After Parkinson’s Diagnosis, Philip Yancey Aims To Be Faithful, Grateful

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February 21, 2023

In a Feb. 20 blog post, prolific Christian author Philip Yancey reveals he was diagnosed last month with Parkinson’s disease. The degenerative neurological condition hampers muscle-brain connections, and the severity of symptoms varies widely.

Yancey has authored more than 30 books, many of which wrestle with tough faith-related questions. In his 2021 memoir “Where the Light Fell,” he shares glimpses of “a bumpy childhood” and recounts the physical challenges of his older brother, Marshall, who had a stroke in 2009. Reflecting on how people often judge his courageous brother by the “externals” of his condition, Yancey recently “coined a new word—dislabeled—in protest.”

Philip Yancey: ‘I’m Still the Same Person Inside’

In his blog (also shared by Christianity Today, where Philip Yancey served as editor-at-large for 30 years), the Colorado resident recaps his journey to a diagnosis. While skiing a year ago, he crashed into a tree after giving “clear instructions for my legs to turn downhill, and they disobeyed.” Yancey’s gait, posture, handwriting, and golf game got noticeably worse, yet a doctor insisted he was “in great shape” and “can’t have Parkinson’s.”

Daily tasks became noticeably more difficult by last fall. Yancey switched insurance plans to see a neurologist sooner and began a “dopamine-based treatment along with physical therapy.” After his diagnosis, Yancey tried playing Pickleball but fell face-first on the court. In the ER, he realized “I’m not dislabeled after all” and needed to make lifestyle adjustments.

“In a preview of aging, disability means letting go of ordinary things that we take for granted,” writes Yancey. “Just as I’ve had to slow my pace when walking alongside my brother, now others must slow their pace for me.”

Learning to Embrace Our Unique ‘Disabilities’

Philip Yancey, co-author of “Pain: The Gift Nobody Wants” (1993), admits he would love to have Parkinson’s “magically removed from my life.” Without that option, though, he’s working on acceptance, knowing that life isn’t fair and “people are unequal in their abilities.” Instead of feeling resentful or ashamed, he writes, we can “somehow learn to embrace the gifts and ‘disabilities’ unique to ourselves.”

Pointing to Psalm 71:9 (“Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone”), Yancey writes, “That prayer expresses the silent plea of all disabled persons, a group that now includes me.” Now that the author has joined the one-quarter of Americans with some type of disability, he strives “to look past the externals—as I do instinctively with my brother—to the person inside.”

After decades of interviewing everyone from dignitaries to leprosy patients, Yancey observes: “Those who live with pain and failure tend to be better stewards of their life circumstances than those who live with success and pleasure. Pain redeemed impresses me more than pain removed.”

Harvard, National Council of Churches, Reform Jews Seeking Reparations Blueprint

By

Adelle M Banks

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February 21, 2023

reparations — Widener Library at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass. Photo by Joseph Williams/Wikipedia/Creative Commons

(RNS) — A professor and students at Harvard Kennedy School are joining forces with prominent Christian and Jewish organizations to develop a faith-based blueprint to advance the possibility of reparations for African Americans.

The National Council of Churches and the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism have become a client of several students in the school’s “Creating Justice in Real Time” course and hope by the end of the semester to create new ways — such as resources for congregations and proposed legislation for Congress — to move conversations into action.

“We’re trying to build a grassroots, congregation-level strategy to take up the whole matter of federal reparations and ultimately establish a commission and ultimately push for legislation that addresses America’s profound racial wealth gap,” said the Rev. Cornell William Brooks, a former president of the NAACP and a professor at the Kennedy School, Harvard’s school of public policy and government.

Brooks, who also is a visiting professor at Harvard Divinity School, leads a collaborative at Harvard that he describes as “a think-and-do tank” that involves college and graduate students of divinity, business and law, working with political leaders and social justice organizations. The African Methodist Episcopal minister said this semester marks the first time the collaborative has signed a memorandum of understanding with religious organizations that are expected to implement what they and the students develop as soon as 2024.

“This is not a mere research paper,” he said. “How do you get the academic research out of the journals, into people’s hands, into their heads, and into legislation?”

