UPDATE: Tim Keller Is Back in the Hospital; Son Asks for Prayer

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May 17, 2023

Editor’s note: Dr. Tim Keller passed away the morning of Friday, May 19. See the following article for further information: “Pastor Tim Keller Dies at 72 After Battling Pancreatic Cancer.”

UPDATED May 17, 2023: Author and pastor Dr. Tim Keller is back in the hospital after initially being released following health complications from his cancer treatment. His son, Michael Keller, tweeted an update on May 16.

“A brief health update on my Dad: After being released from the hospital on Saturday, he returned late Sunday night to receive additional care,” said Michael. “Please continue to pray for his recovery.”

A brief health update on my Dad: After being released from the hospital on Saturday, he returned late Sunday night to receive additional care. Please continue to pray for his recovery.

-Michael Keller

— Timothy Keller (@timkellernyc) May 17, 2023

ChurchLeaders original article written on May 15, 2023, below.

Kathy Keller, wife of author and pastor Dr. Tim Keller, revealed on social media Saturday that her husband is recovering at home after a stay in the hospital.

“Tim is out of the hospital and recovering at home after complications from his treatment,” said Kathy. “Please continue to pray during this slow recovery.”

Tim is out of the hospital and recovering at home after complications from his treatment. Please continue to pray during this slow recovery.

-Kathy Keller

— Timothy Keller (@timkellernyc) May 14, 2023

Hundreds of people responded with encouragement, saying that they were praying that God would restore the pastor to health and bring peace to him and his family.

Dr. Tim Keller Battles Pancreatic Cancer

Dr. Tim Keller, 72, is the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City and the author of numerous books, including “The Reason for God” and “The Meaning of Marriage.” In June 2020, he announced he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Keller underwent chemotherapy that year and in May 2021 had surgery to remove some nodules. He continued chemotherapy, which was successful in reducing, but not eliminating, his cancer.

In June 2022, Keller began an immunotherapy trial at the National Cancer Center in Bethesda, Maryland. “This has shown great promise in potentially curing cancer,” Keller said at the time, “though it is a rigorous and demanding month-long program (that will need updates up to 6 months).”

During that trial, Keller suffered a health scare that put him in the hospital and prompted his son, Michael, to ask for prayers. While “things were scary for a bit,” said Michael, “God was gracious, working through your prayers and the skill of the doctors, and now he is doing much better.”

In January, Keller shared that he was participating in a drug trial, and in March, he revealed that during the month of April, he would return to “a variation” of the immunotherapy he underwent last summer. “It was successful in eradicating 99% of the tumors,” said Keller. “However, new tumors have developed. They are unfortunately in some fairly inconvenient places, so the doctors encouraged us to go through the treatment again, this time targeting a different genetic marker of the cancer.”

Sean Nemecek: How To Recover From Burnout

By

Jason Daye

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May 17, 2023

As pastors and ministry leaders, how do we recover from periods of high stress, great anxiety, and even burnout? In this week’s conversation on FrontStage BackStage, host Jason Daye is joined by Sean Nemecek, Regional Director for Pastor-in-Residence Ministries. Sean is the author of “The Weary Leader’s Guide to Burnout.” Together, Sean and Jason explore one of the biggest mistakes that leaders make when it comes to burnout. They also discuss the importance of finding safe spaces for recovery, and Sean shares the hope of never burning out again.

FrontStage BackStage Podcast Sean Nemecek

View the entire podcast here.

Keep Learning

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Travis Dickinson: How To Make Your Church Safe for Christians Who Doubt

By

Jessica Mouser

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May 17, 2023

The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast · Travis Dickinson: How To Make Your Church Safe for Christians Who Doubt

Dr. Travis Dickinson is Professor of Philosophy at Dallas Baptist University and a regular contributor for the Christian Research Journal. He is the author of several books, including “Logic and the Way of Jesus: Thinking Critically and Christianly.” His latest is, “Wandering Toward God: Finding Faith Amid Doubts and Big Questions,” which was chosen by Outreach Magazine as the 2023 apologetics resource of the year.

Other Ways To Listen to This Podcast With Travis Dickinson

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Key Questions for Travis Dickinson

-Tell us a little bit about your background with Christianity and when you first questioned your faith.

-How would you encourage church leaders to walk through their own doubt and be supportive guides to people who are doubting?

-What do you make of the Christian leaders and influencers who have been deconstructing?

-What is the relationship between faith, doubt and unbelief? Can we have certainty that Christianity is true?

Key Quotes From Travis Dickinson

“One thing that I think is important to mention is that I sincerely believed….but I didn’t believe because I had found it to be true.”

“I found truth and it caused my faith to grow. And that’s kind of the irony, is that the very thing that I think we’re scared of when it comes to doubts and questions…led me to truth and a greater faith.”

“I really dove into the other religious traditions too, and was trying to find, where are their equivalent to our apologetics departments?…and honestly couldn’t really find them.”

“The thing that we always have to keep in mind is that the pursuit here is the pursuit of a person. It’s not a pursuit of a system or a doctrine or even an intellectual belief. It’s the pursuit of God.”

“If [people] are doubting [their] faith, wouldn’t we want people to come to the church in order to find their answers, rather than Google or some other source like that?”

“I think that’s crucial for a pastor to make reference to the fact that he has, you know, walked this journey, too, and struggled here and there.”

Latino Faith Leaders to Gather for Summit on Christian Nationalism

By

Alejandra Molina

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May 17, 2023

(RNS) — The ReAwaken America tour, a traveling roadshow featuring self-declared Christian nationalists, rolled into Miami over the weekend, bringing some 50 speakers uniformly declaring the inevitability or necessity of a second term for former President Donald Trump. Others made more arcane promises, such as conservative podcaster Stacy Whited’s forecast of an imminent “transference of wealth from the wicked to the righteous” that would make those in the audience rich.

