5 Young People Killed in Crash While Returning From Bible College Visit

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January 25, 2023

five students car collison — Pictured (left to right): Ava Luplow, Suzy Prime, Magdalene Franco, Andrea Prime, Salomon Correa; screengrabs via KARK

The close-knit community of Sherwood, Arkansas, is mourning the loss of five young people, including two high school students, who were fatally injured in a multi-car collision on Sunday (Jan. 22) while on their way back from a church-sponsored trip to Jackson Hole Bible College in Wyoming.

Suzy Prime and Ava Luplow were students of Sylvan Hills High School, and Salomon Correa, Magdalene Franco, and Andrea Prime were graduates of the same. They attended Faith Bible Fellowship Church together.

The five young people are being remembered by their church and community for their strong faith and positive presence in Sherwood.

Quint Scruggs, a fellow graduate of Sylvan Hills High School, told KATV, “I didn’t believe it until I got all over social media and that’s all I saw. I told everybody, there’s no way—I don’t believe it.”

“Always joyful, I mean there was never a dull moment, always made you laugh,” Scruggs said of the group. “We can’t take it back, you know, they’re gone and in a better place.”

Lydia VanderVate, who grew up going to church with the group, told KARK, “It feels like my heart is broken…They all had such bubbly personalities, could get along, always laughing with each other.”

On Monday, a vigil was held at Faith Bible Fellowship Church in remembrance of the five, where over 100 people gathered to mourn.

“Our fellowship is mourning the loss of five of our young adults—Salomon Correa, Magdalene Franco, Andrea Prime, Suzy Prime, and Ava Luplow,” the church said in a Facebook post. “After spending a week in Jackson Hole visiting Jackson Hole Bible College, they were involved in a multi-vehicle collision on an interstate in Wyoming.”

The collision occurred when another motorist crossed over onto the wrong side of the highway.

“Preliminary information has revealed that a Dodge Ram 3500 was headed east on Interstate 80 on the wrong side of the interstate. The Dodge collided with a commercial truck and a passenger car. As the Dodge truck collided with the passenger car, a driver of a second commercial truck attempted to avoid the approaching truck by driving into the median,” said Wyoming Highway Patrol in a statement posted to Facebook. “This commercial truck exited the median and entered the eastbound travel lanes, where it collided head-on with a Ford F-150. The second commercial truck and passenger truck immediately became engulfed in flames.”

Holly Catterton Allen: How Your Church Can Help Children Be Spiritually Resilient

By

Jessica Lea

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January 25, 2023

The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast · Holly Catterton Allen: How Your Church Can Help Children Be Spiritually Resilient

Dr. Holly Catterton Allen is Professor of Family Studies and Christian Ministries at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee. Her areas of scholarly interest are children’s spirituality and intergenerational issues, and she leads two national, ecumenical conferences. Holly’s new book is “Forming Resilient Children: The Role of Spiritual Formation for Healthy Development.”

Other Ways To Listen to This Podcast With Holly Catterton Allen

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Key Questions for Holly Catterton Allen

-What do we need to consider about children’s spirituality, and what misconceptions do Christians have of it?

-What’s your definition of resilience? What is the relationship between resilience and spirituality?

-What are practices churches and church leaders should be engaging in to help children be resilient?

-Can you give us some practical ideas for how pastors might better think about crafting a worship service so that it applies to all generations, but specifically, so that it is meaningful to children?

Key Quotes From Holly Catterton Allen

“We often have not had a good definition of what we mean by ‘children’s spirituality.’”

“Children are born as spiritual beings. They are created in the image of God and they are endowed from birth with the capacity to relate with others, with God and with themselves.

“We’ve had an ambiguous theology of what we think of children before that time [when they can choose to follow Jesus].”

“Children are spiritual because they’re created by God as spiritual beings all around the world. All children are spiritual.”

“All children everywhere are being formed spiritually, maybe not in a positive way, but are being formed in that we are nurturing our children in their relationship with themselves and with others and with a transcendent other.”

“I think one of the gaps we have in Christianity is we’ve tended to equate teaching children and nurturing them spiritually with learning information.”

A New England Pastor’s Dying Wish Results in Growing Congregation

By

Timothy Cockes

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January 25, 2023

MARLBOROUGH, Mass. (BP) – The revitalization story of First Baptist Church features a pastor’s dying wish, a merger with a church plant and the church’s first VBS in more than 30 years.

First Baptist Church of Marlborough has been a prominent presence in downtown for more than 150 years. Despite having a congregation of hundreds in the 1970s, the church had slipped down to around 12 attendees by 2021.

That all changed when the First Baptist merged with a neighboring young church plant called Hope Community Church.

Since the merger, First Baptist now has about 75 average attendees.

Terry Dorsett, executive director/treasurer for the Baptist Convention of New England (BCNE), described the revitalization of First Baptist as “the most wonderful thing we’ve seen in years.”

“The older people had the wisdom, commitment and love for the community, while the younger people brought the energy and the kids,” Dorsett said.

“Those initial services with the two congregations were definitely a Holy Spirit moment. It’s been an incredibly encouraging story because there are hundreds of churches out there in New England who are in need of revitalization.”

First Baptist’s turnaround began when things seemed their worst.

The church was already in heavy decline when their interim pastor announced he could not continue pastoring the church because of his deteriorating health.

He made a request to the church to reach out to the BCNE for help.

The pastor, who recently passed away, had heard Southern Baptists are very evangelistic and that the BCNE was helping several churches in its convention revitalize.

First Baptist followed the pastor’s suggestion by reaching out to Dorsett and becoming dually aligned with American Baptist Churches USA and the Southern Baptist Convention.

In addition to attending strategy meetings with the church, Dorsett would frequently preach on Sundays or assist in providing pulpit supply.

One Sunday, Dorsett could not find anyone available to preach at First Baptist. He decided to turn to pastor Logan Loveday of Hope Community.

Loveday planted Hope in 2017 after he said God laid the community of Marlborough on his heart.

The congregation has steadily grown over the years, but struggled through the COVID-19 pandemic. Church leadership had explored merging with another established congregation, but plans fell through.

Hope Community had grown its congregation to a steady group of 25 to 30 attendees, most of which were young families.

When Loveday was asked to preach at First Baptist, the members of Hope decided just to attend the service at First Baptist that Sunday. The worship teams even joined together to lead worship.

The strong connection was instantaneous. Loveday would be asked to preach again for First just a few weeks later.

Shortly after, the leaders of First Baptist voted to merge the two congregations and install Loveday as lead pastor.

Loveday said the two congregations fit so well together, only God could get the credit for it.

“This was honestly not a plan that we had because God orchestrated all these pieces,” Loveday said.

Lifeway Research: US Hispanic Protestant Landscape Full of Growing, Vibrant Churches

By

Aaron Earls

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January 25, 2023

Hispanic-Protestant-Landscape-Full-of-Growing-churches — Photo via Unsplash.com @rajivperera

Hispanic churches in the United States face unique challenges but are finding success in building community within their congregations and reaching those outside their walls.