More than half a century after “the Black Manifesto” demanded $500 million in reparations from white churches and synagogues for the mistreatment of African Americans, religious institutions and denominations have helped lead the way amid continuing national debate. In recent years, Virginia Theological Seminary began paying descendants of African Americans “whose labor built and sustained” it. In January, Reconstructionist Jews called for reparations to descendants of slaves and Indigenous peoples for harms caused by slavery, colonization and white supremacist policies.

The Rev. Stephen A. Green, the NCC’s civic engagement and outreach consultant, said the ecumenical council is working on a draft of a letter it hopes to send to President Joe Biden seeking his signature on an executive order to create a commission to study reparations. Congressional legislation for such a step, proposed for decades on Capitol Hill, has yet to pass.

“Because we don’t see a pathway in the Congress under this session, because of divided government,” Green said, “we would like to see the president establish this via executive order.”

Green, a former NAACP youth director and the current pastor of St. Luke AME Church in Harlem, New York, said he hopes religious leaders will work with the students to learn best practices about reparations from a task force created in California and an initiative in Evanston, Illinois.

Yolanda Savage-Narva said a reparations task force of the Religious Action Center, which is the advocacy arm of the Union of Reform Judaism, has begun creating resources on the history of reparations as well as possible advocacy steps to share with their congregations. They expect to receive feedback from Kennedy School students about it.

“We’re following their lead,” said Savage-Narva, the URJ’s official addressing racial equity, diversity and inclusion. “We’re approaching this from this very specific point of view about b’tselem elohim, that people are made in the image of God, and I think that drives both organizations to support this work and to support the students in their pursuit.”

Phil Scholer, a Georgetown University graduate, is a divinity school student who will be assisting the NCC and RAC, drawing on his work with others at his Catholic alma mater, to continue to seek payment to descendants of enslaved people who were sold to pay the debts of the Washington institution.

Beth Moore Tries to Untangle Her ‘All Knotted-Up Life’ in New Memoir

By

Bob Smietana

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February 21, 2023

(RNS) — There’s a downside to going someplace where everyone knows your name.

Author and Bible teacher Beth Moore discovered that reality in the months after making a public break with the Southern Baptist Convention, which had been her spiritual home since childhood.

Whenever she and her husband, Keith, would visit a new church, the results were the same. People were welcoming. But they knew who she was — and would probably prefer if she went elsewhere. Once the very model of the modern evangelical woman, she was now a reminder of the denomination’s controversies surrounding Donald Trump, sexism, racism and the mistreatment of sexual abuse survivors.

When Moore would no longer remain silent about such things, she became too much trouble to have around. Even in church.

“I was a loaded presence,” she told RNS in a recent interview.

In her memoir, “All My Knotted-Up Life,” out this week from Tyndale, Moore recounts how the couple ended up at an Anglican church in Houston, largely at the suggestion of Keith Moore, who’d grown up Catholic and felt more at home in a liturgical tradition. When they walked in, the rector greeted them and asked their names.

When she told him who she was, the rector brightened up.

“Oh,” he said, with a smile, “Like Beth Moore.” Then, having no idea who he was talking to, he added, “Come right in. We’re glad to have you.”

After the service, a handful of women who had gone through one of Moore’s best-selling Bible studies, gathered around her. They knew who she was and wanted Moore to know she was safe in that place and that there was plenty of room for her in the community.

“Can I simply ask if you’re OK,” Moore recalls one of the women saying.

In that moment of kindness, Moore says she felt seen and at home in the small congregation, which became her new church. She could just be herself, not defined by the controversies she’d been through.

“Never underestimate the power of a welcome,” she said.

The kindness of ordinary church people has long sustained Moore — providing a refuge and believing in her, even when she did not believe in herself.

Raised by an abusive father and a mother who struggled with mental illness, Moore has long said that church was a safe haven from the chaos of her home life. In her new memoir, Moore gives a glimpse into that troubled childhood and the faith — and people — who rescued her.

Displaying the skills that made her a bestselling author, Moore tells her story with grace and humor and with charity toward the family that raised her, despite their many flaws and the pain they all experienced.

Suspect Arrested in Shooting of Los Angeles Bishop Is Housekeeper’s Husband

By

Alejandra Molina

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February 21, 2023

LOS ANGELES (RNS) — The suspect arrested in Saturday’s shooting of Roman Catholic Bishop David G. O’Connell is Carlos Medina, the husband of the bishop’s housekeeper, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna. The sheriff made the announcement at a press conference Monday afternoon (Feb. 20) with a visibly distraught Archbishop José H. Gomez, O’Connell’s superior, who called his auxiliary bishop “a good friend to Los Angeles.”

