‘Maybe We Don’t Want to Encourage It’: Citing Faith, Five MLB Players Nix Pride Logos

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June 10, 2022

Five members of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team made headlines last weekend not for their on-field performance but for their uniform choices. The MLB players, all pitchers, opted out of wearing Pride Month rainbow patches on their jerseys and caps. They cited their faith as the reason but emphasized they welcome and love everyone.

Manager Kevin Cash told reporters the decision sparked discussions in the locker room but isn’t dividing the team. He also expressed support for the organization’s Pride Night, now in its 16^th year.

Tampa Bay Rays Pitcher Jason Adam: We’re ‘Not Judgmental’

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Jason Adam admitted the decision was tough but largely boils down to faith. The five players want people to “know that all are welcome and loved here,” he says, “but when we put it on our bodies, I think a lot of guys decided that it’s just a lifestyle that maybe—not that they look down on anybody or think differently—it’s just that maybe we don’t want to encourage it if we believe in Jesus, who’s encouraged us to live a lifestyle that would abstain from that behavior, just like [Jesus] encourages me as a heterosexual male to abstain from sex outside of the confines of marriage. It’s no different.”

Adam continues, “It’s not judgmental; it’s not looking down. It’s just what we believe the lifestyle [Jesus has] encouraged us to live, for our good, not to withhold. But again, we love these men and women.”

In addition to Adam, the other pitchers who opted out are Jalen Beeks, Brooks Raley, Jeffrey Springs, and Ryan Thompson.

On OutKick.com, Gary Sheffield Jr. applauds the players for “standing up for their faith.” He writes, “Hard to argue against players wanting freedom to express themselves based on their religious backgrounds.”

Sheffield adds, “Maybe this is how life should work? We aren’t all bullied to share black squares or flag patches to be viewed as quality human beings. We have nuanced discussions like adults that lead to a [healthier] environment.”

Critics: Decision Marginalizes the Gay Community

Rays fan Matt LaBarge says the players who opted out not only were “a distraction…from what gay pride is” but also did harm with their comments. Referring to Adams’ explanation, LaBarge says, “By using the word ‘behavior,’ it’s implying that [homosexuality is] a choice. That’s the talk of marginalization, and I couldn’t agree with that.”

Bryan Ruby, an openly gay player with the Nashville Stars, says the pitchers’ decision “was an indication that a lot of people still believe that we just don’t belong there and that we are not welcome and, even on Pride Night, we’re still second-class citizens.”

Douglas Wilson Responds to a Video by John Piper’s ‘Not Desiring God’ Son

By

Jesse T. Jackson

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June 10, 2022

douglas wilson abraham piper — Screengrab via YouTube @Canon Press

Douglas Wilson, pastor of Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho, recently broke down one of the “Christian bashing” videos of popular TikTok influencer Abraham Piper.

Christ Church is a megachurch known for attempting to strategically turn Moscow into a Christian town, and Piper is the son of influential author, pastor, and theologian John Piper.

Wilson featured the video in his “Doug Reacts” series on YouTube. This isn’t the first time Wilson has used one of Piper’s videos; last year, he discussed the agnostic’s calling fundamentalism intolerable. During that video, Wilson jokingly suggested to his audience they should smoke some pot, so they might be able to understand what Piper was trying to communicate.

In Piper’s recent video, the once Christian, turned prodigal, returned Christian, then deconstructed agnostic discussed how someone can determine standards of right and wrong.

“Christians will be like—some Christians—if you don’t believe in God, how do you have a standard about right and wrong,” Piper said. “To which I say, I don’t know. I used to feel like, oh [explicative], that’s kind of a good point—but it’s not. It’s not a good point.” Piper then explained that he doesn’t know where his standard of right and wrong comes from and argued that this is true for everyone.

Wilson paused the video and reworded Piper’s comments into what he believes he was really trying to say: “So I don’t know where my standard of right and wrong comes from. I have nothing to base what I’m about to say. I’ve got no foundation for what I’m about to say. And what I’m about to say is going to condemn all you Christians.”

“In other words,” Wilson continued, “I don’t know anything, except that you’re wrong. I don’t know anything, except that you’re wrong.”

Wilson then asked how Piper could state that no one can know how they got their standard of right and wrong if he doesn’t know anything, saying, “How do you know something about everything, if you don’t know anything about anything?”

“If you are an agnostic, how do you keep this true agnosticism from spiraling downward into nihilism [the belief that life is meaningless, rejecting all religious and moral principals],” Wilson said. “You can’t say ‘I don’t know,’ [and then say,] ‘let me tell you what I know,’ [which is], ‘I don’t know anything and let me tell you how I achieved this wisdom.’”

Piper then told Christians they are using God as a middleman if their moral standards come from Him, saying, “You don’t know where your standard of right and wrong comes from. Saying that you get your standard from something else doesn’t make it more objective. It just means you’re using a middleman.”

Sexual Abuse Task Force Modifies Recommendations in Advance of the Annual Meeting

By

Scott Barkley

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June 10, 2022

SBC Sexual Abuse Task Force — Photo courtesy of Baptist Press.

NASHVILLE (BP) – Changes to the recommendations that Sexual Abuse Task Force members will present to messengers at next week’s SBC annual meeting will address the nature of third-party investigations at the church level, including funding and action toward churches that refuse to respond to an accusation.

The changes came after hearing from Southern Baptists in the days following the initial presentation of the recommendations, said SATF Chair Bruce Frank in a video on June 8.

“We are super grateful to receive valuable feedback from pastors to entity heads to lay leaders,” he said. “Your task force has been hard at work to take that feedback and use it to strengthen our recommendations.”

The changes were made to clarify questions and concerns around funding and polity, Frank said. “The goal of all the recommendations is to help churches and entities make wise decisions for the glory of God and the good of people.”

A $4 million gift through Send Relief – rather than Cooperative Program dollars – will fund the reforms in the first year. In addition to the development, three key changes address future third-party investigations.

One clarification is that those investigations will be launched by the local church or other Baptist body, rather than giving the impression of a top-down approach. Churches or groups requiring financial assistance to hire an outside firm will be able to apply for grants that will be limited to funding.

The changes also note the potential situation where an abuse survivor requests a third-party investigation but a church or Baptist body refuses to cooperate. That can result in the church being submitted to the Credentials Committee for consideration of disfellowshipping.

Marshall Blalock, SATF vice-chair and pastor of First Baptist Church in Charleston, S.C., and SATF member Andrew Hebert, pastor of Paramount Baptist Church in Amarillo, Texas, went into more explanation on the changes with TAB media.

At one point in the interview with Jennifer Rash, editor of The Alabama Baptist, the group discussed the term “credibly accused” and how a third-party investigation would arrive at that determination of an individual.

