At the one-year mark of coronavirus-related disruptions in the United States, ChurchLeaders looks back at the massive impact COVID-19 has had on all things ministry-related. Here’s an overview of this historic pandemic, the many ways it has affected pastors and congregations, some lessons and consequences, how it’s reshaped the church, and signs of God’s goodness amid all the hardship.
Prayer is arguably the most powerful force in the world; it is literally life-changing communion with God. Yet, most would agree that prayer is significantly underutilized. Why? Prayer requires energy, focus, discipline, and time. If it was easy, more people would pray, and believers would pray more consistently and perhaps even longer.
There is no law or formula for when or how long you need to pray. However, there is something undeniably powerful about more time with God, hearing His voice, lifting your prayers, and seeing miracles happen.
Prayer is a blessing, not a burden; it’s a privilege, not a pressure. Leaders are not excluded from this conversation. It’s not uncommon for the work of ministry to steal us away from the power of ministry: prayer.
We can become so busy in doing good; we have limited time for communion with God. This is not a new issue, but the longer I lead, the more I realize the depth of the power of prayer.
Prayer is work, but it also brings joy.
Close communion with God through prayer is extraordinary. To be able to talk with the Creator of the heavens and the earth and know He listens, cares, and responds is an extraordinary gift.
God wants us to know Him, invites us to talk with Him, and from there, He empowers our leadership for the sake of His Church.
Knowing the reasons that make prayer challenging helps us breakthrough to a greater level of communion with God.
The heart is drawn toward time with God, but the mind is pulled toward stuff to do. Is this true for you?
That’s the dilemma for most of us leaders.
The reason our work can steal our time with God is that external pressures scream loud and drown out the quiet but true voice of our values and desire to be with the Father.
Jesus is never loud or demanding; He just opens the door and waits.
Our best road to beat the external noise of pressure is to establish a disciplined routine of prayer, which, once established, always becomes a joy that you can’t wait to get to.
It really does!
I have a little prayer room in my basement, and I truly love my time there. It’s like a sacred sanctuary. I’m often tempted to leave quicker than I desire (stuff to do), but the inner peace from the voice of God usually wins!
Prayer is joyful, but it’s not a party. Prayer draws you close to God’s peace and presence, but you also enter a spiritual battle simply by aligning with God.
Ephesians 6:10-18 reminds us that while ministry is grounded in the human realm, it is connected to a battle in the “heavenly realms.”
Battles are work.
It’s not always intuitive to sense the battle because when we soak in the Psalms or meditate through the epistles, it doesn’t feel like a battle. In fact, God’s presence is a delight. However, through the tough times, big problems, discouraging days, setbacks, and suffering, none of which can be avoided, we are reminded of the reality of the battle.
It can be tough to hang in there when your soul is tired, but that’s the time to dig deep and pray more.
It’s also the time to ask your prayer partners to pray all the more for you!
What we pray reveals what we believe. Have you ever prayed long and hard, and it doesn’t seem like God heard you? Or maybe He heard you but doesn’t seem to answer?
We know God answers prayer, but because it’s not always like we hoped or when we wanted, it’s human to wonder if God is with you.
Doubt can hit the best of leaders on occasion.
I don’t mean to wonder if God loves you or if you are saved, but is He with you in that really difficult moment?
Ultimately these moments come down to faith and trust.
That’s why the body of Christ is so important. You should never attempt to navigate the tough times alone.
The unknowns of the future can cause stress, anxiousness, and worry.
Let’s just be candid.
Leaders are human too, and we care about the church, organizationally, and even more about the people, relationally.
Remembering God’s promises and the prayers He’s answered is a huge remedy to the difficult moments you face today.
I love this passage from Philippians 4:6-7. You know God answers prayer, but in the moment, you may need to lean into this.
The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
This helps us conquer the worries of the unknown and remember God’s faithfulness in our lives.
Pray from the knowledge of God’s faithfulness. Remember what He’s done for you!
It’s best that I don’t bring my iPhone into my prayer room, but sometimes it “seems” necessary. (I know, it really isn’t.) When I do, it’s nearly always a distraction. Two things that can always distract me: my phone and something about guitars.
On a deeper level, technology has made it difficult for many of us to be still or be quiet and to wait upon God.
Technology has helped us become accustomed to an incredibly fast-paced life, but God is not in a hurry. Prayer takes time; we need to learn to be still.
We are trained toward technology, and tech is good for sure, but not always helpful for every situation.
Here are three practical questions:
I hope these five thoughts are helpful to you!
A great reason why discipleship is so vitally important is that the Kingdom of God doesn’t function like the life we’ve known prior to entering a covenant relationship with God, being adopted by Him, and appointed as His personal ambassador to the people of Earth. It really is new life in Christ.
Understanding our new life in Christ can initially be disorienting, somewhat like this story told by James Miller:
You’ve heard of and maybe have even read Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”. But I run into very few people who have read the prequel, “Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There” , though you may have heard the poem Jabberwocky which is in it.
Alice walks through a mirror and ends up in a house that is a mirror image of her own, and has strange mirroring properties, so she has to learn to reorient herself. She finds she has to walk left when she wants to go right. Jabberwocky is written backwards, so Alice can only read it by holding it up to a mirror. Everything is backwards. To get to where you’re going, you have to walk in the other direction.
Alice is then invited into a chess game with a queen, with the promise that if she wins, she herself can be a queen. In the end, having won, she finds that power is unsatisfying and petty. It is an alternate reflection of what would actually make her happy. She’s gone in the wrong direction.
Those are Jesus’ Kingdom instructions. If you want to get to life, you have to walk towards death. If you want to get to freedom, you have to walk towards powerlessness. If you want to get to eternity, you have to take up your cross.
“Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 10:39).