Medina, 65, was arrested at about 8:15 a.m. Monday in the city of Torrance. No motive was given, but Luna said the suspect had previously done work around the bishop’s house. Detectives are looking into whether there was a dispute over money.

The housekeeper is cooperating with the investigation, Luna said. It is believed that a deacon called 911 after going to the bishop’s home to check on him because he had been late to a meeting, Luna said.

A somber Gomez, his voice was trembling and seemingly close to tears, said of O’Connell: “He was a good priest, and a good bishop, and a man of peace. We are very sad to have lost him.”

At one point, Luna embraced Gomez and told him in his ear, “God is with you.”

In the hours since O’Connell’s body was found a stream of neighbors and Catholics from around the Los Angeles area visited the home in Hacienda Heights, a suburb in San Gabriel Valley, after the news spread that the bishop had been discovered with a gunshot wound to his chest.

Mourners prayed the rosary and left bouquets of flowers and votive candles. Several visitors talked about O’Connell’s outreach to the unhoused and lauded his advocacy for immigrants. Others recalled social gatherings where O’Connell — often referred to as “Bishop Dave” or “Father Dave” — would “sit with everyone.”

“He was one of us,” one mourner said, adding, “He prayed for everyone.”

Linda Dakin-Grimm, an immigration attorney who worked with O’Connell for more than a decade, said it was hard to believe anyone would want to kill him. “Father Dave brings people together. I’ve never met a person who had anything bad to say about him, ever. Everybody loves him,” said Dakin-Grimm.

She recalled O’Connell’s work with poor dioceses in Peru, his commitment with parishes in South Central L.A. and how he would pay Catholic school tuition for students in need or to help an immigrant family pay rent. O’Connell, she said, was committed to “the ordinary person, not the rich Catholic.”

Dakin-Grimm credited O’Connell, who served as chairman of the interdiocesan Southern California Immigration Task Force, with her decision to take on pro-bono immigration cases. She has represented unaccompanied minors and those who were separated from parents deported under the Trump administration.

“He has always been the person who had the back of every person that I took on,” Dakin-Grimm said. “He’s an extremely unique person of deep faith and witness and kindness. I don’t see how we will fill that big, aching gap.”

Jose Diaz, a member of a Catholic men’s fellowship, said O’Connell often joined the men for prayer services and Christian formation and “spiritually guided me and the group.”

On Sunday evening, Diaz and his wife, Teresa, led a rosary prayer service near a growing makeshift memorial outside O’Connell’s home.

“He was a light of hope and he gave people options. Most of us, we don’t encounter holy people. He gave us the option of turning to God,” he said.

My 2 Hot Takes on the Asbury ‘Revival’

By

Gavin Adams

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February 21, 2023

hughes_asbury_worship — Photo of Asbury University's Hughes Auditorium by Jesse T. Jackson

If quoting “revival” frustrates you, don’t stop reading quite yet.

I use those quotes with great intentionality. When news of the Asbury College service turned multi-day worship experience surfaced, I honestly thought, “sounds like something a bunch of 20-somethings would do.”

My second thought was, “What is a ‘revival,’ after all?”

Defining ‘Revival’

I grew up mainly in a Baptist church in and around south Atlanta. As a kid, our church hosted an occasional “revival,” and friends from other churches invited me to several of their revivals.

Even with my limited experience, the term took on a meaning. A “revival” was an evangelism mechanism meant to spread the Gospel. Less officially, it was about alter calls and counting raised hands (with every head bowed and every eye closed). We always ended these revival services by singing a hymn like “Into My Heart,” “I Surrender All,” or “Just As I Am.” We’d sing and sing until enough people made their way down to the front and the quota was met.

At the age of 10, most of the experience felt manipulated. The feeling really took hold in my heart when I (sinfully?) peaked as everyone else bowed their head and eyes closed. I heard the revival pastor counting hands and claiming salvations. I looked around, and there were no hands raised anywhere. He was counting to make us all feel like “it” worked.

So call me cynical. Or call me old. Or call me experienced. I don’t know. But I do know when the Asbury experience became public, I was one part curious and certainly one part critical.

