian lost two toes during a health scare in 2021.

Last week, cameras from “Thee Pregame Show” filmed Sanders, known as Coach Prime, meeting with his medical team. The 55-year-old, who’s been walking with a limp since a 2021 ordeal with blood clots and compartment syndrome, described ongoing pain plus the loss of feeling in part of his left foot. A remaining toe is dislocated and sticks out.

‘Things Can Cascade,’ Doctor Tells Deion Sanders

“You just have to understand what the risks are,” vascular surgeon Dr. Donald Jacobs told Sanders. “Things can cascade” to the point where you “could lose the foot.” Dr. Max Wohlauer, another vascular surgeon, said the blood pressure near Sanders’ ankle is now two-thirds of that in his arm.

“I know what risks are,” replied Sanders. “I only have eight toes, so I’m pretty sure I understand.” He said if doctors recommend an amputation, he hopes to get it over with before the busy football season begins. “This is the best downtime I have,” the coach said of the summer months.

Sanders, who was hired at CU last December, is preparing for his first season leading the Buffaloes. During his time at Jackson State, he had to miss three games due to multiple surgeries on his leg and foot. Sanders later admitted he rushed his return to the sidelines because his QB son requested his presence. “God helped me through,” Sanders said of that health scare.

Deion Sanders: ‘I Have Full Trust in Jesus’

Sanders, who played both professional football and baseball, has been open about his medical challenges as well as how his faith helps him cope. He described praying and speaking in tongues during hospital stays in 2021.

In a June 15 Instagram post, the coach shared the video of his meeting with doctors. In the caption, he wrote: “As you know I’ve faced some medical challenges with my foot but I’ve never said ‘WHY ME’ – I keep moving forward, progressing . . . See you never know what a person may be going through while I sit in your seat of [judgment] but you can trust and believe that we are all going through something – just keep the faith and know that if He brought you to it, He will bring you through it.”

Sanders, who added that he’s “built for this,” wrote that he has “full trust in my medical team…and more importantly I have full trust in Jesus!”

Detroit Pastor Denied Access to His Church, Detained by Police During ‘Church Jacking’

Dale Chamberlain

June 20, 2023

Earlier this month, Detroit pastor Lorenzo Sewell was detained by police after being denied entry to the building of the church where he has served as pastor for nearly five years. He says that he was the victim of a “church jacking.”

The incident took place on June 7, when Sewell was alerted that someone had drilled into the locks at 180 Church, where he is senior pastor. After rushing to the church, Sewell was stopped by police, handcuffed, and placed in the back of a police vehicle.

“He’s trying to stop me from going into the building. He’s asking me who I am. I tell him my name is on the building,” Sewell recounted to FOX2 while playing back security footage. “He’s walking me off in handcuffs.”

When asked to describe how he felt in that moment, Sewell said, “Violation.”

“Not for me, but for people who look like me that don’t have Todd Perkins as their attorney,” Sewell continued, referring to a Detroit area attorney. “People that don’t have relationships.”

Sewell said that a group that was previously associated with the church somehow gained control of the church’s facility, bank account, and business entities.

When asked why he believes he and his church were targeted, Sewell, a Black man, said, “It’s just the power of privilege. I believe that when you are white and you have power, you feel like, ‘I own this.’ Instead of saying, ‘Wow, this guy’s been the pastor for five years.’”

Sewell has since been able to regain control of the church, but he expressed disappointment with how he was treated by police in the community in which he and they both serve.

“[It’s] painful,” Sewell said, “because we are an advocate for the cops. We do Faith & Blue, we do jazz concerts, we just played basketball with them a day before in the community.”

Sewell went on to say, “The first thing is that we need to deal with the culture of policing in the Blackest city in America—that’s number one. Number two, we need to be willing to say, ‘Listen, we need to build bridges of trust with our community instead of suspecting the worst out of our community.’”

Soft Complementarians: Holding to Headship and the Gifting of Women

Eric Geiger

June 20, 2023

soft complementarian — Lightstock #203724

The place of women serving, leading, and teaching in the Church is frequently a topic of discussion, seemingly heightened in 2023 as Christian denominations such as Christian and Missionary Alliance (CMA) and the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) have made national news over their discussions and decisions regarding the role of women in a local church. The CMA has adopted a “soft complementarian” position where women can be given the title of “pastor,” and the SBC has voted to disfellowship two churches for women serving in pastoral roles.

