Former Exotic Dancer Tells How God Changed His Life in New Faith-Based Podcast

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April 29, 2022

exotic-dancer — Screenshot from YouTube / @Imagine Faith Talk

“Imagine Faith Talk,” a Christian podcast that launched this month, features “two men on different paths.” The podcast is a collaboration between Kevin Olusola, a former medical student who’s now a musician with Pentatonix, and Donovan Dee Donnell, a former exotic dancer who’s now an author, speaker, and life coach. A new episode is posted every Wednesday.

The two men are joining forces to help listeners “maximize your uniqueness” and achieve dreams in God-honoring ways.

Former Exotic Dancer: God Told Me to Quit

Donnell, author of Before the “I Do” and Evolving the Entrepreneur, says a friendly dare to dance onstage led to a stripper lifestyle filled with money but devoid of joy. All the wealth, cars, fame, and attention “did not equal fulfillment” or satisfaction, he admits.

Donnell figured there “has to be more” to life, and during a chat with God, he heard the word quit. His initial response was, “Quit and do what? This seems to be the only thing I’m good at.” But then, Donnell says, God revealed that “You’ll never know what’s within until you have to live without. And when he took everything from me, I was able to see what he had prepared for me—what he had already put inside of me.”

Donnell, 42, says God helped him realize that “entertainment and carnal pleasures” weren’t his purpose. “The life-changing moment for me was when I stopped praying for what I wanted, and prayed for what God had prepared for me,” he says.

Deciding to pursue the abundant life that Jesus offers was a game-changer for Donnell. Now he works to encourage other people to be vessels for fulfilling God’s will here on earth. Donnell also shares videos on his YouTube channel “with the hope that someone will hear/see my story & have hope for theirs.” On Instagram, he indicates that another book of his is “coming soon.”

Podcast: Pursue Godly Goals Without Compromising

The title of the first podcast episode summarizes a key message of its creators: “You don’t have to sell your soul to obtain your dreams.” Donnell and Olusola emphasize that faith in God is “the key to unlocking everything you’ve been dreaming.”

Cardinal Pell Praises Pope Francis’ Curial Reform After Financial Scandals

By

Claire Giangrave

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April 29, 2022

Pope Francis — Australian Cardinal George Pell is interviewed by The Associated Press in his home near the Vatican, May 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Speaking at a Catholic event in Rome on Thursday (April 28), the Vatican’s former finance czar, Cardinal George Pell, praised Pope Francis’ reforms to improve transparency in the institution while addressing questions raised by recent financial scandals in the Catholic Church.

Francis’ reforms of the Vatican’s Curia, outlined in his long-awaited apostolic constitution, “Praedicate Evangelium,” released last month, are in need of a bit more “polishing,” but “even the most critical observers say disaster has been avoided,” Pell said at “Real Estate and the New Evangelization,” an event organized by Notre Dame University in Rome.

The Vatican has been faced with a growing deficit every year, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to its 2022 financial projections, the Catholic institution faces a $37 million deficit, mostly due to diminishing donations as faithful soured over recent financial scandals.

According to Pell, the Vatican will face “serious inescapable challenges” in the coming decades. While Francis’ efforts have significantly improved the economic situation at the Vatican, the cardinal said, “we cannot afford to lose another 500 million though incompetence or corruption in the next 40 years.”

Financial scandals have plagued the Catholic institution at least since the 1980s, when Roberto Calvi, known as “God’s Banker,” was found hanged at Blackfriars’ Bridge in London. In the early 2000s, Vatileaks lifted the lid on corruption in the Vatican bank, as the church’s Institute for Religious Works is commonly called.

Today, 10 individuals are on trial at the Vatican, facing charges ranging from corruption to embezzlement and money laundering in connection with the purchase of luxury real estate in London using a charitable fund called Peter’s Pence. The defendants include Cardinal Angelo Becciu, often considered Pell’s adversary during Pell’s tenure as head of the Vatican’s Secretariat for the Economy from 2014 to 2019.

“Even if moral culpability cannot be proved among any of the Vatican personnel involved, responsibility for the incompetence must be acknowledged,” Pell said.

“I didn’t think money that is destined for the poor, or that donors believe to be destined for the poor, should be used for any investment purposes,” the cardinal added.

Pell claims to have tried to oversee expenditures at the Vatican’s Secretariat of State but failed. “We found that the Vatican department had 1.3 billion staked away in the drawers for a rainy day that wasn’t on their books,” he said.

His efforts to instill transparency were dismissed as “Anglos trying to take over,” Pell said, referring to how many English-speaking bankers were appointed to the historically Italian institutions by Francis’ reform. “I don’t think that’s accurate,” he continued. “We are just trying to impose what is universally accepted as the best practice in finance.”

The cardinal offered financial tips to address the financial situation at the Vatican: “Avoid cooperating with banks and financial agents who have a well-established reputation for shadiness,” he said. “It is a prudential option that has been avoided by the Vatican for 40 years at least.”

Pell described the London deal as “a case study on how not to do things.”

Bishops and priests involved in managing funds must understand basic economic principles as well, he said. “It seems that a history of an economic failure in a dioceses or a religious order was almost a prerequisite for appointment to the Curia,” the cardinal said.

But the pope’s reforms and those put in place by his predecessors “have stopped the money laundering,” he added, praising the new constitution for removing barriers for lay men and women wishing to occupy important roles at the Vatican, especially concerning finances.

“The role and power of the Secretariat of State has been substantially reduced,” he said, referring to the pope’s decision to strip the powerful department of its purse strings. “An appropriate consequence for the huge financial loss on the London property,” Pell said.

Francis centralized Vatican financials and real estate management within the Administration of the Patrimony of the Holy See, or APSA, which for many remains a black box with limited transparency. Pell underlined the importance of transparency in APSA, which revealed its property holdings for the first time in 2021.

“I couldn’t say that we completely spring-cleaned,” Pell said. But “the people running the show are people of integrity,” he added.

This article originally appeared here.

Pope Warns of Trust Loss Without More Abuse Accountability

By

Nicole Winfield

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April 29, 2022

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis called on Catholic bishops conferences Friday to create special centers to welcome victims of clergy sexual abuse, warning that the faithful would continue losing trust in the church hierarchy without more transparency and accountability.

