Raped at Age 11, Daria Bullard Chose Life. Her Son is Now a WWE Superstar

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November 9, 2022

Wrestling fans are undoubtedly familiar with Titus O’Neil. The former football player and WWE superstar has been a fixture on the wrestling circuit for 10 years, and has won several championships. Less familiar for many, though, is the story of his upbringing. O’Neil, whose real name is Thaddeus Bullard, was born to Daria Bullard when she was just 11 years old.

In an interview with WWE, Daria Bullard told her story, which is both heartbreaking and inspiring. “At the age of 10, I went to live with my mom,” she began. “I had lived with my grandparents up until that time. And at that time is when her boyfriend molested me.” It was from that awful act of rape that O’Neil was conceived. And yet, her mother did not offer her daughter the support she needed because she chose life. Daria Bullard was repeatedly pressured by her mother to have an abortion, but she refused each time, at the young age of 10.

“Because I would not have an abortion, she brought me to south Florida. And I still wouldn’t have one,” Daria Bullard said. “So then she put me out, and luckily, I met friends to go live with.”

Despite Daria Bullard’s heroic bravery, the journey was not an easy one to walk. “I was scared, of course,” she said. “I didn’t tell my grandparents. I was feeling more ashamed and embarrassed, like it was my fault that it happened… until years later, when I realized, people telling me it wasn’t my fault. I was just a child. And because I didn’t speak out, nothing was done about it.”

“I know it was a struggle for her,” O’Neil said. “I didn’t find out why that struggle was the way that it was until I was 17 years old… being a product of sexual assault. And that’s how I was brought into this world.”

Previously, O’Neil said he had a difficult relationship with his mother. But finding out the truth, of her love for him and willingness to fight and give up so much to protect his right to life, changed everything. “It was at that moment that I realized that my mother was a kid, trying to raise kids,” he said.

What Is Dungeons and Dragons: An Explainer About This Game

By

Ahnna Lise Stevens-Jennings

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November 8, 2022

What is Dungeons and Dragons? And should youth leaders and churches endorse it? Discover one person’s perspective, which might surprise you!

An Explainer: What Is Dungeons and Dragons?

Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) is a tabletop role-playing game. Think of it as cooperative storytelling that’s been systematized into a gaming format. You create a character; giving them a backstory, skills, abilities, quirks and flaws. Then that character, and the ones your fellow players (3 to 6 usually) create are dropped into a world that your Dungeon Master (DM) leads and crafts.

The DM guides the story and gives the players things and people to interact with. You might solve puzzles, fight monsters, engage in political intrigue, travel the world on an epic quest to create the world’s best cheese sandwich, or whatever your imaginations can create.

Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson created this game in the mid 1970s. Most games are played in sessions that range from one to four hours at a time. A game may take one session to complete; these are “one-shots.” Or they might take months or even years to finish.

D&D and Church

So, now that you know what is Dungeons and Dragons, why in the world should you play this in church, you may be asking. Well, dear reader, allow me to answer your hypothetical question in the form of a story. It’s the story of Rodzal the Unsightly.

A high school student I’ll call Baxter created Rodzal. Baxter had just come through brain surgery that required him to have half his head shaved, leaving a large scar. Think about walking into high school like that. You can imagine he might have felt a bit self-conscious.

When Baxter introduced Rodzal to our D&D group, the other players immediately understood the subtext of labeling your character Unsightly. Without missing a beat, another player turned to him and said, “This is like a Twilight Zone situation. Rodzal thinks he’s not attractive because he’s an Orc. Orcs have different beauty standards than most other fantasy races. So Rodzal might be an unsightly Orc, but he’s really handsome to everyone else.”

From then on, every time the party met a new non-player character (the ones the DM is controlling that everyone else gets to interact with), it was an opportunity for players to hype up Rodzal, and by extension in real life, Baxter. It didn’t feel forced or awkward to remind Baxter that he was loved and worthy of love, scars and all.

Myth Busting: Is D&D Satanic?

OK, so Dungeons and Dragons might help people talk about difficult things. But isn’t this stuff evil or satanic or something? Another good question, dear reader! Short answer: No. Long answer: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Sorry, people ask me this question a lot, and I get touchy about it. A better answer is that the satanic panic of the 1980s gave this game a bad name. Yes, magic is involved, and sometimes even demons. But this is a game. It’s fantasy. No one playing the game believes this to be real.

Now, if you’re of the opinion that anything in the fantasy genre or anything that involves magic is evil, then I can’t help you. You’re not going to like D&D. But if that isn’t your predisposition, and someone from that camp has poisoned you against the game, then let me tell you. We sacrifice goats only on occasion. Even then those goats must have done something awful. Otherwise, we would have just invited them to make a character and join the game.

3 More Reasons to Play D&D at Church

What other benefits does D&D have for my church? Well, first of all, dear reader, you’re great at asking questions. Second, many other benefits exist. They include but are not limited to:

being cool and getting into what all the young people are doing
attracting unchurched or de-churched people who happen to be nerds (or creative types, or theatre types, or people who just like games)
building relationships by creating a space where people can both play and create together, as well as doing so in a format that is perfect for getting to know someone.

What is Dungeons and Dragons? This game can be as serious or as silly as you want it to be. It has multiple versions, and the model has been recreated many times. Don’t like traditional high fantasy? Play in a Sci-fi/Space setting! Think Space is boring? Go with a gritty realistic Mad Max style post-apocalypse. Like the beach? Play a Pirate adventure! Want to enjoy the Cthulhu Mythos without the racism? There are a ton of Lovecraftian settings. The limit is your imagination.

Many Versions of D&D Exist

A version of D&D called Pathfinder, made by the company Paizo, is completely free to use. All the basic assets for getting started are available online. You can play this game over the internet via Zoom, Discord, or Roll20. Or you can play in person. You can go crazy and build elaborate miniature sets for your players to use. Or you can play with just paper, pens and some polyhedral dice.

This is versatile and great for basically all ages. If you can read and do basic math, then you can play this game. D&D is a social and creative outlet that allows people to get to know each other and to build deep and lasting relationships. So, yeah, you should play it in church. I’ll gladly teach you how.

Revenge of the Nerd Pastor: Nerd Culture in Ministry is a podcast episode. Hear Ahnna Lise describe her experience with D&D in a faith-based context.

Dungeons and Dragons: Exercising the Divine Imagination is a conversation between three Episcopal priests on the topic.

This article explaining what is Dungeons and Dragons originally appeared here.

Ways to Say Thank You to Volunteers: 60 Fun Ideas

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ChildrensMinistry.com

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November 8, 2022

Need new ways to say thank you to volunteers in your children’s ministry or church? Then read on for 60 ideas that helpers are sure to love.

