Amid Sorrow of Queen’s Death, Southern Baptist in London Shares Gospel

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September 13, 2022

LONDON (BP) – She was crowned “defender of the faith and supreme governor of the church of England,” but Queen Elizabeth II’s public ownership of her faith extended beyond the official descriptor.

Ashlyn Portero, director of groups and partnerships at Redeemer Queen’s Park church about 10 miles from Buckingham Palace, appreciates the late queen’s public witness and legacy.

“I think people who are Christians are so grateful for the way that she spoke about her faith,” Portero said. “And you see lots of different quotes where she has been driven and sustained and inspired by the teachings of Christ and by her faith.”

Mourners have placed flowers outside Buckingham Palace in London in honor of the late Queen Elizabeth II, who will be interred Sept. 19.

Formerly executive director of City Church in Tallahassee, Fla., Portero transitioned in March to Redeemer Queen’s Park, a church plant supported by City Church and led by Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary graduate Thomas West.

“I think Christians are encouraged to see such a public figure really embody and embrace her faith, and to want to be outspoken and to share about that, what it has meant for her life and eternity,” Portero said.

Research paints London as the most religious and socially conservative place in all of the United Kingdom, but not all of the queen’s fans appreciate her Christianity.

“For other people, it’s almost like you can just choose to ignore that,” Portero said of those who view the monarchy as a cultural distinction, “which I think is really not fully seeing her as a person, because her faith was clearly so important to her.”

As England and its friends mourned, Portero stood in a long line Sept. 9 to lay flowers on the lawn outside Buckingham Palace.

“I think people are reflective, and I think they are certainly interested and want to pay respects and want to honor her for decades of duty and service,” Portero said. “Even if there are different feelings about the whole institution of the monarchy, there is admiration for her and her sense of duty and service to the country.”

Redeemer Queen’s Park has not held any official outreach in response to the death, but has taken opportunities for Gospel conversations.

“It sparks thoughtful conversations. One thing I’ve heard a lot of people say is that she has lived and reigned for so long, that you almost think she’s immortal,” Portero said. “And so that’s a good time to prompt a conversation that actually she is (immortal) in heaven, because of her faith. But it’s not a sense of just this big immortal figure.”

Redeemer Queen’s Park is not a member of the Church of England, but is one of 25 evangelical congregations in the Co-Mission Network, a church-planting group based in Wimbledon that also includes Church of England congregations. The Summit Network, the church planting arm of The Summit Church in North Carolina, also supports Redeemer Queen’s Park, according to Redeemer’s website.

The Church of England is the primary state church of England and represents at least 85 million people in more than 165 countries, according to history.com. The church is considered both Catholic and Reformed.

Kentucky Church Expresses Gratitude to Community Servants by Feeding First Responders

By

Brandon Porter

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September 13, 2022

Kentucky-church-expresses-gratitude-to-community-servants-by-feeding-first-responders — Pastor Franklin Wood (left) and Kyle Gerkins (far left) from Forest Park Baptist Church in Bowling Green, Ky., show their appreciation to local firefighters as they deliver a tray of breakfast biscuits. (Baptist Press/Brandon Porter)

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated to reflect the length of time Forest Park Baptist Church has hosted the first responders’ event.

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (BP) – The early morning hours of the second Monday in September have been set aside for community outreach over the last twenty years at Forest Park Baptist Church in Bowling Green. The Iron Men, the church’s men’s ministry, roll out of bed long before the rooster crows to prepare a feast for local first responders as well as local men and women who are distributing Bibles to students at Western Kentucky University (WKU).

John Daniel, one of the event organizers, says at the beginning, dozens of first responders would come to the church facility to attend the breakfast buffet. “We’d have a parking lot full of fire trucks and police cars,” he told Baptist Press.

“It’s been a way for us to show our gratitude to the people who risk their lives to serve the community.”

Daniel says COVID caused them to scale back the event. Now, they deliver breakfast to the different stations where first responders await the call to help those in need.

“No matter the circumstance, we want to let them know we appreciate them,” Daniel said.

A few years ago, the Iron Men added the Gideons to the list of those who enjoy the breakfast. Nearly two dozen men and women gathered Monday (Sept. 12) to eat, receive instruction and then try to distribute thousands of Bibles to students walking to class on a beautiful late summer morning.

The Gideons International is “an association of business and professional men and their wives dedicated to telling people about Jesus through associating together for service, sharing personal testimony and by providing Bibles and New Testaments.”

For many years Gideons have been standing on the public sidewalks at WKU offering a Bible to anyone who wanted one.

Daniel says feeding them offers a two-fold benefit to the Iron Men ministry. It allows them to feed the volunteers a hearty breakfast before they pound the pavement, and it generates a beneficial income for the group.

“They pay us a small amount of money which we’re able to put into a fund that we use later in the year to give away holiday meals,” Daniel said.

He sees the morning as a way to serve the community both now and later.

“It’s really been a combination of good outreach for the community and for people that need some support around the holiday season,” he said.

The interaction with the first responders has generated an ongoing relationship that has extended to the community around the church, Daniel said.

“They (the fire department) come back and serve us with an outreach to children,” Daniel said, describing times the fire department has brought trucks to children’s events at the church to give kids an opportunity to see the lights and switches up close.

“We’re in an underserved neighborhood in Bowling Green,” he said. “This gives the kids an opportunity they might not ordinarily have.”

As the dishes are cleaned up after another year’s breakfast, Daniel says enduring the 3:30 a.m. wakeup call is worth it.

“It gives us a bond here at Forest Park. As we fix breakfast, we’re reminded to serve the community.”

This article originally appeared at Baptist Press.

Faculty, Students Sue Christian School Over LGBTQ Hiring Ban

By

David Crary

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September 13, 2022

Students walk on the campus of Seattle Pacific University in Seattle on Sunday, Sept. 11, 2022. A group of students, faculty and staff at the Christian university have sued leaders of the board of trustees for refusing to scrap an employment policy barring people in same-sex relationships from full-time jobs at SPU. (AP Photo/Chris Grygiel)

Divisions over LGBTQ-related policies have flared recently at several religious colleges in the United States. On Monday, there was a dramatic new turn at one of the most rancorous battlegrounds—Seattle Pacific University.

A group of students, faculty and staff at the Christian university sued leaders of the board of trustees for refusing to scrap an employment policy barring people in same-sex relationships from full-time jobs at SPU. The 16 plaintiffs say the trustees’ stance—widely opposed on campus—is a breach of their fiduciary duties that threatens to harm SPU’s reputation, worsen enrollment difficulties and possibly jeopardize its future.