“That ‘credibly accused’ standard is the one that’s used in our civil courts,” said Hebert. “That is a higher standard, by the way, than what Guidepost recommended. Our task force listened to Guidepost but then made our own recommendation that increased the standard to what is called the ‘preponderance of evidence,’ which is a civil court standard.”

“Multiple levels” of assessment and review on the Ministry Check website as well as through the Credentials Committee, not to mention an appeals process, would make it extremely difficult for a false accusation to get through, he said.

With the Send Relief funding set through the first year, the Executive Committee will gather this fall to assess future funding, said Blalock. “We’ll know a little bit more then about the actual cost and these kind of things.”

Blalock also spoke to the controversy of Guidepost’s tweet in support of gay pride, how it could impact its report and the way it can shape a future working relationship with the SBC.

He was complimentary of Guidepost’s work and the individuals assigned to the SATF.

“They understood what we were about as Southern Baptists,” he said, adding that those individuals were Christians and Baptists. A sub-contracted group, he shared, was made up of members of a Southern Baptist church in Chattanooga.

“They were invested in our goal. They don’t hold to our worldview as a company, but the people they assigned to us were folks who we believed would do a good job.”

Expressing disappointment at the tweet, Blalock stood by Guidepost’s work and the responsibility of Southern Baptists to respond to it.

“The report they gave us is credible. We don’t think that tweet does harm to what they gave us. At the same time, we don’t have confidence to recommend them in the future at this point.”

This article originally appeared at Baptist Press.

As Camps, VBS Approach, ‘Plan Way Ahead’ to Prevent Abuse

By

Timothy Cockes

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June 10, 2022

abuse prevention — All camp staff with Lifeway camps like CentriKid are required to complete training through MinistrySafe.

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) – With the recent release of the Guidepost Solutions report investigating the SBC Executive Committee’s handling of sexual abuse claims, safety and sexual abuse prevention are on the minds of Southern Baptists.

Many congregations are exploring ways to make their churches safe from abuse, particularly with the approach of summer camps and Vacation Bible Schools.

Kimberlee Norris is co-founder of MinistrySafe, an organization that provides training and resources for churches and other organizations aimed at keeping their environments safe.

Norris told Baptist Press it is important for churches to understand the unique risks that come with overnight environments and to investigate specifics about their camp of choice.

“The risk of child sex abuse from adult to child and also from child to child is inherently higher in overnight contexts, especially in programs that involve water as things can be less easily seen,” Norris said.

“There is also the added issue of churches using a facility while other different groups are there, as you do not know what kind of training or policies they might have. Churches should be asking questions of the camp they utilize about what they are doing to prevent child sexual abuse.”

MinistrySafe has camp-specific training for the prevention of sexual abuse, and it provides all of the training related to safety and sexual abuse prevention for the Christian Camp and Conference Association.

All camp staff with Lifeway camps are required to complete training through MinistrySafe.

Norris said there are also inherent risks involved with summertime activities at churches, such as VBS.

“The risks that come with summertime VBS environments are going to revolve around a few different things,” Norris said. “These risks include new children coming to a church’s ministry that adults may not be familiar with and VBS ministries being heavily volunteer-based. …

“Churches must realize [that] for the period that the child has been put into our care, we are responsible for that child’s heath, welfare and safety until that child is back in the hands of their parent. We have to protect those children from other adults and other peers as well.”

The first positive step ministry organizations can take in this area, regardless of what type of activity, is to properly train staff and volunteers, she said.

Cardinal Adviser to Pope Francis Says Resignation Rumors Are ‘Cheap Soap Opera’

By

Claire Giangrave

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June 10, 2022

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — In an interview published Wednesday (June 8), Cardinal Óscar Andrés Rodríguez Maradiaga dismissed rumors circulating in the media that the pope might resign as nothing more than “a cheap soap opera.”

According to Maradiaga, who advises the pope within the Council of Cardinals, news reports suggesting Pope Francis’ physical decline will soon lead to a new conclave are “fake news” perpetrated by outlets located primarily in the United States, where, he added, the pope notoriously faces “strong opposition.”

“He has never thought about (resigning),” Maradiaga said in the interview with Spanish news outlet EFE. Maradiaga is coordinator of the Council of Cardinals, also known as the Council of Cardinal Advisers, who help the pope in the management of Vatican and church affairs, and he is considered to be in the pope’s inner circle.

Numerous articles published recently in major news outlets have attempted to draw conclusions from a conflagration of scheduled events in August, namely a council of cardinals, new cardinal appointments and a visit to the basilica where Pope Celestine V, known for resigning from the pontificate in 1294, is buried.

On Aug. 27, cardinals from all over the world will convene at the Vatican for a ceremony where Pope Francis will make 21 new cardinals and they will discuss the new apostolic constitution, “Praedicate Evangelium,” or “Preach the Gospel.”

Such cardinal summits, or consistories, are rarely held in August, and Vatican insiders had predicted the event would take place in September. The earlier date is fueling speculation that Francis may be in a hurry to cement his legacy. The choice to appoint cardinals — which the pope had done with consistent frequency until the pandemic — has also been interpreted as a sign that he is paving the way toward his successor.

Maradiaga said that instead, the consistory “is proof that the pope is moving forward, he is not going to resign, nor is he sick.” The summit of cardinals will be an opportunity to address “Francis’ great reform,” the cardinal said, adding the pope “is perfectly fine” despite his knee pain and “will continue to govern the church.”

The pope’s physical health has seen a decline ever since he was brought to the Roman hospital Gemelli for a “programmed intervention” in the removal of one side of his colon in July 2021. Since then, Francis’ longtime struggles with sciatica and knee pain have worsened, leading him to cancel events that put a strain on his legs and eventually forcing him to use a wheelchair.

The Vatican has maintained its classic silence concerning the pope’s health and has released no statement on his medical situation or assistance. Pope Francis himself has been dismissive of concerns regarding his health, joking with faithful in St. Peter’s Square on May 15 that “a bit of tequila” is all his knee really needs.

Ex-Members of La Luz Del Mundo Say Naasón Joaquín García Deserves More Than 16 Years

By

Alejandra Molina

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June 10, 2022

LOS ANGELES (RNS) — Detractors and ex-members of La Luz del Mundo say its leader deserved a more severe punishment than the nearly 17-year sentence he received Wednesday (June 8) for sexually abusing young female followers who said he made them his sex slaves.

In court, five young women the pastor was charged with sexually abusing called Naasón Joaquín García “evil,” a “monster” and the “Antichrist.” They urged the judge to impose a longer sentence after García abruptly pleaded guilty to three felonies just before his long-awaited trial was to start.

García, 53, faced a sentence of 16 years and eight months after he pleaded guilty Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court to two counts of forcible oral copulation involving minors and one count of a lewd act upon a child who was 15.