Lifeway Research partnered with two dozen denominations and church networks to include what is likely the largest number of Protestant Hispanic congregations in the U.S. ever invited to a single research study. Sponsored by Lifeway Recursos, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse, the study surveyed 692 pastors of congregations that are at least 50% Hispanic.

“For decades, the Hispanic population in the U.S. has been growing exponentially, and it is imperative for churches to be informed about the specific needs of this community,” said Giancarlo Montemayor, director of global publishing for Lifeway Recursos. “This study will help us to continue the ongoing conversation of how to serve our brothers and sisters in a more strategic way.”

Congregational snapshot

The study reveals a picture of Hispanic churches that are newer, younger and more effectively evangelistic than the average U.S. Protestant church.

Most Hispanic Protestant churches (54%) have been established since 2000, including 32% founded in 2010 or later. Fewer than 1 in 10 (9%) trace their history prior to 1950.

Not only are the churches relatively new, but most people in the congregations are also new to the United States. The majority are first generation Americans (58%), born outside of the country. A quarter are second generation (24%), with parents who were born outside of the U.S. And 17% were born in the U.S. to parents who were also born in the U.S. As a result, a majority conduct their services only in Spanish (53%), while 22% are bilingual.

Half of the churches (50%) are in a large metropolitan area with a population of 100,000 or more. Around 3 in 10 (31%) are located in small cities, 9% are in rural areas and 8% are in suburbs.

In the average Hispanic Protestant church, a full third of the congregation (35%) is under the age of 30, including 18% under 18. Another 38% are aged 30-49, and 28% are 50 and older.

Almost 3 in 4 Hispanic Protestant churchgoers are under 50 — For the Spanish-language version click here

“The growth in the number of Hispanic churches in the U.S. has been remarkable,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “While some of these congregations were started within Anglo churches — 14% of Hispanic congregations in this study currently are conducting services within a church that is predominantly non-Hispanic — the missional impetus has clearly come from within the Hispanic community itself as two-thirds of these congregations are led by first-generation immigrant pastors.”

In U.S. Hispanic Protestant churches, the average worship service attendance is 115. Like most other churches, they’ve not yet fully recovered from the pandemic. In January 2020, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the average attendance was 136. Still, 13% of churches are currently around their pre-pandemic levels. And 32% say they’ve grown in the past three years, despite the pandemic.

Almost every Hispanic Protestant pastor (99%) agrees, including 94% who strongly agree, their congregation considers Scripture the authority for their church and their lives.

Terrorists Kill, Kidnap Christians in Northern and Southern Nigeria

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Morning Star News

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January 25, 2023

Kidnap-Christians-in-Northern-and-Southern-Nigeria — Funeral service for the Christians killed on Jan. 17 in Zonkwa town, Kaduna state, Nigeria. (Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan).

ABUJA, Nigeria (Morning Star News) – Five Christians were killed on Jan. 17 in northern Nigeria’s Kaduna state, while a church leader in the southeastern state of Enugu said Christians there were “under siege.”

In southern Kaduna state’s Zonkwa town, Zangon Kataf County, terrorists attacked at about 8 p.m. on Jan. 17, said local council official Yabo Ephraim. He identified one of the slain as Calistus Eze.

“The terrorists shot sporadically as they made their way into the town, killing five Christians and injuring many others,” Ephraim said. “The injured victims are currently receiving treatment at some separate medical facilities.”

Leaders of the Catholic Church’s Kafanchan Diocese in southern Kaduna state, where the attack occurred, said a requiem Mass was held on Thursday (Jan. 19) for the five Catholics slain.

On the same day, suspected Fulani herdsmen and other terrorists attacked St. Monica’s Catholic Church in Kaduna state’s Ikulu-Pari village, Kauru County, and kidnapped a parish catechist. Area resident Epharim Sheyin identified the teacher as Kefas Ishaya and the assailants who took him away at gunpoint as “Muslim terrorists.”

Sunday Bege, chairman of the church’s laity council, said “armed terrorists” took Ishaya away.

“And as they left, they were shooting sporadically at anyone they sighted,” Bege said, adding that the same church’s parish priest, the Rev. Joseph Shekari, was kidnapped on Feb. 6, 2022 and church worker Sati Musa was killed.

Shekari, kidnapped while ministering away from the church premises, was released after church leaders paid a ransom, Bege said.

“It’s possible they’ve returned for a similar mission to kidnapped the priest again, but they couldn’t find him,” he said. “The catechist, who’s on the church’s pastoral team, has been taken away by the terrorists. We are yet to contacted by the terrorists.”

In southeast Nigeria’s Enugu state, suspected Fulani herdsmen and other terrorists kidnapped four Christians on Jan. 17 and Jan. 19 in Ikem of Isi-uzo County, an area resident said.

On Jan. 16, eight armed terrorists attacked Emeka Odoh and four others as they were driving out of Ikem, Odoh said.

“Our car was riddled with bullets, and one of us was shot and wounded,” Odoh told Morning Star News. “Four of us in the car escaped unhurt.”

On Jan. 17 the terrorists kidnapped a Christian from Ikem, he said, and they returned on Jan. 19.

“The gunmen returned for the third time, this time at night, kidnapped three additional Christians and shot one other Christian whom they abandoned,” Odoh said. “He’s currently being treated at a hospital.”

He added that last year a lay leader of the Catholic Church in Ikem was among Christians kidnapped.

“A catechist was last year kidnapped when the herdsmen and terrorists attacked Ikem three times,” Odoh said. “The catechist and two other members of the church were kidnapped. The three were only released after ransom in various sums were paid to the herdsmen and terrorists.”

In the area’s predominantly Christian Eha-Amufu village, herdsmen and other terrorists mounted attacks in late December that resulted in the deaths of more than 100 Christians, a local leader said.

“Within the last few weeks, over 100 Christians have been slaughtered in Eha-Amufu, and this cuts across all ages,” community leader Okwu Nnabuike said in a press statement at that time. “We are unhappy as no word has come from the federal government as a form of sympathy to those affected. The herdsmen must be stopped from wreaking further havoc forthwith.”

Nnabuike said the “killer herdsmen” were trying to push villagers from their ancestral lands.

“This has to end; the security agencies must show the world that they are not part of what is happening,” he said. “For the umpteenth time, we call on the federal government-controlled security agencies to disarm the AK-47 wielding herdsmen who are slaughtering our people.”

The Rev. Daniel Olinya, Anglican bishop of Ehamufu Diocese, confirmed the killings, saying, “Christians in Enugu state are currently under siege from the terrorists and armed Fulani herdsmen.”

How Southern California Helped Birth White Christian Nationalism

By

Yonat Shimron

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January 25, 2023

(RNS) — Bradley Onishi became a Christian at age 14 when his eighth grade girlfriend invited him to a Bible study at her church in Yorba Linda, California, just south of Los Angeles. Ten years later, he would serve as its youth minister.