Church volunteers are so important! Without their faithful help, your children’s ministry program couldn’t happen. Here are oodles of quick ways to say thank you to volunteers and celebrate their service:

60 Ways to Thank KidMin Volunteers

Ways to Say Thank You To Volunteers: Gifts

Give a gift certificate from a local restaurant.
Give two movie tickets.
Fill a coffee mug with a bag of ground flavored coffee.
Give a small plant.
Give a prayer journal with a personalized note written in the inside jacket.
For a volunteer who coordinates a big event or program, send a bouquet of roses to that volunteer at church.
Give the gift of a back massage from a professional massage therapist.
Give a coupon for a treat at a trendy coffee shop.
Gift a journal for a volunteer to keep track of the paths of God in their ministry.
Give a seed packet with a note that says, “Wow! You’re planting God’s Word in young children’s hearts!”
Purchase a certificate for 18 holes of golf to a golfer with this note: “You’re a hole-in-one for our children’s ministry!”
Give a book of stamps with this note: “You’re a special delivery from God!”
Give a new fishing lure to someone who loves fishing with this note: “Our children’s ministry is hooked on you!”

Ways to Say Thank You To Volunteers: Handmade Gifts

Have children use a permanent marker to sign a thank-you T-shirt.
Personalize a tote bag.
Have Psalm 71:18 printed in calligraphy and framed for a volunteer: “Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.”
Give plastic visors with “Top Volunteer” painted on them.
Send an encouraging note with a Scripture verse.
Send a thank-you card with a personalized note.
Write a personalized letter from Jesus to the volunteer.
Frame a favorite photo for a volunteer.
Clip and send a funny cartoon or joke that a volunteer will appreciate.

Ways to Say Thank You To Volunteers: Service

Clean a teacher’s classroom.
Share a valuable children’s ministry resource.
Offer to help a volunteer move—better yet, plan a moving party for a team member.
Provide child care for volunteer training times.
Volunteer to babysit while a couple goes out for a date.
Wash a volunteer’s car—and clean the inside.
Take kids over to weed a volunteer’s garden.
Offer to do one task for a volunteer that’ll reduce his or her stress, such as running errands.
Mow a volunteer’s yard—or in the fall you can rake leaves.

Ways to Say Thank You To Volunteers: Recognition

Create a bulletin board that features volunteers serving children.
Give your volunteers children’s ministry “business” cards.
Call a different team member each day just to see how the person is doing.
Ask for reports on past prayer requests.
Establish convenient parking places for “volunteers only.”
Create a comfortable coffee area for volunteers only. Provide fresh pastries and fruit.
Greet each volunteer by name.
Mention a person’s contribution in your church bulletin or newsletter.
Plaster a thank-you note on a marquee.
Use chalk to write volunteer affirmations on the sidewalk leading to your church so everyone can celebrate the good things your volunteers do.
Hold a thank-you card shower for a special volunteer.
Rent a horse-drawn carriage to parade your volunteers around your church.
Personalize greetings with statements such as “Hey, friend!”
Believe in people. Say “I know you can do it!”
Hug a volunteer.

Ways to Say Thank You To Volunteers: Experiences

Give a relaxing bath experience with a gift of bubble bath or scented floating candles.
Go to lunch with a volunteer—a different person each week.
Invite a volunteer over for dinner.
Take your volunteer on a retreat.
Plan a team fun day where the church picks up the tab.
“Kidnap” a volunteer for breakfast.

Ways to Say Thank You To Volunteers: Sweet Treats

Give a cookie cutter with a note that says, “Thank you for molding kids’ lives.”
Give a Mounds candy bar with this note: “You’re making a mound of difference!”
Attach Whoppers candies to this note: “Thanks for your whopper ideas!”
Give a Bar None candy bar with this note: “Bar none, you’re the best!”
Give Life Savers candies with this note: “You’re a real lifesaver.”
Find out a volunteers favorite dessert and bring it for after Sunday school.
Give a bag of peanuts with this note: “We’re nuts about you! Thanks for bringing your kids out of their shell.”
Give a container of wild berries that you picked yourself. Attach this note: “You’re berry special!”

This article about 60 ways to say thank you to volunteers originally appeared here.

Jinger Duggar Vuolo’s New ‘Theological Memoir’ Is for Christians Who Are Questioning Their Beliefs

By

Jessica Lea

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November 8, 2022

Jinger Duggar Vuolo announced Monday that she has written a book called, “Becoming Free Indeed: My Story of Disentangling Faith from Fear,” which chronicles her spiritual journey. Vuolo says the book, which releases Jan. 31, 2023, is for people who want to “honestly examine” what they believe “without abandoning God.”

“I’m a Christian who loves Jesus and wants to follow him,” said Vuolo in a YouTube video announcing her new book. “My faith is still intact, but it has changed. Instead of leaving the faith entirely, I’ve been disentangling it…If you’ve been hurt by the teachings of Bill Gothard or any religious leader who claimed to speak for God, but didn’t, I wrote this for you.”

Jinger Duggar Vuolo: This Is ‘Not a Tell-All’

Jinger Duggar Vuolo is the sixth child of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, whose family was featured in TLC’s reality show, “19 Kids and Counting,” and later, TLC’s “Counting On.” The former show was canceled in 2015 after allegations broke that Jim Bob and Michelle’s oldest child, Josh, had molested five girls, including four of his sisters. “Counting On” was canceled in June 2021 after Josh Duggar was arrested and charged with receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

In December 2021, a jury found Josh Duggar guilty on one count of receiving child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography. In May 2022, Duggar was sentenced to 12 years and seven months in prison.

After the jury handed down Josh‘s guilty verdict, Jinger and her husband, Jeremy, issued a statement in which they said, “We are thankful to God for exposing Josh’s actions and to a legal system committed to protecting the innocent and punishing the guilty in this case. We are grateful for justice. We are praying for further justice, vindication, protection, and healing for all those who have been wronged.”

Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, known for their conservative Christian values, were also known for promoting the teachings of the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP). Started by Bill Gothard in 1961, IBLP purports to teach people how following the Bible’s principles will benefit every area of their lives. Gothard resigned from IBLP in 2014 after allegations surfaced from more than 30 women who say he sexually harassed them.

IBLP holds “family conferences” throughout the country, including in Big Sandy, Texas, where Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar have been regular speakers. Jinger Duggar Vuolo says that it was attending one of these conferences in Big Sandy in 2017 that she first got the idea to write her memoir.