La Luz del Mundo, which claims 5 million worldwide followers, was founded in 1926 by García’s grandfather, Eusebio Joaquín González. The church rejects the concept of the Trinity and teaches that Jesus is God’s son and church leaders, like García, his father and grandfather, are his apostles.

Sochil Martin, who in 2020 sued the church and a dozen of its leaders, alleging decades of abuse, urged for a tougher sentence in a news conference a day before the hearing.

“I was also a victim of Naasón,” she said. “I believe that we won’t be able to sleep or have peace unless we know that this man will be in jail all of his life.”

Outside the courthouse, former members and leaders of the church awaited news of the sentencing.

Hector Vera posted himself outside the Los Angeles Superior Court with signs on June 8, 2022, as he awaited sentencing results for Naasón Joaquín García’s case. RNS photo by Alejandra Molina

Hector Vera, a former deacon of La Luz del Mundo, called García a “false prophet” who deserves to spend the rest of his life in jail. Vera stood outside the courthouse holding signs that read “Life Sentence For Naason” and “This Is The Beginning Of The End.”

“He deserves the full weight of the law,” said Vera, who traveled from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles for the sentencing hearing.

Vera, 60, said he served as a deacon for La Luz del Mundo churches across the country, from Washington, D.C., and Kentucky to Texas and California. He said he left the church in 2003 after his ex-wife began telling him of people who worked as servants to Samuel Joaquín Flores, García’s father, who led the church until his death in 2014.

“I continue to believe in Jesus Christ and I believe in his justice. I don’t believe in men because that’s the error we committed with La Luz Del Mundo,” Vera added.

Detractors have voiced their opposition to García’s sentence on a subreddit, known as EXLLDM, an online community of former La Luz del Mundo members that has been active since about 2017.

How Christian Nationalism Paved the Way for Jan. 6

By

Jack Jenkins

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June 10, 2022

christian nationalism — Tyler Merbler from USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

WASHINGTON (RNS) — On June 1, 2020, then-President Donald Trump marched across Lafayette Square outside the White House, trailed by an anxious-looking team of advisers and military aides. The group shuffled past detritus left by racial justice protesters after a frantic mass expulsion executed by police minutes prior with clubs, pepper balls and tear gas.

The dignitaries stopped in front of St. John’s Church, where presidents, including Trump, have traditionally attended services on their Inauguration Day. St. John’s, which had suffered a minor fire the day before, was closed. But Trump took up a position in front of its sign and turned toward the cameras, a Bible held aloft.

“We have the greatest country in the world,” Trump said. In the distance, sirens wailed.

Washington’s Episcopal bishop, whose diocese includes St. John’s, condemned Trump’s stunt, saying it left her “horrified.” But White House chief of staff Mark Meadows declared he was “never prouder” of the president than in that moment, calling it a rejection of “the degradation of our heritage or the burning of churches.” Trump’s evangelical Christian advisers were similarly effusive, lauding the photo op as “important” and “absolutely correct.”

In retrospect, the “symbolic” message of Trump’s Bible photo op, as he termed it, operates as a bookend to the Christian nationalism on display at the attack on the U.S. Capitol seven months later. It communicated, however histrionically, that the president was leading an existential fight against politically liberal foes calling for a racial reckoning, but at the center of which was an attack on Christian faith. From that moment on, Christian nationalism — in the broadest sense, a belief that Christianity is integral to America as a nation and should remain as such — provided a theological framework for the effort to deny Democrats the White House.

As Trump’s poll numbers dipped the same month as the photo op, his campaign redoubled efforts to stir up support among his conservative Christian supporters. Then-Vice President Mike Pence embarked on a “Faith in America” tour, while Trump conducted interviews with conservative Christian outlets and held rallies at white evangelical churches.

Referring to “American patriots,” Trump told rallygoers at Dream City Church in Phoenix: “We don’t back down from left-wing bullies. And the only authority we worship is our God.”

In August at the Republican National Convention, Trump described early American heroes as people who “knew that our country is blessed by God and has a special purpose in this world.” Pence, in his speech, adapted Christian Scripture by swapping out references to Jesus with patriotic platitudes.

Despite then-candidate Joe Biden‘s public discussion of his Catholic faith, and the overt religiosity of the Democratic National Convention, Donald Trump Jr. told the GOP crowd that “People of faith are under attack” in the United States, pointing to restrictions on large gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yet it was Trump’s religious supporters who did the attacking the final night of the RNC. After leaving the convention’s fireworks-filled celebration at the White House, conservative Christian commentator and Trump loyalist Eric Metaxas was filmed punching an anti-Trump protester off his bike and fleeing into the night, only admitting to the assault days later in an email to Religion Unplugged.

When Southern Baptists Meet Next Week, Anything Could Happen

By

Bob Smietana

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June 10, 2022

(RNS) — Ed Litton, the outgoing president of the Southern Baptist Convention, has a few words of advice for his successor.

Buckle up.

“The thing about the Southern Baptist Convention — and I’ve been doing this a long time — you never know what’s going to come up,” he said.

Starting on Tuesday (June 14), Litton, a longtime Alabama pastor, will preside over the annual two-day meeting of the nation’s largest Protestant denomination. More than 8,200 local church delegates, known as messengers, will gather at California’s Anaheim Convention Center — about 10 minutes from Disneyland — to pray, worship and deliberate.

Likely there will be a few fights along the way.

The 13.7 million-member denomination has been rocked in recent weeks over a report that found SBC leaders had worked for decades to downplay the problem of sexual abuse and protect the denomination while demonizing abuse survivors, treating them as enemies of the church. Southern Baptists have also been divided by the polarization affecting the broader culture, with a group of self-styled conservative pirates hoping to change the direction of the SBC, claiming it has been invaded by liberals, critical race theory and female preachers who are steering the denomination away from the Bible.

In Anaheim, messengers will elect a new president and decide whether to enact a series of reforms aimed at addressing sexual abuse. A task force has recommended spending $3 million to set up a website to track abusive pastors and church workers, provide more training and hire staff to help survivors find help, along with other potential reforms. Messengers may decide to cut ties with one of the largest churches in the denomination, which recently announced plans to hire a female teaching pastor.

Those two days in Anaheim will likely have a profound effect on the future direction of the SBC.

A look at some of the key issues at stake:

Pastor Ed Litton, of Saraland, Alabama, answers questions after being elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention on June 15, 2021, in Nashville, Tennessee. On March 1, 2022, Litton announced he would break with tradition and not seek a second term in the top office. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)

Will messengers approve abuse reforms?

Last summer, angered at reports that SBC leaders had long mistreated abuse survivors, the messengers approved a task force to oversee an investigation into how leaders at the SBC’s Nashville-based Executive Committee had responded to the issue of abuse. Along with releasing a report from Guidepost Solutions, the investigating firm, the abuse task force has made a series of recommendations, including setting up a “Ministry Check” website to track abusers.