The lawsuit, filed in Washington State Superior Court, requests that the defendants— including the university’s interim president, Pete Menjares—be removed from their positions. It asks that economic damages, in an amount to be determined at a jury trial, be paid to anyone harmed by the LGBTQ hiring policy.

“This case is about six men who act as if they, and the educational institution they are charged to protect, are above the law,” the lawsuit says. “While these men are powerful, they are not above the law… They must be held to account for their illegal and reckless conduct.”

In addition to Menjares, the defendants are board chair Dean Kato; trustees Matthew Whitehead, Mark Mason and Mike Quinn, and former trustee Michael McKee. Whitehead and Mason are leaders of the Free Methodist Church, a denomination whose teachings do not recognize same-sex marriage and which founded SPU in 1891.

Asked if the university had a response to the lawsuit, SPU’s director of public information, Tracy Norlen, replied via email, “Seattle Pacific University is aware of the lawsuit and will respond in due course.”

SPU’s LGBTQ-related employment policy has been a source of bitter division on the campus over the past two years. One catalyst was a lawsuit filed against SPU in January 2021 by Jeaux Rinedahl, an adjunct professor who alleged he was denied a full-time, tenured position because he was gay.

That lawsuit eventually was settled out of court, but it intensified criticism of the hiring policy. Through surveys and petitions, it’s clear that large majorities of the faculty and student body oppose the policy, yet a majority of the trustees reaffirmed it in May—triggering resignations by other trustees and protests by students that included a prolonged sit-in at the school’s administrative offices.

At SPU’s graduation on June 12, dozens of students protested by handing gay-pride flags to Menjares, rather than shake his hand, as they received diplomas.

Kato, the trustees’ chair, responded to the protests with a firm defense of the hiring policy.

“We acknowledge there is disagreement among people of faith on the topic of sexuality and identity,” Kato’s wrote to student activists. “But after careful and prayerful deliberation, we believe these longstanding employee expectations are consistent with the University’s mission and Statement of Faith that reflect a traditional view on biblical marriage and sexuality.”

Acquisition of Al Mohler Content by Publisher Generates Social Media Dustup

By

Scott Barkley

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September 13, 2022

Acquisition-of-Mohler-content-by-publisher-generates-social-media — Photo courtesy of Baptist Press.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP) — The addition of several addresses by Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Albert Mohler to a content-sharing platform has drawn criticism from various directions.

A Sept. 8 tweet by Canon Press announced that Mohler had become a part of the media library for Canon+, its subscription-based media platform. Canon Press began in 1988 as the literature ministry of Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho, a non-Southern Baptist congregation with Reformed theology led by Pastor Doug Wilson. In late 2012, Christ Church decided to sell Canon Press to private businessmen while retaining its theological leanings and, now informal, connections to Wilson and Christ Church.

The new content consists of several addresses Mohler made at the Evangelical Theological Society (ETS) annual meeting. The Southern Seminary president expressed surprise at his inclusion on the platform in a Saturday evening tweet, saying neither he nor his staff had received any communication from Canon+ and he had granted no permission.

Just over an hour after Mohler’s tweet, Canon Press announced a special first-month rate for subscribing with the discount code “MOHLER.”

Addressing Mohler’s tweet that night, Wilson also said the acquisition was “on the up-and-up, fair-and-square, and all legal-like.”

Audio for ETS meetings has been contracted through the company WordMp3 “for at least 10-12 years,” ETS executive director Ken Magnuson told Baptist Press. Magnuson is a longtime member of ETS but had no input on the contract, which stipulates that WordMp3 owns the rights to those recordings.

Magnuson, in his current position for two years, told BP that he worked directly with WordMp3 founder Gregg Strawbridge, who died earlier this year from a heart attack.

Attempts by Baptist Press to reach Canon Press and WordMP3 for specifics on the acquisition were unsuccessful.
Wilson has joined others in recent years of accusing Mohler of liberalism and allowing aspects of it to be taught at Southern Seminary.

On Sept. 10, however, the Idaho pastor himself was deflecting accusations of being “woke” due to Mohler’s inclusion on the platform. Wilson responded by saying that Canon+ had “added some of Al Mohler’s content from a number of years ago” and “Al’s stuff back then was really good, and we stand behind it.”

Mohler’s commentaries exist on the site in the form of addresses he delivered at the annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society in 2004, 2008 and 2014-16, but also as recently as 2021. Mohler’s comments are accessible through a paid subscription and cover topics such as the sexual revolution, secularization and temptations of evangelical theologians.

Wilson is the co-author of “Southern Slavery, As It Was,” a 1996 book that challenged historical depictions of slavery in the South as “largely false.” In 2013 he wrote a follow-up book, “Black and Tan,” which purports that America’s “failure to remove slavery in a biblical fashion” has led to modern-day “quagmires” over racism, hate speech and the biblical position on slavery.

This article originally appeared at Baptist Press.

Arson Investigation After Fire Destroys Historic LA Church

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AP News

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September 13, 2022

LOS ANGELES (AP) — An arson investigation is under way after fire destroyed a historic church in South Los Angeles early Sunday, authorities said.

The blaze at Victory Baptist Church broke out shortly before 2:30 a.m. and quickly grew to major emergency status, said Nicholas Prange, a spokesperson with the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Two firefighters were hospitalized with mild to moderate injuries after battling the flames, Prange said. One became trapped by a collapsing ceiling before being rescued, he said.

The Los Angeles Times said Victory Baptist has played a major role in the spiritual and political history of South LA.

Founded in a local storefront on Easter Sunday in 1943, the church moved into its current building on McKinley Ave a year later. In the 1950s, its Sunday night services were broadcast on television nationally.

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at the church in 1964.

An arson team with the House of Worship Task Force was part of the investigation, officials said.

This article originally appeared here.

La Luz Del Mundo Leader, Naasón Joaquín García, Faces New Lawsuit in Los Angeles

By

Alejandra Molina

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September 13, 2022

LOS ANGELES (RNS) — Naasón Joaquín García, the leader of La Luz del Mundo, is facing a new lawsuit filed by five women who allege he sexually abused them while other church members groomed them and used the religion as ammunition against them.

The five women are identified as Jane Does in the civil lawsuit that was filed Thursday (Sept. 8) in Los Angeles Superior Court. The women, who range in age from 20 to 28, were also the Jane Does included in the criminal charges filed against García by the California Attorney General’s office, attorneys said.