ReAwaken America events have been a hub for election deniers, conspiracy theorists and those who discuss immigration as a plot to “replace us” — “us” being by implication white evangelical Christians.

On this score, Miami may appear to be an odd choice for the tour’s organizers: More than half of the city’s residents were born outside the U.S. and more than 70% are Latino. Yet there is evidence that white supremacy and Christian nationalism have made their way into the Latino community in the United States, including among the most violent fringe of those movements.

The shooter who killed eight people at a mall in Allen, Texas, was identified as Mauricio Garcia, a Latino man whose online activity showed an interest in white supremacy.

Journalists found that Garcia posted photos of Nazi tattoos on his arm and torso, including a large Nazi hooked cross and the SS lightning bolt logo of Adolf Hitler’s paramilitary forces. He also made references encouraging violence against women, celebrating rape and using vocabulary of the male supremacist incel, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Another prominent Latino linked to far-right groups is Enrique Tarrio, who is Afro-Cuban, and the former leader of the paramilitary group the Proud Boys who was found guilty this month of seditious conspiracy for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

In this Sept. 26, 2020, file photo, Proud Boys leader Henry “Enrique” Tarrio wears a hat that says “The War Boys” during a rally in Portland, Oregon. (AP Photo/Allison Dinner, File)

But these examples should not come as a surprises, according to Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, who said that the spread of xenophobic prejudice and bigotry online has helped make intolerance “transnational and transethnic.”

“Misogyny, a fascination with fascism, weapon fetishization are things that, I think, define aggressive masculinity. That cuts across a variety of ethnicities and subcultures,” Levin said.

Levin also said that Latino Americans can be drawn to mainstream conservative ideas about the value of hard work and so-called family values and can come into contact with groups online that may lead them down a rabbit hole “where the direction and the depth and the acceptability of aggression become more fixed.”

The increasing numbers of Latinos joining Pentecostal or other evangelical churches mean that they increasingly hear messages from prosperity-gospel preachers, including those who believe Trump was ordained by God to be president.

For 25th Year, State Department Reports on Threats, Triumphs in Religious Freedom

By

Adelle M Banks

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May 17, 2023

(RNS) — State Department officials continued to point to religious freedom atrocities in Russia, China and Afghanistan as they released their annual report on threats to religious liberties across the globe.

“Far too many governments continue to freely target faith community members within their borders,” said Rashad Hussain, ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, at an event with Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday (May 15) marking the release of the 2022 International Religious Freedom Report. “A second theme and trend the report highlights is the increase of government restrictions on access to holy sites and places of worship.”

Hussain pointed to Russia’s war in Ukraine as one cause of destruction to religious sites and noted the ways Chinese authorities have caused Muslims and Buddhists to lose sacred spaces.

“We have all seen the sad pictures of Ukraine’s civilians sifting through the rubble of their beautiful and most historic churches destroyed by Russia’s brutal war of aggression,” he said. “Uyghurs have witnessed the PRC (People’s Republic of China) Government destroy or repurpose their mosques or cemeteries. Authorities also destroy the monasteries of Tibetan Buddhists and expelled monks and nuns.”

Hussain also spoke of how members of Afghan communities who “do not toe the Taliban’s narrow theological line” need to flee or hide their religious identity.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, listens as Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Rashad Hussain speaks on the release of the 2021 International Religious Freedom Report, at the State Department, June 2, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The report, which assesses conditions in 199 countries, also looks at policies and laws, including those about blasphemy and apostasy, that “criminalize religious expression” and extend discrimination against religious minorities and others who differ from rules of an accepted theology.

“The report describes growing bigotry at the societal level in many places around the world,” said Hussain, who noted “the ongoing and deeply disturbing proliferation of antisemitism, anti-Muslim hatred and xenophobia that target religious and nonreligious communities.”

As they marked the 25th anniversary of the International Religious Freedom Act — which requires the annual report and established the ambassador position — the State Department leaders described how religious freedoms are being truncated and trampled upon, but also noted the progress for religious rights that occurred in some countries.

“Belgium formally recognized its Buddhist minority, which entitles Buddhist religious organizations to teach their faith in state schools and eventually to apply for federal funding to do so,” Blinken said in his remarks.

“Lawmakers in Brazil codified religious freedom guarantees for Afro-Brazilian indigenous communities at the municipal and state levels across the country. They also passed legislation making it a crime to carry out discriminatory acts against any religious practices.”

Faithful of the Afro-Brazilian religion Candomble walk on the shore before a Defense of Religious Freedom march at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro on Sept. 18, 2022. The march sought to draw the attention of society and public authorities to the growth of cases of religious intolerance in Brazil. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Organizations such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom praised the State Department’s report.

“We welcome this latest report highlighting the deeply concerning persecution and violence targeting Muslims, Christians and other religious minority communities in India and China,” said Corey Saylor, CAIR’s director of research and advocacy.

Both CAIR and USCIRF have urged the Biden administration to add India to its list of countries of particular concern, and USCIRF, in its own recent report, recommended four others: Afghanistan, Nigeria, Syria and Vietnam.

Poll: Religious Attendance Is Shrinking but Those Who Remain Are Happy

By

Yonat Shimron

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May 17, 2023

Religious-Attendance — Photo credit: NATHAN MULLET / Unsplash

(RNS) — For American religion, the story of decline just won’t let up.

A shrinking number of Americans — 16% — say religion is the most important thing in their lives, down from 20% in 2013. And nearly 3 in 10 — or 29% — say religion is not important to them at all, up from 19% 10 years ago. Those are among the findings in a new survey by the Public Religion Research Institute on religion and congregations fielded in 2022 and published Tuesday (May 16).

The survey of 5,872 American adults finds that 57% seldom or never attend religious services (compared with 45% in 2019). And some of those who do are restless. The survey finds that 24% of Americans said they now belong to a religious congregation other than the one they grew up in; that’s up from 16% in 2021.

But among those who remain churchgoers, there’s a happier story, too.