Over that decade, he writes in his new book, “Preparing for War: The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism — And What Comes Next,” Onishi grew to see his faith as less about Jesus and more about perpetuating a certain myth of the United States, one that he says forms the bedrock of white Christian nationalism.

Part memoir, part history of Southern California’s formative role in the rise of the religious right, Onishi’s book traces his growing estrangement from the faith he once zealously championed.

It also examines the Christian nationalist beliefs that he first encountered in Southern California but are now thought to be fueling a movement in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and in the eastern parts of Washington and Oregon, sometimes called the American Redoubt, where white Christian supremacists are building a refuge.

Onishi, who teaches at the University of San Francisco, also co-hosts with Dan Miller a podcast called “Straight White American Jesus.” Religion News Service spoke to Onishi, who now calls himself a secularist. The interview was edited for length and clarity.

You describe growing up in Yorba Linda and joining Rose Drive Friends Church. Tell me what led you to peel away from church?

There were several events that made me question the either/or logic of my community. We had an in or out, us vs. them approach to morality and politics. When it came to abortion, immigration or scientific research I began to see the world in more subtle ways and it eventually led me out.

In 2005, I left Southern California for the first time to go to Oxford to do a master’s in theology. Once I arrived I was free to explore every avenue I wanted intellectually and politically. Very quickly my life changed.

Which events in particular led you to rethink things?

I remember the 2004 election between George W. Bush and John Kerry. I was determined to vote for Kerry because I thought he was a better candidate. But the elders in my church said if you vote for him you’re voting for the murder of millions of babies. I remember getting into the voting booth and being haunted by that. In my gut, I knew Kerry was a better candidate, but I didn’t want to vote for the murder of children. And I thought, these issues that are so important to the public square, they can’t be reduced like this. There must be ways to discuss this with the subtlety it deserves. This is just too reductive. I’m going to look for other ways to figure this out.

Did you vote for Bush?

Yes. I voted for George W. Bush twice. That’s a very unpopular thing to tell academics at a cocktail party. But I have to be completely honest and tell my story.

Your father is Japanese American from Maui. Did you have a more difficult time as an Asian American?

I learned early on that it was OK to be a person of color at church, but that I should not bring in concerns and issues related to being a person of color. The best way to deal with being an Asian American was to make jokes about it. I realized it wasn’t something that wasn’t going to be a feature of my identity in the community. When I left I had to face up to internalized racism and self-hatred and guilt about how I viewed myself, my family, my history, my culture, my rituals.

Living in the South, I assumed Christian nationalism was birthed here. But I learned from your book that Southern California played a huge role.

There’s no doubt that Christian nationalism has been at home in the South for centuries. But in the middle of the 20th century, millions of white Southerners and Midwesterners left to places like Arizona and Southern California and reshaped the landscape according to their vision. What ended up happening in Orange County is this pure distillation of white Christianity, mixed with vehement American nationalism, a libertarian approach to economics and a strong anti-communism that veered into conspiracy. The Southland, as I call it, became the epicenter of the new right.

Middle Collegiate Church Expects Historic Façade To Be Demolished by Spring

By

Adelle M Banks

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January 25, 2023

(RNS) — Middle Collegiate Church, the historic New York congregation whose 19th-century building was devastated by fire in 2020, expects to demolish its façade — the only part that still stood — after a preservation commission decision earlier this month.

The Rev. Jacqui Lewis, senior minister of the church, said there will be a meeting on Friday (Jan. 27) to plan the next steps in taking down the façade. The congregation initially hoped to preserve its distinctive neo-Gothic streetfront, but reports by experts last year citing safety and costs determined that “the remaining structure is in a state of disrepair and has deteriorated beyond its usable life.”

New York City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission, by a vote of 8-2 on Jan. 10, granted the church’s request for a “certificate of appropriateness” to take down the façade over the objections of local preservationist groups.

Lewis said the congregation won’t know how much of the façade can be reused. Church leaders hope to determine “how to use what’s old to make what’s new” in the redesigned space after the expected early spring demolition.

“We thought the façade was going to survive so we’re committed to what’s left — which might be small pieces,” she said.

Middle Collegiate, on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, is one of four Collegiate Churches of New York that sprung from a Reformed Church congregation in New Amsterdam founded in 1628, and they are considered the oldest continuous Protestant congregations in the Americas.

The other churches are the Marble Collegiate Church, where Norman Vincent Peale was pastor; the West End Church; and the Fort Washington Church.

Lewis said Middle Church’s multiethnic congregation, which is dually aligned with the Reformed Church in America and the United Church of Christ, hopes the site will continue to offer space for worship and a range of community services as it did before the fire. Among the possibilities, she said, are after-school programs and rehearsal studios for artists.

“We’re building back a church and community center that will serve the needs of our community, which includes the church and also the neighborhood,” she said.

Lewis estimates that the rebuilding expenses, including demolition, will total $30 million to $35 million and that a groundbreaking could take place within a couple of years.

The church spent about a fifth, or $4.2 million, of the $21 million it received from its insurer in securing the limestone facade. It hopes to raise another $15 million through a campaign that had raised $3 million by the end of 2022. Lewis said the church hopes to augment the fundraising with grants from the city and foundations and assistance from other partners.

Some preservationist groups had expressed concern about removal of the facade.

Lower East Side Preservation Initiative, a local not-for-profit group, had argued that demolition of the façade would hurt the “special character of this very important historic district,” and the group urged a “full and independent analysis.”

Andrew Berman, executive director of Village Preservation, told The Village Sun, an online publication, that he remains worried about the future of the site.

“We wish the congregation well and remain committed to helping them in whatever way we can to rebuild and thrive here,” Berman said. “But we are troubled that this decision by the commission offers no guarantees that this will happen, and may open the door to more demolitions and much less desirable uses than a new home for a church at this location and other landmarked sites.”

But with the façade decision made, Lewis said the Collegiate Churches of New York are determined to reconstruct an edifice at the same site.

“Our team all voted to rebuild,” she said. “We’re committed to that site.”

In the meantime, as many as 130 Middle Collegiate congregants have been gathering at East End Temple, a Manhattan Reform synagogue 10 blocks away. Hundreds more watch online. In April, the church plans to hold its “Freedom Rising: Dismantling Fascism With Fierce Love” conference at West End Collegiate.

This article originally appeared here.

Professions of Faith at Crusades: Good News or Reason for Doubt?

By

Randy Alcorn

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January 25, 2023

evangelistic crusades — Lightstock #148073

I confess I grow weary of some believers’ responses to good news, especially related to evangelism. Instead of believing the best, as Christians sometimes we seem to chronically believe the worst.

I remember the negative responses I received years ago when I shared a follow-up report on my Facebook about “Harvest America,” Greg Laurie’s crusade in Texas. AT&T Stadium was filled to capacity and a few thousand were even turned away. Over 6,000 came forward to accept Christ, plus who knows how many more in the over 6,000 host sites that broadcasted the event.