They cite sexual battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence and gender violence and seek unspecified compensatory and punitive damages against the church.

Named in the complaint are: 53-year-old García, who is in prison after taking a plea deal in criminal charges brought by California Attorney General Rob Bonta; as well as Alondra Ocampo, Susana Medina Oaxaca and Azalea Rangel, who allegedly groomed the women to be abused by García; and Alma Zamora de Joaquín, who is García’s wife and who attorneys said knew of her husband’s alleged abuse and the grooming of the young women. García’s three children — Adoraim Joaquín Zamora, Eldai Joaquín Zamora and Sibma Joaquín Zamora — were also named in the suit and were allegedly aware of the abuse and grooming.

“Naasón didn’t work alone in perpetuating his abuse,” Jonati Yedidsion, one of the attorneys representing the Jane Does, told reporters at a news conference in downtown Los Angeles on Monday (Sept. 12).

“Many members of the highest level of the church, including several of Naasón’s family members, were aware of the church aiding and participating in the abuse of these victims,” Yedidsion said.

The five women and their families are not under police protection and have been harassed and threatened by members of the church, according to Yedidsion.

A spokesperson for the church has not returned a request for comment.

The alleged abuses by García occurred between 2015 and 2019, according to the suit.

Attorney Jonati Yedidsion, center, speaks about a new lawsuit she and other attorneys have filed against La Luz del Mundo leader Naasón Joaquín García, Monday, Sept. 12, 2022, in downtown Los Angeles. RNS photo by Alejandra Molina

From the time they were young children, the women “were routinely coerced” to believe García’s “wishes and desires were direct orders from God, that he was without sin and incapable of committing any wrongs,” according to the complaint.

Attorneys in the suit allege that the women were led to believe disobeying García would “lead to catastrophic consequences including, but not limited to, eternal damnation, unspeakable tragedy, infertility, and countless other harms” to the women and their families.

The women, according to the suit, believed in the church doctrine and that their “eternal salvation depended upon them doing whatever the Apostle commanded as well as keeping him happy.”

5 Steps on a Lifelong Path to Spiritual Authority

By

Dan Reiland

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September 13, 2022

spiritual authority — Lightstock #241338

As a leader, you can never escape the reality of authority and its reflection on your character.

However, if you can’t handle authority, you will struggle with leadership, and your confidence may be challenged because of the pressures you face.

Authority is the currency through which leaders get things done. Some people prefer to use the term influence, and that word does more accurately describe the innate function of leadership.

Perhaps a helpful way to see how this leadership concept plays out is to compare three closely related words: authority, influence, and power.

Authority is something given to you.
Influence is what you possess within you.
Power is your ability to cause good or harm.

(Excerpt from “Confident Leader,” Ch. 7 on Authority)

The important thing to understand is that authority is always transferred.

Jesus’ authority was transferred from the Father (John 10:17-18; John 17:1-2)
Jesus transferred his authority to the disciples (Luke 9:1-2; Luke 10:19)
Jesus’ authority transferred to all believers (Matthew 28:18-20)

The wisest of leaders understand that their authority wasn’t theirs in the first place and steward it with wisdom, grace, and strength of character.

There are two primary sources of authority, God, and man. (Spiritual and organizational) The two are usually integrated. The important thing to remember is that you are never the source of your own authority.

If you forget where your authority came from, that’s often when your leadership missteps begin.

Understandably, much of our leadership training is in the organizational realm, developing our competency in a variety of things from strategy to empowerment.

But we can also develop and nurture our spiritual authority, and truly, the two (spiritual and organizational) should never be separated because we are, in fact, spiritual leaders.

The Path to the Lifelong Development of Spiritual Authority:

Two Notes:

The following character traits and practices do not replace competence in leadership; they partner with human competence to bring spiritual power and greater impact.
This is a lifelong path, not a finite journey where you “arrive” at a predetermined destination.

1. Spiritual Authority Is Grounded in Humility.

Humility is not related to your place on the org chart; it reflects the disposition of your heart.

To aspire to leadership is an admirable ambition, as long as it’s for the good of others and the glory of God.

Humility comes mainly from a profound awareness of God’s grace and kindness in your life.

“But No One Told Me!” – Tips To Improving Staff Communication

By

Kristen Eleveld

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September 13, 2022

thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Keeping your team updated on everything they need to know is a huge task—even if your team is only two or three people. If your staff is even larger, it may feel impossible. But we’re here to help this monumental task feel more obtainable! Here are some small steps you can take to create big change when it comes to improving staff communication.

Improving Staff Communication – It’s All in the Details

It’s easy to assume that your team knows about an upcoming event or about a time change for a special service. But what’s obvious to you may not be obvious to everyone! Make sure you over-communicate to your team members about any changes or updates being made to policies, events, meetings, holiday parties—all of it.

Even if you announced new information in a staff meeting where everyone was taking notes, it’s a good idea to send out a quick email afterward that highlights important items they need to know going forward. You don’t need to write a novel—even a few bullet points that highlight the most vital information will be helpful for your staff to refer to later.

When in Doubt, Delegate

If you have a large staff, or even a small staff that works with volunteers from the congregation, it’s a good idea to build different teams—and, more importantly, team leaders. Each team can focus on more targeted projects or areas of ministry. This is a great way to tackle different projects while still keeping everyone in the loop.

For example, let’s say you set up a social media team, whose goal is to manage and maintain your social media presence. Appoint a team leader who can be in charge of staff communication — all updates and questions to staff or other teams, instead of attempting to get the entire team together to give the update.

The team leader can then go back to their team with the staff’s response and any new action items assigned to them. This allows everyone to get the information they need without spending all their time replying to emails and fielding questions.

There’s an App for That

Maybe you’re struggling because your staff doesn’t read your emails—and you can just forget about expecting a response. In the hustle and bustle of the work day, it’s easy to forget about some of the items waiting in your inbox. So consider using a different means of staff communication.

Apps like GroupMe and Slack allow for staff communication through notifications on a smartphone. You may want to create a private Facebook group that you and your staff can use to post information, start a discussion, or even just link an interesting article that you think is a relevant read. Ask your staff members what apps they use to communicate with friends, and see if you can adapt those for your needs!

Improving staff communication with your team may seem like an insurmountable task, but when you get creative and find new ways to talk to your team, you may just find that they have all the information they need! Now you can get down to business.