Most churchgoers across Christian traditions — 59% — have attended their current church for more than 10 years, revealing remarkable stability.

"Religious Attendance 2013-2022, by Religious Afiliation" Graphic courtesy PRRI

“Religious Attendance 2013-2022, by Religious Affiliation” Graphic courtesy PRRI

An overwhelming number of regular attenders — 82% — say they are optimistic about the future of their congregation. And a whopping 89% say they are proud to be associated with their church.

“What struck me about the findings is the paradox,” said Melissa Deckman, CEO of PRRI. “We see continued declines in the role of religion. But for those who attend regularly they seem pretty happy and satisfied, even proud of their congregations.”

Americans who attend church at least a few times a year are slightly more likely than those who seldom or never attend church to be civically or politically active. The survey shows they are more likely to have contacted a government official (23% vs. 19%), served on a committee (17% vs. 10%), or volunteered for a political campaign (7% vs. 4%).

Higher levels of civic engagement are particularly strong for Black and Hispanic churchgoers. White Americans tend to be more politically engaged than nonwhites, regardless of whether they attend church.

The survey also asked Americans what subjects they hear about from the pulpit. Most churchgoers reported poverty and inequality, followed by racism and abortion. Election fraud and Donald Trump were among the surveyed subjects least discussed. Only around 1 in 10 churchgoers said their church sometimes or often discusses the former president (8%) or election and voter fraud (11%).

In addition, 56% of churchgoers surveyed don’t think their churches are more politically divided than five years ago (13% say they are more divided).

Most churchgoers also give their congregations high marks for welcoming gays and lesbians — 75% agreed or mostly agreed their church is welcoming of everyone, including LGBTQ people.

And while 71% of churchgoers identified in the survey said their congregations should provide perspectives on social issues, only 45% agreed with the statement “Congregations should get involved in social issues.” (Black churchgoers were the exception — 63% said churches should get involved.)

“There’s still a hunger to hear about social issues, as long as it’s not challenging conversation,” said Deckman. That may make some sense, she added, because “most people go to church for spiritual reasons,” not political reasons.

The survey did find a growing number of people switching their religion — now about a quarter of all Americans. Catholics appeared to be the biggest losers in this game of musical chairs.

“Current Religious Afiliation, by Former Religious Afiliation” Graphic courtesy PRRI

Among Americans who left their religious tradition, 37% say they were formerly Catholic, more than any other group. The survey also found that among mainline Protestants, 46% were previously Catholic, and among Black Hispanic and Asian Protestants, 42% are formerly Catholic.

Catholics also scored poorly on the question of whether religion is important to them. White Catholics were twice as likely in 2022 as they were in 2013 to say religion is not important (16% vs. 7%), and this gap is larger among Hispanic Catholics (13% vs. 2%).

Most religious switchers (56%) said the reason they left their prior religion is that they stopped believing its teachings. Thirty percent of switchers said their faith’s attitudes toward LGBTQ people led them to leave, and 27% cited “scandals involving leaders.” Only 17% said their congregation had become too political.

The survey was fielded in August 2022. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 1.86 percentage points.

This article originally appeared here.

Cyberfraud Cost Florida Baptists More Than $700,000

By

Bob Smietana

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May 17, 2023

Cyberfraud — Image by Jonathan Hammond/Pixabay/Creative Commons

(RNS) — Staff at the Florida Baptist Convention thought they were sending mission money to help pay for church planting.

Then the money disappeared.

“The Florida Baptist Convention continues to work with federal and state investigators, our internal and external auditors to recover over $700,000 in funds stolen from the convention through cyber-targeting,” according to an update on the convention’s website Monday (May 15).

Florida Baptist officials first announced they’d been a victim of fraud on Wednesday but had not shared the scope of the loss. The announcement on the convention’s website was updated after Religion News Service asked leaders at the convention to confirm the size of the loss.

The Florida Baptists are one of more than 40 state conventions affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. The funds were meant to go to the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, which partners with the Florida Baptists on church planting.

That process was interrupted when the Florida Baptist staff received an email that claimed to be from NAMB but was not and requested funds be sent to a new account number. The fraudulent email reflected “a general knowledge of the communications and practice between the SBC entity and the convention.”

“An investigation is being launched to determine how this knowledge was gained,” the convention said in a statement informing its supporters. “ At this time, we have no reason to suspect malfeasance by any convention employees.”

Convention leaders said they will honor their commitments to support churches and other ministries despite the loss by drawing on reserves. They also said they would add to their cybersecurity, which according to leaders already included “training, regular information systems upgrades, and advanced detection software.”

They also warned churches about the ongoing danger of cybercrimes.

“These types of attacks continue to plague organizations of all sizes and scopes,” the convention said in a statement. “We encourage pastors and churches to remain diligent with the security of their IT and financial systems. This specifically includes critically scrutinizing any and all requests — even those from a supposedly well-known source — that request a shift from historical payment practices.”

Mike Ebert, a spokesman for NAMB, said that agency adheres to “robust cyber and data security protocols, follows best-in-class accounting principles and internal controls” to protect donations from Southern Baptists.”

“We have and will continue to support our ministry partners as they seek to do the same,” Ebert said in a text message.

Earlier this year, a church in North Carolina reportedly lost close to $800,000 after receiving a fraudulent email. The Rev. Johnny Blevins, pastor of Elkin Valley Baptist Church, told a North Carolina television station the church received an emailed bill from a contractor working on the church building.

“Immediately following that email was another email, which we thought was from Landmark,” Blevins told the television station. “It had cloned basically that email and it gave instructions on payment and included the invoice and everything.”

The fraud was reportedly discovered when the contractor called, asking about the unpaid bill. A GoFundMe campaign to replace some of the North Carolina church losses has raised $7,761, far short of the $793,848 goal.