Through new life in christ, in God’s kingdom, those who want to be great must be servant of all, those who want fullness of life must give up their lives to Him, when you give you’re actually storing up treasures in heaven, we forgive people who don’t deserve to be forgiven, we love our enemies and bless those who curse us.
Being baptized into Christ is to be raised to walk in a new life in Christ can at first can be disorienting, as we are brand new creatures living counter to the culture we find ourselves in, with an entirely different purpose for existing. No wonder we need to be discipled in this new life!
Are you learning the way of God’s kingdom?
This article originally appeared here, and is used by permission.
Maybe (Maybe!) the post-COVID world is finally coming into view. While different countries, regions, provinces and states will emerge out of COVID at different times, 2021 appears to be the year we will be able to move into a post-COVID world.
So, as we get ready to embrace the new reality, what should we focus on?
It’s obviously a tough question to answer because neither in-person church or online church is a panacea. Each has its unique challenges, promises and limits. In-person church attendance has been declining for decades before the pandemic, and online church hasn’t solved all the issues the church is facing either.
That said, here are some guidelines that can help moving forward.
Here are 5 critical mistakes it would be so easy to make right now as a church leader.
There will be a real temptation to once the world moves past COVID to think of digital ministry as an afterthought or something that’s no longer necessary.
You’re certainly free to make that decision, but in many ways that would be a mistake.
Barna research shows that 7 in 10 churched adults agree that, post-COVID, churches should use digital resources to reach and engage their neighborhoods. In addition, 21% of US unchurched adults are open to watching an online service alone. For those unchurched adults with a high digital openness though, that percentage climbs to 87%.
While in-person church is here to stay, to back off on digital now is to back off on the future and to back off on outreach. If you care about reaching people, that’s a mistake.
Hybrid church (churches offering great in-person experiences and digital experiences) will be the future because everyone has lived a hybrid life for years. One moment you’re on social media, the next you’re having coffee with a friend in real life. .
If you want more on the interplay of physical and digital church in the future, including how your online presence serves as both a front door and side door, I wrote more here.
Treating digital as something interesting or nice to have may have been an acceptable strategy in 2011. But this is 2021.
Not much has changed since I wrote this post last year arguing that too many church leaders will step into the past as they step back into their buildings. The same dynamics are very much in play right now.
While it’s true that most churches feel short-staffed and under-resourced, the pre-COVID habit of assigning your online ministry as one line in a job description to your tech person or creative person is history. Or at least if you want a future it’s history.
As distributed gatherings, micro-gatherings and online ministry continues to grow, dedicating a meaningful percentage of your staff, budget, and volunteers to ministry that happens outside the church building is critical.
How much of your resources should be allocated to online and distributed gatherings?
I talked to one leader who said that post-COVID, 40% of his team, time and energy will go into online.
I think that’s a healthy percentage.
While that might seem like a complete stretch for most churches, gradually increasing the resources you devote to online and off-building ministry is possible for everyone.
Don’t have staff or feel understaffed?
Look for 15-25 year old volunteers to help you with your online presence. They see the future because they are the future. And the present.
The jury is still very much out on what’s going to happen to services once the world is re-opened.
But many church leaders are considering running two kinds of services: in-person and then a separate one devoted to online.
In other words, online will become something other than just a live-stream of whatever is happening in the auditorium or sanctuary on Sunday.
While this presents challenges from both a time and resource standpoint, this approach makes sense for a few reasons.
First, almost every church leader has come to realize that online services are best when they’re shorter.
Second, nobody has really figured out what to do with worship music online. The four or five song set that works in church just doesn’t translate online.
Third, preaching to a crowd is great, but it feels less personal when you’re watching on a device. Direct-to-camera preaching (including different camera positions and even the use of DSLRs) can make the online experience much better.
More than a few pastors I talk to are shooting an online version of their message and service mid-week for broadcast on Sunday and for access on-demand, but then doing a different experience in the room live on Sunday that doesn’t get streamed. By different, it could be the same message, just delivered live (or via video), but more music and other elements that may not translate as well online.
This IS a lot of work. I get it.
If you don’t have the resources for it, at least consider doing something different online that’s direct to camera…something like a 5 minute devotion, talk or something other than just the stream of your Sunday morning in-person gatherings.
I have a full training session and application guide on how to create great online content inside The Leader’s Circle. You can get instant access to a free trial of The Leader’s Circle on-demand training for you and your team here.
Finally, when it comes to your in-person gatherings, make the experience more…personal.
Many re-opened churches that are seeing some traction are making the in-person experience different than online by offering food, coffee, parking lot or side room gatherings for people to connect. And they’re providing kids experiences that provide something other than a carbon copy of what you can get online.
The principle here is clear: if everything your church does in the future feels downloadable, probably all you’ll get is a lot of downloads, not a lot of gathered people. (For more on that, read this.)
Let’s switch gears for a minute and talk less about how and more about what.
This deserves a post of its own, but it’s becoming clear that one of the reasons people who don’t go to church don’t want to go to church is simple: your social media posts.
According to a recent Barna survey, only 30% of non-Christians have a positive reaction when they see people post things about their Christian faith on social media. (45% don’t have a positive reaction, and 25% indicated they don’t know.)
I am increasingly concerned about the number of church leaders who feel the compulsion to post their opinion online about everything. From negative rants or arguments on vaccines to politics, to legislation, to climate change, to some grievance against a neighbor or celebrity, whatever else they happen to have an opinion on in the moment, the daily tirade I see on my social feed is exhausting.
You know the world is watching and listening right?
Even if you’re posting from your personal account, you’re leaving an impression on the unchurched who follow you.
Influence takes years to build and seconds to lose. Church, we’re losing a lot of influence right now.
One truth you’ve consistently faced as a leader is this: people rarely do exactly what you want them to do.
That’s going to get more intense in the post-pandemic era.