If approved, initial funding for the abuse reforms is already in place. On Wednesday, Send Relief, a partnership between the SBC’s International Mission Board and North American Mission Board that does compassion ministry, announced plans to provide $4 million in initial funding for abuse reforms. An earlier plan had called for reforms to be paid for out of SBC’s Cooperative Program, which pools money from local churches for national and international missions.

But complicating matters, Guidepost Solutions, the investigating firm, posted a note on social media in support of Pride Month, prompting claims that Guidepost is a liberal group that should not be trusted. This week, Baptist leaders in Tennessee and Alabama called for Southern Baptists to cut ties with Guidepost, while an abuse task force in Kentucky ceased working with the firm. Along with its work with the task force, Guidepost is overseeing a hotline where SBC abuse survivors can report allegations.

Violence Against Pregnancy Support Centers on the Rise

By

Scott Barkley

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June 10, 2022

NASHVILLE (BP) – An increase in attacks on pro-life centers has led those groups to call for prayer and protection.

On the morning of June 7, Mountain Area Pregnancy Services in Asheville, N.C., shared pictures of vandalism that had occurred at its offices overnight, including threatening messages spray-painted in red and shattered and broken windows around the building.

“If abortions aren’t safe, neither are you!” and “No forced birth” accompanied an anarchist symbol, the Asheville Police Department said.

That act followed at least three others. One occurred over Memorial Day weekend when a pregnancy care center in Hollywood, Fla., was also defaced with similar threats. On June 3 red paint was splashed on the front door of the Capitol Hill Pregnancy Center in Washington, D.C., with the words “Jane says revenge” spray-painted on the building’s side, an apparent reference to Jane Roe, pseudonym of the plaintiff in the landmark Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, which appears likely to be overturned this month. On the same day of the Asheville attack, a Buffalo, N.Y., pro-life center was firebombed and graffiti scrawled on its exterior.

North Carolina Baptists stepped in on the same day of the Asheville attack to offer help, Executive Director Todd Unzicker said.

“We abhor this vile attempt to terrorize a center that cares for women in crisis and works to save pre-born lives,” he told Baptist Press. “Mountain Area Pregnancy Services is a beloved partner to many of our churches in the Asheville area.

“Because of our commitment to stand for life and the generosity of N.C. Baptists, we immediately offered financial assistance to help them recover from this attack. I pray this ministry’s bold Gospel witness shines brighter than ever before in their community.”

The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission likewise condemned the violence.

“Around the country, hundreds of pregnancy resource centers provide medical care, practical resources and save the lives of thousands of preborn children,” said Chelsea Sobolik, the ERLC’s director of public policy. “It is extremely disheartening that violence and vandalism has been perpetrated against these lifesaving clinics. We should all condemn violence in every form, and in this moment, redouble our efforts to support these important centers.”

Vandalism toward pro-life centers increased sharply after a leaked memo last month pointed to an upcoming Supreme Court ruling that would, in effect, reverse Roe v. Wade, the decision that ensconced abortion into federal law.

With that ruling still not public, pro-abortion activists have maintained pressure and threats against pro-life groups. A 26-year-old California man was apprehended outside the home of Justice Brett Kavanaugh on June 8.

The man admitted he had traveled there to kill Kavanaugh, who was at home with his family, before killing himself. He told authorities he was upset over the leaked memo and how he expected Kavanaugh to vote in future cases regarding gun rights. Police recovered a Glock pistol, tactical knife, screwdriver, nail punch, pepper spray, zip ties, pistol light, duct tape, hammer and a crowbar from the man’s pack.

Attorney General Merrick Garland ordered just last month to increase 24/7 protection at the homes of all Supreme Court justices. A June 7 memo issued by the Department of Homeland Security cited the upcoming SCOTUS decision as the impetus for individuals “both for and against abortion” calling for violence on public forums. That violence includes coming against “government, religious and reproductive healthcare personnel and facilities, as well as those with opposing ideologies.”

A bipartisan bill that would expand security protection for immediate family members of Supreme Court justices has stalled in the House of Representatives.

Meanwhile, hours after the arrest thwarting an apparent assassination attempt, pro-abortion protestors gathered outside of Kavanaugh’s home to carry signs and chant pro-abortion slogans.

This article originally appeared at Baptist Press.

R.C. Sproul: The Law of God

By

R.C. Sproul

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June 10, 2022

thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

In giving a summary of what constitutes the true knowledge of God, we showed that we cannot form any just conception of the character of God, without feeling overawed by His majesty, and bound to do Him service. —John Calvin

Yesterday, a man I met for the first time asked me, “And what is the Lord doing in your life?” (Something about how he asked the question, the tone of his voice, and his manner in it disturbed me.) The manner of asking was a bit too casual, as if the utterance was mechanical. I suppressed my annoyance and answered as if the question were sincere. I said, “He is impressing upon me the beauty and sweetness of His law.” The man obviously was not prepared for my answer. He looked at me as though I was from another planet. He visibly recoiled from my words as if I was weird for uttering them.

We are living in an era in which the law of God is not given much attention either by secularists or by Christians. The law, we assume, is a relic of the past, part of the history of Judaeo-Christianity to be sure, but of no abiding relevance to the Christian life. We are living out, in practice, the antinomian heresy.

A recent survey by George Gallup Jr. revealed a startling trend in our culture. According to Gallup the evidence seems to indicate that there are not clear behavioral patterns that distinguish Christians from non- Christians in our society. We all seem to be marching to the same drummer, looking to the shifting standards of contemporary culture for the basis of what is acceptable conduct. What everybody else is doing seems to be our only ethical norm.

This pattern can only emerge in a society or a church wherein the law of God is eclipsed. The very word law seems to have an unpleasant ring to it in our evangelical circles.

Let’s try an experiment. I’m going to cite a few passages from Psalm 119 for our reflection. I’m asking that you read them existentially in the sense that you try to crawl into the skin of the writer and experience empathy. Try to feel what he felt when he wrote these lines thousands of years ago:

Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day (Ps. 119:97).

Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever, for they are the rejoicing of my heart. I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes forever, to the very end (Ps. 119:111–112).

I opened my mouth and panted, for I longed for Your commandments (Ps. 119:131).

Trouble and anguish have overtaken me. Yet Your commandments are my delights (Ps. 119:143).

Does this sound like a modern Christian? Do we hear people talk about longing passionately for the law of God? Do we hear our friends expressing joy and delight in God’s commandments?

These sentiments are foreign to our culture. Some will surely say, “But that is Old Testament stuff. We’ve been redeemed from the law, now our focus is on the Gospel, not the law.”