One commenter responded: “I’m ALWAYS skeptical about these. How does the church follow up on thousands? If you don’t follow up and turn them into true disciples, we now have a massive amount of people walking the planet with a false sense of salvation.”

As is true in any public event or any local church profession of faith, or with people I’ve prayed with at retreats or in restaurants, there will always be those who aren’t really regenerated. Likewise, there will always those who WILL be. That was always true not only of the Billy Graham crusades, but also of Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, John Wesley, and D. L . Moody revivals. Some of those professing faith will not prove to be real believers bearing long-term fruit. But I have met countless truly regenerate people, including a godly elder at my own church, who say they came to Christ when going forward at a Graham crusade. Who am I to question God’s work in their lives?

(Crusades aren’t as common anymore, but everything I say about them in this blog applies to all large-scale evangelism. And I frequently hear skepticism when it happens, so this is still relevant.)

Here’s some other genuine believers who placed their faith in Christ at crusades:

Canadian pastor and author Oswald J. Smith (1889-1986) came to faith at a crusade held by R. A. Torrey.
Billy Graham himself accepted Christ at a meeting led by Mordecai Ham.
American veteran Louis Zamperini placed his faith in Christ at a Billy Graham crusade.
Stuart Hamblen, a country western singer, songwriter, and radio personality in the 1940s, underwent a conversion at a 1949 Graham crusade, and so did Jim Vaus, a wiretapper for mob boss Mickey Cohen.

Someone wrote on my Facebook page, “My mother, in 1950, went forward when [Billy Graham] was in Portland, that changed our family forever.” Many of the stories and results of lives changed we won’t know about until eternity. I think one day we’re going to be surprised at how powerfully God worked in the lives of people when many of us were skeptical about the results. (See also 7 Lives Changed at Billy Graham’s Los Angeles Crusade.)

Greg Laurie preaches the core Gospel message, and attempts are made to align all professing converts with local churches. There are thousands of churches that have participated in the Harvest Crusade. So could each church follow up one or three or five or ten people? Of course. Those are not impossible numbers. So many who profess join a church, are baptized and discipled, and become true servants of Jesus. Many others don’t. If there are tares, OK; but there is also much wheat.

I agree that assurance of salvation is a doctrine that mainly applies to proven believers, and it should not be given indiscriminately to those who bear no fruit of the Holy Spirit’s presence in their lives. As for 6,000 conversions being doubtful at that 2016 crusade, there were also 6,000 churches showing the gospel presentation broadcast live from Arlington. Suppose “only” 1,000 conversions in Arlington panned out and bore true fruit of an indwelling Spirit and a transformed life. Then suppose an average of only ONE person per church telecasting the event really became regenerate. Personally, I’m confident it was a lot more than that, but even if that were “all” it was, the number of conversions would be 7,000.

In Acts 4:4, the Apostles rejoiced at the 5,000 who appeared to be saved, plus family members. I assume a number of those probably didn’t pan out either. But that’s always true, whether someone believes in Christ while alone, with just a friend or a small group, at a church, or at an evangelistic crusade. The point is that some conversions are false and some are real. That’s nothing new. No one knows which will prove which, and no one is being asked to rejoice in false conversions, but to rejoice that the Gospel was preached and that many conversions will ultimately prove true, even though no one but God knows yet which are which. This is true regardless of the ultimate numbers, which I suspect were way more than 6,000 given the number of churches involved.

Some Things You Should Know About Christians With Anxiety

By

Adam Ford

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January 25, 2023

thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

There are four things you must know about Christians with anxiety. For seven years I have lived with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder and Social Anxiety. It has completely changed my life. I have written and drawn about these things before and the response has proven to me that there are tons of Christians with anxiety who relate to my story. This probably includes people you know. I also know that many are hesitant to tell others about their struggles. So for them, based on my experience, I compiled a little list of things you should know about your friends and family who are Christians with anxiety.

For Christians With Anxiety, It Changes Us

Before I had these issues I was an outgoing, type-A extrovert. I fed off social situations and loved being the center of attention. Today I’m a serious introvert who struggles mightily with social situations, unfamiliar settings, having any attention on me, meeting new people, talking on the phone or even writing an article like this one. More often than not, I just can’t do it. I’ve been unable to leave my house for stretches of time. I’ve almost crashed my car while having a panic attack. I hate going to the doctor or the barber shop. I can’t do small groups with people I don’t know. I’ve tried so, so hard to go to conferences (I wanted to go to T4G so bad this year!), but I’ve never been able to go through with it. I’m a mess, really. If you’re in the same boat, professionals such as online therapists are your allies.

It’s not a Matthew 6 or Philippians 4 issue—it’s a physiological issue.

Pre-anxiety-me would probably have scoffed at this. But having an anxiety disorder is not the same thing as being a worrywart. Most people with anxiety don’t go to the doctor and say, “I dunno doc, I can’t stop worrying about stuff.” Most of us go to the doctor with troubling physical symptoms, and only then do we learn that anxiety is the cause. In my case, I went to the doctor thinking I was having a stroke or some major brain issue. In reality, I was having my first panic attack. When the doctor told me it was anxiety I thought he was crazy or that he was not taking me seriously. I was convinced I was experiencing medical trauma! My entire central nervous system was telling me so. And then this guy tells me I have anxiety. It was surreal. I’ve had tons of people tell me that this is their story as well. This is not the same type of anxiety that manifests mainly as nagging worry. We have a mental disorder, not a control problem.

We know it doesn’t make any sense.

It doesn’t make sense to you—or us, most of the time. It’s called a disorder because it is a disorder—our brains are malfunctioning. We know our thoughts are illogical. We know there is no good reason for our adrenaline to be pumping like we’re running from a T-Rex. We know it’s just the anxiety messing with us. But knowing that doesn’t help a single bit.

Having anxiety doesn’t make us overly concerned about things as much as it makes our brains short-circuit as a feeling of certain impending doom envelops us. Being in an anxiety pit is a feeling that can’t be explained, and in bad times it’s a feeling that’s with us from the moment we wake up until the moment we go to sleep. It’s our life.

For Christians with anxiety, the feeling of doom is very real to us. As real as anything else.

You can tell us everything is OK, and sometimes we know it’s true. But the monster of anxiety will still assure us, louder than anything else, that everything is wrong, nothing is right, every bad thing that could possibly happen is certainly going to happen and there’s simply no other alternative. We are convinced we’ve ruined everything we’ve ever touched, worked on or looked at. It’s so real, and in our state of panic, it feels more real than anything else. Have you ever been in a temporary state of seriously elevated anxiety? That feeling that your heart is in your throat and your stomach has dropped through the ground—it’s that real to us. It’s panic. When panic hits us, it takes over, and invokes an immediate and overwhelming need for escape. We have to live with it.

We’re exhausted all the time.