Dante Bowe Encourages People Struggling To ‘Hold On’ With New Song Following Maverick City Music ‘Pause’

By

Jesse T. Jackson

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November 8, 2022

On Monday (Nov. 7), Dante Bowe, the Grammy award-winning gospel singer whose relationship with contemporary worship music collective Maverick City Music was recently put on “pause” due to his inappropriate behavior, posted a new song for anyone who has had a “hard couple of months.”

Bowe posted the song on Instagram. In the post, he is singing while playing the piano. The video is captioned, “I wrote this for anyone who’s had Hard couple of months. Hold on ❤️.”

The 90-second song encourages listeners to hold on, even when fighting battles get hard. Bowe tells his fans that “sometimes you have to lose it all to make room for bigger things, but fight back with only your heart pointed towards God. That’s all I know, if you can just hold on.”

The following are lyrics to Bowe’s new song:

Hold on, hold on, hold on and don’t let go.
The author of our future is still in control.
Fighting battles can get hard, oh my God, just hold on, and don’t let go.
Just hold on and don’t let go.
If you’re looking for miracles, they’re out there, wait and see.
Sometimes, you have to lose it all to make room for bigger things.
But fight back with only your heart pointed towards God.
That’s all I know, if you can just hold on.
La la la la la la la
Take a step and just trust in God

Bowe lets out a heavy sigh after finishing the song, possibly showing those watching that the lyrics come from a deeply personal place.

It isn’t specifically known what caused Maverick City Music to pause their relationship with Bowe. In September, they surprised the Christian music world when they released a statement saying, “Due to behavior that is inconsistent with our core values and beliefs, we have decided to put a pause on our professional relationship with Dante Bowe.”

A few days later, Bowe posted on Instagram, saying, “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’s apology, which was met with thousands of supportive comments, has since been deleted.

ChurchLeaders has reached out to Bowe for comment and will update in the event of his response.

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A post shared by Love All Serve All (@dantebowe)

Sean Feucht Encourages Christians To ‘Step Up and Vote,’ Prays Candidates Who Fear God Are Elected

By

Jesse T. Jackson

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November 8, 2022

Sean Feucht, founder and leader of “Let Us Worship,” wrapped up his “AWAKE AMERICA Tour” on Oct. 22 at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., where thousands were in attendance.

Feucht, who has declared that “a scared world needs a fearless church,” encouraged those who attended his tour to pray and vote in the Nov. 8 election. Feucht told ChurchLeaders that it is “absolutely critical that Christians rise up and vote.”

Feucht is known for being outspoken regarding his policy stances, no matter how controversial Christians or non-Christians label him to be.

“We are in the place that we live in America right now largely because believers have not engaged in the basic civil duty of voting,” Feucht said. “If believers showed up at the polls tomorrow and voted their values—just voted the Bible—we would see such a dramatic shift come across America because of it.”

Feucht believes that much is at stake in America when it comes to religious liberty, free speech, censorship, abortion, the sexualization of children, the economy, and the southern border. These issues, along with others, are critical right now, Feucht said, sharing that “there’s a polarizing difference between the parties and their ideology.” Therefore, Christians need to “step up and vote.”

The “Bold: Moving Forward in Faith, Not Fear” author said that he and his team have gathered with and encouraged thousands of people to pray that Christians would go on the offensive during the election.

Feucht explained, “We’ve been praying over the last seven days, gathering with thousands of people on this massive prayer push, and we’ve been believing that Christians would go on the offense during these elections. Meaning that we would pray and engage. We wouldn’t go on the defense and just react to what happens, but we would be a part of the change of what’s going to take place by voting, which is practical, and by praying, which is spiritual.”

Christians know how powerful prayer is and that God moves on our behalf to accomplish his will, Feucht said.

“I’m praying that righteousness and justice would prevail at the ballot box,” Feucht concluded. “And that candidates that fear God would be elected to positions of authority to promote biblical values and preserve the foundation of what America is all about.”

Next year, Feucht is planning to perform in every capital city across the nation’s 50 states in a tour called the “Kingdom to the Capitol Tour.”

After Famous Rapper’s Death, Pastor Jamal Bryant Calls for End to Gun Violence

By

Stephanie Martin

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November 8, 2022

Days after the death of another young Black rapper, Atlanta-area Pastor Jamal Bryant addressed the problem of inner-city violence, calling it a “modern-day Holocaust.” At New Birth Missionary Baptist Church on Nov. 6, he offered prayers of protection over the community’s Black men and encouraged congregants to actively pursue peace.

On November 1, 28-year-old singer Takeoff (of the rap group Migos) was shot to death after a party in Houston. At New Birth the following Sunday, during a sermon titled “There’s Got to Be Another Way,” Bryant asked young Black men to come up and receive a special blessing.

Jamal Bryant Prays Over Young Black Men

Jamal Bryant, standing in front of photos of slain rappers and a large “Black Lives Matter” sign, asked young Black men to come forward. “Y’all better shout for these champions. You better shout for these business leaders,” the pastor told worshipers. “These young men are gonna change the world. They don’t have to dribble a basketball or throw a football, but their mind is gonna open up doors for them.”

Saying he wants to give Satan “a black eye” and let him know he won’t take this generation, Bryant then led prayers for the group. He urged congregants to join him in praying “a hedge fence of protection for our young Black men in this community.”

Bryant assured the boys and teens that “a church full of men” is supporting them, ready to serve as role models of strong providers and protectors.

Two Black youth also led prayers, asking God for protection and for an end to the bloodshed. While sharing a clip from the service, one Twitter user writes: “Felt good to see a prayer led by the young men of the @newbirthmbc today in front of the whole congregation. Good move by @jamalhbryant because it’s little acts like this that create accountability in our young people.”

Take Action Against Gun Violence, Says Pastor Jamal Bryant

Speaking to TV station WSB about recent high-profile shootings, Jamal Bryant says, “I am afraid that this generation is adjusting to a culture of violence with no redress. This summer, this fall, I think we’ve lost six rappers to violence. … Yet we wonder why our people are under stress, under anxiety, under depression.”

The pastor wants his church to lead the fight against gun violence. Although he says he believes that “prayer works,” he quotes Frederick Douglass as saying, “I got more prayers answered when I got off my knees.” Bryant adds, “I think that prayer is the beginning, but an actionable, executable plan has got to come behind it.”

Lifeway Research: Churches Are Open but Still Recovering From Pandemic Attendance Losses

By

Aaron Earls

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November 8, 2022

attendance — Photo by Sophie Spree (via Unsplash)

Almost every church in the U.S. is holding in-person services again, but some pre-pandemic churchgoers still haven’t returned.

In August 2022, 100% of U.S. Protestant pastors (rounded to the nearest whole number) say their churches met in person, according to a Lifeway Research study. This continues the increases from the past two years of churches holding physical gatherings. In August 2021, 98% of churches gathered in person, after 75% reported the same in July 2020.