This article on improving staff communication originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

Small Group Quotes That Motivate … In Less Than 280 Characters

By

Rick Howerton

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September 13, 2022

I am a tweeter, and I share small group quotes on Twitter. On an almost daily basis I will tweet as many as five statements that pop into my head. Some of them are about leadership but most of them are small group quotes. While on the road leading training or consulting, I’m sometimes asked by those who follow me on Twitter if they could have the list of quotes. I thought I’d list a few of the small group quotes here in case you might be able to use them to motivate your team.

Small Group Quotes That Motivate … In Less Than 280 Characters

· Too many small groups worry too much about doctrine and too little about building Christian community.

· When a small group leader loses passion for their group the small group loses their passion for group life.

· Great small groups celebrate success, suffer with one another, and expect
God to do more than they can do themselves.

· Biblical discussions make disciples. Unresolveable doctrinal debates create a climate of confusion and dysfunction.

· Small group leader, the most important small group member is the one who is in your presence.

· When leading a small group the most important meeting may be the meeting after the meeting.

· Grace demands looking beyond someone’s failure and seeing them as you did before you became aware of their sin.

This list of small group quotes originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

Speaking in Tongues Is Now Part of Max Lucado’s Regular Prayer Time

By

Jessica Lea

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September 12, 2022

Speaking in Tongues Is Now Part of Max Lucado’s Regular Prayer Time — Image courtesy of Max Lucado

Speaking in tongues is something that pastor and author Max Lucado now does as part of his regular prayer time with God. Lucado shared this news in an interview with the Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast, where he discussed his new book on the Holy Spirit.

“When I was 64 on a July morning, as I was praying, I began praying in tongues,” Lucado shared with host Ed Stetzer and co-host Daniel Yang. “I had not done anything different, except I came across the passage where the Apostle Paul said, ‘Eagerly desire the spiritual gifts’…I prayed that every morning for two or three weeks. And then one morning, early in the morning, I began praying in a heavenly language.”

Listen to the full interview with Max Lucado below:

Max Lucado: The Church Needs the Holy Spirit, Not Another Program or Trend

Max Lucado on How To Seek the Holy Spirit

Max Lucado is teaching minister at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio and the author of more than 145 million products in print. His latest book is, “Help Is Here: Finding Fresh Strength and Purpose in the Power of the Holy Spirit.”

Lucado shared that as a young person growing up in church he did not really learn about the Holy Spirit, so he was not familiar with how to relate to him. But in his senior year of high school, Lucado encountered an evangelist who was part of the Jesus Movement and who was the first person to teach him about the Holy Spirit.

“I was invited even to receive the gift of praying in tongues,” said Lucado, who at the time was open to that invitation, “but nothing happened.” Lucado was not following God at this point in his life and subsequently went back to his “old ways.”

In his twenties, Max Lucado returned to God and went into ministry. Yet in his early thirties, Lucado found the pressures of ministry to be overwhelming. “That’s when the wheels came off again,” he said. “I was that pastor who wanted to do everything just right and solve every problem, answer every question, and developed insomnia, stressed out. My wife was depressed, clinically depressed. I was a mess. I couldn’t sleep at night. And that’s when I began to understand John 14 of the Holy Spirit as a friend and a comforter.”

David Emmanuel Goatley Named President of Fuller Seminary

By

Dale Chamberlain

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September 12, 2022

David Emmanuel Goatley Fuller Seminary — Photo courtesy of Fuller Theological Seminary

Fuller Theological Seminary, headquartered in Pasadena, California, has named David Emmanuel Goatley as its sixth president.

Goatley will be the first person of color to hold the position of president at the seminary.

Prior to his appointment as Fuller’s new president, Goatley served as associate dean for academic and vocational formation at Duke Divinity School, as well as Ruth W. and A. Morris Williams Jr. Research Professor of Theology and Christian ministry and director of the Office of Black Studies.

Goatley holds an M.Div with an emphasis in pastoral care and counseling and a PhD in theology from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

“A constructive theologian and globally recognized missiologist with a background in pastoral counseling, Goatley brings a unique blend of experience and expertise that aligns with Fuller’s major disciplines of theology, missiology, and the psychological sciences,” Fuller said in a statement. “Having studied or worked in more than 35 countries, he brings a global perspective to his leadership and vision for Fuller, believing the gospel of the kingdom is truly good news and hope for all of the world, transcending politics, denominations, and single nations.”

“David Goatley will be able to blend an innovative vision for how Fuller trains leaders with a proven ability to execute plans and mobilize a team. He represents the right synergy between a deep passion for the church and an ongoing commitment to research and teaching that Fuller needs in this next season,” said Kara Powell, author, Fuller professor, and executive director of the Fuller Youth Institute.

Compassion International CEO Santiago “Jimmy” Mellado, who served as chair of Fuller’s Presidential Transition Discernment Team, said of Goatley’s appointment, “It never ceases to amaze me how God works in people’s lives…always moving in powerful, life-giving, and transforming ways as we choose to follow him. David Goatley’s life stands as testimony to this reality. Blessed with an extraordinary collection of life experiences, healthy drive, innovative spirit, relevant capabilities all seasoned with wisdom, he brings a track record of building up diverse leaders for Jesus across the globe. Dr. Goatley stands uniquely prepared to further propel Fuller’s mission right into the heart of the opportunity our present reality demands.”

“Dr. Goatley is going to be a superb and ground-breaking leader of our vision to provide indispensable formational education for Christian leaders everywhere,” said Fuller Board of Trustees Chair Dan Meyer.

Goatley will be inaugurated in January 2023. Until then, Mark Labberton will continue his term as president of the seminary.

Pastor: ‘Disgusting’ Cartoon Wages Spiritual Warfare Against Kids

By

Stephanie Martin

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September 12, 2022

A New York pastor is alerting parents that the controversial new TV cartoon “Little Demon” is targeting their children. During an interview with CBN News’ “Faithwire,” Mike Signorelli, senior pastor of V1 Church in New York City, warns that “kids will be the casualties” of the animated show, which glorifies and normalizes paganism.

As Church Leaders has reported, “Little Demon” features a woman (Aubrey Plaza) who gave birth to the antichrist, now 13, after mating with Satan (Danny DeVito). The series recently debuted on FXX, which is owned by Disney.

‘Little Demon’ Targets Children, Says Pastor Mike Signorelli

Because the cartoon’s main character is in middle school, Signorelli says the show is “highly relatable to kids” who are “making decisions about their identity.” The “disgusting” goal, he says, is to “desensitize us and our kids to the demonic.” Biblically, however, this material is “not normal,” he adds, because “God clearly opposes” it.