Think back to a very high-stress situation you’ve been in, when your fight-or-flight response took over. Adrenaline flowing, heart pounding, vision altered. You probably collapsed into your bed shortly thereafter, your body depleted from expending all of its energy reserves. That’s our life when we’re going through a bad anxiety spell. It’s utterly draining to get through even a non-eventful day. Many days we’re ready for bed by lunchtime. Our brains are clouded. We’re experiencing derealization. We can’t think straight. We can’t process information. We can’t focus. We can’t remember things. We’re sorry for sometimes being grumpy or irritable because of this.

Please know we’re not just blowing you off.

We know it seems like we are, but we’re not. We’re sorry for canceling plans. We’re sorry for declining invitations. We’re sorry for leaving early. We’re sorry for not following up. It’s not you, it’s us. It’s our anxiety. Upcoming events, even minor ones, can foster a serious sense of dread for Christians with anxiety disorders.

13 Signs You’re an Angry Pastor

By

Brian Dodd

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January 25, 2023

This is a very important post because the content below is going to save someone’s job and ministry—especially if that someone is an angry pastor. For others, it will be a sad reminder of lost opportunity. For another group, the information will be laughed off and ignored to your own peril.

The only difference between anger and danger is the letter “D.” This is especially true for pastors. Over the past three decades, I have encountered several pastors with anger issues. The stories never ended well.

The following are 13 Realities of an Angry Pastor.

1. Angry Pastors Have Experienced Significant Pain and Disappointment. Hurt people hurt people. Even when they are pastors.

2. Angry Pastors Have Control Issues. They get angry when they cannot control others and/or situations. This often reveals itself when they are questioned. Angry pastors frequently confuse questions with questioning.

3. Angry Pastors Have Short Tenures. Because they lack emotional intelligence and needlessly burn so many bridges, attendance and giving decline. The people have voted with their feet and wallets. The pastor is ultimately removed.

4. Angry Pastors Lead Smaller and Smaller Congregations. Interestingly, anger limits the size of churches you can be entrusted with. I know of one pastor who pastored a historically strong church averaging 800 in attendance. Upon his self-destruction, the only church he could now get was less than 100 in attendance.

5. Angry Pastors Offend Leaders. Leaders WANT to help you and just as importantly, CAN help you. But angry pastors poorly steward these relationships. Board meetings are filled with tenseness, lack of forgiveness, unhealthy conflict, walls being built and finally broken relationships.

6. Angry Pastors Have Short Fuses. Bursts of anger are commonplace with staff and leadership. People begin to walk on eggshells and merely keep their heads down.

7. Angry Pastors Lose Top Staff. Quality staff leave churches with angry pastors. Life is too short and they have other options.

8. Angry Pastors Like to Fight. The sad reality is, angry pastors are more comfortable in unhealthy environments than healthy environments. So even if a culture is healthy, they self-destruct it because they cannot function where there is peace.

9. Angry Pastors Become Merely Positional Leaders. If a pastor proclaims, “I am the pastor,” he/she is no longer the leader. If leaders have to tell you they are the leader, they are not. They are now leading by position rather than influence.

Eric Geiger: 5 Reasons I Am Hopeful for the Church in 2023

By

Eric Geiger

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January 25, 2023

A few months ago, I stood in Caesarea Philippi in front of a cave where historians believe a spring once flowed. During Jesus’ day, the spring was known as flowing from the underworld and the cave as the “gates of Hades.” The false god Pan was worshipped in the area, infants were once sacrificed there, and evil was rampant. That is the place Jesus took His disciples to ask them who they think He is and to declare, “I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it” (Matthew 16:18). Jesus did not take them to a synagogue for the discussion and declaration, but to a place known for darkness and evil. It would be like making the declaration that the Church won’t be defeated on Bourbon Street rather than in a Bible College. As He promised, today His Church in 2023 is pushing back the gates of death and Jesus is bringing life to people from every tribe, tongue, and nation.

At Caesarea Philippi I was reminded that Jesus’ good and holy intention will not be thwarted, and as a new year begins, I am hopeful for the Church in 2023. While I know His Church will thrive globally as He has promised, I am hopeful for the Church in the United States as well. I am using a capital “C” to refer to the Church and not simply one church or the church I belong to, though I am hopeful for her, too. I will begin with the broad and unchanging and then move to more tactical. Five reasons I am hopeful:

1. More people recognize their need for community; the Church provides community.

Before the pandemic I often heard church leaders ask, “how can we convince people they need community?” God used the pandemic to alert people to their need for others and to the pain of isolation. Though not perfect, the Church offers people community that is built upon the One who will not fade or change.

Dante Bowe Returns to the Stage After Maverick City Music Split, Explicit Instagram Selfie

By

Jesse T. Jackson

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January 24, 2023

Grammy and Dove Award-winning gospel singer Dante Bowe is set to return to the stage this month. Maverick City Music, with which Bowe was previously affiliated, announced last fall (Sept. 27) that they were “pausing” their relationship with the singer “due to behavior that is inconsistent with [the music collective’s] core values and beliefs.”

Without giving specific details regarding Bowe’s behavior, Maverick City Music stated, “We have decided to put a pause on our professional relationship with Dante Bowe. Decisions like these are not easy because of the level of nuance, both professionally and personally, but we felt it necessary to address.”

Two days later, Bowe apologized for his behavior in an Instagram post. A short time later, he deleted the post.

“This platform of success I enjoy is a blessing that is both gifted to me and shared with YOU, my faith community, family, friends, supporters and fellow artists,” Bowe wrote in that post. “I sincerely apologize for the impact of my behavior and that it has offended many people on the platform we share together. This experience has been a very real reminder of the importance of being incredibly intentional with how I utilize and engage with the tools social platforms provide.”

Bowe subsequently took a brief hiatus from social media. The 29-year-old singer said that he would use the time to “refocus” and reflect on his actions, so that he could “recommit to living in the purpose God has” for his life.

Bowe also quietly cancelled a 14-city headlining tour, titled “Joyful The Tour,” which was scheduled to take place throughout October and November 2022.

On Nov. 7, 2022, Bowe released a new song that he said was written “for anyone who’s had [a] hard couple of months. Hold on.”

Bowe released his first official song since his Maverick City Music “behavior issues,” titled “Hide Me,” on Jan. 13. The song is the first single on his upcoming album “Press Play.”

During a recent interview with CBN’s Efrem Graham, Bowe shared that he feels healthier, better, and brighter—”[I] feel closer to God.”

“You know, God’s going to use people and things to catapult you into your next step,” he told Graham. “So, I don’t think it was like something that shouldn’t have happened. I think it should have happened because now I have this incredible team. I’ve rebuilt my infrastructure with the most incredible people and most incredible producer, John John, who’s helped me release ‘Hide Me,’ and this entire album ‘Press Play.’”

Andy Stanley Trends on Twitter for Praising the Faith of Gay People Who Attend Church

By

Jessica Lea

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January 24, 2023

Christian Twitter is in an uproar over comments that Atlanta-area pastor Andy Stanley made about gay people, comments that follow recently renewed controversy regarding Stanley‘s views the phrase, “the Bible says.” The latest outcry pertains to the pastor’s remarks on the faith of gay people who are willing to be part of a church community.