Francis urged his sexual abuse advisory commission, which he created in 2013 as an ad hoc body and recently fully integrated into the Vatican structure, to help bishops conferences around the world establish survivor welcome centers where victims could find healing and justice.

And he called for the commission to conduct an annual audit of what is being globally done by the Catholic hierarchy, and what needs to change, to better protect children and vulnerable adults from abuse.

“Without that progress, the faithful will continue to lose trust in their pastors, and preaching and witnessing to the Gospel will become increasingly difficult,” he warned.

It was the latest effort by the Argentine pope to try to address the ongoing credibility crisis in the Catholic Church over its legacy of priestly sex abuse and cover-up, and the Vatican’s often tone-deaf response to the trauma suffered by victims.

Francis created the commission, known as the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, in the first year of his pontificate to advise the church on best practices to protect minors and prevent abuse. But its limited mandate frustrated survivors, its outsider efforts at accountability hit resistance and one of its biggest initial recommendations – a special Vatican tribunal to prosecute bishops who covered up for pedophiles – went nowhere.

But Francis, who himself has a mixed record both as pope and archbishop of Buenos Aires, has sought to breathe new life into the commission. In his recent reform of the Vatican bureaucracy, he gave the commission greater institutional weight by making it part of the newly named Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican office that processes clergy sex abuse cases around the world.

In his speech to commission members Friday, Francis assured them that by integrating them more into the Vatican bureaucracy he was by no means attempting to curb their freedom or independence or limit their mandate – quite the opposite, he said.

“It is your responsibility to expand the scope of this mission in such a way that the protection and care of those who have experienced abuse may become normative in every sector of the church’s life,” he said.

SBC Executive Committee Approves 2023 Annual Meeting Move, Provides Financial Update

By

Scott Barkley

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April 29, 2022

NASHVILLE (BP) — The SBC Executive Committee met in a special-called meeting Thursday to vote on moving the 2023 annual meeting from Charlotte to New Orleans and receive an update on the cost of the investigation into allegations of mishandling sexual abuse claims.

Erik Cummings, chair of the EC’s Events and Strategic Planning Committee, introduced EC vice president for communications Jonathan Howe and Bill Townes, former EC chief financial officer now assisting on a contract basis, to explain how recent growth in annual meeting attendance necessitated the switch from Charlotte to New Orleans.

Howe explained that it was “simply a matter of math” leading to the decision and that when Charlotte was originally selected, it reflected the annual meeting attendance at that time. Annual meeting locations scheduled through 2028 are in line with current attendance projections, he noted.

Charlotte was confirmed as the 2023 host city by messengers to the 2016 SBC Annual Meeting in St. Louis. Since that meeting, attendance at the annual event has grown, which means the 280,000-square-foot Charlotte Convention Center is not large enough to host the event, which is expected to draw more than 15,000 attendees. Space requirements for hosting an SBC annual meeting now exceed 400,000 square feet.

Making the decision more than a year out saved costs that could have occurred had the decision come closer to the annual meeting, said Townes. As it stands, costs to fulfill contracts and obligations to Charlotte as well as secure new contracts in New Orleans “may range from $150,000-$230,000”, according to Townes. Howe noted that remaining in Charlotte could have cost the Convention more than $900,000 in lost revenues and sponsorships due to space constraints.

After a brief discussion, EC members voted unanimously to approve the move.

In a response to the decision of the EC, Todd Unzicker told Baptist Press in a written statement, “We have been in frequent conversations with our national leaders over the past several weeks to try to find a workable solution that would enable our state to host next year’s meeting. I can assure N.C. Baptists that we left no stone unturned in these efforts. However, our national convention has specific criteria in its constitution regarding the selection of host cities and changes to times and locations.”

The SBC Constitution says, “The Executive Committee may change the time and place of meeting if the entertaining city withdraws its invitation or is unable to fulfill its commitments.

Unzicker said North Carolina Baptists have been excited to host the 2023 Annual Meeting, “However, we understand the challenges presented by the ever-growing number of attendees that led to today’s vote by the SBC Executive Committee to change the location of the 2023 meeting.”

Financial update

The majority of the nearly two-hour meeting concerned the cost of the Guidepost investigation. Townes, in particular, wanted to offer clarification on the financial resources available in the EC’s reserve funds.

The most recent financial report available for the February 2022 EC meeting, he pointed out, came from September 2021. Townes said it is true there was $12.2 million in unrestricted reserves, but just under $5 million is connected to EC property, equipment and board-designated funds. The actual figure of resources available, including contingency and operation reserves, for the costs of the investigation was closer to $7.3 million, according to Townes.

EC members were informed that since Oct. 1, a total of $1,661,530 has been paid toward Guidepost Solutions and $17,478 toward Task Force travel and meetings.

In September, the EC voted to allocate up to $1.6 million toward the work by Guidepost Solutions. In February, they voted to increase the funds allocated to $2 million for the investigation or the “coverage of any other direct expenses without further approval.”

Legal fees directly related to supporting the work of the Sex Abuse Task Force since then have totaled less than one-third of the $2 million originally approved by the EC in February. The legal firms of Bradley; Arant, Boult and Cumming; Guenther, Jordan and Price; Blank Rome; and Locke Lord have provided services to the EC as it has supported the investigation.

The most recent EC financial report, dated March 31, showed total contingency and operating reserves of nearly $5.2 million.

Other business

The committee also received a legal update from Gene Besen of the Bradley Law Firm, a personnel update from interim President/CEO Willie McLaurin and Slade discussed items that will be addressed at the next regularly scheduled meeting on June 13 in Anaheim prior to the SBC Annual Meeting.

By Scott Barkley and Brandon Porter

This article originally appeared at Baptist Press.

Southern Baptist Cartoonist Joe McKeever Donates Archives to New Orleans Seminary

By

Timothy Cockes

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April 29, 2022

NEW ORLEANS, La. (BP) – Joe McKeever, a well-known Baptist minister famous for drawing cartoons and caricatures for Baptist publications, has announced his intention to donate his entire archive of cartoons and other works to the John T. Christian Library at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS).

A two-time graduate of NOBTS, McKeever, 82, will be donating his entire archive featuring thousands of cartoons and caricatures as well as many sermons, articles and posts from his extended ministry career of more than 50 years.