3 Trends Making an Impact With Today’s Kids

By

Dale Hudson

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June 10, 2022

Gen Z (ages 9 to 24 at the time of this writing) numbers nearly 68 million in the United States. Gen Alpha (ages 8 and under at the time of is writing through the year 2025) will be the largest generation in the history of mankind, numbering almost 2 billion worldwide.

According to research done by the McCrindle company, there are three big trends that are making an impact with Gen Z and Gen Alpha kids. Let’s take a look at these game changers.

Community.

Kids are looking for authentic relationships. They want to feel close to a community of people.

This can be seen in the way they shop. Six-to-nine-year-olds are 25% more likely than the average person to consider community engagement when making buying decisions.

More than anything else, today’s kids are looking for a community of other children who they can have a close relationship with. If you want to each today’s kids, then you need to create opportunities for them to build relationships at church.

Having a small group time as part of your service is crucial. Get kids out of the rows of chairs and into circles of relationships. 6 to 8 kids per group.

You can have the most amazing children’s ministry facilities west of the Mississippi, but that alone will not bring kids back week after week. You can have the most engaging curriculum ever written for children, but without relationships they will not stick around.

Relationships! Relationships! Relationships! It’s the super glue that will keep kids connected to your ministry.

If you want to impact today’s kids, then major on small groups.

Parental Trust.

With all the scandals, abuse, violence, shootings, lack of accountability and hypocrisy, when it comes to their children, parents are cautious about trusting businesses, churches, and organizations.

They will not automatically give you their trust. It has to be earned and that takes time.

Do parents feel safe leaving their children with you at church?

Do you have a security team?

Do you make sure there are always two approved volunteers in a room before you open it?

Do you run background checks and have a thorough on-boarding process for new volunteers?

We know that parents are the greatest influence in their child’s life. That being said, our role as ministry leaders is to build trust with parents. And that takes time and being intentional. But it is key if you want to impact today’s kids by impacting their parents.

Investing in the Next Wave of Leaders

By

Chris Wesley

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June 10, 2022

They looked defeated, yet I was smiling. As the two high school guys from my small group emerged from their room, they exclaimed, “Chris, That Was So Difficult!” I told them that they did a good job and that small group leading is not always easy. They had just had their first experience leading a group of middle school guys and were feeling a little defeated. We sat down for a few minutes to debrief, and at the end of the conversation, they were already for next week.

If there is one thing I love about ministry, it’s forming other leaders. Allowing someone to discover their gifts and drive brings me joy. When I get to do that with the young church, it’s even more satisfying. Right now, the church is in great need of leadership, and therefore, we must start inviting the young church to lead like we never have before. While there is always a place for peer ministry and mission camps, it’s about turning it up a notch and giving them:

OPPORTUNITIES WHERE THEY ARE FREE TO LEAD

One of the reasons I’ve failed at raising the next generation of leaders is because I’ve tried to force them into areas where the people in charge have too much control. It would be best if you found leaders who want to mentor and invest in their leaders. Sometimes that means creating a new ministry, but it’s better to start with opportunities that lead to success.

ADVOCATES AND MENTORS WHO WILL HELP THEM GROW

There are people in your parish that understand that the church needs to always look at who is next in line. These are men and women who know how to listen and are willing to accompany a young person through different scenarios and challenges. They don’t have to serve in the youth ministry directly; in fact, if they are in other parish areas, that’s even better because it’ll spread your influence.

THE POWER TO DELEGATE AND COLLABORATE

On top of giving them responsibility for a specific task, we need to give them the responsibility to lead others. That means putting them in charge of a task where they are providing directives and delegating tasks. A few of those projects could be a brainstorming session for a message series or planning and executing a parish event. You can start with something small, but make sure you surround them with teens and adults who will respect their position despite their age.

As they go through the experience, sit down with them to remind them about clear and consistent communication. Talk them through any interpersonal conflict that may arise during the project. The more we can help teens learn how to delegate and own a project, the better we can equip them to rally a team. By creating better team leaders, we can make sure that the next generation of leaders knows how to collaborate and invest in others.

A PIECE OF THE VISION

Usually, when we talk to teens about serving and leading others, we diminish it to earn service hours and boost their college application. When we do that, we minimize God’s calling for their life. When we talk about raising the next generation of leaders, we are talking about something more than free labor; we’re discussing the church’s future and present status.

Do our teens know that their discipleship and growth as a leader will impact the church’s future? If they did, would they behave differently? If the current leaders in our parish embraced that truth, how differently would the church look?

To raise the next generation of leaders, we need to invite them to serve and invite them to see the big picture. Don’t hold back on sharing with them the vision that God has given you and the Church. Remind them that their contribution to the church matters and that they are a part of something bigger than the world could ever offer.

How are you raising a new generation of leaders in the Church?

This article originally appeared here.

How the Daily Examen Can Anchor You in a Distracted Age

By

Dan Wilt

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June 10, 2022

Every day, up to eight times a day, I silently perform the Daily Examen, a one-to-three-minute spiritual ritual that is—quite literally—changing me. Now in my 50s, I have decided it is the single most vital personal habit I have formed to date. According to my wife, I am becoming a different man. Spiritually igniting, robust yet simple, the habit that is changing me is called the Daily Examen.

The Daily Examen

The Daily Examen is a daily prayer exercise that is integral to the Spiritual Exercises created by Ignatius of Loyola—the founder of the Jesuits (the current Pope Francis is a Jesuit).

The Daily Examen is just one example of Ignatian spirituality and, in particular, the Spiritual Exercises. The Examen is…

…a technique of prayerful reflection on the events of the day in order to detect God’s presence and discern his direction for us. The Examen is an ancient practice in the church that can help us see God’s hand at work in our whole experience” ~ from www.ignatianspirituality.com.

My Journey Out of the Distracted Life

I suffer from what I call EBN—Excessive Brain Noise. At any given moment, a plethora of ideas, impressions, intuitions, conversations, projects, tasks and images are running through my mind.

The waters of my soul, in accord with this, are always stirring and sometimes—in a froth and a frenzy—splashing.

Quietude, awareness of the presence of God, self-awareness of my shifting emotions, attention to the influence of my strengths and weaknesses on my decisions and actions, are often out of my reach.

Over my lifetime, I have discovered and rediscovered some very helpful tools that work for my ongoing reorientation, with the Daily Office (not to be confused with the Daily Examen) leading the pack. However, it took the Daily Examen of Ignatius to bring me to my knees in thanks for a moment-by-moment deliverance from a main enemy of sustainable faith in our time—distraction.

Much of my work and life centers around screens—my laptop, my phone and my apps. The level of daily distraction can cause me to miss hours and hours of reflection as emotions layer on emotions, and distractions feed small-story thoughts that pull me from Christ, slowly but surely.

A Reorienting Rhythm

The Daily Examen is my go-to remedy for that disorientation. I follow the five-step process below that I have now memorized (this is so important), and can scale it from being a one-minute exercise to being a 15-minute exercise.