Recovering any funds will likely be a drawn-out process, as the United Church of Marco Island, a Florida Gulf Coast congregation, has discovered. The church lost $1.2 million to fraud in March 2022. About half of the money was recovered, but the church’s insurance company declined to cover any of the church’s losses, saying the church policy did not cover “impersonation fraud,” according to a complaint against the insurer filed by the church in state court. The case was recently moved to a federal court in Florida.

The Best (and Least Expensive) Way to Grow Your Church

By

Phil Cooke

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May 17, 2023

I’ve been visiting some remarkable churches lately. I’m talking about churches that were growing before the pandemic, then embraced the digital world during the pandemic, and now are back growing again after the pandemic. In every case, they cited one powerful tool to grow your church — and it’s a tool that doesn’t cost a thing.

The Best (and Least Expensive) Way to Grow Your Church

Word of mouth.

That’s right. The fastest growing churches in America are growing because their people tell their friends about it. They recommend it. They can’t wait to share what’s happening.

From a purely marketing perspective, a 2019 report by Edelman discovered that 63% of consumers between 18 and 34 years old said that they “trust what influencers say about brands much more than what brands say about themselves in their advertising.” In other words, they trust their friends more than they trust advertisers. Other research reveals that what we call “seeded” marketing campaigns (those that use influencers to discuss brands online and with friends) can increase sales by up to 18%.

When people talk about something, their friends listen. And like I said, it doesn’t cost anything, but there’s one critical thing that needs to happen before word of mouth advertising kicks in:
There needs to be something happening at your church that gets people talking.

It happened to Jesus on a regular basis:

Can Christians Drink Alcohol? 3 Reasons a Christian Can Drink

By

Christine Yount Jones

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May 17, 2023

When it comes to the question can christians drink alcohol, the Bible couldn’t be clearer or more direct. There is no Scripture that says that it’s a sin to drink alcohol.

It’s Not a Sin to Drink Alcohol

Psalm 104:15, we’re admonished to “go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.”

It’s not a sin for a Christian to drink alcohol. However, a Christian can drink alcohol under these three conditions.

1. A Christian can drink alcohol if alcohol addiction isn’t a trap.

“No one starts out to be an alcoholic,” writes Barry Cameron in “Can a Christian Drink Alcohol?” “Everyone begins with a defensive attitude saying, ‘I’m just a social drinker and there is nothing wrong with it!’ No one says, ‘It is my ambition that someday I want to lose my job, my health, my self-respect, my marriage and my family. Someday I want to be dependent on alcohol to get through my day.’”

Memorize Scripture: 27 Ways to Help Children Learn Bible Verses

By

Linda Weddle

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May 16, 2023

Want to make it easier for kids to memorize scripture verses and Bible passages? Scripture memory doesn’t need to be a chore! Making memorization fun ensures that children retain the messages from God’s Word.

Here are 27 great ways to help kids memorize scripture!

Help Kids Memorize Scripture: 27 Tips to Try

1. Review weekly.

Have parents read over the next week’s verses with children before bed. Are there any words or phrases they don’t understand? Define or explain them. (You might have to read the verses beforehand. Study any unfamiliar words or phrases.)

2. Emphasize different words.

Have parents read the verse with children while emphasizing different words. This works especially well with younger children who will mimic your voice and tone. For James 2:10, say, “For whoever keeps the wwwhhhhhooooollllleee law,” drawing out and emphasizing “whole.” Kids pick up on that (as do teens and adults), making the verse easier to learn.

3. Get visual.

Create pictures to represent the words. Or have the child draw the verse.

4. Get musical.

Put the text of a Bible verse to music.

5. Give each passage a title.

For example, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 are the Gospel verses. Proverbs 3:5-6 are the Trust verses.

6. Go high-tech.

Record (on a phone) your child saying the verses. Send the video to Grandma or someone else who will appreciate it.

7. Write out the verse.

Cut each word into a separate piece. Then have the child assemble the words like a puzzle.

8. Pocket God’s Word.

Write the verse on an index card or small piece of paper. Have children put it in a pocket to keep it nearby. Then they can study it wherever they go.

9. Study on the go.

Have parents make use of car time to review Bible-memory verses.

10. Write and repeat.

Write out or print the verse on the computer each day of the week.

Christian Sex Education Is Crucial—And Must Start at Home

By

Melissa Edgington

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May 16, 2023

How do you teach Christian sex education in your family? What’s your strategy? Christian homes should be the most open, honest, and comfortable places for kids and teens to learn and ask questions about sex. Parents: If you’re embarrassed to talk to your kids about sex, you need to get over it.

When I was a sophomore in high school, a senior girl told me about her sexual experience. She knew I was notoriously naive and inexperienced, and I could tell she relished the opportunity to “educate” me. I’ll never forget her telling me: Of course, we don’t have sex when I’m on my period, because I don’t want to get pregnant!

I nodded, wondering how a girl could be 18 and sexually active with so little understanding of procreation. She honestly thought the week of her period was her most fertile. By some miracle, she completed high school without getting pregnant. But she was obviously misinformed, probably by another girl or her boyfriend. He parents were likely too embarrassed to raise the subject.

To top it off, this girl had no notion that having premarital sex might be wrong. She certainly didn’t seem to think it was something to keep quiet about. She was proud of it.

That was back in the early ’90s, utterly wholesome times compared to today. Internet pornography has changed everything. Kids are more vulnerable than ever to abuse, unexpected pregnancy, sexual addiction, and unhealthy and damaging views of sex.

Christian Sex Education: Why It’s So Crucial

Here are 5 reasons Christian sex education isn’t optional for today’s parents:

1. The world is already teaching our kids about sex.

It’s teaching them that sex is casual. Selfish. Purely physical. That it means nothing. That it’s about feeling good and getting what you want, nothing more. The world tells kids they are sexual objects. That they’re worth only as much as another person’s level of sexual desire for them. It says if they aren’t having sex they’re worthless. And if they are, they’re sluts. This world defines even our youngest children by physical attributes. It tells them they exist for sexual pleasure and even identifies them according to their desires.