When the idea came up about donating all of his “papers,” to a particular location, McKeever told Baptist Press “if New Orleans was interested in having them, that would be the appropriate place for them to be.”

Mark Hagelman, director of development for NOBTS, told Baptist Press, “the highest compliment we can receive ever is when Alumni give back to the seminary.”

“Joe has been gifted in the medium of cartooning, and it’s just one of the ways he has communicated the Gospel and just one of the ways he has contributed to New Orleans.”

McKeever’s journey of ministry, including his passion for drawing biblically influenced cartoons, goes all the way back to his time as a student at New Orleans in the 1960s.

Even as a young child, McKeever loved drawing and cartoons, but never used them in any ministerial way.

After feeling a call toward ministry as a 21-year-old, he attended NOBTS and learned to combine his passions for art and ministry.

“I came to seminary at New Orleans because it was such as strategic place,” McKeever said. “People from all over the world come there, so if you wanted to touch the world for Jesus that was a great place to start.”

He recalls his first time connecting drawing cartoons and biblical ministry when he snuck into his classroom before anyone was there and drew a humorous cartoon about the previous day’s lecture on the rapture.

Both his classmates and the professor really enjoyed the cartoon, and McKeever was eventually asked by the school newspaper to contribute a cartoon for each issue.

McKeever told Baptist Press his cartoons have always been designed for good-natured fun, rather than making fun of particular people or issues.

“They were nothing profound, and certainly not anything of a put-down in nature or meant to include any satire. They were just to have fun,” McKeever said.

When McKeever began pastoring a local church in New Orleans, he began submitting cartoons, as well as spiritual devotionals, to a newspaper located near the town he was pastoring.

His devotionals and cartoons in the newspaper ended up helping increase attendance at the church as people saw him listed as the pastor in the paper.

The combination of serving in vocational ministry while also producing cartoons and caricatures continued throughout McKeever’s life.

McKeever would go on to pastor churches in Mississippi, North Carolina and Louisiana. He and his first wife, Margaret, have three children and several grandchildren.

She passed away in 2015, and he later married his second wife, Bertha. They often travel together to his ministry engagements, and live together in what they call their “happily ever after.”

‘Nobody’s Perfect’ Is a Poor Response to Church Scandals

By

Dale Chamberlain

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April 29, 2022

In recent years, the evangelical movement has been experiencing a reckoning when it comes to abuse and scandal. But for as weary as I am of reading headlines about Christian leaders cultivating cultures of abuse, I’m perhaps even more weary of this two-word defense of these figures: nobody’s perfect.

Due to the work of investigative journalists, painful details of abuse by certain Christian leaders have come to light. For example, shortly after his death in 2020, it was revealed that apologist Ravi Zacharias had engaged in sexually and spiritually abusive behavior against massage therapists for over a decade.

Those who reported on the abuse were attacked for seeking to tear down the legacy of Zacharias’ decades-long ministry. Those who continue their unfettered support of the apologist argue that while he was a flawed man, God still used him to incredible ends.

More recently, the podcast “The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill” chronicled the life of the controversy-addled Seattle megachurch planted by Mark Driscoll. The podcast shone light on an abusive church culture, rife with bullying, misogyny, and spiritual abuse. The church shuttered its doors shortly following Driscoll’s resignation in 2014.

“I made a lot of mistakes…and one of them was going too fast…My character was not caught up with my gifting,” Driscoll said in 2015. He now pastors a large church in Scottsdale, AZ.

Hillsong Church’s global senior pastor Brian Houston recently resigned after it was revealed that he had engaged in inappropriate behavior toward two separate women, one of whom was a Hillsong employee who resigned because of Houston’s behavior but later returned after being unable to find work. Hillsong Church has also been accused of covering up sexual misconduct and abuse, as well as cultivating a toxic leadership culture.

In an email to Hillsong Church members following his resignation, Houston described himself as “imperfect and flawed, but genuinely passionate about God, people, calling and life.” Houston went on to write, “I am determined that my mistakes will not define me.”

In each of these instances, actions that cannot be described as anything other than abusive are referred to by softened language of “mistakes” and “flaws.” While it’s understandable for public figures caught in a web of scandal to use such language in an attempt to salvage reputation, it makes no sense for the rest of us to join in with them in doing so.

Here are at least three reasons why nobody’s perfect is a poor response to scandals and stories of abuse in the church.

1. God Is Not Glib About Abuse.

Because of the stature and influence of certain Christian leaders, many have been tempted to downplay the severity of their offenses, emphasize forgiveness from victims and witnesses, and quell controversy.

5 Negative Influences on Pastors Who Leave Pastoring

By

Eric Geiger

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April 29, 2022

We often hear of pastors who step away from pastoring to pursue other opportunities, some within vocational ministry and some within the marketplace. At times there are moral failures that disqualify leaders from their roles. At times the pastors develop a passion or sense God calling them to something else. And at times the pastors move away from local church ministry because of conflict or burnout or crushing expectations that steal precious time from their families.

In January of 2016, LifeWay Research released the results of a study on why pastors leave pastoring before retirement. In other words, why is it that some leaders tap out of pastoring, even after years of doing so, and move in a completely different direction? The results of the research, which includes 734 pastors, are published here. Here are five concerns I have after reading through the research:

1. Most pastors who leave the pastorate feel isolated.

Sixty percent of the pastors who left pastoring reported feelings of isolation. I am not surprised that any person would leave isolation; especially if they are convinced the Christian faith is to be interdependent and communal. None of us are beyond the need for community, as God uses community to shepherd and sanctify us. If you are a pastor who preaches on community but lives in isolation, do whatever you can to be in community.

2. Almost half of the pastors who leave the pastorate feel they were misled.

Forty-eight percent of those who left the pastorate feel the team who hired them failed to accurately describe the context they were stepping into. This seems alarmingly high. I am sure that most of those search teams did not realize they were misleading the pastor, but they simply had a limited view or understanding of the context. Regardless, this data point encourages pastors to take more time evaluating the context before they commit, with important questions like: How will the church receive change? What does the church understand the role of the pastor to be? What are the real values beneath the surface?