As a pastor, I’ve seen my fair share of Nights of Worship and student retreat late-night worship moments. These moments can be moving, but they are mostly just moments. Emotional and powerful for some, but for the vast majority, they are moments.

So What Should We Think About the Asbury ‘Revival’?

I’ve been processing this since it began. Here is where I am:

TAKE 1: Stop Labeling It

What if we stopped labeling it anything.

I’ve written about this psychological phenomenon before. We love to label so we can categorize and better understand. It’s human nature. We labeled the Asbury experience a revival because we hoped to understand it. Or to categorize it.

I was talking with my oldest son today about Asbury. He’s a talented worship drummer and is pretty wise for 21. So I asked him his take. He responded,

Why does it have to be labeled anything? Why can’t it just be?

That stopped me in my curious/cynical tracks.

He’s right. Why must we label it anything?

Which brings me to my second take…

TAKE 2: Allow It To Be

I like for things to “become.” My son also pointed this out to me over our lunch. I am a strategist and systems leader. My default is action.

What’s happening at Asbury should not be forced to “become” anything. What if it was allowed to just be?

What if we allowed these students and staff to pursue God with all their hearts, soul, mind, and strength?

The Danger of ‘Make-Believe’ Orthodoxy

By

Jeff Christopherson

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February 21, 2023

Make Believe Orthodoxy — Adobestock #45354795

Editor’s Note: This article is the first in a series exploring seven temptations of the western Church, based on Jeff Christopherson’s novel, “Once You See.”

Several years ago, I gathered with four other North American pastors to sit at the feet of a grizzled Vietnamese pastor who was leading a network of thousands of house churches in the most spiritually persecuted region of Vietnam. This soft-spoken saint, who had spent a good portion of his adult life imprisoned for his faith (and literally bore the scars of Christ), was nothing short of an inspiration. We were humbled as we sat in his presence and listened to the story of God’s powerful work in his country.

Well, most of us were.

One of us was skeptical. He couldn’t wrap his mind around how such a decentralized idea of church could ensure biblical orthodoxy. He asked the very same question on doctrinal integrity in slightly different ways at least five or six times. Each time, in broken English, our pastor patiently answered the thinly veiled rebuke directed toward him. It was uncomfortable to say the least.

Finally, finding no more words to explain himself, in exasperation he broke, “Listen, pastors. This is what we do. We open Bible. We read Bible verse. We ask people, ‘Are we doing this verse?’ If no, we do not read next verse.”

And thus endeth the lesson.

I’ve never forgotten that moment. With little mastery of the English language, this pastor articulated the most precise explanation of true biblical orthodoxy that my overexposed ears had ever heard. True orthodoxy is found only in obedience. Period. And it is not found, despite my pastor-friend’s insistence, primarily in portentous intellectual agreement to approved theological codes.

So, that is where we will start.

Over the next seven weeks, from the biblical perspective of obedience, we will look at seven temptations that hamstring the mission of Christ in the Western Church. Each case revolves around something that we instinctively celebrate. But unfortunately, our reflexive celebrations often miss the heart of a more significant issue. So, we will see that in each of the seven temptations, that we in the West find ourselves celebrating a belief-system that doesn’t require obedience. In fact, they have become second-nature celebrations that often protect us from faith itself.

Like Paul’s ominous warning to Timothy from his “list of people to avoid,” have we arranged a system of beliefs for ourselves that have “the appearance of godliness, but none of its power?” (2 Tim. 3:5) Like Jesus’ zealous opponents, have we might have become “blind guides” who have successfully “strained the gnats.” But in “swallowing a camel” have we missed the very Kingdom of God? (Matt. 23:24). “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power” (1 Cor 4:20).

So, what happened to us? How did we get here?

Temptation #1 – Philosophicalism: The Temptation Toward a Hypothetical Faith

Like most evangelicals, I am from a tribe that confidently declares “we are a Bible-believing people.” We celebrate it. We all do. I certainly do. We believe that the Bible is “God-breathed” and is solely adequate for our ministry of teaching, for correcting, and for training in righteousness (2 Tim 3:16-17). We join Luther crying, Sola Scriptura! God’s infallible Word, the holy Scriptures, permeated deeply into the lives of his people through the ministry of the Holy Spirit is the most transformational power on earth.