“Little Demon” is proof of ongoing spiritual warfare involving “a fight over a generation,” says Signorelli. “As a Christian, I believe that the enemy is after our children.” Although the show’s creators will “tell you it’s an adult show,” the pastor adds, “we all know that children want to watch what they’re not supposed to watch.”

Despite the show’s humorous tone, desensitizing viewers to paganism, violence, and other disturbing images has serious “repercussions,” warns Signorelli. “The Bible says, ‘Satan comes as an angel of light,’ and so he’s not going to come as a complete and total opposite, because we would all discern that…We have to uncover what I believe are the works of the enemy.”

Signorelli points to other disturbing “normalization” of the occult, including books about tarot cards that target kids. Such practices are no longer “fringe,” he notes, and in the process, Christ is getting “lost.”

Media Expert Urges Parents to Instill Christian Values Early

In a separate interview with “Faithwire,” media expert Ted Baehr, founder of Movieguide, also addresses the troubling new cartoon. Baehr says the content of “Little Demon” is “not surprising,” because “the whole culture is in the midst of a satanic revolution.”

As a result, says Baehr, parents must be proactive and diligent, teaching children “to have the right values to understand they’re not going to get self-esteem by becoming a satanist.” Because kids are saturated with entertainment options and parents are busy, Baehr says, early training about media choices is key.

Most US Pastors Don’t Believe Tithing Is a Biblical Mandate: Barna

By

Dale Chamberlain

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September 12, 2022

Recent research conducted by Barna has found that only a minority of Christian pastors believe that tithing (giving 10% of one’s income to the local church) is a biblical mandate.

The data is found in “Revisiting the Tithe & Offering,” which is part of a series of reports published by Barna titled “The State of Generosity.” The research was conducted in partnership with Gloo and Generis, church consultant agencies focusing on outreach and generosity, respectively.

According to the study, 33% of U.S. pastors surveyed believe that Christians are required to tithe to their local congregation. 70% said tithing doesn’t need to be strictly financial, and 21% of pastors didn’t recommend a set proportion of income for Christians to give, only suggesting that it should be enough to be “sacrificial.”

The report further revealed that the concept of tithing is not as broadly understood as it perhaps once was, as only two out of five U.S. adults surveyed were familiar with the term and its meaning. 59% of practicing Christians said they had a clear understanding of the concept of tithing.

Twenty-one percent of Christians surveyed give 10% of their income to their local church. Twenty-five percent don’t give to their church at all.

“Church leaders and Christians may wonder whether it matters if the tithe falls out of the mainstream. After all, church giving should not be reduced to an equation, and heartfelt, reverent generosity can be accomplished with or without deep knowledge of the tithe,” the report stated. “Still, as a fundamental, scriptural idea of Christian stewardship becomes a hazy concept, it appropriately raises questions—about how modern ministries approach funding and resources, and, more importantly, about the broader culture of generosity being nurtured among Christians.”

Generosity is an evergreen topic of discussion among church leaders, with Christian pastors and scholars often disagreeing on whether tithing is a biblical mandate for followers of Jesus.

In 2017, The Gospel Coalition published a pair of articles arguing for and against tithing as a requirement for Christians.

Pastor and theologian William Barclay argued, “The same is true of the tithe. The basic tithe, supporting the work of ministry, remains, even while ceremonial aspects fall away. Yet the tithe is a minimum; Christians are always to give to the poor and support other works that extend God’s kingdom (cf. 2 Cor. 8–9). The basic tithe is to be given to the church, to support its work and mission, as seen in Malachi 3.”

Max Lucado: The Church Needs the Holy Spirit, Not Another Program or Trend

By

Jessica Lea

-

September 12, 2022

The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast · Max Lucado: The Church Needs the Holy Spirit, Not Another Program or Trend

Max Lucado entered the ministry in 1978 and has served churches in Florida, Brazil, and Texas. He currently serves as teaching minister of Oak Hills Church in San Antonio. Max is America’s bestselling inspirational author with more than 145 million products in print. His latest book is, “Help Is Here: Finding Fresh Strength and Purpose in the Power of the Holy Spirit.”

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Key Questions for Max Lucado

-What is the unique role of the Holy Spirit and how does he empower us?

-How do people cultivate the friendship of the Holy Spirit?

-What expectations should pastors and church leaders have as they walk in the power of the Holy Spirit? How does the Holy Spirit guide you personally?

-How do we as pastors and church leaders help other people access and walk in the power and the gifts of the Holy Spirit?

Key Quotes From Max Lucado

“I was not taught a lot about the Holy Spirit. I don’t fault the little church where I was raised, the small West Texas congregation. I owned a Bible. I could have read about the Holy Spirit, but had you asked me, I could have explained God, the Father and God the Son, but ask me to explain the Holy Spirit and I would have given you a blank stare.”

“I was that pastor who wanted to do everything just right and solve every problem, answer every question, and developed insomnia, stressed out. My wife was depressed, clinically depressed. I was a mess. I couldn’t sleep at night. And that’s when I began to understand John 14 of the Holy Spirit as a friend and a comforter.”

“The Holy Spirit came to me as a friend more with a whisper than a shout, and I began to sense strength in my day-to-day life.”

“My more recent fascination with the Holy Spirit or pursuit of an understanding of the Holy Spirit comes out of a desperation as I look around in society.”

“Given the political climate lately in the last three and four years or five or six years, where churches are really becoming increasingly known for their political stance more than their spiritual position, that was frustrating and continues to be for me…What do we need to revisit? Where do we need to go back as a movement, as a people? Well, the answer to that for anybody who’s read the teachings of Christ, is he sends the disciples back to the upper room and says, ‘Go and wait on the Holy Spirit.’”

ERLC Trustees Set To Meet for First Time Since Roe Overturned

By

Scott Barkley

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September 12, 2022

NASHVILLE (BP) – Even as they celebrate significant gains such as the overturning of Roe v. Wade, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission trustees will learn at their upcoming meeting that there is still plenty of work to do.

At their Sept. 12 gathering at the ERLC office in Nashville, trustees are expected to hear updates on several ERLC initiatives and could potentially receive a recommendation for a new president from the presidential search team.

Baptist Press reached out to search team chairman Todd Howard and ERLC board chair Lori Bova for an update. Howard declined to comment and Bova had not responded at the time of publication.