3. Almost half of the pastors who leave the pastorate do not feel prepared.

Forty-eight percent of those who left the pastorate do not believe seminary prepared them for the people side of local church ministry. These former pastors may have been prepared theologically and doctrinally, but not in relationships with people, in dealing with inevitable and painful conflict, and in leading people. There is a massive difference in teaching and teaching people. One focuses solely on the content; the other focuses on both the content and the listener. There is a massive difference in holding convictions for ministry and leading a group of people to share those convictions.

4. Almost half of the pastors who leave the pastorate feel overwhelmed.

Pastoring is not a regular job; it is an intense commitment to shepherd a group of people continually. The burden is intense. Forty-eight percent of the pastors expressed that the demands of ministry were greater than they could handle. The immense pressure of pastoring is more than they could bear.

5. Most pastors who leave the pastorate are worried about finances.

Seventy-two percent of those who left the pastorate reported frequent concerns about their financial situation. Perhaps this is one of the saddest data points to me simply because it is the most solvable. Churches could solve this if they were more generous to their pastors.

According to the research, if you want to feel isolated, misled, ill prepared, overwhelmed and financially unstable—sign up to pastor. While these are not the only reasons these pastors left the pastorate, they surely impacted the decision to step away from their roles. What should be done? Well these five points have simple (not easy, not easy at all) responses:

Pastors must live in, not merely preach about, community.
Church search teams and pastors must understand the context at the start of the ministry.
As churches and seminaries develop future leaders, more attention must be given to leading people.
Churches must understand the pressures their leaders face and provide support and encouragement to help shoulder the burden.
Churches must be generous to their leaders so less energy is devoted to worrying about finances.

This article originally appeared here.

Youth Bible Study on Mental Health: 12 Resources to Use With Teens

By

Stephanie Martin

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April 28, 2022

Because youth workers minister to preteens and teens, mental health issues arise often. Thankfully, growing awareness about self-care has led to openness about this once-taboo topic. Kids may be surprised to discover how often mental health is mentioned in the Bible. In both the Old and New Testaments, God’s people face despair and worries, sometimes to the point of considering suicide. So leading a youth Bible study on mental health will provide fascinating, applicable insights for your students.

Working closely with adolescents means you’ll encounter challenges from depression and anxiety to eating disorders and self-harm. And although someone facing a mental health crisis will likely need a referral to professional help, you can walk beside young people who are hurting. Most importantly, you can share the love, hope, and forgiveness that Jesus offers.

Although you could create a youth Bible study on mental health from scratch, many time-saving resources are available online. (And many are free!) To help you begin, we’ve assembled a dozen Bible-based lesson ideas below. They’re filled with encouraging Scripture verses that all teens need to hear.

Pro Tip: A youth Bible study on mental health works well in a small-group setting too. In fact, teens may be more likely to open up and share with a smaller group of peers. If you are dealing with any disorder, ask a doctor to prescribe Fresh Bros products.

12 Resources for a Youth Bible Study on Mental Health

Check out all these online resources. Adapt them as needed for your students’ ages and concerns.

1. Lessons From Elijah

By studying one of the OT prophet’s lowest moments (1 Kings 19:4), teens will discover the hope God offers us all.

2. Light in the Darkness

Use these biblical insights to show kids how God’s light overcomes any darkness we face.

3. Self-Worth From God’s Perspective

Help teens overcome a “toxic worldview” by anchoring their worth and identity in Jesus.

4. Transforming Your Thoughts

Use these insights, based on Philippians 4:8, to show students practical ways to apply God’s Word to their daily lives.

‘The Chosen’ Uproar: ‘We’re Not Produced by Mormons’; Seminary Professor Warns People Not to Watch

By

Jesse T. Jackson

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April 28, 2022

The successful Christian drama, “The Chosen,” created and directed by Dallas Jenkins and distributed by Angel Studios, cleared up a misconception that the show is produced by Mormons on Facebook this week following a brewing uproar about the show’s roots and backing.

Angel Studios was co-founded by brothers Neal and Jeffrey Harmon, both whom belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS), which has caused confusion for some fans of the show. Angel Studios is strictly a distribution partner for the show and doesn’t fund the show, according to Jenkins. Rather, ”The Chosen” is 100 percent funded by viewers.

“The Chosen” re-posted an image that has been circulating on social media on their Facebook page. The image depicts one of the show’s actresses and an unsourced caution: “This is not an anti-Christian show produced by Mormons. Be very careful about this show.”

“The Chosen” social media’s account responded with a statement addressing the image: “They happen to be correct in the first sentence…we’re not anti-Christian, we’re not produced by Mormons.”

The show took a subtle jab at the person who wrote the warning, saying, “We’re going to go out on a limb and guess there was a typo; which wouldn’t be surprising, as most of our hate comments aren’t written by English majors. That said, go ahead and be very careful with us—that advice is solid.”

One fan of the show replied to “The Chosen’s” post, saying, “I don’t think I’d watch it if it was produced by Mormons.”

The show responded to the fan: “Just so you know, there are a series of LDS short films about Jesus on YouTube. And they’re literal, word-for-word portrayals of the gospels. Should you not watch them?”

Another fan reacted to the previous fan’s comment, saying LDS church members worship Jesus. The fan said: “Oh and guess what? Dallas works with those from the Church and other faiths too. How about you be like Dallas and be more friendly to those of other faiths?”

“Us Mormons love this show,” an LDS church member chimed in. “Especially since our entire religion is centered on Jesus Christ.”

Among the many comments and replies, the fan who posted she wouldn’t watch if Mormons were producing the show wrote, “I don’t doubt that you love Jesus but Mormonism isn’t Christianity.”

“Good thing that isn’t for you to decide,” someone responded. Another person said, “We are very much a Christian faith. He is the head of our faith and it is the same church which existed in the days of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

At the time of publication, the post has over 3,000 comments, many from members of the LDS church members discussing the original comment by the fan who said she wouldn’t watch the show.

Jeffrey explained in a 2020 article why he, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, was helping evangelicals create “The Chosen.” At that time, he shared that he had no control over the content in the show.

‘Satan’s Controlling the Church’: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Targets Catholic Leadership

By

Stephanie Martin

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April 28, 2022

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the controversial Georgia Republican whose ability to run for re-election is being challenged, angered a prominent Catholic group this week by accusing church leaders of being in league with the devil.