Churches making changes in how they have functioned and in what titles women hold has surely caused some of the debate, but the broader culture has also elevated the conversation by effectively linking discussions on race, women, and sexuality together. The culture essentially says, “If you advocate for one, you must advocate for all three. If you are for women and for minorities, then you must also be for affirming same-sex relationships.” Thus, some Christians who hold to a historical view of sexuality (that sex is God’s gift within the confines of a marriage between a man and woman) assume that if a Christian or a church has a view that women should exercise their spiritual gifts of leadership and teaching within the church, then the leader or church must be on a trajectory away from the Church’s historic position on sexuality.

The concern is not without merit, as denominations who have “gone affirming” moved to an egalitarian position first. Likewise, the “trajectory hermeneutic”—an approach to reading and studying the Bible that does not view the Scripture as having a final word but rather asks “where is the Bible going?” or “what is the trajectory of the Bible on this topic?”—is often applied to gender roles within a church before it is applied to sexuality.

While I am understanding and appreciative of the concern, it is inaccurate to say that all who believe women should lead and teach got there through a trajectory hermeneutic—as some hold tightly to the Word being complete and abhor the view that Scripture is not finished or authoritative. They also don’t adopt the culture’s view of race, women, and sexuality, but receive their conviction for all three from Scripture—that the Image of God is placed on every ethnicity and both genders and that the historic view of marriage must not be compromised because it is a beautiful metaphor of the gospel. Groups like the Wesleyans, denominations like the Church of God (Anderson), and many Pentecostal groups hold tightly to the historic position on sexuality and have women pastoring and preaching within their churches. They got to their position on “women in ministry” not because of the culture or because of a trajectory hermeneutic but because of passages like “your sons and daughters will prophesy” (Acts 2:17) and often their view of the Kingdom of God. One may disagree with their application of certain passages without accusing them of being on a slippery slope away from the counter-cultural convictions about sexuality that they faithfully hold. It is helpful to ask someone how they got where they are before assuming it was because of cultural compromise or a trajectory hermeneutic.

“How did you get there?” would also be a wise and gracious question to pose to the soft complementarian position.

“Soft complementarian,” as it is commonly called, is neither “complementarian” or “egalitarian”—the two views that are typically featured in the debates. Some prefer “broad, gift-based complementarian” to describe their position, and I use that term interchangeably with “soft complementarian.” I have pastored Mariners Church for the last five years, a church which has never been affiliated with a denomination and has held the same “soft complementarian” position for over three decades, a position deeply influenced by my predecessor’s mentor—none other than John Stott. (If these terms are new to you, the attached position paper could be helpful.)

Broad, Gifted-Based Complementarian

In the debates between complementarians and egalitarians, the position of “soft complementarian” has often been misrepresented. I am not expecting to convince anyone to hold a soft complementarian position, as if I am going to introduce some new way of thinking or passage that has been overlooked. In times of debate, most of our views only get crystalized. I have read the thoughtful counterpoints to each point I will make by scholars I respect and can articulate them fairly and graciously. Instead of trying to convince you, I hope to help you understand and be able to articulate the soft complementarian position. Before you dismiss soft complementarianism as a middle-way attempt to appease both sides, please consider that John Stott and J.I. Packer might be called soft complementarians today. You may not agree with them, but it would be kind and generous to try and understand the viewpoint. I have joked that the only people who believe there is such a thing as a soft complementarian position are soft complementarians, since stronger complementarians view us as egalitarians who have gone too far, and egalitarians view us as complementarians who have not gone far enough.

What Makes Us Complementarian?

In theology, the order of things matters so much. For example, someone who is reformed in their view of salvation believes regeneration comes before conversion and someone who is not reformed believes conversion happens before regeneration. When it comes to being a complementarian, a lot comes down to when male headship entered our world. An egalitarian believes male headship happened after the Fall or is even a product of the Fall. A complementarian believes male headship happened before the Fall: Eve coming from Adam’s side, Adam naming Eve, and the Apostle Paul rooting male headship in Genesis 2. We are complementarian because we believe in biblical headship—both in the home and the Church.

What Makes Us Broad and Gift-Based?