Howard told Baptist Press in July that the team was “working through the process with an active candidate.” The ERLC has been without a permanent president since Russell Moore resigned in May 2021.

Jan. 22, 2023, marks the 50^th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision, which the ERLC will recognize with The Road to ROE50. An estimated 61 million unborn lives have been lost through abortion since the Supreme Court’s 1973 decision made the procedure legal throughout the country.

ERLC’s Elizabeth Graham said The Road to ROE50 will look “to unify and accelerate effective strategies through pro-life work leading up to and following the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade.

With the overturning of Roe, the focus of the battle has now moved to state legislatures. Several groups look to push back on pro-life measures as has happened in Kansas.

Pro-life discussions will include the Psalm 139 Project, which places ultrasound machines in pregnancy care centers. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee took part in one dedication earlier this year, and former NFL great Benjamin Watson continues to be an ardent supporter.

Discussions will also involve the ERLC’s Digital Public Square, a project designed to provide resources for working through “complex ethical challenges with biblical wisdom and insight.”

‘Called to Care’: Southern Baptist Nursing School Addresses Nursing Shortage

By

Diana Chandler

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September 12, 2022

Southern-Baptist-Nursing-School- — William Carey University, a Southern Baptist-supported school based in Hattiesburg, Miss., has instituted several programs to address the nursing shortage in Mississippi, Louisiana and nearby states. Photo courtesy of Baptist Press.

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (BP) – Addressing the shortage of nurses that has worsened in the U.S. since the COVID-19 pandemic is a mission and ministry of William Carey University (WCU), a Southern Baptist-supported school based in Mississippi.

For Janet Williams, WCU vice president for health programs, healthcare and ministry are naturally complementary.

“Who better to witness than the nurse who’s with you as you’re critically ill? Who better to help make sure that they take your hand and pray with you?” Williams posed to Baptist Press. “It’s in everything we do and everything we teach.”

In the two states WCU’s three campuses are located, Mississippi and Louisiana, there are 13.88 nurses per 1,000 people and 11.6 nurses per 1,000 people, respectively, according to a 2021 study from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. To address the shortage, an additional 1.2 million nurses will be needed by 2030, the study said, a number more difficult to reach as nurses retire or leave the field for more prosperous careers, and nursing programs turn away students because of the lack of faculty.

“It’s bad enough now,” Williams said, “that if we don’t do something about the supply of nurses out there, that you’re going to start seeing hospitals close because of it. We’re already seeing hospitals that are shutting beds down. That’s a big deal.

“The key to the nursing shortage is supply has to equal demand. There’s no doubt that that’s the only way to fix it,” Williams said. “And the way we’re doing it, we’re also trying to find other pots of students that would like to be nurses but who had never really considered it because of the finances or because of opportunities that were not there.”

WCU created a new scholarship this summer for students with bachelor’s degrees in other fields to attract them to nursing, and operates an advanced placement program to enable licenses practical nurses (LPNs) to become registered nurses (RNs) and thereby earn larger salaries.

A year ago, WCU opened a new 67,000-square-foot facility to house the William K. Ray College of Health Sciences on its Hattiesburg campus, allowing the university to increase its annual admission of incoming nursing students from 75 to 124, Williams said. She puts annual nursing enrollment, encompassing pre-nursing through doctoral programs, at 525-550, including campuses in Hattiesburg, on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and in Baton Rouge, La. In WCU’s last graduating class, nurses numbered 72, but that number is expected to grow with the new facility, Williams said.

WCU increases its nursing outreach through memorandum of understanding agreements with seven of Mississippi’s 15 junior colleges, helping students transition to WCU health programs, transfer credits and provide academic advisors and support. And the university places as much emphasis on the quality of education received as the number of students enrolled.

In February, WCU’s nursing graduates earned a 100 percent pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination, which Williams said is the only bachelor’s degree nursing program in the state to earn the distinction.

“Healthcare in Mississippi has always been ranked so low. We look at it and we say, if somebody’s going to change healthcare in Mississippi, it has to be us,” Williams said. “We’re the ones that have to do it. We have to educate the students in a way that they’ll be excellent practitioners.”

Williams expresses WCU’s commitment to its mission as a Baptist institution, evidenced in its community mission requirement in the nursing curriculum. It’s part of WCU’s emphasis on care.

“There’s a certain level of empathy you have to have as a nurse. You have to feel the need. We call it ‘called to care.’ If you come to nursing at William Carey you’re called to care,” she said. “You have to care about your patients. It has to make a difference to you that you have helped someone.

“Mission is one part of that, working with missions and doing the community service and all of those types of things. And it goes along very well with the mission of William Carey, the fact that William Carey is a Baptist university and … we try to be very much appropriate in our approach.”

Students complete missions at local facilities and in foreign countries.

“Because we also have a medical school, we can join together with our medical school and do a medical mission where you have physicians and nurses, and then physician students and nursing students go,” Williams said. “And that’s huge. To take that to a country that needs the healthcare so desperately, you can see an awful lot of patients and do an awful lot of good that way.”

Williams expresses appreciation for the support of Southern Baptists, and encourages prayer and contributions to endowed scholarships.

“Southern Baptist churches are doing a good thing for us. The Mississippi Baptist Convention (Board) gives us funding. We thank them very much for that.”

This article originally appeared at Baptist Press.

Former SC Youth Pastor Named in Sexual Abuse Lawsuit

By

Brandon Porter

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September 12, 2022

abuse_lawsuit — Photo via Unsplash.com @diegosan

LEXINGTON, S.C. (BP) – A South Carolina-based law firm has filed a lawsuit against former South Carolina Baptist Pastor Michael D’Attoma. The suit also names Northside Baptist Church in Lexington, S.C., the South Carolina Baptist Convention and the Southern Baptist Convention, according to a report by the Baptist Courier.

The suit alleges that D’Attoma began a relationship with “Jane Doe” at the age of 15 in 2009 and continued “grooming her” until 2012.

According to a June 16 release from McGowan, Hood, Felder & Philips, the minor “did report suspicious behavior she witnessed between D’Attoma and another member of her youth group, in 2010.”

D’Attoma is accused of soliciting video chats and texts from the girl which eventually led to “touching our client inappropriately,” the firm’s release said.

In a statement, the South Carolina Baptist Convention leaders said they are “still processing the allegations to determine if and how they may apply to the South Carolina Baptist Convention,” adding that they are “deeply concerned for survivors of sexual abuse and pray for all involved.”