Christian parents must be the very first people to educate our kids about sex. We need to explain from the beginning why God created sex and marriage. And we need to de-emphasize our culture’s all-encompassing sexual obsession. The only way we can do that is by talking honestly with our kids, from younger-than-you-think ages.

It’s our job to place sex in the proper context through Christian sex education. Parents must provide a God-centered view. If we don’t teach our kids about sex, plenty of other people with completely different values will gladly step up to do the job.

2. Pornography is coming for our kids.

The porn industry wants to hook kids. This huge, insidious machine wants nothing more than to continue raking in billions of dollars at the expense of families. Don’t assume your kids are immune and “would never look at that.” Christian parents should talk to kids about pornography before they’re ever exposed. Warn about the dangers of the internet and install filters on all devices. Otherwise, we’re throwing kids straight into the waiting jaws of pornographers.

Rick Warren Tells ChurchLeaders 5 Reasons Why Saddleback Is Challenging SBC Removal

By

Jesse T. Jackson

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May 16, 2023

(L) SBC Annual Meeting logo courtesy of SBC. (R) Rick Warren Pulso Cristiano from Buenos Aires, Argentina, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

This morning (May 16), the Southern Baptist Convention’s (SBC) Credentials Committee announced that they have received written appeals for consideration from three of the eight churches the Executive Committee (EC) announced were no longer in “friendly cooperation” during their meetings that took place between September and February.

The EC explained during their February meeting that they had determined five churches, one of which was Saddleback Church, to be “not in friendly cooperation with the Convention due to the churches continuing to have a female functioning in the office of pastor.”

The Credential Committee’s statement explained that “SBC Bylaw 8 provides that ‘a church which has been found not to be in cooperation may appeal the decision to the Convention by submitting a written appeal…at least 30 days prior to the Convention’s annual meeting.’”

With the deadline now passed (May 15), the Credentials Committee said that Fern Creek Baptist Church (Louisville, Kentucky), Freedom Church (Vero Beach, Florida), and Saddleback Church (Lake Forest, California) were the three churches that appealed.

The three churches will be given a brief time to speak before the messengers at the SBC Annual Meeting on June 13 regarding their removal from the convention. According to the statement, this opportunity will take place during the afternoon session in which “one representative of the church will be recognized to speak and one representative of the Credentials Committee or Executive Committee shall be permitted to speak to the question.”

After the church representative speaks, a ballot vote will take place. “A ‘yes’ vote will affirm the decision of the Executive Committee and Credentials Committee. A ‘no’ vote will overturn the decision of the committees and allow the church to immediately be registered and to seat messengers in accordance with Convention rules,” the Credentials Committee explained.

SBC Executive Committee Chairman, David Sons, said, “SBC bylaws plainly outline the process for churches determined to be not in cooperation with the Convention to appeal their cases before messengers cast their votes.”

“Since this is the first time in SBC history for this particular item of business to come before the Convention,” Sans continued. “It’s important for everyone coming to New Orleans to be prepared and informed about the process.”

Saddleback Church Founder Rick Warren Responds

Saddleback Church’s founder and former lead pastor, Rick Warren, told ChurchLeaders why the church is challenging the EC’s ruling.

‘I Shoved Carl and Hit Him’—Laura Lentz Recounts Finding Her Husband With the Nanny

By

Stephanie Martin

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May 16, 2023

carl lentz — Screenshots from YouTube / @FX Networks

The media spotlight continues to shine on the downfall and dysfunctions of Hillsong Church. In the new FX docuseries “The Secrets of Hillsong,” disgraced former Hillsong East Coast Pastor Carl Lentz and his wife open up about their marital woes. Lentz also points to widespread cultural problems at the scandal-plagued megachurch, based in Australia.

The four-episode original series, which begins airing May 19, is based on the 2021 Vanity Fair exposé of Lentz’s firing for “moral failures.” Scout Productions’ David Collins, who produced “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” is the executive producer. He’s also a former Hillsong Los Angeles member who left the church after a Sunday school teacher criticized him for being homosexual.

Carl Lentz: ‘I Failed Absolutely Miserably’

It took months of convincing for the Lentzes to go on camera, Collins and his team told the Los Angeles Times. In the trailer, Carl Lentz admits to “some major lies,” and Laura Lentz recalls when her husband told her he’d been unfaithful.

According to People magazine, the second episode of “The Secrets of Hillsong” zeroes in on the infidelity. Laura Lentz describes learning (via Zoom call with Hillsong founder Brian Houston) that Carl was sexually involved with the family’s nanny, Leona Kimes. “He hadn’t told me this part yet,” says Laura Lentz, adding that she had suspicions.

“Then one night I found them in a compromising position,” Laura Lentz continues. “I ran into the room, and I shoved Carl and hit him, and then I jumped on top of [Kimes], and I punched her.” Laura Lentz admits she “definitely freaked out” due to anger and that the situation “got really messy.” (Kimes was a church member as well as co-pastor, with husband Josh, of Hillsong Boston.) “I was pretty much gaslit by both of them for quite a while,” Laura says of her husband and nanny.

Kimes, the nanny, has alleged that Carl Lentz abused her. In the docuseries, the former pastor adamantly denies that. “Any notion of abuse is categorically false,” says Lentz, though he does accept blame for “allowing an inappropriate relationship to develop in my house with someone that worked for us.” He describes the affair as a “mutual adult decision made by two people who lied profusely, mainly to my wife.” Lentz was at fault due to the “power dynamic,” he says, “and I failed absolutely miserably.”

Carl Lentz: Hillsong Culture Chose ‘Narrative Over Truth’

In other revelations from “The Secrets of Hillsong,” Lentz, 44, tells of being sexually abused as a child and says he misused ADHD prescriptions, including while he was at the helm of Hillsong New York City. He describes contemplating suicide at one point (he “thought about vacating the planet”) and says therapy was helpful.