“A gay person who still wants to attend church after the way the church has treated the gay community, I’m telling you they have more faith than I do,” said Stanley in a clip of him speaking. “They have more faith than a lot of you.”

Stanley is the pastor of North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia. Adam Page, pastor of Amelia Baptist Church in Fernandina Beach, Florida, posted the clip of Stanley speaking, saying that it was from North Point’s Drive Conference in 2022.

“What on earth,” said Page. “Let this be a lesson. Much evil can be done against you, others and your church under the banner of evangelism.”

What on earth… let this be a lesson. Much evil can be done against you, others and your church under the banner of evangelism. pic.twitter.com/EArWfpTc7r

— pagemasta (@AdamPage85) January 23, 2023

Andy Stanley: ‘We Have Some Things To Learn’

The clip, which is about two minutes long and has been posted without context, begins in the middle of a sentence with Andy Stanley expressing that gay people are more enthusiastic and committed to serving at church than straight people are.

The pastor emphasizes that gay people attend church knowing it is likely they will not be accepted. “Have you ever done that as a straight person?” asked Stanley. “Where do you go that you’re not sure you’re going to be accepted, and you go over and over and over and over? Only your in-laws’ house,” he joked.

Stanley praised gay men and women who trust in Jesus and still have a desire to participate in the community of the church. “I know 1 Corinthians 6 and I know Leviticus and I know Romans 1,” he said. “It’s so interesting to talk about all that stuff, but just, oh my goodness, a gay man or woman who wants to worship their Heavenly Father, who did not answer the cry of their heart when they were 12 and 13 and 14 and 15—God said, ‘No,’ and they still love God—we have some things to learn from a group of men and women who love Jesus that much and who want to worship with us.”

Stanley said he is aware of the “clobber passages,” but that the church needs to “figure this out. And you know what? I think you are.”

Numerous people have responded by accusing Stanley of heresy and by calling him a wolf and a false teacher.

“I’m not sure what kind of ‘faith’ he’s boasting that ‘gays have more’ of, but it’s obviously not the faith that leads to repentance (Acts 3:19), which is why the church exists—to call unbelievers and believers alike—to repent of their sin, not to continue in it (Romans 6:1-2),” said Darrell B. Harrison, Director of Digital Platforms at John MacArthur’s Grace To You ministry.

Worship Leader With Ties to Harvest Fired From Colorado Megachurch

By

Stephanie Martin

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January 24, 2023

Andi Rozier, a longtime worship leader and former Vertical Worship band member, has been terminated from New Life Church in Colorado Springs. According to Executive Pastor Brian Newberg, “Andi is no longer a part of our pastoral team” because of a “relationship with a woman from another city.”

In a statement to ChurchLeaders, Newberg indicates the issue is an employment matter. But he says the church has talked with staff and congregants about Rozier’s termination.

“We have already engaged in a communication process with our church,” Newberg says. “Our staff was communicated to last week, and our congregation was communicated to in-person at our weekend services.” He adds, “We are walking alongside Andi’s wife and children to help them heal.”

Report: Vertical Worship Leader Had Previous Moral Failings

Before coming to New Life in 2021, Rozier served for almost two decades at the Chicago-area Harvest Bible Chapel. According to investigative journalist Sarah Einselen, Harvest removed Rozier from ministry for moral reasons.

James MacDonald, the Harvest founder who was fired from the church in 2019, said in a statement obtained by The Roys Report that moral reasons were behind Rozier’s removal—but that after “extensive counseling/discipleship,” the worship leader was welcomed back.

However, Josh Caterer, another Harvest worship leader, tells The Roys Report that staff members and congregants weren’t given “much of an explanation…other than some vague stuff about [Rozier] going through a trial in his life and having to work it out.”

While at Harvest, Rozier was on a private jet when fellow Harvest worship leader Anne Green alleges being sexually assaulted by MacDonald. When church officials later questioned Rozier and two other passengers Green cited as witnesses, all three insisted “they did not recall seeing or hearing anything suspicious or inappropriate.”

A Trail of Church Scandals and Conflicts

Due to numerous allegations of a toxic culture at MacDonald’s Harvest, questions arose about whether the church’s Vertical Worship leaders should serve in other congregations. Turmoil at that megachurch began in 2013, when eight elders claimed MacDonald was guilty of “self-promotion…love of money…domineering and bullying…abusive speech…outbursts of anger…[and] making misleading statements.”

About two years ago, Rozier and fellow worship leader Eddie Hoagland made the move from Harvest to New Life. Rozier was a worship pastor at one of New Life’s eight campuses, as well as director of a prayer ministry. He also has been a featured speaker at various national conferences for worship leaders. The status of his future appearances remains undetermined.

Quarterback Brock Purdy, Whose ‘Identity Is in Jesus,’ Leads 49ers to NFC Championship Game

By

Dale Chamberlain

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January 24, 2023

On Sunday (Jan. 23), rookie quarterback Brock Purdy, previously dubbed “Mr. Irrelevant” by virtue of being the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, led the San Francisco 49ers in victory over the Dallas Cowboys to take the team one step closer to Super Bowl LVII by advancing to the NFC Championship.

Purdy has been vocal about his faith, expressing to Sports Spectrum in 2021 that his “identity is in Jesus.”

“I’m living to be set apart,” Purdy said in that interview. “It’s easy to, yes, repent of your sins and be about Jesus…to know, ‘I can’t keep doing this sin. You know, I’ve acknowledged it; I gotta move on.’ But to be on fire for the Lord and walk with him. I think, right now, man, I’m all about, ‘Hey, I’m living set apart from the world. People can think this about me or whatever. That’s fine.”

Purdy continued, “The bottom line for me is that my identity is in Jesus. I get that. And I’m gonna roll with that.”

“It’s not, ‘Hey, I’m better than you,’” Purdy went on to say. “No, it’s, ‘I’m called to do this. I’m called to witness. I’m called to share the Word. I have this knowledge, you know, of the Spirit. And I want to give it to as many people as I can…I’m continuing to grow in that. And, man, I just wanna be able to witness and defend the Christian faith as best as I can moving forward.”

At the beginning of the 2022-2023 season, Purdy was named the third string quarterback for the 49ers. But when quarterbacks Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo experienced injuries, Purdy got his shot to play, winning all five regular season games in which he started.

In Sunday’s game, Purdy completed 19 of 29 passing attempts for 214 yards. The 49ers beat the Cowboys 19-12 and will face the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Jan. 29, for the NFC Championship title. The winner of that game will advance to the Super Bowl.

In a press conference before the 49ers win against the Cowboys, Purdy said, “I’m a faith-based guy, so that’s how I stay grounded. I don’t look at football like it’s literally everything, it’s ‘do or die,’ or anything like that.”