Current Northside Pastor Rocky Purvis said he learned about the allegations on June 16, 2022, according to the Baptist Courier report.

“With regard to the civil lawsuit that was filed, we are still reviewing it and cannot comment until we know more details,” Purvis told the Courier.

“Our hearts break for all victims of abuse, and we ask that you join us in praying that the truth will come out and healing will take place.”

In a statement to Baptist Press, Gene Besen, counsel to the SBC Executive Committee, called individual acts of abuse “heinous and intolerable,” adding: “[W]hile the Southern Baptist Convention is committed to vanquishing all incidents of abuse, the SBC cannot be liable for the conduct of an individual it was never even aware of who was employed by a church it cannot control.”

“Every Southern Baptist church is autonomous,” Besen wrote. “The SBC plays no role in selecting, appointing, promoting, moving, or terminating pastors.”

The release from the South Carolina law firm attempts to make a connection between the firm’s case and the May 2022 report from Guidepost Solutions on the mishandling of sexual abuse claims by the SBC Executive Committee.

“While the plaintiff’s legal filings make much of Guidepost Solutions’ report, these incidents and allegations are neither reflected nor addressed in the report,” Besen said. “The SBC simply had no knowledge of the abuse outlined in these legal filings (the report itself corroborates this truth) until it was served with the complaints.”

There is no statute of limitations on criminal charges related to sexual abuse in South Carolina.

Editor’s Note: In support of the sixth strategic action of Vision 2025 adopted by messengers to the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting, Baptist Press will continue to report every instance of sexual abuse related to Southern Baptist churches or leaders of which we are made aware.

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.

Pastor Recounts Day at Flight 93 Crash Site

By

Scott Barkley

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September 12, 2022

flight93 — The field in Somerset County, Pa., where Flight 93 crashed. From Wikimedia Commons

DUNCANSVILLE, Pa. (BP) — Doug Pilot remembers the crater. He remembers the blackened trees and hearing that there was nothing left bigger than a phone book.

Pilot, pastor of New Hope Baptist Church, was serving as the director of missions for Conemaugh Valley Baptist Association on Sept. 11, 2001. He was about to leave for a meeting with church planters in Harrisburg when his wife, Jeanne, called him back to the house.

A plane had just hit the World Trade Center. Pilot went back inside the watch the coverage. That’s when both saw the second plane hit the South Tower.

“I told her we were being attacked, so she decided to go with me to Harrisburg,” he said.

On the way, news came that another plane had crashed, this one in a field near Somerset.

“We had church planters down there and I immediately wanted to check on them,” Pilot said. “I tried calling them, but the lines were tied up. So I called Harrisburg and told them we were going to Somerset.”

On the way, they learned the plane actually went down in Shanksville, about 5 miles from Somerset. News also broke over the radio that yet another plane had hit the Pentagon.

“We got to Somerset and found out they were OK. That’s also around the time Baptist Press called and asked if I could be eyes and ears for them on the scene,” he said.

Pilot would be on the scene as a reporter, but also for his expertise in crisis management. At the time, he was a chaplain for local emergency management personnel as well as The Laurel Highlands Critical Incident Stress Management Team.

The crash site was in a reclaimed coal mining area and only about three miles from where he stood.

Nearing the site, Pilot identified himself to state troopers related to his training, gaining access both in that role and as a reporter. Eventually he was sent with others to the local fire department that was serving as a staging area. Soon thereafter he was directed back to the work site near the crater.

“It smoked for days,” he said. “The trees on the far side of the crater were blackened from the fire. They were saying they couldn’t find a piece of the plane bigger than a phone book.”

FBI investigators testified that the initial crater only went about 15 feet deep, though the black boxes would later be found at 25 feet. A misty smoke hung in the air from the jet fuel that had set the woods on fire.

Pilot stood on a slight rise that went above the crater, but not high enough where he could see the bottom of it. The day was clear and warm, he said. A Pennsylvania state trooper helicopter patrolled above, tasked with identifying onlookers trying to get near the site.

“When you drove in there were state troopers posted about every 75 feet. They were trying to keep people out of the crash area, but some still slipped in and they were using the helicopter to help find them and get them out of there.”

A sense of shock and disbelief permeated the scene. It came from asking how an entire passenger jet could hit the ground with such force that no identifiable part of it remained. It came knowing that similar states of incredulity prevailed in New York and Washington, D.C.

Pilot would spend about seven hours there that day, leaving close to sundown.

From Shoeboxes to War Zones: How Samaritan’s Purse Became a $1 Billion Humanitarian Aid Powerhouse

By

Yonat Shimron and Bob Smietana

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September 12, 2022

NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. (RNS) — Each week, in a hulking warehouse in this small, western mountain town, Samaritan’s Purse employees load semi trailers full of supplies for the people of Ukraine: medicines, food, tarps, blankets, hygiene kits and school bags for kids.

The trucks are then driven 80 miles east to the Piedmont Triad International Airport where they are loaded onto the nonprofit’s DC-8 aircraft specially configured to carry up to 84,000 pounds of cargo. From there the goods are airlifted to Poland and then trucked across the border into Ukraine.

This week, Samaritan’s Purse, headed by evangelical leader the Rev. Franklin Graham, made its 30th airlift since Russia began its offensive against Ukraine in February.

The Christian relief organization estimates it has helped 5.5 million Ukrainians with medicine, food and water. Earlier in the conflict, it also operated an emergency field hospital and outpatient clinic in Lviv, treating an estimated 17,758 patients. It now supports 30 medical facilities across the war-ravaged country.

The organization’s 160,000-square-foot warehouse in North Wilkesboro employs 385 people who buy, repair, maintain and retrofit millions of dollars’ worth of medical equipment, generators and water filtration systems, much of them donated. The warehouse has six emergency field hospitals ready to ship, four with tents, hospital beds, anesthesiology equipment, X-ray machines and surgical suites — all engineered to fold into a plane’s fuselage. There are also miles of plastic tarps, mountains of used clothing and boxes full of small brown teddy bears with the Samaritan’s Purse logo — a cross inside a circle.

Samaritan’s Purse, now in its 52nd year, has become a powerhouse of faith-based international relief.

The sanctuary of Central Baptist Church in Dnipro, Ukraine has been turned into a shelter for Ukrainians fleeing their homes because of the Russian assault. Central Baptist Church receives regular shipments of food and medicines from Samaritan’s Purse. Courtesy of Samaritan’s Purse

Ukraine is now drawing on much of that relief, but in any given year, the organization aids people in 110–120 countries. It sent supplies to Pakistan after unprecedented flooding from monsoon rains this past month. It has a mobile medical team at 11 different sites across civil war-torn Yemen. It is helping farmers in Iraq’s Sinjar Mountains plant strawberries.