‘Let’s Keep Sharing the Light and Love of Jesus’—Megan Danielle Advances to the Top 3 of ‘American Idol’

By

Janna Firestone

-

May 16, 2023

It’s a big week for “American Idol” contestant, Megan Danielle. While making it to the Top 3 of the reality show would certainly be enough to make the week memorable, Danielle is also celebrating the release of her third single, “Dream Girl,” which releases Friday.

Danielle has experienced explosive success as a contestant on “American Idol.” Friends, family, and fans all appreciate her soulful, humble, skilled, and emotional performances. She has unashamedly shared her faith in Jesus throughout the competition.

“American Idol” judge Luke Bryan has praised Danielle not only for her stellar singing but also her unwavering faith. “What I love about you—I mean, we’re way beyond loving your voice—is you’re never scared to tell everybody about your faith, he said.”

Christian Megan Danielle Is Among the Top 3 of ‘American Idol’

As she posted an update to her Facebook page, Megan Danielle shared her excitement. “WOW!” she said. “Thank y’all. I’m so honored and grateful!”

Danielle continued, “Let’s keep sharing the light and love of Jesus.”

As part of Disney Week, the contestant sang “You Can’t Stop the Girl” from “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil.” The judges and audience were all blown away by Danielle’s powerful performance. And her performance was just what she needed to advance to the next round of the competition.

A fan named Kelly posted, “I am hoping you win! I am praying for you! We need more Christians that will stand up for what is right! You are a great role model for this generation.”

“I couldn’t be more proud of you. Tonight you gave the absolute best performance this season with ‘You Can’t Stop the Girl.’ Your journey has been unfolding in such a beautiful way,” said a fan named Derrik. “God is guiding your path and working through you so much. Soak in all the hometown love and bring home that win girl!”

Danielle’s fan base has skyrocketed since her appearance on the show. The talented singer steadily moved to the front of the group from the thousands who initially auditioned. Judges whittled down the group to 55 hopefuls—and then just 24 contestants.

From there, Danielle continued to grow in her craft as she advanced through each stage, including the Top 5.

More Churchgoers Hear Encouragement To Adopt, Provide Foster Care

By

Aaron Earls

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May 16, 2023

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — More pastors are encouraging members to adopt and provide foster care at a time when adoptions have declined in the U.S.

A Lifeway Research study found more than 2 in 5 U.S. Protestant churchgoers (44%) say their congregation and its leaders are proactively involved with adoption and foster care in at least one of seven ways. A similar percentage (45%) say they haven’t seen other churchgoers or leaders provide any of the specific types of care or support, while 11% aren’t sure.

“Caring for the fatherless is repeatedly prioritized throughout Scripture,” said Scott McConnell, executive director Lifeway Research. “But the Bible does not pretend caring for another like your own child is convenient or easy.”

Personally Involved

More than 1 in 10 churchgoers say someone in their congregation has provided foster care (16%), adopted a child from the U.S. (13%) or adopted a child from another country (11%) within the last year.

Compared to five years ago, fewer churchgoers say they’ve seen members of their church actively participate in adoption and foster care. In a 2017 Lifeway Research study, 25% of U.S. Protestant churchgoers said a church member provided foster care, 17% said someone adopted domestically and 15% said a member adopted internationally in the past year.

Adoptions and the prevalence of foster care have fallen among all Americans in recent years. The number of U.S. children in foster care dropped from 436,556 with 124,004 waiting to be adopted in 2017 to 391,098 with 113,589 waiting to be adopted in 2021, according to a report from the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System. Adoptions, both domestically and internationally, have declined as well.

Some experts have speculated, however, that the overturning of Roe v. Wade will result in increased strain on the foster care system and additional children in need of adoption. In a Lifeway Research study conducted just prior to the Supreme Court’s decision on abortion rights, around 3 in 4 Americans (74%) said churches and religious organizations in states that restrict access to abortion have a responsibility to increase support and provide options for women who have unwanted pregnancies.

“It is likely the pandemic limited some families in considering foster care or adoption,” said McConnell. “But the need is still great in the U.S. and could grow larger in states with abortion restrictions.”

Churchgoers in the parenting age range are often more likely to say they’ve seen someone in their church step up in these areas in the past year. Those 18-34 (19%) and 35-49 (22%) are more likely than those 65 and older (10%) to say someone in their congregation has provided foster care. Churchgoers 35-49 (16%) are twice as likely as those 50-64 (8%) and 65 and older (9%) to say someone at their church adopted internationally, while those 18-34 (19%) and 35-49 (20%) are twice as likely as those 50-64 (10%) and 65 and older (8%) to have seen a domestic adoption in their church within the last year.

Sudan’s Increased Fighting Empties Christian Clerics From the Capital Khartoum

By

Fredrick Nzwili

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May 16, 2023

Sudan’s-increased-fighting-empties-Christian-clerics-from-the-capital — South-Sudanese who fled fighting in Sudan gather in Malakal town, which is hosting thousands who returned, in Upper Nile state, South Sudan, Sunday, May 8, 2023. More than 40,000 people, mostly South Sudanese, have crossed the border into South Sudan since Sudan erupted in conflict nearly one month ago, yet many are returning to areas unable to support them and still riddled by fighting. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick)

NAIROBI, Kenya (RNS) — An attack on a Coptic Christian church during Mass on Sunday (May 14) in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum is drawing attention to the plight of Christians in the northeastern African country, where a raging civil war is forcing out Christian clerics.

The attack on the Coptic Mar Girgis (St. George) Church in Omdurman, across the Nile River from the capital, came as church leaders in neighboring South Sudan are urging dioceses and parishes to open their doors to priests, nuns and other religious people fleeing the deadly violence.