Why put a qualifier in front of complementarian? We believe the spiritual gifts were given by God to His people to serve His body, the Church. When we read the lists of spiritual gifts in the Scripture, we don’t see any mention of gender. Women were given gifts of teaching, leadership, and exhortation to bless His people. And this is where soft complementarians diverge from other complementarians: we believe pastoring is a spiritual gift. When we read Ephesians 4:11-13 and see “pastors/teachers,” we believe women are able to use those gifts as we don’t see gender in that passage. We are broad, gift-based complementarians because we believe all spiritual gifts are given to both men and women.

New Christians Hospitalized After Relatives Beat Them

Morning Star News

June 20, 2023

NAIROBI, Kenya (Morning Star News) – Relatives of two brothers who accepted Christ in May beat them for leaving Islam earlier this month in eastern Uganda, sources said.

Janati Tisuubira, 22, and his 33-year-old brother Ibrahim Musa Kakembo, received hospital care for nearly week after family members attacked them on June 3 following a burial service for their sister in Bunya, Mayuge District, Kakembo said.

The two brothers had moved to Mbale, about 135 kilometers (84 miles) away, for work reasons and heard a gospel broadcast there that led them to visit the radio preacher’s church in Mbale on May 22, he said.

“At the end of the service, my brother and I remained behind,” Kakembo told Morning Star News. “There we talked to the pastor and asked several questions relating to the gospel message that he had preached over the radio. After that we believed in Issa [Jesus].”

On June 2 they learned that their sister had died in Bunya, and the next day they returned there for the burial. At about 10 p.m., they were listening to the pastor on the radio in their room.

“Before ending the preaching, he asked the listeners to join him in prayers,” Kakembo said. “We then joined him in prayers and began praying. One of our elder brothers saw us praying in the room and went and informed other members of the family, who came to see what was going on. They found us seriously praying, following the pastor on the radio.”

The family members made mobile phone video recordings of the brothers praying, then called them into the sitting room to question them about why they were praying in the name of Christ rather than Muhammad, he said. The brothers remained silent.

“They accused us that we are no longer Muslims,” Kakembo said. “Our elder brother, Shaban, a teacher by profession at Ibun Bazi Islamic Center, got angry with us and started beating us with a blunt object which he had with him as the rest of the members also joined in and started beating us badly.”

He said their father came in and began shouting, “Stop, don’t kill them in my house, just send them away from my home – from today on, I am no longer their father, and they are no longer my children.”

“My brothers obeyed our dad and sent us away in the night,” Kakembo said. “I was bleeding from a deep cut near the right eye and the forehead, while my brother suffered a deep cut on his forehead, an eye injury and a swollen neck.”

After walking about 200 meters, they telephoned the pastor in Mbale, who arranged for Christians in Bulamogi, Kaliro District 124 kilometers (77 miles) away to rescue them. They took the brothers in the middle of the night to a medical clinic in Kaliro, and they were discharged on June 10.

The Christians have taken refuge in an undisclosed location.

“We are ostracized and disowned – we need prayers so that God may comfort us as we feel rejected,” Kakembo said.

The attack was the latest of many instances of persecution of Christians in Uganda that Morning Star News has documented.

Uganda’s constitution and other laws provide for religious freedom, including the right to propagate one’s faith and convert from one faith to another. Muslims make up no more than 12 percent of Uganda’s population, with high concentrations in eastern areas of the country.

This article originally appeared here.

William Barber Departs Pulpit of Greenleaf Church With an Ode to the Power of Disability

Yonat Shimron

June 20, 2023

RALEIGH (RNS) — For his final sermon as pastor of Greenleaf Christian Church in Goldsboro, North Carolina, on Sunday (June 18), the Rev. William Barber spoke of “the testimony of the cripple.”

The sermon, which capped his 30-year tenure as pastor of the Disciples of Christ church in the mostly Black town about 50 miles southeast of Raleigh, the state capital, was unusually personal.

Barber, who some consider a successor to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., for his anti-poverty activism, will devote his time to training future pastors. Late last year, he was appointed founding director of the Center for Public Theology and Public Policy at Yale Divinity School.

In completing his tenure at Greenleaf, Barber, 59, spoke of the struggle that nearly ended his career before it began.

In 1993, the year he was called to lead the church, he was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis. Though he didn’t name the condition, which causes the vertebrae of the spine to fuse together and has resulted in a hunched back and a halting gait, he spoke candidly of the depression and near loss of faith that came with his diagnosis and the ways it forced him to lean more heavily on God.