People won’t follow the patterns you want them to follow. Maybe people will come back in droves. Maybe they won’t. The early evidence hasn’t been encouraging.
The question is this:
How do you interact with infrequent church attenders who don’t seem to be embracing the mission of your church the way?
I think it’s simple.
You embrace them anyway.
I chose the word ’embrace’ on purpose. Because I know there’s something deep-seated in many of us that wants to reject people if we sense they’re rejecting us. And people who don’t come out to church much on Sunday can feel like rejection if you’re an insecure church leader.
Grow up. Be more secure.
Rather than judging them, why not love them? Judgment is a terrible evangelism study. You run from people who resent and judge you. Why should you expect any different from the people you lead?
Ultimately, people gravitate to where they are valued most. So value people.
I’d guess that you know how important team training and development is… but doesn’t it always seem like a scramble to get everything lined up for staff meeting?
You know the drill… every time you have a staff or volunteer training time scheduled, you have to read a book, listen to a podcast, or even go to a conference.
That’s why I’m so excited to introduce The Leader’s Circle to you.
It eliminates the hassle of staff training with carefully curated content that builds essential leadership skills into your team. Every. Single. Month.
Those are some potential mistakes I see on the horizon.
This article on a Post-COVID world originally appeared here.
Have you ever heard someone say, “I am into Jesus, but not the church”? Like the local church? My first encounter with “Jesus, yes; church, no” theology came as a newly-minted pastor. My wife and I were hosting an open house in the church parsonage. About half-a-dozen young families attended, and all was going as planned until I began to talk about church membership. One gentleman in attendance pressed me on the topic, arguing the concept was unbiblical. I squirmed and tried to answer. Undaunted, he continued to press his case.
The conversation caught me a bit flat-footed, and forced me into an on-the-spot apologetic for the local church and church membership. For a moment, I felt uncertain and embarrassed by my lack of a clear answer.
And yet, what I intuitively knew then, and have come to understand more fully, is that Christianity is inextricably linked to the local church. In fact, the local church is the New Testament’s expression of Christianity. The New Testament depicts the Christian and the local church together, like hand in glove.
As I serve the church now more broadly as a seminary president, I consistently bump into two unhealthy extremes—both of which misestimate the role of the church.
First, and most common, is spiritual individualism.
This extreme so prioritizes a personal relationship with Christ that it forgets the role of the church altogether. To many evangelicals, conversion is a personal encounter with Christ and growth in Christ is, too. One is nourished spiritually through books, conferences, podcasts, para-church ministries and Bible studies.
The other extreme is an overly institutional approach to Christianity.
In its most unhealthy form, this is seen in traditional Roman Catholicism that holds “no salvation outside the church,” and necessitates receiving the sacraments for salvation. But some evangelicals operate just one tick away. This institutional error equates salvation with church membership and Christian growth with church activity.
Both of these extremes misunderstand the Christian life. Conversion is an individual experience that’s intended to become a congregational reality. It’s simply impossible to conceptualize New Testament Christianity apart from the local church.
Another common misconception concerns the church universal and the church local. The church universal refers to all the redeemed in the history of the world. The church universal is often called the “invisible church” because we ultimately aren’t able to know who or how many comprise it.
And yet, almost every reference of “church” in the New Testament is about the local church. By local church, I mean a group of Christians who have covenanted together to gather regularly for worship and ministry.
One of the biggest challenges ministry leaders face is church volunteer training. Whether you oversee children’s ministry, youth ministry or any other program in a congregation, you need to know how to equip, build and keep volunteers.
Not all church leaders are skilled in training and coaching, and busy schedules tend to leave little time for investing in helpers. But church volunteer training doesn’t have to be complicated.
At our church, we’ve settled on a pretty consistent system and continue improving it over time. Use what we’ve learned to establish or upgrade your own training program.
The first step for positive church volunteer training is doing the best you can when they begin serving. This includes orientations and vision-casting, learning the environment they’ll serve in and the role they’ll play, and being partnered with a mentor who can coach them early on.
I think we can give people 80% of the training they need during the volunteer onboarding process. Everything else you do to train them after that just helps with the remaining 20% (although none of us ever get 100%).
Once helpers are in place, it’s important to have a rhythm for church volunteer training. That rhythm will differ depending on your context, but the key is figuring out the best rhythm and making sure it’s sustainable.
There probably won’t be one perfect day and time to have the training, except Sunday during worship, and that presents its own challenges. We have found two or three options that work really well. So we choose one based on the existing calendar, the length of the training session, and the format we plan to use.
Good volunteers are always hungry for content that will help them make a greater impact in their role. They aren’t, however, open to giving up their time for something that seems like a waste. Helpful content is required for church volunteer training so people want to attend the events.
Andy Stanley and the North Point staff define an irresistible environment as one that has: appealing context, engaging presentation, and helpful content. I agree that an irresistible environment needs all three. But attendees will put up with an average context and presentation if the content is excellent.
(RNS) — Singer Jennifer Hudson, who performed an Aretha Franklin song when she auditioned for “American Idol,” is now set to portray in a movie the woman whose career in some ways is mirrored by Hudson’s own.
One aspect of that reflection is a commitment to faith — which plays its own pivotal role in “Respect,” the star-studded movie set to release Aug. 13 that tells the story of the “Queen of Soul,” who died at age 76 in 2018.
“I could so relate to that, being born in a church and then her career taking her elsewhere,” said Hudson, “but her still staying true to her roots and coming home to that, although it never really fully left her. But it was what carried her.”
Hudson, 39, was hand-picked by Franklin for the movie role, which follows Hudson’s Oscar-winning performance in “Dreamgirls” and Broadway debut in the Tony-winning adaptation of “The Color Purple.” The two-time Grammy winner is joined by a cast that includes Audra McDonald, Marlon Wayans and Mary J. Blige. Forest Whitaker also stars, as the Rev. C.L. Franklin, the father of the R&B star who became known simply as “Aretha.”