6 Sayings That Aren’t Actually in the Bible

By

Dale Chamberlain

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February 21, 2023

sayings that aren't actually in the Bible — Lightstock #256615

It goes without saying that Christians are meant to be a people marked by the words of Scripture. We are, as has often been said, “people of the Book.” As such, our daily conversations often incorporate language pulled from the pages of Scripture, applying it to the everyday situations of our lives.

We don’t always get it right, though. From misquotes to misinterpretations, we sometimes miss the mark in the things we say, wrongfully attributing to God ideas that we made up ourselves.

Sometimes, we even mistake commonly used phrases as being scriptural, even where no specific biblical reference exists. The sentiments wrapped up in these phrases aren’t always contradictory to anything said in Scripture. But sometimes they are.

Here are six sayings that many recite as though they were Scripture, but aren’t actually found in the Bible.

1. ‘God Helps Those Who Help Themselves’

Despite the fact that this phrase is very common, it is not only not in the Bible—it also presents poor theology.

The origins of the phrase are unclear but seem to date back to ancient Greece and set forth the idea that God will only come to the aid of his people once they have already shown sufficient self-initiative.

But God’s grace is so much bigger than that. Jesus is the good shepherd who doesn’t go to find the lost sheep only after the sheep appears to be headed back to the stable anyway. Instead, he leaves the 99 to go and save the one.

God helps those who can’t help themselves. We couldn’t save ourselves, and we can’t transform ourselves. Only by the death and resurrection of Jesus and through the power of the Holy Spirit can we be helped.

2. ‘God Will Never Give You More Than You Can Handle’

When someone is going through a difficult time in life, whether they are feeling overwhelmed, stricken with grief, or just generally burdened, they are often encouraged that though their challenges are considerable, God would never give them more than they could handle.

This is not a biblical concept.

Nevertheless, while the origins of “God helps those who help themselves” are completely detached from Scripture, “God will never give you more than you can handle” can actually be traced back to a misquotation of a popular Bible verse.

In 1 Corinthians 10:13, Paul says this:

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

So, despite what we might say, God will give us more than we can handle. The Bible is chock-full of instances where God gave people more than they could handle.

Rather, God will never allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able to resist. He will always provide a way for us to be faithful to him, even when the pull toward a different path is as strong as it has ever been.

3. ‘Heaven Gained Another Angel’

When a loved one passes away, we are often at a loss for words. In those moments, we tend to grasp for any sentiment we think might bring a temporary sense of relief or hope. Inevitably, we pull from our rolodex of clichés, among which may be the oft-repeated saying, “Heaven gained another angel.”

4 Questions Every New Worship Tech Needs to Ask

By

Chris Huff

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February 21, 2023

A new worship tech should ask four basic mixing questions, Three of the questions aren’t so much technical as they are situational—but it’s a situation we all face every time we mix.

Make sure to check out the quote at the end of the article—it’s a tip we should all follow.

4 Questions Every New Worship Tech Needs to Ask

1. How loud should it be?

The answer is, “It depends.” The ideal volume is like the ideal temperature; it’s different for everyone. Some like it loud, some soft. Some want to hear their voices when they sing, others don’t.

The general rules are thus;

The pastor should be loud enough to be heard and understood by everyone.
The band (or piano or however your church leads) should be at a level where the most people will participate in worship.
Whatever the pastor says goes.

Whenever you get a volume complaint, ask two questions: Where did you sit, and what was too loud? We dream of even coverage in a room, but often this isn’t the case. Their seats could have been right in front of the speakers. During the next sound check, visit that spot in the room and compare it to other spots. It might mean a speaker adjustment is in order or you recommend they sit elsewhere.

Also, if it’s a complaint about the band volume, ask if it’s a specific instrument or vocal. Maybe your mix was off or maybe they just didn’t like the song or music style. Every complaint should be reviewed for legitimacy.

See: The Most Important Sound Mixing Technique

2. What should I do with the pastor’s microphone mix?

Do something! Do anything! I wish I were joking, but the truth is new techs spend a lot of time mixing the band but little time mixing any channel used for the spoken word. Most pastors don’t have a voice for radio so they need a good bit of mix work done.