“I had an officer in the Christian church, the national church, call me and said, ‘Bobby, you probably gonna need to figure out another thing to do besides pastoring, because the church ain’t gonna want a cripple to be a pastor,’” he recounted.

At a time when muscular Christianity, a militant, almost warrior-like faith appears ascendant in many Christian and political spaces, Barber, who walks with a cane, has staked his life on speaking for the weak and lowly.

“We work so hard to present how strong we are, and we think that’s faith,” Barber said.
But, he added, “God’s grace and God’s glory is most evident when we are weak.”

“So if you’re going to boast about your faith, ” he intoned, “don’t tell everybody how good you are. Tell them how you’ve fallen.”

Using the biblical prophet Isaiah’s image of a bruised reed and the story of a lame man named Mephibosheth from the Book of Samuel, Barber spoke for 45 minutes about his own struggle and about those of other biblical figures such as Job, the prophet Jeremiah and the apostle Paul and many others were either physically or psychologically afflicted.

Sitting behind him was Terri Hord Owens, general minister and president of the Disciples of Christ as well as Sharon Watkins, her predecessor and the first woman to lead a mainline denomination in 2005.

Barber, who also served as president of the North Carolina state conference of the NAACP from 2005 until 2017, is best known in the state for organizing the Moral Monday movement as a protest against cuts to unemployment benefits, health care funding, voting rights and environment regulations. The movement was credited with helping defeat former Republican Gov. Pat McCrory in 2016.

His dedication to low-income Americans and their concerns raised his profile nationally and led to speeches at the Democratic National Convention and later a MacArthur “genius” grant. Most recently, Tennessee State Rep. Justin Jones, who was expelled by the overwhelmingly white, Republican-controlled state Legislature and then reinstated, credited Barber as a sort of “godfather” to him.

In a phone call with RNS after the service, Barber said he was especially proud to hand over leadership of his church to a woman, the Rev. G. Shyrl Hinnant-Uzzell, who was named his successor at Greenleaf.

Hinnant-Uzzell has served as assistant pastor at the church for several years. Barber has also handed the leadership of another organization he founded, Repairers of the Breach, to a woman, the Rev. A. Kazimir Brown. Barber will retain the title of president and senior lecturer.

Immediately after his last service, Barber headed to Washington for a three-day Poor People’s Campaign event to raise awareness of poverty, which he said is the fourth-leading cause of death in the United States. As part of that event, he is scheduled to have a meeting in the White House on Wednesday.

Barber said he will always keep a home in the South, even as he intends to spend most of his time at Yale in New Haven, Connecticut, beginning this fall.

He felt it was important to leave Greenleaf with a message that hardship can be a source of strength, or as he put it: “your crippleness doesn’t disqualify you.”

“Your crippleness gives God a place to show God’s strength and it also enables you to be in community, because you cannot do it on your own.”

This article originally appeared here.

3 Traits of Great Pastors

Dale Chamberlain

June 20, 2023

When I was younger, I used to be impressed by pastors and preachers who could command a crowd, develop and implement dynamic strategies, cast a big vision, and grow a church rapidly. To a certain extent, I still am.

But as I have matured, what I have come to realize is that the pastors who have given me the most vibrant glimpses of Jesus and the type of life into which he calls his people are rarely the ones who dazzle and amaze. (In fact, the ones who dazzle and amaze, if they are not shepherded well, have the tendency to blow up their church—and their own life along with it.)

The greatest pastors aren’t necessarily the ones leading the largest churches or getting featured at the leadership conferences or in Christian publications. They may or may not be great preachers or revolutionary organizational leaders.

More often than not, they are actually quite unassuming. But they possess traits that only characterize people who have spent a lot of time with Jesus.

Here are three traits of great pastors.

1. Great Pastors Practice What They Preach.

Great pastors aren’t the ones who preach the best sermons but the ones who are the best at carrying out the content and commands of their sermons.

Of course, no pastor will ever be as righteous as the biblical ideals about which he preaches, but great pastors have the reputation of never asking something of their people that they aren’t willing to strive for themselves.

These pastors are the first to serve. They spend time in prayer and Bible study. They take proper rest. They confess when they’ve fallen short. They are active in their personal efforts to tell their friends and neighbors about Jesus and invite them to church. They remain plugged into their small group.