Hudson, who — like the Franklins — is Baptist, talked to Religion News Service about the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, some of her little-known history and different ways to sing “Amazing Grace.”
The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Both Aretha Franklin and you grew up in the church, the Black church specifically. How would you say that shaped her and played a role in you depicting her in “Respect”?
Our faith — that was the base of it all. That’s what got me through it. Just standing strong on my faith. We all felt it was very important to maintain her faith throughout the film in telling her story because that was her base and who she was.
The movie delved into lesser-known aspects of Aretha Franklin’s life, including her role as a singer in the civil rights movement. What did you learn about her touring the country with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference?
Just that, because that wasn’t something I knew about her, so it was really interesting to learn and to portray and to think that it kind of parallels with the times of today. But it was definitely inspiring to see her doing that, especially in a time like that, and to use her platform, in that way.
In some ways, she was the ultimate preacher’s kid. Her father, Detroit pastor C.L. Franklin, was a prominent preacher and a mentor to King. But she and her father didn’t agree all the time on some of the decisions she made. How did you view her decisions about how she sang, what she sang, where she sang, being influenced by that background?
I thought it was brave of her and bold. I can’t speak for her, but she was responding to her times, and I think it’s so impactful to be able to want to use her platform to do what she did because I think she understood her purpose and her calling.
The movie includes a depiction of the recording of the live album “Amazing Grace.” How would you explain the experience of singing that hymn in the way Aretha Franklin did — musically, physically and spiritually?
It was definitely a different experience because I grew up singing “Amazing Grace” in church myself — but as myself. So to reimagine it and re-create it from a perspective of Aretha’s, it was an interesting experience to approach it from her journey and to use the “Amazing Grace” documentary as a reference. But the goal was to try to keep it as close to and authentic as possible.
(RNS) — Donors to Ravi Zacharias International Ministries [RZIM] — including an NFL player — are suing the troubled nonprofit for allegedly covering up its founder’s abusive behavior.
A complaint in federal court for the North District of Georgia alleges donors to RZIM were told Ravi Zacharias, the group’s founder, was a trustworthy Christian apologist and their donations would be used to promote “Christian evangelism, apologetic defense of Christianity, and humanitarian efforts.”
But those donors were misled, according to the suit.
“Defendants bilked tens — if not hundreds — of millions of dollars from well-meaning donors who believed RZIM and Zacharias to be faith-filled Christian leaders,” the plaintiffs allege. “In fact, Zacharias was a prolific sexual predator who used his ministry and RZIM funds to perpetrate sexual and spiritual abuse against women.”
Zacharias, who died of cancer in 2020, was a legendary Christian apologist, who traveled the world defending the Christian faith. His books on apologetics were cited by celebrity pastors and politicians. Former Vice President Mike Pence and college football star turned Christian celebrity Tim Tebow spoke at his funeral.
Not long after Zacharias’ death, allegations of serious sexual abuse surfaced.
The lawsuit is built largely on the findings of a 2021 report commissioned by RZIM, which detailed a pattern of sexual abuse by Zacharias.
The abuse included groping workers at a spa he co-owned and asking them to massage his genitals and then praying for them.
The report also found Zacharias had explicit photos of women on his cellphone and he used ministry funds to pay for massages during his travels.
RZIM leaders had been aware of alleged misconduct by Zacharias since at least 2017.
That year, Lori Anne Thompson, a Canadian supporter of RZIM, accused Zacharias of spiritual abuse and sexting, alleging he had groomed her by pretending to minister to her and then asked her for nude photos and engaged her in explicit online conversation.
Zacharias denied the allegations and sued Thompson and her husband. The suit was later settled, with Zacharias paying $250,000 and requiring the Thompsons to sign a nondisclosure agreement.
The class-action suit alleges RZIM’s board failed to properly investigate Thompson’s allegations. By failing to do so, the board allowed Zacharias’ abusive behavior to continue. The complaint cites a 2021 letter from RZIM’s board of directors, in which RZIM’s leaders admit they failed to hold Zacharias accountable and failed by not conducting an investigation into Thompson’s allegations.
“RZIM’s actions and failure to respond appropriately to reports of Zacharias’s sexual misconduct furthered the public deception that Zacharias was a faith-filled, moral, and upstanding Christian leader. RZIM’s acts and omissions further allowed Zacharias to continue sexually abusing women under the cover of Christian ministry and permitted Zacharias’s ongoing, deceptive fundraising efforts for RZIM,” the complaint alleges.
RZIM did not immediately respond to requests for comments.
Thompson told Religion News Service she was not aware the lawsuit was being filed and had no connection to it. She told RNS she believed RZIM’s leaders had breached public trust and the board should be held accountable.
(RNS) — The Holy Land Experience, a Christian-based theme park in Orlando, Florida, has been purchased by a Seventh-day Adventist health care company.
Trinity Broadcasting Network, the park’s owner since 2007, sold the roughly 15-acre museum and tourist attraction to Adventist Health System Inc. The health care company, also known as AdventHealth, was founded by the Seventh-day Adventist Church “to extend the healing ministry of Christ,” according to its IRS filings.
The Holy Land Experience, three and a half miles up the road from Universal Studios Florida, was struggling even before it closed its doors on March 14, 2020, in response to the spread of COVID-19. It has remained closed since then, reopening briefly in April 2021, when the park welcomed visitors for two free admission days at the park.
The park’s original owner, Marvin Rosenthal, called the park a “living museum.” Since its founding, the attraction has been overt about its mission to proselytize as well as educate and entertain. The park boasted theatrical productions and reenactments of stories from the life of Jesus and the Hebrew Scriptures. The Christian community Live Church Orlando holds its worship services in its 2,000-seat Church of All Nations theater.