It is a portable liturgy, a reorienting rhythm, that I do in my bed as I drift off to sleep, wake in the morning, drive in my truck, and walk in my office in between projects and emails.

Meaningful Youth Ministry: How to Make a Lasting Impact on Lives

By

Greg Stier

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June 9, 2022

How committed are you to meaningful youth ministry? And why does that matter?

You’ve seen the statistics and heard the horror stories. Many (if not most) teenagers abandon the church after graduating from high school. The biblical literacy of Christian teens is spiraling downward while the passion for all things worldly is skyrocketing upward. Families are more broken. Teenagers are more apathetic. Youth ministry is more difficult.

So don’t waste your life doing mere youth ministry. Far too many youth leaders are just “doing” youth ministry anyway. They’re playing the latest games, teaching the latest curriculum, and engaging in the latest youth ministry fads.

They float from meeting to meeting, podcast to podcast, and conversation to conversation. Yet they don’t take time to look at the stark, startling picture of their actual impact. In the words of Mark Senter III, they’re so focused on what they’re doing, they’re not taking time to see what’s getting done…

…and they’re wasting their lives as a result.

Pursue Meaningful Youth Ministry

Instead, choose to be a different breed of youth leader. Commit to leading teens toward a different brand of youth ministry, a radical “new” paradigm of youth ministry (that’s actually 2,000 years old!). Choose to pursue meaningful youth ministry.

Your kids are waiting for you to stop wasting your life and their time. They’re tired of just playing games, singing songs, going to camp, and hearing another lesson on self-image, sex, or media choices.

Young people want to be part of a God-breathed revolution. They want to live out a cause that will change their peers and impact their world.

This radical revolution is the very cause of Christ to “seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10) and to “make disciples” who make disciples (Matthew 28:19).

Depict this mission as an epic battle between the forces of God and the armies of darkness for the souls of their peers (because it is!).

Describe it as the ultimate cure to every ill their friends face and every sin their classmates chase (because it is!).

Lakers’ New Coach Darvin Ham Praises God During Press Conference; Credits Christian Upbringing

By

Jesse T. Jackson

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June 9, 2022

Former 8-year NBA veteran Darvin Ham was named the 28th head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers franchise on Monday, June 6.

Ham went undrafted in 1996 but later signed with the Denver Nuggets at the start of the season that year. Ham was known for his powerful dunking style, which broke rims, shattered backboards, and instilled fear in defending opponents’ minds.

The NBA veteran won a championship as a member of the Detroit Pistons in 2004, beating the Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Karl Malone, Gary Payton, Horrace Grant, and the rest of the famous Los Angeles Lakers super-team.

In addition to the Detroit Pistons and Denver Nuggets, Ham also played for the Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards, Milwaukee Bucks, and Atlanta Hawks.

Ham started his NBA coaching career in 2011 as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers under head coach Mike Brown. After coaching for the Atlanta Hawks for a couple of seasons as an assistant, he followed head coach Mike Budenholzer to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2018, helping coach them to an NBA championship in the 2020-2021 season.

Ham replaces Frank Vogel, who was fired by the Los Angeles Lakers after three seasons, having coached them to an NBA championship during the 2019-2020 season. The championship gave the Los Angeles Lakers its 17th NBA championship, which tied it with the Boston Celtics for the league’s most championships by any team.

When Ham was introduced as the Los Angeles Lakers head coach by the franchise’s general manager Rob Pelinka, he immediately gave thanks to God.

“First of all, I want to thank God,” Ham told reporters. “Coming from where I’ve come from—I was raised in a household of a strong spiritual faith—belief in God and His Son Jesus Christ—so I want to start with that.”

Ham shared that everything he’s been able to overcome in life is because of his faith in Jesus Christ, which was instilled in him at a young age by his family.

“Everything I’ve been able to overcome in my life, along with the people around me, it’s been that spirit that was instilled in me as a youngster,” Ham said.

Southeastern Seminary Releases Statement on Leaked Draft of Tom Buck’s Wife’s Abuse Story; Clears Prior, Whitfield of Wrongdoing

By

Dale Chamberlain

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June 9, 2022

On Wednesday (June 8), Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) president Danny Akin released a statement about a leaked article draft written by Jennifer Buck, wife of outspoken SBC pastor Tom Buck, explaining that following an internal investigation, no SEBTS faculty members were found to be involved in leveraging the draft against the couple.

Events surrounding an effort to use the draft as blackmail against Tom and Jennifer Buck have been unfolding for over two months.

On April 7, G3 Ministries, of which Tom Buck is Director of Expository Workshops, published an article written by Jennifer Buck, wherein she described struggles from the early days of the couple’s nearly 35-year marriage, as well as how they experienced restoration and healing.

On April 11, Baptist News Global (BNG) published a report painting that article in a different light. Revealing that they had come into possession of a 2018 draft of the article wherein Jennifer Buck provided further details of abuse she endured prior to her marriage to Tom, BNG reported that the Bucks were living under the threat of that draft being publicly leaked.

Following the report, Tom Buck stated that the threatened leak was an act of retaliation against him for privately confronting fellow SBC pastor and then SBC presidential candidate Willy Rice about a member of his deacon board who had, in Rice’s words, “committed a sexual sin that could also be described as abusive.” While Rice knew about the deacon’s misconduct when the church installed him, he did not interpret that misconduct as predatory until after Buck confronted him.

Rice withdrew his name from consideration for the SBC presidency shortly after publicly disclosing the situation and removing the deacon from the board in accordance with a 2021 SBC resolution that states those guilty of sexual abuse are permanently disqualified from pastoral leadership.

Though Rice and Buck are part of groups within the SBC that hold opposing visions for the denomination and Buck did not support Rice’s presidential bid for those reasons, Rice said that Buck had handled the situation with integrity and according to biblical standards of accountability.

On the same day Rice publicly disclosed the situation involving his church’s deacon (April 1), Buck was contacted regarding the possible leak of Jennifer’s draft in a clear act of retaliation. Since that time, Buck has been trying to ascertain the identity of the person threatening to leak it.

An April 19 statement published by Buck’s church further explained that Tom and Jennifer had given the draft to SEBTS professor Karen Swallow Prior—who was a professor at Liberty University at the time—so that she could help edit it in 2018. Due to injuries sustained in a freak accident shortly after receiving the draft, Prior was not able to offer editorial guidance.

Sometime prior to April 1 of this year, an unnamed party reached out to Prior via another SEBTS professor, Keith Whitfield, seeking to authenticate a leaked version of the draft. Prior refused to confirm the draft’s authorship, and Whitfield and Prior urged against a public release of the draft.