They reliably, even if not perfectly, do all the things that they are constantly telling you to lead to a healthy, impactful, and faithful walk with Jesus.

Any gifted communicator can tell you what you should be doing. A great pastor journeys alongside you as you seek to do it together.

2. Great Pastors Are Unflappably Kind.

I recently was watching a denominational leader speak to a room full of reporters. As intra-denominational drama surrounded recent decisions within the denomination, that leader was given an opportunity to publicly respond to negative reports about another denominational leader who had previously maligned him.

In response, this denominational leader, this pastor, did not merely deflect the comment or speak in generalities—he went out of his way to defend his fellow pastor, offering an empathetic explanation for his actions and painting him in the best possible light. Not only did he display an absence of rancor, but the active presence of kindness.

This is what makes great pastors.

Your Church Service Should Start Doing Less To Accomplish More

Gavin Adams

June 20, 2023

I remember being so excited to hear our church band perform the song “Beautiful Day” by U2 at the beginning of our church service. They rehearsed midweek to prepare thoroughly. Nailing the song was important. The lighting was programmed. The haze machines filled to the brim. The sound was mixed to make an impact.

That Sunday morning, I arrived at the church bright and early, brimming with anticipation for that opening song. It was going to be epic.

And it was. Our attendees erupted with singing and applause—what a way to begin a service.

That Was 15 Years Ago.

That model—leveraging culture to connect with our community—worked beautifully at that time. Worked, as in past tense.

I fear it doesn’t work any longer. For one, high-quality music is available at our fingertips. I can hear or watch U2 perform every version of “Beautiful Day” on any platform, any time I want. I can see cover bands perform the song. I can watch other famous bands perform the song. And I didn’t even leave my phone.

But it’s more than that. Much, much more.

Church Services as an Alternative to Culture

I led a church during this season of ministry. Entertainment was a successful pathway to attracting people—especially the unchurched within our community. Most perceived church as dull, so leveraging culturally relevant connections like music to connect with the community worked. And it worked well!

But again, that was 15 years ago.

The world has changed dramatically. Culture has changed. And your community has changed, too. Fifteen years is a long time. Add our two-year pandemic accelerator, and 15 years feels like a lifetime ago.

Here’s what I’ve come to believe about people today:

In our overwhelmed, over-informed, and over-entertained lives, the last thing people crave from their church is more entertainment.

In the past, churches mimicked culture to engage the community.

Today, people need an alternative to culture. They desire something different. In a world full of distractions, what people need is space.

I recently heard that 15 minutes of Instagram scrolling exposes us to the amount of information our grandparents encountered in an entire month. Think about that. Our minds are not made for this much information. We are overwhelmed, but we’ve so normalized information overload that we can’t see another way forward.

Enter the church. Enter your church—specifically, your church service.

The New Opportunity in Your Church Service

Why does the band playing culturally relevant music to open church services no longer move the needle? Perhaps because we just can’t take any more noise and distraction.

Today’s in-person church gatherings need to be more counter to the culture, not comparable to the culture. We need to design church services that give God space in the hearts and lives of our attendees. Space to reflect. To process. To consider. To sit.

When’s the last time you sat quietly? I suspect it’s not a regular part of your daily life. Even if you’re better than most, I bet that you spend more time taking in than reflecting on. How long were you on Instagram today?

We are like Elijah standing at the mouth of the cave, trying to hear the voice of God. The wind, fire, and storms passed by, but God wasn’t to be found or heard in the noise. God spoke in the still, quiet whisper.

God still speaks in this fashion. Replace wind, fire, and storms with Instagram, Netflix, and billboards.

This is where your church can intervene as an alternative to the noise of culture.

How to Use ChMS Without Turning it Into BigBrother Software

Jonathan Smith

June 20, 2023

Church Management Software (ChMS) is often a hot button topic around churches and ministries. There seems to be a lot of passion regarding what software is chosen and why. Ministries often waste a lot of time and money bouncing between different software platforms to satisfy the perceived needs of specific staff members. More often than not any issues with a ChMS system can be resolved through proper training on the software and its features. Too often, however, ministries become software schizophrenic, bouncing from software package to software package, expending stewardship and missing ministry opportunities trying to find the perfect solution, and perhaps violating privacy, like a bigbrother software. Then a new staffer is hired who wants to use a solution they are more comfortable with and the whole process repeats itself over—and over, and over.