“The Holy Land Experience brings the Word of the Bible to life. As a Christian-based theme-park, our goal is for you to see God’s Word exalted, so you will be encouraged,” the park’s website says.
Its explicitly religious mission and annual day of free admission have granted the park relief from property taxes. In 2006, the park benefited when then-Gov. Jeb Bush signed into law a bill that exempted nonprofit organizations that displayed information about the Bible from paying property taxes.
But the park still struggled financially.
In 2007, when Trinity Broadcasting Network purchased the park from its original owners, it was reported to be $8 million in debt. Management experimented with a variety of attractions to entice more visitors and bulk up revenue streams, including a biblical-themed mini-golf course called Trin-I-Tee, which opened in December 2015. Its nine holes took players through Noah’s Ark and Jonah’s whale.
All that ended in January 2020.
At the beginning of 2020, Trinity Broadcasting Network announced the park would focus on displaying biblical artifacts and education and cease live performances and reenactments. In February, the park laid off 118 employees as part of this change in direction, according to the Orlando Sentinel. The Sentinel also reported the park was on the market as of that February.
The sale to AdventHealth closed on Monday (Aug. 2) for a reported $32 million, according to Orlando television station WFTV — less than the $37 million that Trinity Broadcasting Network paid to acquire the attraction in 2007. Local news outlets report AdventHealth plans to repurpose the site as a health care facility.
This article originally appeared at Religion News Service.
The New Testament clearly, repeatedly and unapologetically lays out the qualifications of a pastor. What is so remarkable yet so often overlooked is this: Pastors are called and qualified to their ministry not first through their raw talent, their finely-honed skill or their great accomplishments, but through their godly character.
Of all the many qualifications of a pastor laid out in the New Testament, there is just one related to skill (he must have the ability to teach others) and one related to experience (he must not be a recent convert). The rest of the nearly 20 qualifications are based on character. What fits a man to ministry is not first accomplishment or capability but character.
We cannot emphasize this too strongly or too often. I really mean that: We cannot overemphasize the primacy of character. A great many of the problems we see in the local and global church today are caused by the failure to heed this simple principle. So many Christians could be spared so much trauma if only their churches would refuse to put a man in leadership who is lacking such character. So many congregations would be spared so much pain if only they would remove men who prove they don’t have the kind of character God demands. This failure to heed what God makes plain regarding the qualifications of a pastor is a terrible blight upon the Christian church.
From a human perspective, it’s not difficult to understand why the church gets this wrong. We are naturally drawn to people of remarkable charisma and outstanding talent. We love to listen to naturally skilled communicators and to be led by accomplished leaders. We rejoice to bask in the residual glory of respected men and their noteworthy achievements. We convince ourselves that our measure of success is undeniable proof of God’s blessing. We are willing to overlook character if only we can have results.
Perhaps we need to ask why it is that God so values character. Why is it that God entrusts his church to men of character rather than men of talent or achievement? Why would he prefer that his church be led by unremarkable men instead of accomplished ones? Why would he choose an undistinguished but honorable man over a talented man who is known and celebrated for his many skills?
For one, while any man can teach what the Bible says, only a man of character can live what the Bible demands. Only he can live in a way that is respectable and worthy of emulation. The pastor who is carrying on an illicit affair has no right to call his congregation to purity no matter what he has accomplished in life. The pastor who is tight-fisted has lost his prerogative to instruct others in generous living, even if he can preach a powerful sermon. The pastor whose life is crumbling under the weight of his depravity has no authority to say, “be imitators of me.” On the other hand, the pastor who is known as a one-woman man serves as a model of love and affection. The pastor who lives simply and gives generously can show what it means to be freed from the love of money. The pastor whose leadership shows gentleness and humility can say, “Follow my example.” A pastor is to lead his church by setting direction and making decisions, but first by modeling godliness. Godliness is a matter of character, not accomplishment.
There’s more. The Bible calls all leaders to look to the example of Jesus Christ and to learn leadership from him. Only a man of character is capable of this kind of Christ-like leadership. Jesus led with love, he led at the expense of his own comfort, he led as a servant who humbled himself before the ones who followed him. Before he was a man of accomplishment he was a man of character. It was his love of the law of God and his compliance to the will of God that made him the perfect leader. The pastor who lacks character will inevitably lead selfishly instead of selflessly, to care more for his own reputation than his people’s godliness. The pastor who is selected on the basis of his accomplishments will stop at nothing to accumulate more and greater trophies and accolades. But the pastor of deep Christian character will suffer harm to protect the ones he loves, he will endure trials to do what benefits them. The man of character will lead like Jesus.
And then there is this: Human weakness provides the perfect backdrop for displaying divine strength. As Jesus said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” The man who is strong will tend toward self-sufficiency. Instead of relying on God, he may rely on his natural talent, his inherent skill, his in-born advantages. The man of outstanding skill can hold the attention of an audience even with a meaningless message. The man of exceptional charisma can lead in any direction he pleases and people will follow. Yet they may listen only for their own amusement and follow to their own destruction. It is the man of character who knows that talent, skill and gifting must all be entrusted to God. It is the man of character whose confidence is not in the messenger but the message. It is the man of character who cries out to God in his weakness and pleads with God to display his strength. Because he cannot rely on his human skill, he must rely on divine power. And the gospel shines through his weakness.
I am sure there are many more reasons we could provide, but the point is clear: When it comes to the men who will lead his church, God values character far ahead of accomplishment. When it comes to pastors, God looks past men of great talent or achievement to call men of character. We must do the same.
This article about the qualifications of a pastor originally appeared here.
One of the most over-used and unfulfilled phrases in the church today has got to be Doing life together.