Church reopening post COVID pandemic Lifeway Research

“While there are a handful of exceptions, we can definitively say that churches in the U.S. have reopened,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “While masks began to rapidly disappear in many settings in 2022, churchgoers have not reappeared quite as fast.”

Pandemic Attendance Adjustment

Despite churches returning to pre-pandemic levels of holding in-person services, not all churchgoers have followed suit. On average, U.S. Protestant churches report current attendance at 85% of their typical Sunday morning crowds in January 2020, prior to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Despite falling below a full return, this marks the highest attendance levels in more than two years. In September 2020, the average church reported 63% of their pre-pandemic in-person attendance. Last August, the percentage climbed to 73%, before rising another 12 percentage points this year.

In February 2021, 91% of U.S. Protestant churchgoers told Lifeway Research that once COVID-19 was no longer an active threat, they planned to attend worship services at their church at least as much as they did prior to the pandemic.

Earlier this year, 34% of Christians said they attended a worship service four times a month or more before COVID, according to an additional Lifeway Research study. In April 2022, 26% said they currently attend that often. Slightly more than a third of Christians (36%) said they attended less than once a month before the pandemic. This year, that jumped to 43%.

“While some pre-COVID churchgoers have not returned to church at all, much of the decline in attendance is from people who are attending less often,” said McConnell.

Areas of Growth

While most U.S. Protestant churches still haven’t fully recovered pre-pandemic attendance levels, more congregations than before have now reached those numbers or even grown.

In September 2020, almost twice as many congregations reported being below 50% of their January 2020 attendance as said they were at least at 90% (29% vs. 15%). Now, less than 1 in 10 congregations (8%) is still below half of their pre-COVID attendance numbers. Today, more than a third (35%) report at least 90% attendance, including almost 1 in 6 pastors (17%) who say their congregation has grown since January 2020.

Most churches continue to be in the middle range—above 50% of their pre-pandemic attendance but below 90%. A quarter of churches (26%) say their attendance is more than 50% but less than 70%, while 31% report a congregation of 70% to less than 90% what it was prior to COVID-19.

“As has been the case since COVID began, different churches are having different experiences,” said McConnell. “More than a third are at 90% or more of pre-pandemic attendance. More than a third are stuck with less than 70% of their people back on a typical Sunday. And, just under a third are in between 70% and less than 90% attending.”

Man Charged in Alabama Church Shooting Fighting Mental Test

By

AP News

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November 8, 2022

alabama church shooting — FILE - This booking photo released by the Jefferson County Jail in Birmingham, Ala., shows Robert Findlay Smith, who was charged with capital murder on June 17, 2022, in a shooting that killed three people at an Alabama church. Smith is fighting a court-ordered mental evaluation requested by prosecutors. (Jefferson County Jail via AP, File)

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — A man facing a potential death penalty in the killing of three people who were shot at an Alabama church dinner in June is fighting a court-ordered mental evaluation requested by prosecutors.

Robert Findlay Smith, 70, hasn’t told a court he plans to use a defense of insanity or mental illness and shouldn’t have to undergo psychological testing at a state facility unless he does so, the defense argued in a brief objection filed Friday.

Circuit Judge Teresa Pulliam, who approved prosecutors’ request for an outpatient mental evaluation the day before, hadn’t ruled on Smith’s motion on Monday. Pulliam’s order said she had received information indicating the man may not be able to help with his defense.

A Jefferson County grand jury indicted Smith on capital murder charges in the shootings of Walter “Bart” Rainey, 84, of Irondale; Sarah Yeager, 75, of Pelham; and Jane Pounds, 84, of Hoover. They were killed during a potluck dinner at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Vestavia Hills on June 16.

After sitting by himself at the event, Smith pulled out a gun and started shooting without explanation, authorities have said. A longtime church member intervened by hitting the shooter with a chair and restraining him until police arrived, police said.

The district attorney’s office sought mental testing for Smith, citing the fact that prosecutors are seeking the death penalty and what they called Smith’s “bizarre behavior” of shooting “innocent persons who had not harmed him in any way.” State law allows reviews in such instances, prosecutors said in asking for the evaluation.

While Smith filed court papers last month indicating he would use an insanity defense, his attorney later said the document was submitted by mistake, prosecutors argued. The defense has said it is compiling a cost estimate for a private mental evaluation of Smith, who is being held without bond, records show.

This article originally appeared on APNews.com.

Michael MacKenzie on Surprising Ways We Sabotage Ourselves in Ministry

By

Jason Daye

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November 8, 2022

The truth is that we may be derailing our ministries without even realizing it because we are unaware of some of our less-than-healthy habits, attitudes, and baggage. In this conversation on FrontStage BackStage, host Jason Daye is joined by Michael McKenzie. Michael is an ordained pastor, a licensed professional counselor, the executive director of Marble Retreat, and the author of Don’t Blow Up Your Ministry. Together, Michael and Jason explore some surprising ways that we can self-sabotage our ministries. They also provide hope by highlighting some healthy habits and practices that ministry leaders can engage in, so they can give God, their families, and their ministries their absolute best.

FrontStage BackStage Podcast Guest Michael MacKenzie

Watch the entire podcast here.

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Looking to dig more deeply into this topic and conversation? Every week we go the extra mile and create a free toolkit so you and your ministry team can dive deeper into the topic that is discussed. Find your Weekly Toolkit here: https://bit.ly/3TeJwTx

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Pastor Opposes Re-Election of Marjorie Taylor Greene, but Not for the Reasons You Might Expect

By

Dale Chamberlain

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November 8, 2022

Marjorie Taylor Greene Christian Nationalism — Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

As Americans go to the polls on Tuesday, they do so after months of being bombarded by political advertisements and opinions from public figures, including their local pastors.

In a sermon streamed on Nov. 2, Sure Foundation Baptist Church of Spokane, Washington, pastor Jason Graber lent his voice to the conversation by advocating against Georgia congressional representative Marjorie Taylor Greene’s re-election bid.

While some evangelicals have vocally supported Greene, others have raised alarm bells at her recent advocacy for Christian nationalism.

In July, Greene said, “I think Republicans really need to recognize the people they represent, okay? Their voters—not the lobbyist donors, not the corporate PACs, not those people…We need to be the party of nationalism. And I’m a Christian, and I say it proudly: we should be Christian nationalists.”

Prior to these remarks, most Republican Christians had shied away from identifying with Christian nationalism, as they saw it as a slur hurled at them by progressives. However, Greene’s shift in language has resulted in more widespread use of the term as a self-identifier, both within the political sphere and in evangelical circles generally.