Five Christians Killed in NE Nigeria, 12 in Middle Belt

By

Morning Star News

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January 24, 2023

Villagers-displaced-from-attack — Villagers displaced from attack on Abagena, Benue state, Nigeria on Jan. 20, 2023. (Morning Star News)

ABUJA, Nigeria (Morning Star News) – Suspected Fulani herdsmen killed five Christians early Sunday morning (Jan. 22) in northeast Nigeria, following the slaughter of 12 Christians on Friday (Jan. 20) in the country’s Middle Belt, sources said.

In Bauchi state’s Tafawa Balewa County, area residents said herdsmen attacked the predominantly Christian community of Gambar Sabon Layi, killing five Christians and kidnapping another.

“Fulani herdsmen at about 3 a.m. this Sunday, 22 January, invaded my community of Gambar Sabon Layi,” area resident Godwin Moses told Morning Star News in a text message. “The Fulani herdsmen killed five members of our Christian community and a sixth Christian, Mr. Daniel Dabwa, was captured and is being held captive in an unknown place.”

Manasseh Danladi, another resident, concurred that the assailants were “armed Fulani terrorists,” saying in a text message to Morning Star News that one of those slain was a member of his family, and that Dabwa was “taken away at gunpoint.”

Area resident Princess Ella added, “This is a black Sunday for us in Gambar Sabon Layi, as five of our Christian members were killed and one kidnapped.”

Tafawa Balewa, a Christian-majority area, has been attacked by Islamic terrorists and predominantly Muslim Fulani herdsmen for several years. Many of the villages lie in ruins, made desolate by attacks that drove Christian survivors to other parts of Nigeria.

In Benue state, in the country’s Middle Belt, armed Fulani herdsmen in the pre-dawn hours of Friday (Jan. 20) invaded the predominantly Christian community of Abagena, near Makurdi, the state capital, and killed 12 Christians, area residents said in text messages to Morning Star News.

The herdsmen attacked shortly after midnight for more than three hours, area residents said.

Paul Hemba, state special adviser on security matters, said “the attacks were carried out against these Christian communities by armed Fulani herdsmen a few minutes after midnight and into the early hours of Friday, Jan. 20.”

He identified some of those slain as Gbashaor Acho; Gbashaor Joseph; Anshe Dekera; Ancho Kpor; Eunice Gbashaor; Sewuese Gbashaor; Terlumun Ajah; Emberga Gbashaor; and Donald Gbashaor.

“A man, his wife and four children were among the Christians killed during the attack,” Hemba said.

Catherine Anene, spokesperson of Benue State Police Command, confirmed the attack and said officers had been deployed to the area.

Area resident Ivor James identified the assailants as Fulani herdsmen, and she added that many more villagers were wounded. Resident Joseph Atom said two predominantly Christian communities nearby were also attacked.

“Beside Abagena village, Mbagwen and Utyondu were also attacked at that same time Abagena was attacked by the terrorists,” Atom said. “Many Christians were also killed in these communities. Casualty figures are yet to be ascertained.”

From Jan. 3 to Jan. 5, armed herdsmen also attacked Nagi and Tse-Girgi Dajo villages, predominantly Christian communities in Gwer West County of Benue state, area sources said. Four Christians were injured.

“Two Christians were badly injured in the Nagi attack while two more Christians were also wounded in the Tse-Girgi Dajo attack,” said Andrew Ayande, a local council official of Gwer West Local Government Council.

Faith-Based Organizations Urge Biden Not To Enact ‘Asylum Ban’

By

Emily McFarlan Miller

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January 24, 2023

asylum ban — Migrants wait to be processed after crossing the border Friday, Jan. 6, 2023, near Yuma, Arizona. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

(RNS) — A number of faith-based organizations and congregations are pleading with the Biden administration, in a letter sent Monday (Jan. 23) to President Joe Biden and other leaders, not to enact new immigration restrictions.

The letter — signed by 165 faith-based local, national and international organizations and congregations — expresses “grave concern” with policies Biden announced earlier this month.

While those policies expand a program offering humanitarian parole to Venezuelans to include individuals from Nicaragua, Haiti and Cuba, they also include a proposal to bar people from seeking asylum if they enter the U.S. without inspection or do not seek protection in other countries along the way, the letter said.

The administration has said it plans to launch an app that individuals can use to schedule an appointment for inspection instead of coming directly to a U.S. port of entry in order to reduce wait times and crowds at the border.

The letter urges the Biden administration not to move forward with what it calls an “asylum ban,” calling it “harmful, inhumane and deadly for the most vulnerable.”

“Across faith traditions and practices, the message is clear: We are called by our sacred texts and faith principles to approach one another with love—not fear,” the letter reads.

“Our diverse faith traditions compel us to love our neighbor, accompany the vulnerable, and welcome the sojourner—regardless of place of birth, religion, or ethnicity. Importantly, our faiths also urge us to boldly resist and dismantle systems of oppression.”

Parole is no substitute for access to asylum, according to the letter.

Signers include three of the six faith-based agencies that partner with the U.S. government to resettle refugees: Church World Service, HIAS (formerly the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service.

Several denominations also signed on to the letter, including the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Presbyterian Church (USA) and United Church of Christ. Other signers are the American Friends Service Committee; General Board of Global Ministries and General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church; Hindus for Human Rights; Anti-Defamation League; Christian Reformed Church Office of Social Justice; Mennonite Central Committee U.S.; National Council of Churches; NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice; Union for Reform Judaism; and Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice.

On a call hosted Monday morning by the Interfaith Immigration Coalition and #WelcomeWithDignity Campaign, Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president and CEO of LIRS, shared a number of misconceptions people have about those seeking humanitarian aid.

‘Not a Real Schism’: Four Years Later, UMC Exodus Less a Gush, More a Trickle

By

Yonat Shimron and Emily McFarlan Miller

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January 24, 2023

(RNS) — Nearly four years ago, the United Methodist Church approved an exit plan for churches wishing to break away from the global denomination over differing beliefs about sexuality, setting in motion what many believed would be a modern-day schism.

Since then, a new analysis has found, it’s fallen well short of that.

That analysis of data collected by the church’s General Council on Finance and Administration shows 6.1% of United Methodist churches in the U.S. — 1,831 congregations out of 30,000 nationwide — have been granted permission to disaffiliate since 2019. There are no good figures for international departures among the estimated 12,000 United Methodist churches abroad.

The denomination’s disaffiliation plan gives churches until Dec. 31 to cut ties, and many have already made known their desire to leave. Those churches can take their properties with them after paying apportionments and pension liabilities. Others are forcing the issue through civil courts.

But whatever the final tally may be, the analysis suggests the country’s second-largest Protestant denomination — numbering 6.4 million U.S. members and 13 million worldwide — may weaken but is unlikely to break.

“You think of a schism as 50% or even 35% (split),” said Scott Thumma, director of the Hartford Institute for Religion Research and a lead researcher for the 2020 U.S. Religion Census. “This is not a real schism.”

The 1,831 church departures come as United Methodist bishops say they’re battling misinformation from conservative groups that encourage churches to leave the denomination for the newly formed Global Methodist Church, which has declared it will never ordain or marry LGBTQ people — the crux of the conflict.