It’s probably most applied to describing small groups in the church, where we talk about coming together to do life together. In some groups, that sentiment is lived out to some degree, as the participants of the group over time become close friends who show genuine love and care for each other.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen in a lot of small groups, who may meet for years but the people don’t really “do life together,” they just have a Bible study that doesn’t seem to have much transformational affect in their lives.
I think the phrase feels a little worn out because it’s often used but not nearly as often experienced. Instead, we give sway to the world view of thinking about people in terms or “winners” and “losers.” You’ll even hear some church leaders — and MANY business people and positive-thinking gurus influential in the church — talk about being a “winner” and people who are “losers”.
Herbert G. Hand did an effective job contrasting this desire to “win” against an attitude of doing life together in the story he recorded in the Imitating Jesus Series:
Several years ago a missionary family who was working among them set up a croquet game in their front yard. Before long several of their Agta Negrito neighbors curiously gathered to watch them. Soon they wanted to play, too.
The missionaries explained the game and gave each of them a mallet and a ball. Halfway into the game, one of the natives’ croquet balls landed next to another’s. The missionary excitedly explained one of the more aggressive rules: You can put your foot on your ball and smack it hard with the mallet, causing your opponent’s ball to go flying far away.
The native understood what he was saying, but couldn’t comprehend why anyone would want to do it. He said, “Why would I want to knock his ball out of the court?”
The missionary replied, “So you will be the one to win!”
The native shook his head in bewilderment. You see, competition and winning is not important in hunting and gathering societies. People survive — not by competing — but by working together.
The game continued, but no one followed the missionaries’ advice. When the first player successfully got through all the wickets, he did not see himself as the victor. For him the game wasn’t over. He went back and gave aid and advice and encouragement to the others. Finally, when the last wicket was played by the last player, they all shouted happily, “We won! We won!”
We talk about “doing life together” because that’s God’s intent for us — as His family, knit together as one body, we would support and walk with one another through life. The stronger would aid the weaker, the wealthier would help the poor, the wise would provide counsel and servant leadership, and everyone would put their shoulders to the task of bearing one another’s burdens:
“Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace,” Ephesians 4:3.
“He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love,” Ephesians 4:16.
“Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important,” Galatians 6:2-3.
The idea for the church is to truly do life together, such as demonstrated in the church as recorded in the book of Acts, and not to selfishly pursue personally being a “winner” at the expense of others being “losers.” We’re prone to think of ourselves as being so fine and sophisticated, yet it’s more primitive societies such as the Agta Negrito who better understand the more biblical model of “doing life together.”
If most of the people in our churches are not discipled, most are biblically illiterate, many are lonely, some experiencing hunger, and several feeling overwhelmed — how is that doing life together?
How do you live? Are you doing life together with your brothers and sisters in Christ, or do you just meet to study the Bible — you know, that book that teaches us about doing life together!
This article about doing life together originally appeared here, and is used by permission.
In youth ministry circles, sports often get a bad rap. Many youth leaders worry that athletic commitments prevent teens from attending youth group activities. But sports offer many positives for kids—physically, mentally and socially. And the Bible uses sports metaphors to describe spiritual training and faith-filled fitness. So consider how you might incorporate sports devotions for youth into your programming.
Many lessons from the athletic court and field apply to life in general, and to faith specifically. Sports devotions for youth will spark kids’ interest and encourage them to grow as athletes, as friends, as students, as sons and daughters, and, most importantly, as followers of Jesus.
Dedication beats talent every time. Although you may not be the best athlete ever, if you’re dedicated you can go far. By going the extra mile, you show dedication. Maybe you can run more or put in some extra practice time. Whatever approach you decide to take, after a while you’ll find that you’re coming out ahead on your team. No amount of talent can substitute for hard work and practice. If you put in the time and hard work, you will see results, and coaches will surely notice too.
If you’re mentally tough, many times you can win against someone who is physically better than you at sports. A lot of success in sports comes down to mental toughness. If you get defeated mentally, you will lose the game physically. So keep your mental focus, and you can improve consistently and win more. Unless your opponent is a lot more talented than you are, a good mental attitude leads to more victories than you might expect.
Sports (and life) should be fun. Don’t get so wrapped up in the competition and desire to win that you forget this important point. Sports are a good way to meet new people and to find out what you enjoy playing. More than likely, you won’t go on to play these sports professionally. So keep a cool head and have some fun while you’re playing.
In any sport you play or any endeavor you tackle, remember you’re here to bring glory to God. Don’t get all wrapped up in the drama and excitement of sports that you forget to give God the glory. He’s always there and always willing to help you face any challenges that come up. “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33
Close your sports devotions for youth with prayer: God, we come to you right now in the name of Jesus and ask for your wisdom. In the sports we play, the classes we take, and the witnessing opportunities you present, help us remain dedicated. Show us creative strategies and ideas that will lead to success. But most importantly, remind us to put you first in everything we do. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
This article about sports devotions for youth originally appeared here.
With NFL training camps in full swing, and tonight’s Hall of Fame game kicking off the 2021 preseason, photos of football players are everywhere. But should they be? That question is being asked after someone posted to social media a picture of Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and his wife, singer Ciara, worshiping at church.
The celebrity couple, who are outspoken about their Christian faith, appear to be praying. With eyes closed, Russell, 32, is kneeling on the floor, and Ciara, 35, is standing next to him with her arms raised.
An Instagram user named theshaderoom posted the photo with this caption: “When [Russell] Wilson and Ciara are at ur church bowing to Christ, I didn’t take the pic the guy next to me did. I just think it’s fire to see. Gods so good.”
The photo quickly received more than 800,000 likes, but not everyone likes the idea of private worship experiences being made public, especially without permission. Many people are calling the image disrespectful, with one Instagram user writing, “There’s a time and place for pictures and this ain’t it.” Another commented, “Social media is ruining humanity. No way should we see these people having a private moment with God.”