The primary goal should be clarity of the spoken word. Imagine a gruff voice, a high voice, a raspy voice or an overly nasal voice. If the person’s natural speaking voice is hard to understand or can in itself be distracting, then do something about it.

Sermon Sabotage: 10 Ways to Ruin a Message for Teens (or Adults)

By

Greg Stier

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February 20, 2023

thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

As you prepare your next sermon for youth (or adults, for that matter), pause to consider what will be most effective. Maximize your prep time and the power of your Bible-based talks. And watch out for these subtle and not-so-subtle ways to derail a sermon. Make sure they don’t ruin your message!

10 Ways to Ruin a Sermon

Beware these 10 preaching missteps. They can hamper your message and mislead or discourage listeners.

1. Make it about you, not Jesus.

Keep the focus on self, not Savior.

**2. Let the Holy Spirit lead you just on the spot.**

Ignore His guidance during the week or two before, during your prep time.

3. Forget to use your clutch (also called transitions) as you switch gears.

Just move awkwardly from point to point as you preach.

4. Preach like a Texas steer.

Give a point here, a point there, and a lot of bull in-between.

5. String together random Bible verses to support your outline.

Don’t draw each youth sermon from a strong exposition of God’s Word.

6. Steal your preaching outlines from someone else.

Don’t wrestle through the material on your own.

7. Take 30 minutes to make a 10-minute point.

Try to impress your listeners with long words and sentences.

Greg Laurie’s ‘Jesus Revolution’ Releases Amid Renewed Interest in Revival

By

Jesse T. Jackson

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February 20, 2023

“Jesus Revolution,” a historical film chronicling the Jesus Movement, which swept the country in the late 60s and early 70s, will release on Friday (Feb. 24) amid renewed interest in revival among American evangelicals.

The film focuses on the story of how Harvest Christian Fellowship senior pastor Greg Laurie came to salvation and was called into full time pastoral ministry at the age of 19.

“Jesus Revolution” features Golden Globe and Emmy Award winning actor Kelsey Grammer (Chuck Smith), “The Chosen” actor Jonathan Roumie (Lonnie Frisbee), Joel Courtney (Greg Laurie), Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Anna Grace Barlow, and it is directed byJon Erwin and Brent McCorkle.

Laurie told ChurchLeaders he hopes that the movie will touch the hearts of viewers such that they will pray for revival, pointing out, “It’s been said that the theme of revival spreads the flame of revival.”

“We’re telling a true revival story that happened back in 1970 of how God intervened and changed a generation. It wasn’t a moral revival or a moral revolution. It wasn’t a political revolution. It was the Jesus revolution,” Laurie explained.

That revival changed church history, Laurie said. “Many historians not only regard the Jesus Movement as the last great awakening, but some even regard it as the greatest of all awakenings, because of the impact that it still has on the church today.”

That movement birthed contemporary Christian worship, which later birthed contemporary Christian music, something Laurie characterized as a “whole new style of ministry that had really not been prevalent at that time.”

“I’m hoping that Christians and leaders will be inspired, because they’re going to see the story of a pastor, Chuck Smith, whose church was not very large, who wanted to open his heart to what God wanted to do,” Laurie shared.

Smith admittedly wanted nothing to do with the hippie kids of his day, feeling that many of them needed to get a haircut, take a bath, and get a job. It was only after his wife Kay encouraged him to make an effort to reach the younger generation that Smith told God he’d talk to a hippie.

It was then that God brought a hippie evangelist named Lonnie Frisbee into Smith’s life. Describing the relationship, Laurie said, “Nitro met glycerin, because the result was explosive.”

Great Communicator Series: Powerful Insights for Preachers and Bible Teachers

By

Jessica Lea

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February 20, 2023

What skills does it take to be a great communicator? What are the practices that proficient preachers and Bible teachers implement in order to effectively communicate the Word of God? After all, preachers and teachers are doing more than trying to convey a message. They are relying on the Holy Spirit to change people’s very lives.

Ed Stetzer sat down with 10 seasoned preachers and Bible teachers to learn what their practices are for crafting and delivering a message. Among the topics discussed were how to leverage storytelling, theories of structuring a sermon, the role of the Holy Spirit, and the function of the church in raising up young leaders.

As these conversations progressed, some surprising patterns emerged, as well as many unique insights. What stood out time and again is the zeal that our guests have for the Word of God and for helping people understand how much God loves them. This series will certainly benefit any preachers or Bible teachers who are passionate about serving others by improving their craft.