Nevertheless, Graber’s opposition to Greene’s re-election arises not from her stance on Christian nationalism. Instead, he opposes her because she is a woman.

“Everyone is getting riled up…‘We need to have a red wave, otherwise, you know, we’re gonna be destroyed,’” Graber said in reference to Tuesday’s midterm elections. “And in some ways, yeah, you know, I agree. We’re gonna be destroyed.”

Graber continued, “But here’s the thing. If we have this red wave, are they going to do anything? Are they gonna pass, you know, the abortion ban nationwide and have all abortion doctors retroactively put to death? Are they gonna do that? No. Why? Because they’re cowards.”

“But today we have Marjorie Taylor Greene,” Graber went on to say. “And anybody who votes for her, you know, you’re not a real conservative. Fake conservative,” Graber said. “Why? Because Marjorie Taylor Greene should be at home being obedient to her husband. That’s what she should be doing. Where’s her husband?”

Graber was apparently not aware that Greene’s husband, Perry Greene, filed for divorce in September. The divorce filing indicated that the couple was already separated.

A New Billy Graham Archive Opens on the Late Evangelist’s Birthday

By

Yonat Shimron

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November 8, 2022

(RNS) — In the twilight of his 99 years, the Rev. Billy Graham met with Duke Divinity School historian Grant Wacker, who was writing a biography of the famous evangelist.

Graham leaned over at one point and, according to Wacker, asked the him, “’Do you think the archives at Wheaton are well run?’” I said, ‘Yeah. They are,.'” Wacker told RNS. “He said, ‘That’s good.’”

History was on Graham’s mind. Conscious that his legacy after his death would depend on how future generations saw him, he saw the need to preserve and maintain the record of his work.

On Monday, (Nov. 7), the birthday of the late evangelist, a new archive opened nearly 800 miles south of Wheaton College, in Charlotte, North Carolina, Graham’s birthplace. The 30,000-square-foot state-of-the-art research center brings together videos, cassettes, films, newspaper clippings, sermon notes, correspondence and a lifetime of memorabilia from Graham’s career, which began with a sermon at a Florida Baptist church in 1937.

A year after Graham’s death in 2018, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association announced it was moving the archive from the highly regarded Billy Graham Center Archives at Wheaton, Graham’s alma mater. For the intervening three years the archival materials have not been available to researchers.

The new two-story building, constructed with the latest preservation standards and environmental controls, cost $13 million. It unites all of Graham’s records — not only from the Wheaton archive but from Minneapolis, where he started his formal ministry, and from Montreat, North Carolina, where Graham and his wife lived for decades in a log-cabin-like home.

The archive houses audio-visual records on the first floor and papers, including sermons, correspondence and memorabilia, on the second. The building is located across the road from the Billy Graham Library, the barn-shaped museum on 20 landscaped acres where visitors can trace Graham’s journey through multimedia presentations and interactive kiosks.

“Franklin Graham committed resources to make sure it’s a robust and well-organized authentic archive center,” said David Bruce, executive director of the archive, speaking of Graham’s son and successor, who is now president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

Bruce, who spent 25 years at Billy Graham’s side as his executive assistant, is joined at the archive by 13 others hired to staff the archive, among them eight full-time employees.

Unlike the library, the archive is not open to the public. Researchers must schedule a visit through the website.

When the BGEA announced it was moving the archive from Wheaton to Charlotte, many scholars feared the move was a bid by Franklin Graham to control his father’s legacy and possibly deny access to the archival materials to scholars and others who don’t share his views on conservative political and theological agendas.

Bruce denied that and said all researchers were welcome.

United Methodist Church Announces Date, Location for Thrice-Postponed General Conference

By

Emily McFarlan Miller

-

November 8, 2022

UMC general conference — Photo by Daniel Weiss (via Unsplash)

(RNS) — Perhaps the third time will be the charm for United Methodists awaiting a vote to officially split the denomination.

The United Methodist Church has announced the dates for the next meeting of its global decision-making body after postponing its 2020 General Conference meeting three times for pandemic-related reasons.

The next General Conference will be held April 23 to May 3, 2024, at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, the denomination’s Commission on General Conference announced Friday (Nov. 4).

“We are honored to host the 2024 General Conference of The United Methodist Church,” Bishop Ken Carter of the Western North Carolina Conference said in a written statement.

“Our people are hospitable and welcoming, and we trust that the delegates who gather for what promises to be an historic gathering will be blessed by the city of Charlotte and the state of North Carolina and its warmth and beauty.”

The United Methodist Church’s General Conference generally gathers delegates from across the globe every four years.

Delegates were expected to take up a proposal to split the denomination — ostensibly, over disagreements on the ordination and marriage of its LGBTQ members — at the 2020 General Conference meeting, originally scheduled for May 5 to 15, 2020, in Minneapolis.

But the Commission on General Conference postponed the denominational meeting twice because of the COVID-19 pandemic — first to August 2021, then to roughly the same time in 2022, still in Minneapolis.

In March 2022, the commission announced a third delay, in part because of challenges obtaining vaccines and travel visas for delegates traveling outside the United States. The meeting would be in 2024, it said, though it did not give new dates or a location.

This prompted some United Methodists to launch the Global Methodist Church, a new theologically conservative denomination, rather than wait two more years for the outcome of a vote on a possible split.

In the meantime, the denomination — one of the largest in the United States — has begun to splinter, with some churches choosing to leave the United Methodist Church for the Global Methodist Church or to become independent.

Friday’s announcement put a date and location on the next General Conference.

Ukrainian Baptist Leader Sees God-Ordained Role During Russian Invasion

By

Diana Chandler

-

November 8, 2022

Ukrainian-Baptist-leader-sees-God-ordained-role-during- — Yaroslav “Slavik” Pyzh, standing right, president of Ukrainian Baptist Theological Seminary in Lviv, Ukraine, joined Darrell Gwaltney, seated left, in preaching the Nov. 6 sermon at First Baptist Church in Nashville, Tenn. Photo by Scott Schrecker

NASHVILLE (BP) – Ukrainian Baptist Theological Seminary (UBTS) President Yaroslav “Slavik” Pyzh and his wife Nadia don’t stay in airport hotels when traveling outside the war-torn country. Jets signal danger.

“The first four days, as soon as we hear the sound of a jet, we will be looking for cover, instinctively. I mean it’s not like a logical thing,’’ he told Baptist Press Nov. 5 during their latest trip to the United States. “Because in Ukraine if you hear the sound of jet, you’re looking for cover. And here you have jets all the time, planes flying back and forth.

“In Ukraine, the only plane that we have is military jets.”