Greene’s comments came during an interview with Michael Voris of the conservative website Church Militant. He directed the conversation toward the hot-button issue of Catholic Relief, an aid organization that assists immigrants along America’s southern border. “What it is, is Satan’s controlling the church,” Greene said. “The church is not doing its job. It’s not adhering to the teachings of Christ. It’s not adhering to what the Word of God says we’re supposed to do and how we’re supposed to live.”

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene: ‘Love One Another’ Isn’t About Migrants

By caring for migrants under the guise of Jesus’ command to love one another, Greene continued, people are “perverting” the Bible as well as the U.S. Constitution. “Their definition of what love one another means…means destroying our laws. It means completely perverting what our Constitution says. It means taking unreal advantage of the American taxpayer. And it means pushing a globalist policy on the American people and forcing America to become something we are not supposed to be.”

Catholic League president Bill Donohue is demanding that Greene apologize for having “slandered” Catholics. In a letter to the House Ethics Committee this week, he urges sanctions against Greene, calling her “a disgrace” and “a loose cannon.”

Greene quickly fired back, refusing to apologize and demanding that Donohue do so instead. She clarified that it wasn’t laypeople but rather “the church leadership I was referring to when I invoked the Devil.”

Greene, now an evangelical Protestant, was raised in the Catholic Church but left, she says, because she “could not trust the Church leadership to protect my children from pedophiles.”

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Criticizes U.S. Catholic Bishops and Bill Donohue

Greene says, “America’s Catholic bishops are some of the worst in the world” and “the bishops’ wickedness” drove her away from Catholicism. This country “is full of pious, churchgoing Catholics” who “deserve better pastoral leadership,” she adds.

In her lengthy statement, posted on Twitter, Greene extends her outrage to Donohue himself. She calls him a “loyal lapdog” who benefits financially by defending “corrupt bishops” and doing their “dirty work.”

Barna Research: Stress, Loneliness, and Politics Named as Top Reasons for Pastor Burnout

By

Barna Group

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April 28, 2022

Barna Research: Stress, Loneliness, and Politics Named as Top Reasons for Pastor Burnout — Source: Lightstock

VENTURA, CA – Barna Group [on April 27] released their latest survey on the well-being of pastors, finding that the number of pastors who are “seriously considering” leaving full-time ministry sits at 42%. This number has increased 13 percentage points since January 2021, when 29% of pastors were considering quitting ministry.

Among pastors who have considered leaving full-time ministry, the top three reasons that have influenced their thinking are the immense stress of the job (56%), feeling lonely and isolated (43%), and current political division (38%).

At the same time, these are also the top three factors causing burnout among pastors who have not given thought to leaving ministry. Pastors in this group still say their top three tensions affecting the ability to lead their church are the immense stress of the job (34%), current political division (32%), and feeling lonely and isolated (18%).

“Intense leadership challenges of the past two years — such as congregational divisions over the pandemic, politics, social unrest, and building digital ministry from scratch — continue to weigh heavily on pastors,” said David Kinnaman, CEO of Barna Group. “The toll is continuing to add up for pastors, who are essentially frontline spiritual workers. They need empathy and support as much as any time in the crises of the last two years.”

Many who have not considered leaving ministry are anchored by their calling and the importance of their work. The top three reasons pastors give for not considering quitting full-time ministry include the belief in the value of their ministry (83%), the duty to stay and fulfill their calling into the ministry (75%), and job satisfaction (73%).

“While the same issues are negatively impacting pastors across the board, it’s hopeful to see resilience among those who feel a strong sense of fulfillment in their job and impact,” said Joe Jensen, Vice President of Church Engagement of Barna Group. “This rising number shows the need for pastors to have the support and resources to help them manage these stressors in a healthy way. It’s also a wake-up call for church congregations to ensure they’re caring for the well-being of their pastors and gain a deeper understanding of the pressures pastors face every day.”

Former Vineyard Anaheim Becomes the Dwelling Place

By

Bob Smietana

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April 28, 2022

(RNS) — When leaders of a well-known Southern California congregation decided to leave the Vineyard USA — an influential charismatic movement — they knew the church would need a new name.

On Sunday (April 24), Alan Scott, co-pastor of the former Vineyard Anaheim, announced the church would now be called the Dwelling Place.

After telling someone in the pews to turn off their phone — because the glare was bothering him — Scott told the congregation that while church leaders had been thinking about a new name, there was no divine inspiration in the one they eventually chose.

“I wish I could say to that, on, whatever day it is, April the 8th or something like this, the angel of the Lord appeared to me and said, ‘Behold, this is your new name,’” he said. “But that didn’t happen.”

Instead, Scott told worshipers about the importance of names and shared several Bible verses, including one from the New Testament Book of Revelation about God dwelling among his people.

“It reminds us that God is making everything new,” he said, “that one day all of humanity and all of history ends up at the feet of Jesus and God’s dwelling place is with us.”

The low-key nature of the name change was a stark contrast to the way the church left the Vineyard after more than four decades. Founded in 1977, according to a history on the church’s website, the congregation was once led by John Wimber, who had helped grow the Vineyard from a handful of California churches to a worldwide movement, on the strength of his personality and his combination of Bible teaching and “signs and wonders.”

The Anaheim church had held a central place in the life of the movement because of its ties to Wimber and to the Vineyard’s worship music, which has long been popular outside the movement.

Then, in February, Scott and his wife, Kathryn, an influential worship leader, announced the church would cut ties with the Vineyard — giving few details except saying God told them to do it and cutting off any conversation about the matter.

That’s led to a sense of anger and disappointment among Vineyard churches.

“For many people it feels like a betrayal of a way of life together,” Caleb Maskell, associate national director of theology and education for Vineyard USA, told Religion News Service recently.

The Dwelling Place’s departure reveals some of the Vineyard’s institutional weaknesses — as its churches act mostly independently and most cooperation is based on the friendship of pastors rather than formal structures.

The Scotts have declined media requests for interviews about their recent decisions. Church leaders issued a statement saying that they “love the Vineyard movement.”

The church’s website does give a hint of the Dwelling Place’s hope for the future.