Johnny Hunt’s Church To Suspend His Role as Pastor Emeritus After Allegations of Sexual Abuse

By

Jesse T. Jackson

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June 9, 2022

On Friday (June 3), First Baptist Church Woodstock (FBCW), the church where Johnny Hunt served as pastor for over 30 years, released a letter to church members stating their intent to suspend Hunt’s role as pastor emeritus following credible allegations of sexual abuse against him revealed in Guidepost Solution’s report.

Guidepost’s investigation took place at the request of SBC messengers at last year’s annual meeting. The report was released on May 22, and along with other findings, detailed a sexual encounter Hunt had with a pastor’s wife in 2010.

Johnny Hunt Accused of Sexual Abuse

The woman described the sexual encounter with Hunt as non-consensual, alleging that the former SBC President abused her by fondling her chest, pulling down her shorts, and kissing her. In the report, Hunt denied having any physical contact with his accuser but later released a statement to FBCW admitting to having an inappropriate encounter with the pastor’s wife. Nevertheless, he said, “It was not abuse nor was it assault.”

Hunt resigned as SBC’s North American Mission Board’s (NAMB) Senior Vice President of Evangelism and Leadership on the same day Guidepost’s report was released by the Sexual Abuse Task Force.

FBCW’s Pastor Addresses Guidepost’s Report; Hunt’s Abuse

FBCW pastor Jeremy Morton’s sermon on May 29 spoke to Hunt’s alleged sexual abuse.

Morton took over lead pastor duties in 2018 after Hunt stepped down to serve NAMB. Under Hunt’s leadership, FBCW grew from 1,000 to 19,000 church members.

During his sermon, Morton told FBCW that he voted alongside 15,000 other messengers to have the investigation done, saying, “What’s done in the light is done right. Let’s not be negligent about our convictions, particularly our conviction to honor and to protect women and children.”

Morton made it clear to his congregation that the investigation was not a result of a liberal drift in the SBC, a claim he referred to as misinformation.

“Southern Baptists were proactively trying to get our house in order based on public rumblings across the denomination. Let me be as clear as I can be. This was not a woke mob. This was not a witch hunt. This was not a group of liberals trying to take down the convention. If you say this, you are misinformed,” Morton said. “We, the people, allowed and called for this investigation to occur. No one anywhere can honestly say with integrity Southern Baptists are woke liberals. This is nonsense. Our theology of Scripture, eternity and mission is overwhelmingly clear.”

“I am heartsick and uncomfortable talking about the report’s conclusion, especially on a Sunday morning in a public venue,” Morton shared. “The details are disturbing and heartbreaking. Nothing can prepare you for the hellishness that has been documented.”

In his recap of the Guidepost report, Morton said, “It breaks my heart as a daddy before it breaks my heart as a pastor,” explaining that a Baptist Press reporter shared with him “that over the last 25 years, around 400 Southern Baptist ministers have been arrested or charged with sex crimes involving minors. They estimate some 1,000 minors are known to be victims. These are just the ones that are known from public records. These are just the ones that involve minors. This does not include the number of pastors who have preyed upon adult women.”

Last fall, Morton preached a sermon wherein he implored men, especially those in powerful positions of authority, “to go to every length imaginable to honor and protect women and children—to walk in integrity, humility, transparency, and honesty.” Morton also made a plea to any women who had been a victim of abuse to contact law enforcement and/or reach out to leadership within the church.

ERLC Panel: God’s Design Vital in Addressing Sexual Ethics

By

Tom Strode

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June 9, 2022

Sexual Ethics — Katie McCoy, director of women’s ministry at the Baptist General Convention of Texas, participated in an ERLC-hosted webinar called "“Discipling Your Church for a World in Sexual Crisis” June 7. The webinar was hosted by Jason Thacker (left), ERLC’s chair of research in technology ethics. Screen capture

NASHVILLE (BP) – Holding to God’s design in creating human beings provides a way forward for Christians during the current crisis regarding sexuality, speakers at a Southern Baptist-sponsored webinar said Tuesday (June 7).

The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) hosted an online event – “Discipling Your Church for a World in Sexual Crisis” – that featured a pastor, women’s ministry leader and seminary professor, all Southern Baptists. The hour-long webinar touched on such issues as gender dysphoria or confusion, transgender identities, sexual abuse, same-sex marriage and cohabitation, while addressing how Christians and churches should respond to these and other questions regarding sexual ethics.

Andrew Walker, associate professor of Christian ethics and apologetics at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, told the online audience, “If we are going to see ourselves out of this mess, we need to recapture the idea that there are … universal truths consistent with our design as human beings.”

This idea presumes “there is actually a composite, fixed human nature, and so, right now, we as Christians are some of the last, few people who will defend that concept of human nature,” he said. “And I think that we need to double down and plant some flags and be the champions of the fact that we have a fixed human nature and that it can be actually, objectively known, that who we are isn’t actually a mystery.”

Katie McCoy, director of women’s ministry at the Baptist General Convention of Texas, said issues such as transgender identities demonstrate a conflict in the culture – “that identity is self-created versus identity is God-given.”

The culture says the human body “is something that is basically irrelevant to human identity or at least incidental and that our sexuality would then be without purpose or without design that would guide us in how to use it,” she said.

According to the Bible, “the body is a distinct aspect of what we are, but what our culture would say is it is a divisible aspect of who we are. It is something that you can divide from your true self and then determine your own identity completely separate from your body,” McCoy told the webinar audience.

Dean Inserra, lead pastor of City Church in Tallahassee, Fla., said pastors and churches need to provide clarity on sexuality while being compassionate, including with Christians who struggle with same-sex attraction.

“Let’s be clear about what God’s design truly is and the greater purpose of it,” Inserra said. Marriage is a visible portrait of the union of Christ and His church, he told participants. A sexual relationship is reserved for a man and a woman in a marriage, he said.

“Heterosexuality is not the goal,” Inserra said. “Holiness is the goal. And so I want them to be following Jesus. What does that look like? It means they have the same exact standards that I do when it comes to sexuality.

“God’s will is your sanctification, that you keep yourself from sexual immorality.”

The online discussion followed the May 22 release of a report from Guidepost Solutions’ independent investigation that found some of the SBC Executive Committee’s leadership mishandled allegations from sexual abuse victims. It also uncovered additional claims of abuse.

The Church and Mental Illness: We Are Called to Care

By

Amy Simpson

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June 9, 2022

church and mental illness — Image credit: Adobe Stock

It felt like an earthquake, the ground suddenly moving underneath us. When the quaking stopped, everything—and everyone—had changed… and the aftershocks would continue for decades. Only this was a different kind of shaking.

I was only 14 and my family was rocked to its foundation when my mother suffered a severe and disabling psychotic break. After that day, her illness could no longer be hidden; her symptoms could no longer be dismissed as quirks of personality. Eventually, she was diagnosed with schizophrenia, an apt explanation for her long history of challenges with cognitive functioning, emotional expression, and relationships. Her diagnosis was a helpful point of reference for the future as we walked through the harsh effects of her illness: delusions, paranoia, religious confusion, panic attacks, numerous hospital admissions, homelessness, criminal conviction, and even prison time.