Pyzh, a Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary alumnus, is in the U.S. thanking Southern Baptists and others for support that has allowed UBTS to provide humanitarian aid alongside tuition-free education during Russia’s war on Ukraine. Tuition has been waived for the 2,000 students currently enrolled in the seminary in Lviv on Ukraine’s western border.

Preaching the Nov. 6 sermon at First Baptist Church in Nashville alongside interim pastor Darrell Gwaltney, Pyzh expressed confidence that God positioned him to serve as UBTS president during Russia’s attack on Ukraine.

“I never thought, in all my dreams, that I live through war. I never thought that God is preparing me for what I’m going through right now,” Pyzh said at Nashville First in the sermon taken from I Kings 18:20-39, which tells of Elijah’s battle with the prophets of Baal. “If you had told me, I wouldn’t have totally believed you. But the biggest thing I have done for my people in the last eight months was to actually show up on Feb. 24 when the war started.

“Was I afraid? Yes. A lot of people have left Ukraine, but I think that was the moment God that was preparing me for. And not only me,” Pyzh said. “Elijah thought he was the only one; there were a few more.”

Pyzh, who has since February asked Southern Baptists to pray for a miracle to end the war, focused on God’s miracle in defeating the idol prophets at Mount Carmel.

Gwaltney chose the sermon text long before he knew of Pyzh’s visit.

“I chose that text and topic maybe two to three months ago and then when I learned he could be in Nashville this weekend it seemed like the perfect text for our time together,” Gwaltney told Baptist Press. “The imagery is so appropriate when you think of him, leading his seminary, equipping leaders, when it looks like they are all alone against a world superpower.

“I so appreciated his focus on leadership development. In my conversations with him I knew he is passionate about developing the next generation of leaders. It is a good word for us to hear as that should be our purpose as well.”

UBTS served as a refugee center during the first months of the war, is strengthening internally displaced people through humanitarian We Care Centers across Ukraine, and is helping restore pastoral leadership at perhaps 450 churches that have closed as a result of the war.

“Slavik continues to give exemplary prophetic leadership for the Ukrainian Baptist Theological Seminary, and I thought it a great opportunity for the church to hear from his heart about the work he is doing,” Gwaltney said. “I thought it would encourage us to be faithful in the small ways God calls us to serve.

“Since we have been supporting his leadership, I wanted the church to hear him in person so they could be more engaged and more supportive in the future.”

Elijah exemplifies the opportunity all believers have to serve in critical roles God has designed, Pyzh preached.

French Cardinal Admits to Abusing 14-Year-Old Girl

By

Claire Giangrave

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November 8, 2022

FILE - Archbishop of Bordeaux, France, Cardinal Jean-Pierre Bernard Ricard blesses his titular church — Sant' Agostino — during a ceremony to officially take possession of his church, in Rome, Sunday, Oct. 8, 2006. Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard said on Monday, Nov. 7, 2022 that he had abused a 14-year-old girl 35 years ago and is withdrawing from his functions. The move comes after a report issued last year revealed a large number of child sex abuse cases within the country's Catholic Church. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File)

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard, a member of the Vatican department charged with sanctioning abuse cases in the Catholic Church, admitted in a statement on Monday (Nov. 7) to sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl 35 years ago when he was a parish priest in his native France.

“I have decided not to remain silent about my situation and to place myself at the disposal of justice, both on the level of society and on that of the Church,” the cardinal said in a letter read by the president of the French Bishops’ Conference, Archbishop Éric de Moulins-Beaufort of Reims, at a press conference.

“Thirty-five years ago, when I was a parish priest I behaved reprehensibly with a young 14-year-old girl. My behavior has necessarily caused serious and lasting consequences for this person,” the letter added.

Ricard said he apologized to the young girl and her family as well as all those who will be impacted by the revelation. The cardinal added that in light of this situation he will be “taking a time to retire and pray.”

Ricard, who headed the archdiocese of Bordeaux between 2001 and 2019, headed the French Bishops’ Conference from 2001 to 2007. He has occupied a number of important roles at the Vatican under Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. He was appointed by Francis to the Council of Economic Affairs in 2014 and served until 2019.

He is currently a member of the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which, besides overseeing doctrinal matters, is charged with investigating clergy abuse cases in the church.

French bishops are currently meeting for their fall general assembly in Lourdes, which has been reorganized to focus on the abuse crisis in the country.

The Catholic Church in France has been under fire since a 2021 report estimated that 330,000 children were abused by clergy in the country in a span of 70 years. Ricard is among 11 clergy members, including former Bishop Michel Santier of Créteil, who are currently under investigation for sexual abuse.

Beaufort told reporters that among the accused, six were bishops and one is deceased. The archbishop said that Ricard’s revelations came as “a shock” to the French episcopacy.

The Vatican announced that Santier was retiring in 2021 for health reasons, but the diocese of Créteil admitted that the bishop had been accused of sexual abuse in the 1990s. The Vatican did not reply to a request for comment.

Asked about the clerical abuse situation in France on his return flight from Bahrain on Sunday (Nov. 6), Francis underlined that abuse is a widespread phenomenon that for the most part takes place in the family and community. The pope added that the tendency to cover up abuse in the church has changed.

Southern Baptists Speak on Men’s Role in Abortion

By

Timothy Cockes

-

November 8, 2022

abortion — Photo via Unsplash.com @Jakob Owens

NASHVILLE (BP) – A Southern Baptist ethics leader is calling for men to step up and take responsibility for their sexual conduct and the role they play when a decision to abort a baby is on the table.

Kenneth Magnuson is a professor of Christian ethics at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and the executive director of the Evangelical Theological Society.

He spoke to Baptist Press about how the broader society’s view of abortion has allowed an easy way out for irresponsible men.

“Since the Casey decision in the 1990s, women in the country have been shaped by the idea that abortion is a right. This leads men to almost expect women to get an abortion. It has become a convenient way for men not to step up, and allowed the fiction of responsibility-free sex to exist.”

Regardless of the culture’s view, he said men taking responsibility supersedes any related legislation.

“There are different physical results of procreation, and this has become a way to let men off the hook in a way,” Magnuson said.

“We need men to be responsible for the results of their actions. We wouldn’t need laws to be put in place if men would take up this responsibility. At the very least, men in the church should be informed about the issue and take responsibility for pregnancies.”

Some of the practical ways Magnuson said Christian men can positively bring about change is by demonstrating sexual integrity, serving as protectors of women rather than predators and speaking truth about abortion.

He offered encouragement for those who have regrets.

“For any woman or man that has been involved with an abortion, this does not define you,” Magnuson said. “There is forgiveness and God’s grace is there. The Church needs to offer hope and let people know they are not beyond it.”