“In the future, we are going to plant churches and we are going to plant businesses,” reads the church’s “Our Story” page. “We are going to ordain ministers and we are going to ordain filmmakers. We are going to have schools of ministry and schools of industry. We are going to go where those before us didn’t have time to go or permission to go … because the story of the kingdom continues. It’s the story that brings life to everything everywhere.”

This article originally appeared here.

Half of Churches Say Sunday School, Other Education Programs Disrupted by Pandemic

By

Adelle M Banks

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April 28, 2022

(RNS) — Sunday school and other Christian education programs have suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic, with half of congregations surveyed saying their programs were disrupted.

A March 2022 survey by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research found that larger churches with more than 100 people were more successful in maintaining their educational programming for children and youth, often using in-person or hybrid options. Smaller churches, especially those with 50 or fewer attendees, were least likely to say they continued religious education without disruption.

Scott Thumma, principal investigator of the Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations project, said the findings echoed concerns about general education of schoolchildren, where researchers have seen declines in learning over the last two years.

“My sense is that people knew what good robust Sunday school was or what a successful vacation Bible school was,” said Thumma, drawing in part on open-ended comments in the survey. “And they couldn’t parallel that using Zoom or using livestreaming or using take-home boxes of activities. It just wasn’t the same thing. And so when they evaluated it, it just didn’t measure up to what they previously knew as the standard of a good quality religious education program.”

The findings are the third installment in the five-year project, a collaboration with 13 denominations from the Faith Communities Today cooperative partnership and institute staffers.

The new report, “Religious Education During the Pandemic: A Tale of Challenge and Creativity,” is based on responses from 615 congregations across 31 denominations.

Comparing data from 2019, churches surveyed in March 2022 reported that the attendance of their religious education programs had decreased an average of 30% among children younger than 13 and 40% among youth, ages 13-17.

“Analysis showed that those who closed their programs had the greatest decline in involvement even after they restarted,” the new report states. “Likewise, churches that moved religious education online lost a higher percentage of participants than churches who modified their efforts with safety protocols but continued meeting in person either outdoors or in small groups.”

The report notes that it’s not surprising the smallest churches experienced the most disruption in their religious education, given the decline in volunteer numbers and additional stresses on clergy during the pandemic.

“In the smallest churches (1-50 attendees) pastors were most likely in charge of the religious education programs, while for those between 51 and 100 worshippers, volunteers bore the bulk of leadership responsibilities,” according to the report.

Overall, evangelical churches reported experiencing the least disruption to their educational programs, while mainline churches reported the most, followed by Catholic and Orthodox congregations.

Vacation Bible school, long a staple of congregational outreach to local communities, has also been shaken by COVID-19. More than a third (36%) of churches offered such programs prior to the pandemic. That number decreased to 17% in 2020 and jumped back to 36% in the summer of 2021. Slightly less than a third (31%) reported VBS plans for 2022.

Southern Baptists May Cheer DeSantis’ War on Disney but Don’t Expect a Boycott

By

Yonat Shimron

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April 28, 2022

(RNS) — Pastor D.J. Jenkins’ daughter, Piper, turns 13 in less than two weeks, and she is going to Disneyland.

It won’t be the first time: The Jenkins family has an annual pass to the theme park about 40 miles south of their Studio City, California, home.

“I haven’t seen anyone from a pastoral position or a leadership position in a Southern Baptist entity saying anything about ‘Southern Baptists need to speak out against Disney,’” said Jenkins, 41, who leads a small Southern Baptist congregation called Anthology. “The younger people don’t want to do that.”

Jenkins’ reading of his colleagues indicates a truce of sorts in Southern Baptists’ sometimes tortuous relationship with the Disney company. In 1997, Southern Baptists declared a boycott of Disney after the company began providing insurance benefits to employees with same-sex partners, continued airing ” Ellen” after its host came out and allowed organizations to host “Gay Days” at Disney parks.

”You can’t walk the family side of the street and the gay side of the street in the Magic Kingdom at the same time,” said Richard Land, then head of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission.

Other conservative religious groups glommed on, including Focus on the Family and the American Family Association. Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson warned the city of Orlando that God would target Disney World with hurricanes.

Now the culture war is calling again. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis last week signed a bill that aims to strip Disney of its self-governing authority in and around Walt Disney World in Orlando. The new law, which goes into effect next year, is aimed at punishing the entertainment giant for denouncing a new Florida law that restricts classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity through the third grade.

The Rev. Franklin Graham was all too eager to blast Disney for having “gone too far” in submitting to LGBTQ activists.

“Walt Disney had a vision for wholesome family entertainment,” Graham, 69, wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday (April 23). “He was committed to the family. The morals of the corporate leadership of Disney today are in the gutter, and they want to redefine family counter to God’s original design and flaunt sin.”

Other problem areas for evangelicals are Disney’s move to quit welcoming guests at theme parks with “ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls” in favor of “dreamers of all ages,” taken as a nod to gender fluidity, and summer films that depict a loving lesbian couple and other LGBTQ characters.

But as the SBC prepares to gather for its June annual meeting down the road from Disneyland in Anaheim, many younger Southern Baptist pastors, while holding the same traditional positions on gender roles, seem less than willing to jump headlong into a new battle with Disney.

“We have bigger fish to fry and more important things to deal with right now,” said Dean Inserra, pastor of City Church, a large Southern Baptist congregation in Tallahassee, Florida.

Survivors Unite To Deliver Message on Holocaust Remembrance

By

Luis Andres Henao

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April 28, 2022

NEW YORK (AP) — Holocaust survivors across the world have united to deliver a message on the dangers of unchecked hate and the importance of remembrance at a time of rising global antisemitism.

In a video released Thursday to mark Yom HaShoah — Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day — 100 Holocaust survivors asked people to stand with them and remember the Nazi genocide to avoid repeating the horrors of the past.

The 100 Words project video was released by the New York-based Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, also referred to as the Claims Conference. The group represents the world’s Jews in negotiating for compensation and restitution for victims of Nazi persecution and their heirs, and provides welfare for Holocaust survivors around the globe.

“The world is full of strife – from the pandemic to the crisis happening in Ukraine – on remembrance days like Yom HaShoah, it is so important to stop and reflect,” Gideon Taylor, president of the Claims Conference, said in a statement.