“Many of our people and some clergy and religious have arrived at border points,” wrote Roman Catholic Archbishop Stephen Ameyu Martin Mulla of Juba, the capital of South Sudan, in a May 5 letter to all clergy, monks and nuns in Sudan. “It is also clearer now that some of the church structures in Sudan have been vandalized and destroyed.” He appealed to Catholics in his own country “to open your houses to receive your brother priests and religious.”

The Sudan Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, both headed by rival generals looking to gain control over the country, have engaged in fierce battles since April 15.

The power struggle between the army chief, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF’s commander, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, alias Hemedti, has resulted in the deaths of 676 people and more than 5,576 injured, according to the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Khartoum is also suffering severe shortages of food and other basic supplies.

Both sides blamed the other after bullets struck and injured several worshippers during Sunday’s Mass.

File - Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo waves to a crowd during a military-backed tribe's rally, in the Nile River state, Sudan, Saturday, July 13, 2019. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Hjaj, File)

File – Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo waves to a crowd during a military-backed tribe’s rally, in the Nile River state, Sudan, Saturday, July 13, 2019. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Hjaj, File)

“The attack on the church is very unfortunate. We continue to urge the two sides to respect places of worship and avoid battles in civilian areas,” Francis Kuria Kagema, general secretary of the African Council of Religious Leaders, told Religion News Service. “We urge the two generals to accept ceasefire and agree to peace negotiations.”

Other churches have been damaged in the fighting. On April 24, two rockets struck the grounds of the Our Lady Queen of Africa, the Roman Catholic cathedral in El-Obeid, southwest of Khartoum. The blasts destroyed parts of the rectory and the cathedral’s main gate. After an April 17 attack on Khartoum’s All Saint’s Cathedral, the seat of the Anglican primate, soldiers from RSF occupied it and used it as a military base.

In early May another Coptic church was hit with a rocket, and an Evangelical Presbyterian church in Bahri, a Christian neighborhood of Khartoum, was set ablaze when a nearby munitions depot exploded.

An estimated 91% of the 45.6 million population are Muslims, while Christians make up 5.4%. About 2.8% follow traditional religions, according to Pew Research Center.

‘The Way,’ Emilio Estevez’s Film About the Camino, Returns to Theaters

By

Emily McFarlan Miller

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May 16, 2023

-The-Way-Emilio-Estevez-s-film-about-the-Camino-returns — Martin Sheen plays a grieving father who carries his son's ashes on El Camino de Santiago pilgrimage in "The Way." Photo courtesy Grace Hill Media

(RNS) — Emilio Estevez got the idea to make a movie about the Camino de Santiago after his father and son traveled parts of the ancient pilgrimage, which runs across Spain to the reported burial place of the apostle St. James at the Catedral de Santiago de Compostela.

His dad, actor Martin Sheen, had gotten the idea, in turn, from his dad, Francisco Estevez, who was born about 50 miles from Santiago de Compostela.

Since then, countless pilgrims have gotten the idea to make the same pilgrimage after watching “The Way,” the 2010 movie Estevez made starring Sheen as Tom, a grieving father who completes the pilgrimage after his son Daniel, played by Estevez, dies along the Camino Frances, its most popular route.

The movie returns to theaters for one night Tuesday (May 16) on nearly 1,000 screens across the country, accompanied by a conversation filmed between Estevez, Sheen and Rick Steves, who also has dedicated an episode of his travel show to the Camino.

“People are going to be able to see this not only on the big screen, but they’re going to see it in community again. They’re going to see it with fellow pilgrims and with family members,” Estevez told Religion News Service.

The movie’s return to theaters comes as the Camino begins welcoming pilgrims again after the COVID-19 pandemic shut down travel.

It also comes “at a time when we need it the most,” according to Estevez.

“The Way” poster. Courtesy image

The Camino de Santiago has experienced a surge in popularity in recent years. Just last week, Estevez’s fellow Brat Packer-turned-backpacker Andrew McCarthy released his own memoir about walking the pilgrimage with his son, “Walking with Sam: A Father, a Son, and Five Hundred Miles Across Spain.”

“The Way” may have contributed to that increased interest in the ancient pilgrimage, according to Stephens Lytch, chair of the board of American Pilgrims on the Camino.

Lytch stopped short of calling “The Way” a cult classic. Nobody is coming to showings of the film dressed in pilgrim attire — hiking boots, trekking poles and backpacks decked with the traditional scallop shell marking one as a pilgrim on the Camino — like they might dress up for a screening of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” he said.

But, he said, the impact of the movie, which he called “a pretty good depiction” of the pilgrim experience, is undeniable.

In 2011, the year the movie first appeared in limited release in theaters, American Pilgrims on the Camino issued 1,858 credentials, a sort of pilgrim passport stamped at points along the Camino to prove one has made the journey, according to the chair of the pilgrim organization.

In 2012, after the film was released, it issued 3,570 credentials to pilgrims — a 92% increase over the previous year. In 2013, it was 5,128.

That number continued to increase until the pandemic struck in 2020, Lytch said, topping out at just over 7,000 credentials.

“I’m sure there’s a lot of pilgrims that would curse my name or blame me for not being able to find a bed or an albergue (hostel) to stay in or a restaurant to eat at,” Estevez said, laughing.

“However,” he added, “there are a lot of folks that have said, you know, ‘I never would’ve known about the pilgrimage had you not made the film and we not seen it,’ and really, over the years, that is really what’s been driving the life of the movie and sort of keeping the lights on, as it were, with this film.”

Estevez was inspired to tell the story of a father losing a son to the Camino because, he said, that was his own experience, in a way. His son, Taylor Estevez, met his now-wife while traveling along the way with Sheen and moved to Spain for a time to study.

Estevez called it “a miracle of the Camino.”

Director Emilio Estevez on the set of “The Way.” Photo courtesy Grace Hill Media

He made “The Way” with a small cast and crew and even smaller budget, traveling about 250 miles of the Camino Frances themselves. They got to know the Camino pretty well, he said, walking through the same village 15 or 20 times to make sure they got their shots.

By the end, he was giving other pilgrims directions, he said, laughing.