Others, however, applaud the Christian witness of Russell and Ciara Wilson. “A couple that prays together, stays together!” one person writes.
Another comment sums up the mixed reactions to seeing the image: “It’s weird…[someone] took a photo of them while praising Jesus, but then again this does spread a good message. I’m not mad but whoever took the pic should be more focused” on their own worship experience.
Russell Wilson, who’s starting his 10th NFL season—all with the Seahawks—is the 2020 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year. While accepting the award, given for charitable work and community impact, Wilson repeated the phrase, “Love changes things,” and alluded to the Bible’s well-known chapter on love, 1 Corinthians 13.
“Love is patient, love is kind,” the QB said in February. “To the young boy or girl who has a dream, who wants to make a difference, remember this one thing: Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love changes things.”
Wilson often posts Bible verses on social media, and his Twitter bio reads, “I want to Love like Jesus!” On Wednesday, he posted a photo of his 1-year-old son taking his first steps, which happened to occur on the gridiron.
“Win’s first steps! Witnessing Win walk at practice it hit me that God orders our steps. I realize I’m just a Rookie in the Game of Life. Jesus is the QB. Let Go & Let God!” Wilson concluded the post with the words of Proverbs 16:9, NIV: “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.”
Before marrying Ciara in 2016, Wilson was open about the couple’s decision to abstain from sex before marriage. In a 2015 interview, the QB said, “In terms of my legacy off the field, I want to be a Christian man that helps lead and helps change lives and helps serve other people. It’s not about me, you know.” He added, “In terms of my faith, my faith is everything: God comes first, family and friends come second, and football comes third. I think when you keep it in that order, great things happen to you. You don’t stress out about much.”
Bold and unfiltered Global Vision Bible Church’s pastor Greg Locke took aim at CNN journalists this week calling them “liars,” “wicked,” and “evil,” after they cancelled his interview a week ago.
“You guys are such LIARS!!! Absolutely disgusting,” Locke commented on CNN producer Alli Hedges Maser‘s Twitter post. “What evil and wicked nonsense you guys are spouting. There’s a reason YOU guys cancelled my live interview.”
Hedges-Maser’s post included a video clip of CNN correspondent Nick Valencia and ‘New Day’ anchor Brianna Keilar telling viewers that Locke cancelled an interview that CNN had scheduled back in May of this year because God told him to cancel it.
Valencia recalled Locke posting a Facebook Live video explaining why he cancelled the interview and called the women in CNN’s crew “diabolic Jezebels.” Locke said in the referenced video that while pulling up in the parking lot of the church a few minutes before the interview was to take place “I was nauseated…and I’m telling you as clear as I know my name the Holy Spirit said to my heart, ‘Do not give them [CNN] access and do not do this interview.’” Locke shared they almost had to call the police on the CNN news crew because they wouldn’t leave.
Related article: Greg Locke Tells Church Members ‘I Will Ask You to Leave’ If They Wear a Mask Again
The CNN correspondent said “Pastor Greg Locke has been on a crusade of misinformation over the last year calling COVID-19 a ‘fake pandemic’ [and] saying that the vaccines are a scam.”
The news brief showed a clip of Locke’s Sunday sermon where he not only reiterated his “no masks in this church” policy telling the congregation he won’t apologize for what was said but screamed “the delta variant was nonsense then, it is nonsense now.” Locked didn’t stop there. He continued his rant screaming, “Do not get vaccinated! Do not get vaccinated! I don’t care what you think about me. I don’t need your money. I don’t need your handclap. I don’t need more people on social media to follow me. I ain’t following along with it.”
Locke then made sure Global Vision Bible Church knew how he felt about America’s current President Joe Biden and even let out a shrill of excitement saying, “Joe Biden’s days are numbered…I told you the whole time this election was fraudulent. We got so much proof the only people that can deny it are crack-smokin-demon-possessed leftists.”
A CNN news anchor responded to hearing Locke’s message saying, “Hearing that is a simple tragedy. It is hurting…it’s harming people. Honestly people could die because of the message he said.”
You guys are such LIARS!!! Absolutely disgusting. What evil and wicked nonsense you guys are spouting. There’s a reason YOU guys cancelled my live interview.
— Pastor Greg Locke (@pastorlocke) August 2, 2021
Just a few hours after Hedges-Maser posted the clip Locke told CNN they’d burn in hell, “Dear LEFTIST MOB, I will not be intimidated by you. I will not back down. @CNN will burn in Hell with the rest of the cowards. I’ll shout truth no matter what you threaten me with.”
During a sermon titled “When God Brings Down the House” Locke called President Joe Biden “a sex-trafficking, demon-possessed mongrel”, and said that Vice President Kamala Harris is a “Jezebel demon.”
Related article: J.D. Greear: It’s Unwise to Call VP Harris a ‘Jezebel’
“You’ve got to smoke a lot of dope in your mom’s basement not to believe that fact,” Locke said if you don’t believe that former President Donald Trump isn’t the legitimate president of the United States. His comments were met with applause by his congregants.
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) — The longtime pastor of a Catholic church who took nearly $517,000 in parish funds has been sentenced to seven years in state prison.
The Rev. Douglas Haefner was sentenced Tuesday and is due to start serving his term Aug. 19. However, he has applied for the state’s Intensive Supervision Program, which allows prisoners to serve all or part of their sentences at home.
Haefner, 68, was the pastor of St. Matthias Parish in Somerset for 27 years. He pleaded guilty to theft in May, blaming his actions on unspecified “compulsive behavior.”
Authorities said Haefner stole $516,985 over several years. He resigned in November 2018 as church officials were finally conducting an audit that had long been delayed by Haefner, who had repeatedly asked to reschedule due to health problems and the need for more time to prepare.