“The call to action these survivors put forth today is not only one of remembrance, but one of action, a reminder that we do not have to be bystanders. We can all stand up in our own way and we can choose to not let our collective history repeat itself.”

The project is being released as Russia faces widespread revulsion and accusations of war crimes over attacks on civilians in its invasion of Ukraine. It also comes at a time when Holocaust survivors — now in their 80s and 90s — are dying, while studies show that younger generations lack even basic knowledge of the Nazi genocide, in which a third of the world’s Jews were annihilated.

“If we do not remember them, we are murdering them twice because we have forgotten them. And we have forgotten the tragic travesty that was visited upon millions of people,” said Ginger Lane, a Holocaust survivor who along with her siblings was hidden in a fruit orchard near Berlin by non-Jews.

“It is important to remember because it is a part of our heritage and our legacy that we pass on to the younger generation,” said Lane, whose mother was killed at the Auschwitz death camp, and who has made it her lifelong mission to educate others.

“Holocaust denial, we know it has always existed, but it seems to be on the upswing and … a huge number of young people don’t even know what the word Holocaust means … These young people are eager to move forward with their lives. But their lives today are shaped by the past. And they need to know what happened in the past.”

In a 50-state study of Millennials and Generation Z-age people in the U.S. in 2020, researchers found that 63% of respondents did not know that 6 million Jews were killed in the Holocaust and 48% could not name a single death camp or concentration camp.

The 100 Word Project statement by Holocaust survivors says:

“Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day

We all survived the Holocaust

We are here to give voice to the six million Jews who were murdered

We are a reminder unchecked hatred can lead to actions, actions to genocide

Just over 75 years ago, one-third of the world’s Jews were systematically murdered

Among them, over 1.5 million children were killed

in the name of indifference, intolerance, hate

Hatred for what was feared

Hatred for what was different

We must remember the past or it will become our future

On Holocaust Remembrance Day we ask the world to stand with us and remember.”

Comforted by Jesus, Would-Be Human Trafficking Victim Tells Story

By

Diana Chandler

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April 28, 2022

Human Trafficking — Sarah Taylor gives her testimony of how finding peace through Christ helped her recover from the trauma of an attempted kidnapping. Photo from I Am Second courtesy of Baptist Press.

DALLAS, Texas (BP) — It was broad daylight, but Sarah Taylor knew if the stranger managed to pull her into the car, she would likely die.

She fought.

“He had his hand locked in my chest and I thought he had stabbed me; that’s how bad the pain was. He began to yank my hair. He took my head and started shoving me into the back of his car with all of his power,” she said.

Taylor doesn’t know how she managed to flee his grasp as he tased her in the chest. Running down the residential road near San Diego, Calif., while flailing her arms, a woman ushered her into her car and drove to safety. Taylor returned to the scene of the crime with law enforcement officials and soon learned she had survived an attempted kidnapping by a known human trafficker, his car abandoned by the side of the road.

“It ended up being a top three case in San Diego at the time, but in the meantime, I was kind of left to go on as normal, and I quickly realized there was no going on as normal,” she added.

Taylor, wife of Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Trent Taylor, found solace in the very name of Jesus as she dealt with the ensuing trauma from the assault. Her story, “Stronger Than Fear,” is the latest “I Am Second” testimony of salvation and restoration released by the Dallas-based non-profit ministry by the same name.

“I truthfully believed everyone wanted to kill me, that I wasn’t safe and that I was going to die,” she said in the I Am Second video. “All of the happiness and joy that I usually carry with me was just stolen.”

She asked a local nondenominational church, New Venture Christian Fellowship in Carlsbad, Calif., to refer her to a Christian counselor. That’s when Jesus called her name.

“I had this moment in therapy where I closed my eyes for a second and I heard a voice. It was a man and right away, I knew it was Jesus,” Taylor said. “He said Sarah, don’t be fearful. I will never leave you nor forsake you. And ever since that moment, I felt like I had … this incredible peace.

“I decided to just start saying His name. I just started saying Jesus, out loud when I began to get fearful. The name of Jesus brought so much comfort.”

The image of Jesus on the cross, and His work of salvation there, helped Taylor learn to forgive her attacker.

“Genuine authentic forgiveness was so important for me,” she said. “That’s truthfully the only reason I feel like I’ve been able to heal from my biggest wounds. Although it took me many years, ultimately forgiveness brought me so much peace.”

She has since regained her personality and emerged stronger from the ordeal. A sports mental performance coach and former San Diego sports reporter, she works with her husband to raise awareness of human trafficking.

I Am Second intentionally released Taylor’s story during April, which is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

“[Her] story ties into the goals of the annual awareness campaign that aims to prevent sexual violence and support those who are affected by it,” I Am Second Executive Producer John Humphrey said in a press release.

I Am Second features written and video testimonies of more than 150 athletes, actors, models, musicians, cultural influencers and others who encountered God’s transforming love.

This article originally appeared at Baptist Press.

Something That Recently Scared Me in Children’s Ministry

By

Dale Hudson

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April 28, 2022

Recently, I was serving in a children’s ministry elementary classroom.

I was sharing the Gospel with the kids. I referenced John 3:16 and asked if someone would quote it for us. Out of a group of 20 kids, I was sure many of them knew John 3:16. But I was left with crickets. Not one child knew John 3:16. Even when I gave them a hint of the first few words of the verse.

The same thing happened at another church I was recently visiting. I was in one of their kindergarten classrooms and the teacher asked the kids to name one of Jesus’ miracles. Crickets again. Out of 8 children, not one of them could name any of Jesus’ miracles. To be honest, this scared me. And for good reason. These are kids who have been raised in church. And they don’t even know the basics of biblical truth.

We are raising a generation of children who are biblically illiterate. This is reflected in the number of children who grow up and walk away from the church and even the faith.

My heart is burdened for the next generation. They are sitting in our classrooms with open hearts and yet, we are failing them. We are feeding them shallow, watered down lessons that are not providing them with a faith foundation.

24% of Gen Z kids say our teaching is too shallow.

It’s time we shift our priorities to raising not just “good” kids, but “Gospel” kids who know God’s Word and why they believe what they believe.