My dad was a pastor until I was 13. After that we were committed laypeople, involved in a strong church that, like many, was in over its head when facing my family’s crisis. I had been in church my entire life and never heard mental illness mentioned in a sermon, youth group meeting, or any other theological conversation. So when mom’s breakdown created a spiritual crisis for me, I didn’t feel I could discuss my questions with anyone. That door just wasn’t open.

Destructive Beliefs

After growing and healing, I have written extensively about mental illness and the Church’s response, including the book, Troubled Minds: Mental Illness and the Church’s Mission. I regularly speak on the topic and have opportunities to hear from many people who have experienced mental illness personally and in their families. Although many of these individuals feel alone in their trouble, they share common experiences, questions, and needs.

For many, a mental illness—theirs or a loved one’s—cuts right into the way they see themselves, God, and their community of faith. Here are some common myths people need the Church to contradict:

“God has rejected me.” Painful thoughts and feelings convince people God has walked away from them because they did something unforgivable or do not have enough faith.
“My life is worthless now.” Although a great deal of mental illness can be successfully addressed, with some treatments up to 90% effective, many view a mental health diagnosis as the end of hope for a productive and fulfilling life.
“I’m alone.” Because of the stigma and silence surrounding mental health, many believe their problems are rare and no one can effectively relate to them.
“No one can answer my questions.” When there is little to no theological discussion regarding mental illness and the Church avoids the conversation altogether, many believe the Christian faith has nothing to offer in the face of this trial.
“If I speak up, I’ll be rejected.” Many are hiding in fear, convinced that if they admit to struggling with mental health issues, they will be ostracized… and in some cases, they are right.

Stigma in the Church

Churches, even those that want to help, frequently exacerbate the crisis by perpetuating a sense of shame. Here are some of the ways churches stigmatize mental illness:

They send the message that Christians do not have serious problems. Some churches embrace this idea as part of their core teaching; others suggest it without meaning to.
They perpetuate a misunderstanding and mistrust of psychology. There are outdated notions of psychology and the belief it leads people away from God because it is based on scientific research rather than pure biblical teaching—never acknowledging that every other field of medicine is also scientifically based.
They refer and forget. While it is appropriate for churches to refer people to mental health professionals, abandoning them without proper spiritual care communicates that the Church has nothing to offer in times of real darkness.
They stay silent. When failing to address mental illness as reality, we reinforce loneliness and marginalization and send a message that God offers no help or hope.
They assume all mental illness is caused by demons. This faulty belief undermines legitimate treatment and isolates people who need help.
They claim mental illness is evidence of weak faith or flagrant sin. Some blame people for their suffering, suggesting they are less spiritual and/or more sinful than the rest of us and withhold the grace and hope Christ gives freely.
They propose purely spiritual solutions to medical problems. Some discourage people from seeking medical help and, instead, suggest religious activity or intervention as the solution.

‘Credible’ Charges Against His Pastor Surprise, Sadden Scot McKnight

By

Stephanie Martin

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June 9, 2022

The Rev. Canon Scot McKnight, a professor who has written extensively about Christian living and toxic church culture, has apologized to abuse survivors at the Chicago-area congregation he and his family attend. McKnight says he was “taken by surprise” by what unfolded and is sorry for anything he’s done or written that may have inadvertently “deepened [victims’] wounds.”

Church of the Redeemer, part of the Anglican diocese C4SO (Churches for the Sake of Others), recently learned that accusations of inappropriate behavior against the Rev. Jay Greener were found to be “credible and compelling.”

Days before the independent report was released, Greener resigned from the church, located in Highwood, Illinois. He had been on a leave of absence since December, when allegations came to light.

Scot McKnight Had ‘Admired and Appreciated Jay Greener’

In a July 7 blog post titled “An Apology,” Scot McKnight addresses the investigation and its aftermath. “Our family uniformly admired and appreciated Jay Greener,” he writes—so much so “that he appears in a couple of my books and I want today to apologize to his victims for what we have written about him.”

McKnight includes a brief summary from the report. Then he writes: “To all the survivors of these inappropriate actions (detailed as power, emotional, sexual misconduct) … First, I believe you and what you say. I cannot say this often enough or loud enough: I believe you. Second, I am, and my daughter and I are, very sorry for writing admiring statements about him that have wounded or deepened your wounds.”

McKnight has written more than 60 books, including 2020’s “A Church Called Tov: Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing.” In the preface to his 2019 book, “Pastor Paul,” McKnight writes, “More than anyone else, Jay Greener’s pastoring at Church of the Redeemer has inspired this book. He probably knows…that my occasional scribblings during his sermons are as often as not ‘notes to self’ for this book. Jay—and this comes from the first chapter—pastors people.”

McKnight’s apology post continues: “This tragedy in our church has stopped me in my tracks about using names and personal stories, and it has made me suddenly far more cautious. We continue to wrestle with whether or not there were events or statements we missed that could have tipped us off to any unacceptable abuse.” He ends with a quote from C4SO Bishop Todd Hunter: “Pastors are called to the cure of souls, not to the wounding of souls.”

ChurchLeaders reached out to Scot McKnight, who declined to comment beyond what he had already said in his apology post.

On a 2020 episode of the ChurchLeaders podcast, McKnight spoke about the dangers of toxic church leadership. “We have to develop a ‘people-first mentality,” he said, “and to have a people-first orientation is to know their names and know their stories.”

Report: Accusations Against Jay Greener Were ‘Credible and Compelling’

In a June 2 letter to the C4SO community, Bishop Hunter recaps the 39-page report from Wade Mullen and Pellucid Consulting. After extensive interviews, investigators concluded “that they found ‘credible and compelling’ accusations of inappropriate conduct [by Greener], including the abuse of power, sexual harassment, and alcohol abuse.”

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Community.

Parental Trust.

OPPORTUNITIES WHERE THEY ARE FREE TO LEAD

ADVOCATES AND MENTORS WHO WILL HELP THEM GROW

THE POWER TO DELEGATE AND COLLABORATE

A PIECE OF THE VISION

How are you raising a new generation of leaders in the Church?

The Daily Examen

My Journey Out of the Distracted Life

A Reorienting Rhythm

Pursue Meaningful Youth Ministry

Johnny Hunt Accused of Sexual Abuse

FBCW’s Pastor Addresses Guidepost’s Report; Hunt’s Abuse

Destructive Beliefs

Stigma in the Church

Scot McKnight Had ‘Admired and Appreciated Jay Greener’

Report: Accusations Against Jay Greener Were ‘Credible and Compelling’

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