Pastor Garrett Kell is an example of that hope and forgiveness. Kell pastors Del Ray Baptist Church in Alexandria, Va.

Before becoming a Christian, Kell lived a life that he says was marked with relationships that dishonored God. At one time, a girlfriend became pregnant, and the two faced a decision.

“Neither of us felt ready to raise a child,” Kell said. “In hindsight, she wanted to know if I would marry her and be there to walk with her and the child and I was not ready for that.”

The two decided to get an abortion, but Kell said even as a non-Christian he had a bad feeling about the situation.

“We both cried, and I don’t even think we knew why,” Kell said. “I think I knew deep down there was something wrong with what we were doing, but I certainly didn’t have a clear thinking about it or had given consideration to this being a life. Afterwards, I felt guilty in my conscience about what happened.”

A few months later, Kell would come become a Christian through the witness of a friend. The reality of both what he had done, and what he had been forgiven of began to set in over time.

Voters To Decide Control of Congress, State Proposals

By

Tom Strode

-

November 8, 2022

WASHINGTON (BP) – Americans will go to the polls Tuesday (Nov. 8) with control of Congress and possibly the federal protection of human life and religious freedom on the line.

Meanwhile, voters in multiple states will decide the fate of scores of initiatives, including proposals regarding abortion, religious liberty and marijuana legalization.

Ethics leader Brent Leatherwood encouraged Southern Baptists and other Christians to maintain a biblical perspective as they go to the polls.

“Another Election Day is upon us and all the anxiety that comes with it,” said Leatherwood, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), in written comments Monday (Nov. 7) for Baptist Press. “And that is revealing because it shows we’ve elevated electoral politics to an unhealthy place in our lives as Christians.

“That doesn’t diminish the fact there are real stakes with the decisions we encounter as voters,” he said. “One only has to look at a place like Michigan, where a grievous pro-abortion proposition faces voters, or Arkansas, where an opportunity to cement religious freedom protections is on the ballot.

“We should engage these choices thoughtfully and in line with the biblical principles that guide our lives. Doing so allows us to engage in politics as a true act of neighborly love, and not as warfare or combat as some operatives and pundits want us to. Keeping that sort of healthy perspective will prevent us from placing our trust in any one earthly mortal prince (Psalm 146) and instead allow us to keep the King of kings in view as we head to the ballot box.”

Nationally, the Democratic Party has controlled Congress the last two years but is in danger of losing the majority in one or both chambers in Tuesday’s mid-term elections.

In the House of Representatives, Democrats outnumber Republicans 220-212, with three vacant seats. The parties are evenly divided in the 100-member Senate, but the Democrats hold the edge by virtue of Vice President Kamala Harris’ possessing the tie-breaking vote as president of the chamber.

Republicans appear poised to gain majorities in both houses, according to some polling. RealClear Politics, which averages various polls, showed the Senate likely going for or leaning to the GOP by 48-44, with eight toss-ups, Monday. RealClear’s map for the House displayed a likely/leaning advantage for Republicans of 227-174, with 34 toss-ups.

Knowledge of the final party breakdown in Congress may take awhile. Challenges are expected in numerous races, and more than 100 lawsuits regarding various aspects of the elections had already been filed as of Oct. 27, The Associated Press reported. In early voting, more than 32 million voters had already cast ballots, The New York Times reported Nov. 3.

A change in party control, especially in the House, would make a significant difference in which bills receive votes and/or gain passage.

With Democrats in the majority the last two years, the House has approved measures expanding abortion rights – something highly unlikely to occur with Republicans in control. The Democratic-controlled Senate has failed to forward those bills to President Biden, though he supported them. The Senate rule requiring 60 votes to cut off debate for action on legislation to take place has worked to the advantage of pro-life advocates.

For instance, the House passed the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA) in both 2021 and 2022, with Rep. Henry Cueller of Texas the lone Democrat to join the GOP both times in voting against the measure. The WHPA would surpass the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion by barring federal and state regulations permitted under the 1973 ruling.

The Senate has twice rejected the WHPA this year by falling far short both times of the 60 votes needed to invoke cloture and bring the proposal to the floor for action.

In another example of this reality, the House passed last year the Equality Act, a far-reaching gay and transgender rights bill endorsed by Biden. The legislation has failed to gain a vote in the Senate.

South Korea Tragedy Can Lead To Soul-Searching Among Younger Generation, Missionary Says

By

Scott Barkley

-

November 8, 2022

South-Korea-tragedy-can-lead-to-soul-searching-among-younger-generation — Signs light up the night on a busy street in South Korea. IMB photo

SEOUL, South Korea (BP) — The night of Oct. 30 was supposed to be one of revelry for an estimated 100,000 people descending on the trendy nightspot area of Itaewon to celebrate Halloween. It instead became a night of tragedy when a crowd surge trapped many in a small, sloping alleyway, leading to 156 deaths.

Grace Winslow, a member of the International Mission Board’s Seoul Global City Team, has been working with young adults in the area and spoke with Baptist Press on the tragedy as well as how the IMB is working to connect those affected to the Gospel.

“I have spoken to a few foreign students and young professionals since the tragedy. A couple of my Korean school classmates were in the area of the crowd surge on that night,” Winslow said.

Itaewon’s reputation as a Halloween hangout – and the accompanying crowds – had been growing for years and seen as an indicator of a generational gap. Many of the young people in the area Oct. 30 were likely taught to speak English by native speakers from outside South Korea. Those English lessons would have introduced cultural customs such as Halloween, which became popular with those schoolchildren.

Itaewon also is near a defunct American military base and has many foreign-born residents who celebrate the holiday.

A crowd was to be expected if going to Itaewon. However, only 137 officers had been dispatched. Panicked calls asking for help came in hours before it became apparent what was unfolding.

Two Americans were among the dead. Anne Gieske was a nursing major at the University of Kentucky studying abroad as was Steven Blesi, an international business major from Kennesaw State University near Marietta, Ga., where he grew up.

Gieske and Blesi knew each other and were attending together. According to media reports, a friend of Blesi who saw the crowds sent him a warning text at 10:17 p.m. to stay away. It’s unclear if Blesi ever saw it.

One decision spared Winslow’s classmates of potentially being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“They thankfully didn’t like big crowds and found a quieter place to hang out,” she said. “They came to class feeling quite shaken, having come so close to the scene of death and knowing that it could have just as easily have been them had they not made a simple decision to go in the opposite direction rather than deal with the crowd.”

The event was being held for the first in three years since the lifting of COVID restrictions.