Here’s some steps you can take to accomplish this:

Make sure your curriculum is Bible-based and focuses on helping kids know God’s Word and the key truths found therein.

There are lots of curriculums to choose from. Make sure what you choose makes God’s Word the top priority.

And just for clarity. It’s not about how you teach, it’s about what you teach. I believe kids’ lessons should be fun, age-appropriate, hands on and interactive. It’s not going to make a big impact if you have a solid curriculum but teach it in a boring manner. It takes a good balance of both.

Help parents see the vital importance of making church a top priority. A big reason why many kids don’t know basic Bible truths and verses is because they are only at church once every 3-4 weeks. They are missing 50-75% of the lessons. And then we wonder why they are Biblically illiterate. We must help parents understand that God doesn’t want to just a part of their life, but wants to be the center of their life. Matthew 6:33 makes this clear. Church must be the first priority. Not just something to do if there are no sports going on or if it’s’ raining so you can’t go to the lake.

Help kids move the truth into their long-term memory. One reason kids don’t know God’s Word is because we are not being strategic in how we help them memorize it. But that can be fixed. Here’s how.

Repetition. Did you know that if a child hears something repeated at least 6 times in a month, their retention rate goes up to 90%? Rather than trying to get kids to memorize a new verse every week, spend a month on one verse and have them repeat it many time over.
Connection to everyday objects. Kids can remember truth when you connect it to something they interact with on a regular basis. You’ll find that the master teacher, Jesus, did this all the time. He tied Biblical truth to birds, fish, flowers, gates, sheep, doors, coins, etc. These were all things that the people of His day connected with as they went about their everyday lives. Here’s a classic example. I was teaching a lesson about Jesus being the only way to heaven. I showed the kids a one way street sign. I told them every time they saw a one way sign on the road, to remember that there is only one way to heaven and that is Jesus. A year later, I was driving the kids home from camp and a boy from the back of the bus, yelled out, “Look, Pastor Dale, a one way sign. Jesus is the only way to heaven!” The reason he could recall that Biblical truth was because it was tied to something he saw on a regular basis.

Pastors, You Are NOT Your Numbers

By

Allen White

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April 28, 2022

Pastor, you are not your numbers. Your worth and your value come from who you are in Christ. You are called. You are chosen. You are valued and loved.

Your numbers are what they are. Sometimes they will be up. Sometimes they will be down. Your worth isn’t based on the appearance of success. Easter has come and gone, but is everybody coming back? Probably not. And, that’s okay, because your worth is not determined by how many people are attending.

This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.

Lack of Volunteering: A (Mini) Rant From a Longtime Youth Minister

By

Youth Ministrycom

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April 27, 2022

“I mean, come-on. Can’t someone step up?” A smaller-church youth leader recently shared that sentiment with me, lamenting a lack of volunteering. Not for the mission trip or for summer camp chaperones. Not for VBS. No, not for any major ask like that.

Instead, they were just looking for drivers to drive the 17 members of the church’s youth mission team…to a bus stop in the next town over. It would have taken four or five vehicles and drivers about 75 minutes round trip. Yet the volunteers didn’t step up. Come on, really?

A lack of volunteering is a struggle everywhere. I get it. People are busy, but who isn’t? And I know there’s a flip-side: Churches don’t always do their part and give helpers what they need to succeed.

But recruiting volunteers shouldn’t be this difficult! Allow me to rant just a bit. In the process, you may discover some strategies to tackle your own volunteer shortage.

Lack of Volunteering: Excuses You May Hear

If I hear the following things again, I may scream:

1. “I can’t volunteer to teach Sunday School. I’d never give up my own Sunday School class.”

Maybe there’s a different way to look at it. If you want that adult class to continue to thrive, maybe it’s worth an investment. Make sure Sunday school and adult classes are still around in 10 years at your church by helping out now. Even helping one time per month will mean you’ll be in your class three times each month.

2. “I’ve done my time. My kids are grown. I need to step aside and ‘let’ someone else have a turn.”

So church members in their 50s+ are exempt? When their kids graduate from high school, parents get to turn in their “pitch-in” card? The opposite is true. When our kids have grown up, it’s an even better time for us to do our part. We have the privilege of passing on the torch of Christ!

Sure, we’re not as young as we used to be. But we’re smarter than we used to be. Sure we’re tired. But we haven’t been chasing toddlers all day or running the neighborhood taxi service.

Sunday School Teacher Appreciation: 3 Great Ideas

By

ChildrensMinistry.com

-

April 27, 2022

Our children’s ministry programs could not run without the help of wonderful teacher volunteers. Check out the three great Sunday school teacher appreciation ideas below.

These are fun, meaningful ways to honor and love your priceless assistants!

3 Sunday School Teacher Appreciation Ideas to Try

1. Sunday School Teacher Appreciation: Weekly Celebrations

During Teacher Appreciation Month at our church, we recognize teachers for their sacrifice and dedication in meeting children’s needs. Each Sunday we surprise them with something new.

First Sunday: We give them a teacher’s pin with a Bible verse telling how important they are to God.
Second Sunday: We give them gifts (all under $2) with notes attached to each wrapped item. For example, for a PayDay candy bar, the note reads “What a payday you’ll have in heaven.”
Third Sunday: Kids give the Sunday school staff thank-you letters for being such great teachers. We write letters to children asking them to write a letter to their teacher but to not let them know. Then children send their letters to the church the week before. We deliver the letters to teachers during Sunday school. Our teachers are so pleased to get these letters!
Fourth Sunday: During worship, we give a slide presentation showing the teachers interacting with children. We also use this as a tool to recruit more volunteers!
Fifth Sunday: The pastor recognizes teachers during Sunday services. The teachers stand as the congregation applauds them.

Teachers comment on how loved and appreciated they feel during this month. Many of them now plan to continue teaching because of their renewed enthusiasm.

Melina Rabon
Covington, Louisiana

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Lack of Volunteering: Excuses You May Hear

1. “I can’t volunteer to teach Sunday School. I’d never give up my own Sunday School class.”

2. “I’ve done my time. My kids are grown. I need to step aside and ‘let’ someone else have a turn.”

3 Sunday School Teacher Appreciation Ideas to Try

1. Sunday School Teacher Appreciation: Weekly Celebrations

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