The name and logo of the new “Global Methodist Church,” which is splitting from the United Methodist Church. Image courtesy of the Global Methodist Church

In turn, the Global Methodist Church and groups like the Wesleyan Covenant Association, a network of theologically conservative churches, argue that the denomination’s regional conferences are making it prohibitively hard for churches to leave.

The high-stakes duel has hit some regions of the country harder than others. But four years into what has been depicted as a breakup of the denomination, the picture is less climactic than anticipated.

“Some are leaving but the number of churches and members moving forward is far larger,” said Hope Morgan Ward, retired bishop of the North Carolina conference. “It is important to focus on who is staying and moving forward in the continuing United Methodist Church.”

The past year has brought “mixed emotions,” according to Bishop Thomas Bickerton of the New York Annual Conference, who leads the United Methodist Church’s Council of Bishops. Bickerton described it as a “period of disunity.”

Pastor Faces Upcoming Abuse Trial

By

Scott Barkley

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January 24, 2023

MURPHY, N.C. (BP) — A Georgia Baptist pastor is awaiting a trial date in a North Carolina Superior Court over abuse charges filed in 2020 that prompted an investigation and his eventual arrest.

According to the SBC Workspace, Jeff McCammon has served as pastor of Mountain View Baptist Church in Stone Mountain, Ga., since May 2019. In December 2020, he was arrested after an investigation by local authorities in Cherokee County, North Carolina.

A grand jury subsequently indicted McCammon with a felony count of indecent liberties with a child. The Cherokee Superior Court hearing is to be scheduled in response to a felony charge of soliciting prostitution of a minor.

As of 10:21 a.m. Eastern time Jan. 20, Mountain View’s website did not list information on a page marked “Our Pastor.”

In its initial report from March 2021, the Cherokee Scout identified McCammon as Mountain View’s pastor and a mathematics teacher at the Rockdale Magnet School for Science &Technology. The victim, who was under the age of 16, was reportedly known to McCammon. Court documents state the assault occurred between April 2015 and June 2016 when McCammon lived in North Carolina.

Upon discovery, the allegations were initially reported to social services and law enforcement in Georgia where McCammon lived, the paper stated, before contact was made with deputies in North Carolina.

According to SBC Workspace, prior to moving to North Carolina, McCammon served bi-vocationally as a clerk and treasurer with Discover Point Church in Conyers, Ga., from August 2005-August 2013. At First Baptist in Lithonia, Ga., he was the minister of children from April 1996-June 2004 and minister of education from April 1996-November 2004. He returned to serve as interim pastor from August 2013 to June 2014.

If you are/have been a victim of sexual abuse or suspect sexual abuse by a pastor, staff member or member of a Southern Baptist church or entity, please reach out for help at 202-864-5578 or SBChotline@guidepostsolutions.com. All calls are confidential.

This article originally appeared at Baptist Press.

Stepping Away From Un-Christian Politics

By

Scott Sauls

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January 24, 2023

Editor’s Note: This article is part of a series leading up the Super Bowl and the He Gets Us ads showing at the Super Bowl. You can find Super Bowl related outreach resources at our ChurchLeaders partner, Outreach. See https://hegetsus.outreach.com/.

If you’re on social media or are watching the news for more than twelve seconds, you’re sure to spot some sort of rant about a political figure. It has become our habit to mock and insult those authority figures we disagree with. The recent “He Gets Us” campaign captures this well in their recent video called “Outrage.”

While we can (and should) feel strongly about different political and social issues, as Christians we’re called to respond to authority with respect. Rather than bucking the system, sticking it to our leaders, insulting, or despairing, we are taught in the Bible to respond to authority with honor. This starts with honoring God, who holds authority over the whole universe, including every earthly kingdom.

One way we can honor God is in how we respond to those He has put in authority over us. Whether we agree or disagree with them, showing honor and respect is presented in the Bible as a non-negotiable. In showing honor and respect, we also honor and respect God, who, in His own wisdom and for His own purposes, ordains who will lead and who will follow.

Are Government and Politics the Exception?

The Bible also says Christians should honor, respect, pray for and obey authorities in positions of government. This can be challenging for us, especially during heated political seasons. And yet, because politics are so heated, such seasons present Christians with a unique opportunity to live counter-culturally to the typical partisan spin and vitriol.

Biblically, Christians have a civic duty to honor their national, state, and local officials. As long we aren’t being coerced to sin against God, following Jesus includes submitting to and praying for all our public authorities. When this happens, citizens of God’s kingdom stand out as refreshing citizens of earthly kingdoms, no matter who is in charge. This was true in biblical times, and it can be true now.

New Testament Christians were routinely marginalized, persecuted and even put to death by the Roman state. Even in this climate, honoring, respecting, cooperating with and praying for Roman officials was part of being a disciple. Peter, who would later be executed by Rome for his Christian faith, said that in all circumstances, Christians must honor the king (1 Peter 2:17). Paul, who would also be martyred by decree of the Roman Caesar, said every Christian must submit to and pray for governing authorities (Romans 13:1).

In the current moment, it is hard to find Christians who embrace this line of thinking. Instead, many have been drawn into partisan spin and rhetoric. In so doing, these well-intended but misguided Christians have become more like the world than like Jesus.

Here are a few thoughts about how we can retreat from the spin and rhetoric, and instead return to more of a New Testament approach:

1. Don’t Label or Smear; Instead Humble Yourself

Right-leaning folks can easily fall prey to dishonoring our current president. Likewise, left-leaning folks have done the same concerning our last president. The aim in each case is to belittle, embarrass, and caricature leaders we do not like.

Expressing humble concern about the gross character flaws, and some of the policies, of a public leader isn’t always wrong. This is fine and appropriate unless humble concern gives way to name-calling and personal insults. Not even the young man David, when King Saul sought personally to destroy him, fell into this trap. Although David had two opportunities to finish Saul off, he would not assassinate him, either in his person or his character. In his own words, he dared not harm “the Lord’s anointed.”

Other Ways To Listen to This Podcast With Holly Catterton Allen

Key Questions for Holly Catterton Allen

Key Quotes From Holly Catterton Allen

Congregational snapshot

You describe growing up in Yorba Linda and joining Rose Drive Friends Church. Tell me what led you to peel away from church?

Which events in particular led you to rethink things?

Did you vote for Bush?

Your father is Japanese American from Maui. Did you have a more difficult time as an Asian American?

Living in the South, I assumed Christian nationalism was birthed here. But I learned from your book that Southern California played a huge role.

For Christians With Anxiety, It Changes Us

For Christians with anxiety, the feeling of doom is very real to us. As real as anything else.

The following are 13 Realities of an Angry Pastor.

1. More people recognize their need for community; the Church provides community.

Andy Stanley: ‘We Have Some Things To Learn’

Report: Vertical Worship Leader Had Previous Moral Failings

A Trail of Church Scandals and Conflicts

1. Don’t Label or Smear; Instead Humble Yourself

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