Great Communicator Series

1. Rick Warren on the Kind of Preaching That Changes Lives

The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast · Rick Warren on the Kind of Preaching That Changes Lives

Rick Warren co-founded Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, in 1980 with his wife, Kay. Saddleback is now one of the largest and best-known churches in the world. Rick has been referred to as America’s Pastor and is the author of “The Purpose-Driven Life,” one of the bestselling nonfiction books in publishing history. He also founded Pastors.com, an online interactive community providing sermons, forums, and other pastor resources.

Listen to Rick Warren’s interview on the Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast today.

Other Ways To Listen to This Podcast With Rick Warren

► Listen on Amazon
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► Listen on YouTube

2. Wilfredo de Jesús: How (Not) To Turn Your Sermon Points Into Stop Signs

Wilfredo De Jesús, also known to many as Pastor Choco, is the general treasurer for the Assemblies of God and the first Latino to serve on the Executive Leadership Team. He previously was the senior pastor of New Life Covenant Ministries, one of the fastest-growing churches in Chicago as well as one of the largest Assemblies of God congregations in the nation.

Listen to Wilfredo De Jesús’ interview on the Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast today.

The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast · Wilfredo de Jesús: How (Not) To Turn Your Sermon Points Into Stop Signs

Other Ways To Listen to This Podcast With Wilfredo De Jesús

► Listen on Amazon
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► Listen on YouTube

‘God Sent Her to Me’—Christian UPS Driver Says Lost Woman He Helped Also Helped Him

By

Jessica Lea

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February 20, 2023

UPS driver Frederick Stephens was in the middle of a busy day of deliveries in Little Rock, Arkansas, when a lost, elderly woman approached him for help. Stephens took time out of his stressful day to help her, but says that God also sent her to help him.

“I did what I did because it was the right thing to do,” Stephens told ChurchLeaders. “She actually [helped] me that day. God sent her to me to uplift me when she told me I was a good man because I needed to hear that. So God planned that for me.”

UPS Driver Helps Lost Woman Get Home

On Jan. 4, UPS driver Frederick Stephens was running behind on his deliveries. At one point, he was taking a break when an elderly woman approached him and asked for help, saying she had a sense that he was “a good man.”

The woman, whose name is Elizabeth Roseborough, said she was lost and handed Stephens her driver’s license, asking, ‘How far am I away from this place right here?'”

“I just couldn’t leave her there,” Stephens told ABC affiliate THV11. “Especially when she gave me all her information, she gave me the address, she told me how she had just left the bank, so I knew she had money…if there was someone else, they woulda taken advantage of that.”

Stephens did not let the stress of his day stop him from helping Roseborough in her time of need. He placed calls to 911, his niece at the police department, and Roseborough’s church, which Facebook comments indicate is Fellowship Christian Church, pastored by Kevin A. Kelley. Stephens also alerted people on Facebook, saying, “If anyone knows this lady, call me or inbox me asap. She’s lost and can’t find her way home. I already called 911.”

Later that day, Stephens posted the update: “She’s safe and on her way home.”

Stephens then went the extra mile by visiting Roseborough at her church later to make sure she was ok, although he told ChurchLeaders she was not there that day.

He told THV11 that he believes his job as a UPS driver has a purpose. “You weren’t put in this world just for you, you were put in this world for other people. Even though it may not seem like you’re getting your reward, you will get it. I mean, one way or the other, it may not be from the person that you help, but you will get it.”

Stephens told ChurchLeaders that he is a person of faith and a churchgoer. In a 2016 Facebook video, Stephens says, “God put things in your life to build you to the person that you are now.” But often when we find ourselves in difficult situations, we say that God’s “favor ain’t fair.”

Prophet Tiphani Montgomery Tells Christians Beyoncé Is a ‘Witch’ and Her Fans a ‘Coven’

By

Stephanie Martin

-

February 20, 2023

Tiphani Montgomery, a self-described prophet, has created a stir by condemning pop star Beyoncé as a “witch” and her fans as a “coven.” The Houston-based minister, who also speaks and writes about entrepreneurship and wealth, is receiving pushback for her comments.