Did you know there is more to ChMS? While it is important a ministry selects the proper platform, receives the necessary training, and then holds staff accountable for using the solution selected there is another side to all of this, the human side. Another way to look at this is the ministry side of ChMS, where the software actually helps the ministry accomplish its mission of impacting souls for Christ.

Far too often this side is lost in the drama created through the selection process and then the fussing about the selection process and its result. What if we put the ministry side first and focused on using the tool to impact the Kingdom as opposed to all the drama surrounding the ChMS system itself? What might that look like?

How to Use ChMS Without Turning it Into BigBrother Software

Consider a family in your church who is plugged in and actively serving. They attend small group meetings, are faithful to Sunday services, give generously, and if there is a need for servants they show up. At one of their small group meetings they share a prayer request that a member of their family is ill and will require full time care. They tell the group their family member is going to move in with them.

Influential Teenagers: Let Kids Know That They Are World-Changers

Rachel Blom

June 19, 2023

Do you know some influential teenagers who make an impact on their peers? on their classmates? at their churches? in their communities? Today’s teens don’t need to wait for their turn (or for permission) to change the world. Teenagers are making a difference right now—in big ways!

As a youth leader, you can probably list a bunch of influential teenagers by name. And you probably know them and their leadership abilities quite well. Plus, you have the opportunity to continue shaping these amazing teenagers. You can encourage their efforts, steer them in the right direction, and remind them to glorify God in all they do and say.

Influential Teenagers Throughout History

In the April 2015 edition of The Atlantic, editors asked several well-known people this question. “Who is the most influential teenager of all time?”

Here are some of their responses:

Emmett Till: a 14-year old African-American boy who was murdered in 1955 for whistling at a white woman. His death inspired others to fight racism and protect civil rights.

Joan of Arc: the legendary French girl who led an army against the English in the Middle Ages.

Anne Frank: the Jewish girl who hid in a secret room in Amsterdam (The Netherlands) in WWII. She was betrayed and died in Bergen-Belsen, leaving behind a diary that inspired millions.

Elvis Presley: the king of rock ‘n’ roll.

Nero: the cruel Roman emperor who rose to power at age 16.

David: the teen shepherd boy who slayed the giant Goliath, thus changing the course of history for Israel.

Mark Zuckerberg: the tech wizard who started Facebook when he was still a teen.

Who is the most influential teenager of all time? It’s an interesting question, for sure. I would have mentioned the disciples perhaps, some of whom may still have been in their teens when Jesus started his ministry.

Children’s Ministry Hazards: 10 Things That Can Ruin a KidMin Program

ChildrensMinistry.com

June 19, 2023

Children’s ministry is a vital part of any church. So make sure you avoid these 10 obstacles that can spell trouble for any kidmin program.

“Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?” Ever wondered why Mary is so contrary? Maybe it’s because she battles threatening weeds and pests so her silver bells, cockle shells, and pretty maids will grow in a row.

Like Mary, you need to cut down “weeds” and terminate “pests” if you want your children’s ministry to grow. But unlike contrary Mary, weeding out these 10 threats to your program will yield joy.

10 Ways to Ruin a Children’s Ministry Program

1. Lack of communication

If people don’t know what’s happening in your ministry, they assume nothing of consequence is happening. Refuse to communicate, and your children’s ministry will never be a priority to the church and community. People vital to your ministry need to know what’s going on in order to support the work. If they don’t know about it, they can’t support it.

Talk about your ministry with your pastor, other staff members, volunteers, parents, the community, and children. Promote kidmin in church publications, community advertising, and best yet, word of mouth from satisfied participants.

2. Not valuing children

Don’t be guilty of loving your ministry but not loving your children. If you don’t value children, neither will your church. And if your church treats children as second-class citizens, then your children’s ministry will suffer. Your ministry won’t receive the space, staffing, and budgeting other groups receive.

Validate children as individuals of worth, just as Jesus did. Let your children and church know how much you value kids. For example, do you get at eye level to talk to kids, or do you tower over them? Do you call children “rug rats” or other subtly degrading terms?

3. A run-down children’s space

Art Murphy, a children’s minister in Florida, says that cluttered, run-down children’s facilities communicate that little is happening there for children. “A clean, bright, roomy facility cleared of old materials or unused furniture communicates that children are loved, wanted, and expected,” he says.