“This unfortunate tragedy presents a trauma all across South Korea for teens and young adults who lost friends or who have been forced to come to terms with their own mortality,” Winslow said. “Neither of my friends [have] mentioned eternity or the Gospel, but my prayer is that this tragic experience will be a catalyst for them to begin thinking through and being open to a personal relationship with God.”

Some say South Korea’s hyperconnectivity may factor in the enduring mental health toll on the country.

With so many smartphones in the country, the tragedy was practically livestreamed over social media from numerous vantage points. Social media algorithms continued to place those videos in front of audiences in the following days.

That, combined with the fact that it occurred in a well-known spot, creates a collective social anxiety, the Wall Street Journal reported.

“Witnessing tragic deaths at an unexpected location, even through pictures and videos, can cause immense trauma and stress,” said Paik Jong-woo, a psychiatry professor and chairman of the Korean Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

Winslow and others build relationships with young people through outreaches such as language exchange programs and community events or by participating in existing community groups. They also partner with local believers hosting English Bible studies or English practice. Countless one-on-one conversations take place over coffee and meals.

“We are also partnering with local believers to plant small churches in coffee shops where young adults can feel like family and grow alongside their peers,” she said.

Her observations in South Korea echo the American experience.

“Many young adults here grew up in church but left as they became adults,” she said.

She cites many reasons why – unhealthy power dynamics, the ineffectiveness of the prosperity gospel, the perception that too many rules go along with being a Christian and social pressures. During COVID, media accounts placed churches in a negative light.

“Young adults need to experience what Christian community looks like in a way that connects with them deeply,” Winslow said. “They also need healthy relationships free from the comparison and competition that is often experienced in school and the work force.

“And,” she said, “they need encouragement as they live in the midst of an extremely busy, stressful environment.”

This article originally appeared at Baptist Press.

In ‘God Made a Fighter’ Ad, DeSantis Paves Way To Replace Trump as Anointed One

By

Jack Jenkins

-

November 8, 2022

(RNS) — In an advertisement unveiled Friday on the Twitter feed of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ wife, Casey, black-and-white images of DeSantis and his family fade in and out as a narrator declares that “on the eighth day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, ‘I need a protector.’ So God made a fighter.”

The ad is the latest sign that DeSantis, a rising Republican star whose likely reelection on Tuesday (Nov. 8) is speculated to be the last step before a presidential run in 2024, may be making a play to become the anointed candidate of conservative religious voters. Doing so would likely challenge the electoral ambitions of former-President Donald Trump, who may end up facing off against DeSantis in the Republican presidential primaries.

Perhaps feeling a threat to his status as the vanguard of conservative Christian politics, Trump dubbed DeSantis “Ron DeSanctimonious” at a rally in Florida over the weekend.

Anthea Butler, chair of religious studies at the University of Pennsylvania, said the ad appears to target the framework for Trump’s political success with conservative Christians, in which God was thought to have chosen Trump for a special purpose. Some compared the former president to biblical figures such as Cyrus, a Persian king who liberated the Israelites from Babylonian captivity. Still others invoked prophecy to insist leaders of Trump’s administration were agents of God tasked with instilling the government with “kingdom values.”

Now DeSantis is “trying to position himself as God’s chosen man,” Butler said. “That’s really coming up to challenge Trump on one of the things that makes him palatable to the QAnon people and all his loyal followers — they feel like God picked Donald Trump.”

Marie Griffith, head of the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University in St. Louis, agreed. “If it worked for Trump, maybe it’ll work for him — to be seen as almost a prophet and someone sent by God,” Griffith said.

Griffith said the ad hints at other critiques of Trump that DeSantis may use to appeal to conservative religious voters: While Trump has expressed support for COVID-19 vaccines developed while he was in office, DeSantis has repeatedly cast doubt on the effectiveness of the lifesaving shots and pandemic restrictions in general, a view shared by many of the most conservative parts of Trump’s base.

“It’s reminding people of how he handled the pandemic,” said Griffith.

And while DeSantis is Catholic and the “fighter” advertisement appears to be a riff on Paul Harvey’s 1978 speech “So God Made a Farmer” — substituting “fighter” for Harvey’s encomiums about farmers — Griffith said the narrator’s voice has the overtones of a mid-20th century Protestant preacher.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis with his family in a still from his new ‘God made a fighter’ ad. Video screen grab

Several prominent conservative religious voices have begun to line up for DeSantis and used both the ad and Trump’s jibes against the Florida governor to speak out. Matt Walsh, a conservative Christian commentator, came to DeSantis’ defense after the Florida rally, writing on Twitter, “DeSantis is an extremely effective conservative governor who has had real policy wins and real cultural wins. Trump isn’t going to be able to take this one down with a dumb nickname.”

Pastor Tom Ascol — a champion of the most conservative faction of the Southern Baptist Convention who forced a runoff for the SBC presidency earlier this year — offered the invocation at a DeSantis event over the weekend and later characterized DeSantis similar to how Trump was framed by some during his time in Washington.

“I’m grateful for the privilege to pray for my governor ⁦(DeSantis)⁩ & his family,” Ascol said in a tweet. “God has blessed the state of Florida by placing him in this office as His servant for our good.”

Dare 2 Share Live Trains and Encourages Teenagers to Share the Gospel of Jesus Christ With the World Around Them

By

Greg Stier

-

November 8, 2022

Imagine with me tens of thousands of teenagers from 1,000+ churches across 49 states and 16 countries being simultaneously inspired, equipped and unleashed to share the Gospel. This is exactly what will be happening on November 12^th!

Dare 2 Share Live is a one day simulcast event with speakers like Zane Black, Jerrod Gunter, Corrie Kim and Greg Stier, as well as artists like Red Rocks Worship, Lo the Poet and Bobbito the Chef. But, more than speaking, poetry, drama and music, this event will mobilize teenagers to share the Gospel with friends and strangers alike.

Central to Dare 2 Share Live is a 2.5 hour outreach time. After teenagers have been equipped to evangelize with boldness and grace, they’ll spread across their communities to pray for people, care for people in tangible ways and share the Gospel with those they encounter.

Teenagers will be trained to use the Life in 6 app to start Gospel conversations. This state-of-the-art faith sharing app has a heat map that will show active Gospel conversations from that day as they unfold. Teenagers will be able to hear from other Dare 2 Share Live participants from across the nation and around the world, through the social media feed on this amazing app.

As one youth leader put it, “I love the ministry of Dare 2 Share! They are doing evangelism training better than anyone. If you are a youth leader, get Dare 2 Share Live on your calendar. Just try it out.”

Sign your youth group up for free at Dare2sharelive.org. All you need is internet, adult leaders and a commitment to do the outreach with your teens!

Hope to see you and your youth group on November 12^th. It’s going to be epic!

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