Some critics are calling Montgomery a hypocrite after discovering a 2014 tweet in which she raved about attending a Beyoncé concert. But Montgomery says that occurred before she was saved.

Tiphani Montgomery Calls Beyoncé Fans a Coven

Tiphani Montgomery, who says she has “never claimed to be a pastor,” shares sermons online and has more than 100,000 YouTube subscribers. Earlier this month, in a message titled “Altered at the Altar,” she warns Christians not to attend Beyoncé concerts. “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus; how dare you call yourself a Christian,” she preaches. “I don’t care what pastor you got who’s okay with it. I don’t care what pastor you got that think it’s cool. I don’t care what pastor you got that sing along to the songs because they want some clout.”

Then Montgomery tells Beyoncé fans, known as the Beyhive, they’re part of a coven. “When a witch has a coven, it’s normally a small thing. Witch’s covens are normally three to seven people,” she says. “When it becomes thousands, it’s called a hive. Y’all a part of that lady Beyhive? And you call yourself a Christian? May the dealings of the Lord come upon you.”

At least one TikTok creator backs up Montgomery, saying God is “sounding the alarm” about secular artists such as Beyonce. Others, however, accuse the prophet of trying to force her beliefs on people and of trying “to take us back to the Salem witch trials.”

Michelle Williams, former Destiny’s Child bandmate with Beyoncé, joined the debate last week. In a video posted to Instagram, she says, “I just wish we would pray as publicly for entertainers as we rebuke them and damn their soul to hell.” Williams adds, “I know it ain’t my calling mission to damn entertainers to hell and to say that they would drop dead. The devil is a lie.”

Tiphani Montgomery Defends Her Pre-Salvation Actions

After Montgomery’s warnings about Beyoncé went viral, someone dug up a 2014 tweet of hers that read: “Got a chance to catch the Jay Z and Beyoncé concert and it was AMAZING!!!” She responded that she was “blind” before being saved in the shower in August 2015.

Montgomery, who was a teen mom and college dropout (calling college “a waste of money anyway”), says she also got “a dumb tattoo” when she was 16. And between 2007 and 2009, she wrote a series of sultry-covered books, the rights to which she has since sold. “Anytime you’re a mouth piece for God they will try to discredit you,” tweets Montgomery. “But I’m more afraid of The Living God than I am dead skeletons!”

Todd Benkert Leaves SBC Abuse Task Force After Conflict Over Pastor’s Restoration

By

Bob Smietana

-

February 20, 2023

(RNS) — Todd Benkert, a Southern Baptist pastor who helped force reforms in the nation’s largest Protestant denomination’s sexual abuse policies, has stepped down from a task force he was appointed to last year to implement those reforms.

Benkert’s role on the committee became controversial this week due to a public dispute involving a Florida megachurch that restored SBC President Johnny Hunt to active ministry after he had been credibly accused of sexual assault.

Hunt was one of a number of SBC leaders named in a 2022 report from the investigative firm Guidepost Solutions hired by the denomination in 2021 to resolve long-running conflicts over sexual abuse. The report found those leaders had chronically mistreated survivors of abuse and spent decades trying to deny responsibility for abuse at individual SBC churches.

The report led delegates at the 2022 SBC’s annual meeting to set up a series of reforms designed to prevent abuse and care for abuse survivors and directed that SBC leaders appoint the Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force.

In preparing its report, Guidepost investigated allegations that Hunt, a retired Georgia megachurch pastor, had assaulted another pastor’s wife in 2010, then spent years covering up his actions.

Hunt first denied the allegations and later claimed the incident had been consensual. After taking several months away from preaching, Hunt returned to the pulpit on Jan. 18 at Hiland Park Baptist Church in Panama City, Florida, where the Rev. Steven L. Kyle, a friend, is pastor.

During his January sermon, Hunt claimed “false allegations” had ruined his life.

Kyle and a group of other pastors announced late last fall that Hunt had been through a restoration process and was cleared to return to ministry. That decision was denounced by a number of Baptist leaders, including current SBC President Bart Barber.

After Hunt’s January sermon, Benkert filed a complaint against Hiland Park and another church where Hunt had been invited to speak and told a reporter from The Tennessean newspaper that he had done so. The denomination’s credentials committee, which determines which churches are in good standing, is weighing whether to recommend expelling those churches for not taking the issue of abuse seriously.

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