Walk through your children’s space twice. Evaluate it from an adult’s viewpoint, then from a child’s perspective. List needs and make changes!

4. Lone-ranger mentality

If you do it all your way and all by yourself, you not only risk ruining your children’s ministry. You may also ruin yourself as a kidmin leader.

In Ephesians 4:12, Paul tells leaders “to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” When you’ve trained and staffed your ministry, it’ll go on reaching children for Christ even when you’re gone.

Multiply your ministry by recruiting willing volunteers to shoulder the work with you.

5. No family ministry

The primary shapers of a child’s development are parents and immediate family. Teaching or caring for children one or two hours a week at church is helpful. But the greatest good happens when you take ministry directly to the whole family. You may be surprised at the needs you’ll see when you look at a family through a child’s eyes.

Develop ministries to reach the entire family. Examples include home visitation, parent-training courses, and family-crisis counseling.

Christian University Cancels Promise Keepers Event Over Pride Month Statement

Jessica Mouser

June 19, 2023

Updated June 20, 2023, with statements from Ken Harrison and Belmont University.

Belmont University, a private Christian college in Nashville, Tennessee, has canceled an event with Promise Keepers (PK), citing a a statement PK issued about Pride Month. Promise Keepers CEO Ken Harrison also told ChurchLeaders that the cancellation was because of that statement.

“We will not stand on the sidelines and remain quiet. As fathers, husbands, grandfathers, and young men—we see the dangers of gender ideology and the harm it causes,” said Promise Keepers in its statement. “At Promise Keepers, we believe it is more important than ever to stand up boldly for what we believe as Christians. God’s Word is very clear on this topic—and we also see the way gender ideology has damaged lives, mutilated bodies, and torn apart families in our own communities.”

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Belmont University Cancels Promise Keepers Event

Promise Keepers is a ministry based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, that aims to help men live with integrity. It was founded in 1990 by football coach Bill McCartney and grew significantly, holding yearly national conferences. It peaked in 1997 when over a million men gathered at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. While PK declined in subsequent years, nearly fading away, it recently relaunched. PK held a virtual conference in 2020 that was viewed by over 1.2 million users worldwide, and in July 2021, the ministry held its first in-person national conference in 20 years.

Harrison told ChurchLeaders that PK might return to holding large conferences in the future, but for now is focusing on its “Daring Faith” gatherings, smaller events scheduled throughout the U.S. Harrison said that part of the purpose of the Daring Faith events is to bring awareness to the Promise Keepers app, a resource to help men connect men with one another. “The isolation is really hurting men in a lot of ways,” Harrison said.

PK had planned to hold a Daring Faith event on Sept. 29 at the Fisher Center at Belmont University before the college canceled it.

The university, whose vision statement says it “exists to inspire and equip students for faithful participation in God’s mission in the world,” has wrestled with its denominational identity and stance on sexuality throughout the past few decades.

The college reports an enrollment of 7,460 undergraduates and 1,540 graduate students from every state and more than 33 countries. It counts among its alumni Corrina Grant Gill, daughter of Christian pop singer Amy Grant and country music singer Vince Gill.

In 2007, Belmont broke ties with the Tennessee Baptist Convention, settling a lawsuit that ended a 56-year relationship, after which the college moved forward as “an independent, ecumenical Christian university with no denominational ties.”

In December 2010, Belmont made national headlines when women’s soccer coach Lisa Howe parted ways with the university shortly after Howe shared with players that she and her partner, Wendy Holleman, were going to have a baby. While neither Howe nor the university gave a reason for her leaving, many perceived that the university was taking action against the soccer coach for being in a lesbian relationship.

Shout out to our alumna Corrina Grant Gill (Commercial Voice ’23) who just released her new single “Too Much” and was featured in @Southern_Living! 🤩 #ThatsOurBruin Check out the article here 👇 https://t.co/mrysNgUKcC

— Belmont University (@BelmontUniv) June 15, 2023

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1. Great Pastors Practice What They Preach.

2. Great Pastors Are Unflappably Kind.

That Was 15 Years Ago.

Church Services as an Alternative to Culture

In our overwhelmed, over-informed, and over-entertained lives, the last thing people crave from their church is more entertainment.

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Influential Teenagers Throughout History

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5. No family ministry

Belmont University Cancels Promise Keepers Event

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