The film deals with themes of community and grief and personal transformation — themes he feels are both timely and timeless, Estevez said.

Years after the COVID-19 pandemic began, the filmmaker said, he believes there is a lot of grieving yet to do.

New American Values

By

James Emery White

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May 16, 2023

It was an arresting headline: “American Pulls Back from Values That Once Defined It.” It was an article in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and based on a poll conducted by the WSJ and NORC at the University of Chicago. “Patriotism, religious faith, having children and other priorities that helped define the national character for generations,” it led, “are receding in importance to Americans.”

Consider just two values that would have been deemed core to any American sensibility: patriotism and religion. In 1998, 70% considered patriotism to be very important. Another 62% said the same of religion.

No more.

In the recent polling, only 38% said patriotism was important to them, and only 39% felt that religion mattered. That’s not a decline; that is a free fall.

Those are not the only “traditional” American values in decline. “The share of Americans who say that having children, involvement in their community and hard work are very important has also fallen,” notes the WSJ piece by Aaron Zitner. “Tolerance for others, deemed very important by 80% of Americans as recently as four years ago,” he adds, “has fallen to 58% since then.”

For most of the values, the decline is not hard to reconcile. The rise of the nones, well documented by many, would contribute significantly to the sense of the importance of religion to the typical American.

I would argue that the decline in patriotism is also easily understood. Much like religion, what it means to be “patriotic” has become so ensnared in partisan politics and competing ideologies that few want to wrap themselves up in the flag.

It’s the others that might perplex. Why has having children, being involved in our communities, working hard or exhibiting tolerance—the great cardinal virtue of the last half-century—suddenly fallen out of favor?

A leading theory, and one that I support, is that those particular values are negatively impacted by a rise in individualism. A “me first” mentality that places personal peace and affluence above everything else. As a result, children would be an imposition and financial burden, serving others would take away from serving ourselves, working hard (beyond what it takes to stay employed or advance) takes away from personal time,

… and tolerance?

As the WSJ reports one Millennial owning, it flows from “people focusing on their own racial or cultural backgrounds rather than what Americans have in common.”

So, has any value grown in importance in America?

Only one.

It grew in importance from 31% to 43%.

And I doubt it will be hard for anyone to guess:

… money.

This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.

8 Lies Churches Tell

By

Scot McKnight

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May 16, 2023

Telling the truth is the habit of a goodness church culture, telling lies or false narratives is the habit of a toxic church culture.

Take your pick: the SBC church scandals revealed in newspapers, the Roman Catholic curia as told by journalists, or local churches like Willow Creek or Harvest Bible Chapel. What revealed the culture of those in power was how they responded to a variety of allegations – from abuse of power to abuse of women to abuse of money.

Laura Barringer and I, in our book coming out in October with the title A Church Called Tov (tov means good, goodness), investigated the variety of false narratives, or lies, churches tell. They tell these stories to protect and preserve power, to protect the brand and reputation, and sometimes they tell these narratives for no other reason than revenge. Tell them they do. Too often.

Our book is written for church people and leaders and we are hoping they will read it together and have long culture-forming conversations. We want to help churches work on forming a “church called tov,” or a goodness culture forming in churches.

Those that tell these false narratives have a toxic culture for only out of a toxic culture are these narratives spun. A church marked by tov (goodness) tells the truth, a church marked by toxicity spins lies.

Boz Tchividjian, nothing less than an expert on toxic cultures in churches, developed in an RNS article the following false narratives:

Redefine the narrative.
Shift the blame
False empathy

Then he concludes:

False narratives suppress truth, promote darkness, and eviscerate lives. Should they be acceptable in a faith that is centered upon the One who calls Himself truth, light, and the giver of life?

He’s right: those who follow the Way, the Truth, and the Life are called to be truth-tellers.

I got into this project with Laura in part because I have studied how German pastors responded to their complicity in the Holocaust. They denied complicity. Very very few called the German church and the “German Christians” to repentance, and one who did was Martin Niemoeller (who was the American church’s posterboy for the good German church leader after the war).

So I was on the look out for false narratives in the churches mentioned above, and so Laura and I developed eight narratives – building on Boz but developed independently as we had these developed before Boz’s article came out, but he clarified our thinking even further. Ours are particularly focused narratives, and they of course overlap and churches often use more than one of these.

Discredit the critics
Demonize the critics
Spin the story (as an intentionally false narrative)
Gaslight the critics (this is a major device used in toxic cultures)
Make the perpetrator the victim
Silence the truth
Suppress the truth
Issue a fake apology (Wade Mullen is a specialist on this in churches)

No matter who you are and what church you are in, these narratives are lies designed to prevent the truth from being told.

A tov church culture responds to allegations with truth-finding and truth-telling. A toxic church culture finds ways to protect itself.

Leaders sit around and figure which ones will work in their context and then crumple up the true stories so they can be tossed in the rubbish bin.

These false narratives rewound the victims.

These false narratives corrupt the heart of the church.

These false narratives turn church cultures into greater toxicity.

This article about false narratives originally appeared here.

Cross Craft Ideas: 16 Awesome Projects for Children’s Ministry

By

Stephanie Martin

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May 15, 2023

Cross craft ideas are extremely versatile. Teachers and leaders can use them in Sunday school classes, for VBS, and at children’s ministry events. Cross crafts work at any time of year, not just at Easter!

The cross is key to our Christian faith. So it’s one of the first symbols a child learns about and associates with Jesus. Emphasize that Jesus died on the cross willingly, in our place. By dying on the cross, our Savior wiped away all our sins. As John 3:16 promises, the result is that by believing in Jesus, we can live with him in heaven forever.

Share these cross craft ideas with parents to use at home because they’re great for family devotions. And the activities work for a variety of ages, from toddlers and preschoolers to older elementary kids.

16 Cross Craft Ideas for Kids

Use and adapt these creative ideas with children in your church and home.

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