And then there are multiple U.S.-based recovery efforts. Samaritan’s Purse volunteer teams recently sawed off tree limbs and cleared damaged homes in Kentucky and Missouri where a rash of disastrous floods ruined homes and businesses.

The nonprofit’s mission is based on the parable of the Good Samaritan as told in Luke’s Gospel, in which a man is stripped, beaten and left for dead on the side of the road. He is rescued, not by those with power or authority, but by an outsider — a Samaritan — who bandages his wounds, takes him to an inn and pays the innkeeper to look after him.

To many, Samaritan’s Purse may be best-known for giving shoeboxes full of toys to needy children around the world. But over the past 10 years, it has grown into one of the largest U.S. faith-based nonprofits, with annual revenues last year of $1 billion.

A review of its annual 990 IRS form shows Samaritan’s Purse’s revenue has doubled since 2014, and its assets have quadrupled. It now ranks at No. 23 in the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s 25 largest U.S. charities, a list that includes mostly non-religious charities.’

Franklin Graham visits Samaritan’s Purse disaster response specialists and programs on the ground in Ukraine. The international Christian relief organization is aiding families impacted by conflict through the operation of medical facilities and distribution of food and other relief items. Courtesy of Samaritan’s Purse

Today, Samaritan’s Purse is in a league with the American Red Cross, Catholic Charities and Lutheran Services in America. In 2020, it surpassed in cash revenue the Christian charity World Vision, with whom it shares a founder: former missionary and evangelist Bob Pierce, Franklin Graham’s inspiration and mentor.

At World Council of Churches Gathering, Russian Church Keeps Its Membership

By

Jack Jenkins

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September 12, 2022

(RNS) — After a sometimes tense week that included passionate exchanges, the 11th assembly of the World Council of Churches approved a statement on Thursday (Sept. 8) regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that denounces the war but does not single out the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, who has been widely criticized for supporting the invasion.

The statement condemned “this illegal and unjustifiable war,” and specifically rejected “any misuse of religious language and authority to justify armed aggression and hatred,” while calling on all parties to refrain from military action around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

But the document produced by the assembly, meeting in Karlsruhe, Germany, is unlikely to satisfy critics who in recent months have called for the group’s leadership to strip the Russian church of its membership in the ecumenical body.

Moscow’s patriarch has already been sanctioned by the United Kingdom because of his rhetoric. The European Union also discussed similar sanctions, but they were reportedly abandoned after Viktor Orbán, the prime minister of Hungary and an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, intervened.

Kirill has spent years outlining what is widely seen as the spiritual foundation for the invasion, inserting a religious justification for reclaiming Russia’s sphere of influence in Ukraine and elsewhere with references to “Holy Rus” or “Russian world.” Earlier this year, hundreds of Orthodox theologians and scholars declared the concept a heresy.

At an opening press conference on Aug. 31, outgoing WCC General Secretary Ioan Sauca, a Romanian Orthodox priest, announced the group’s central committee had rejected efforts by critics to expel the Russian church earlier this year.

“The WCC is a free space for dialogue, and we come together not because we agree with one another but because we disagree,” said Sauca, saying the proposal to expel the Russians was unanimously defeated.

Sauca said he and others had visited Ukraine this year and that observer representatives of Ukraine would be present for the assembly. But in the days that followed, any hope of brokering formal dialogue between the Ukrainians and ROC members during the proceedings appeared to dissipate.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier addressed the assembly Aug. 31, singling out the Russians in his remarks. He noted that while a number of Russian Orthodox priests have spoken out against the war and faced legal action for it, church leaders have actively supported the Russian government’s military actions.

“The heads of the Russian Orthodox Church are currently leading their members and their entire church down a dangerous and indeed blasphemous path that goes against all that they believe,” said Steinmeier.

FILE – Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill applaud during the unveiling ceremony of a monument to Vladimir the Great on the National Unity Day outside the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Friday, Nov. 4, 2016. President Vladimir Putin has led ceremonies launching a large statue outside the Kremlin to a 10th-century prince of Kiev who is credited with making Orthodox Christianity the official faith of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

“We have to speak out, also here in this room, in this assembly, against this propaganda targeting the freedom and rights of the citizens of another country, this nationalism, which arbitrarily claims that a dictatorship’s imperial dreams of hegemony are God’s will,” the president said.

Acknowledging Russian Orthodox delegates in the room, Steinmeier asked that other assembly attendees “not to spare them the truth about this brutal war and the criticism of the role of their church leaders.”

In his own address on Sept. 2, Archbishop Yevstratiy of Chernihiv and Nizhyn of the independent Orthodox Church of Ukraine accused Russian soldiers of atrocities. Two weeks into the war, he said, troops opened fire on unarmed civilians manning a checkpoint just outside of the village of Yasnohorodka, killing a local parish priest who had raised his cross as he tried to protect civilians.

“Today, Ukrainians are the ones attacked by robbers,” Yevstratiy said in his condemnation, invoking the biblical parable of the Good Samaritan. “Do not pass by our suffering and our pain, as the priest and the Levite of the parable!”

Yevstratiy thanked WCC members for speaking out against Kirill’s support for the war and recommended that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which declared itself independent of Moscow in 2018, be granted full WCC membership.

Tensions flared again days later when the proposed statement on the invasion of Ukraine was introduced to the assembly. Roman Sigov, who identified himself as part of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church observer delegation, stepped to the microphone, urging WCC leaders to respond to his group’s submitted comments. (Leaders ultimately accommodated only two minor wording changes in the final document.)

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Small Group Quotes That Motivate … In Less Than 280 Characters

· Too many small groups worry too much about doctrine and too little about building Christian community.

· When a small group leader loses passion for their group the small group loses their passion for group life.

· Great small groups celebrate success, suffer with one another, and expect God to do more than they can do themselves.

· Biblical discussions make disciples. Unresolveable doctrinal debates create a climate of confusion and dysfunction.

· Small group leader, the most important small group member is the one who is in your presence.

· When leading a small group the most important meeting may be the meeting after the meeting.

· Grace demands looking beyond someone’s failure and seeing them as you did before you became aware of their sin.

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· Great small groups celebrate success, suffer with one another, and expect
God to do more than they can do themselves.