St. Matthias is part of the Diocese of Metuchen, which covers Hunterdon, Middlesex, Somerset and Warren counties.
This article originally appeared here.
(RNS) — Early on a Friday morning, men and women walk, drive or ride electric scooters to the parking lot of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood. For the past 45 years, they could count on finding the Rev. Tom Lumpkin there, from 8 to 9 every morning except Thursday and Sunday, serving hot coffee and breakfast items, passing out lunches.
On a recent morning in July, the indoor dining room was closed, as it has been since the start of the pandemic. But volunteers passed out bags of sandwiches and coffee or tea in Styrofoam vessels somewhere between a cup and bowl. The line serves around 50 people each morning, providing them with lunch for the rest of their day.
In partnership with a local church, Lumpkin and three companions founded the Manna Meal soup kitchen in 1976, launching their Catholic Worker community.
The Catholic Worker Movement, founded in 1933 by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin — two committed Catholics: one a journalist and one a scholar — was an attempt to answer the question as old as Christianity: How can the Christian believer live justly in society?
“My claim to fame is that I’m the only diocesan priest in the world who has as his diocesan assignment the Catholic Worker Movement,” said Lumpkin, who was assigned to a Catholic Worker house by his bishop.
Lumpkin first encountered the Catholic Worker Movement during his years in seminary, when he heard Day speak at a conference.
Lumpkin said his calling to work with the poor began soon after, when he was traveling through Europe as a young seminarian. He was sent to the University of Louvain in Belgium to continue his theological studies from 1960 to ’64. The seminarians were encouraged to travel during their breaks. Lumpkin said he saw the continent still struggling with the aftermath of World War II.
“It was my first exposure to poverty. I was in Naples and saw people living in refrigerator boxes. I saw homeless people,” he said.
Lumpkin was so impacted by the experience he said he spent his final year of seminary measuring his food intake.
When Lumpkin was ordained, he was assigned to suburban parishes for nine years. But he felt restless.
“I began to feel like I was in danger of becoming too settled in my life as a priest and becoming too comfortable in my lifestyle,” Lumpkin said. He felt called to be closer to the sort of poverty he witnessed in Europe. He asked to be transferred from the suburbs to an urban parish. But even there, he wasn’t at peace.
In the early ’70s, a friend told him, “You know, what you’re looking for is the Catholic Worker Movement.” Lumpkin said that in response, a light turned on inside him.
And so, after rounding up a critical mass of interested folks, he and three companions opened a house of hospitality in the Corktown neighborhood. A previous Catholic Worker community had operated in the neighborhood from the late 1930s to the mid-1960s. Lumpkin’s community opened their soup kitchen at Most Holy Trinity Church in 1976 and moved up the road to St. Peter’s soon after.
Lumpkin and his fellow original workers traveled out west to visit a dozen houses of hospitality from Chicago to Los Angeles to discern how they were going to create their own Catholic Worker community in Motor City. “A lot of the practical questions that we needed answers to, that you couldn’t find in a book on the Catholic Worker, we answered ourselves.”
We’ve all seen the movies with the white protagonist who has a gaggle of sidekicks. One of them is usually the tell-it-like-it-is black chick. She is not the main character in the love story, but she’s in close proximity, offering sage advice and witty comebacks. You’re thinking of her when you say, “I have diverse relationships,” but really mean, “I have this one black friend.” Many black women in church are used to occupying that space.
I was that friend as a single—the brown-skinned girl who stuck out like a sore thumb in a sea of white, Reformed faces. I got used to answering questions about my hair (“Can I touch it?”), my skin (“Do you have to wear sunscreen?”), and my views (“Is this racist?”). And I got used to the protective shell that so many single black women in church, occupying white spaces, learn how to wear when it comes to romantic relationships.
Now, married to the husband I used to pray for, I still feel very deeply the effects of those thought processes and environments I faced as a single woman in church. I still find myself looking back and wishing that my white friends knew—or at least admitted—some of the unique struggles that I had to face and that I still watch so many of my sisters in Christ face every day.
The other day, I ran into Walmart for some hair products. I scoured the shelves for shampoo that wouldn’t destroy my hair. I doubled back three or four times and passed row after row after row of options before I realized that my products weren’t even on the same aisle as everyone else’s. They were one aisle over, contained on four meager shelves.
My hair does not fit the mold of the industry standard. And while hair like mine is gaining representation, my strands are the perfect illustration of what it’s like to be a single black woman who lives in white space. When you think of the smiling soccer mom who will homeschool your kids or bolster the women’s ministry at your local church, you think of the row after row of white options, not the little ethnic shelf in the corner that you have to be looking for to spot.
Somewhat connected to that point, there’s a reason people don’t think of melanin when they think of the soccer mom: One of the stereotypes that so many imbibe is the fact that single black women are inherently attitudinal and un-submissive. Claire Huxtable is seen as a poor substitute when the ideal woman is portrayed as being the consummate June Cleaver.
My husband and father were both raised by strong single moms. They worked because they had to keep food on the table. They were strong because there were not men in their lives to bolster them. And yet their brand of strength is consistently overlooked for the stereotype of the docile woman.
Black women in church are not the only people who find themselves living as minorities in white Reformed spaces. Our brothers of color are learning how to survive these awkward situations as well. Unfortunately, often, that survival mode includes trying to find a wife who looks more like the stereotype than like their mothers.
I have spoken to more than one single black man who winced at the idea of marrying a black woman. “I just need a wife who is going to submit to me.” Not, “I need to be the kind of leader who can encourage and spur on whoever my wife is, regardless of her skin color”—not, “I want to marry a woman of character, and if she happens to be white, black or purple, to God be the glory.” But, rather, “I want to marry someone who I can control…and a black woman won’t go for that.”
It is natural for us to gravitate toward people with similar ethnic and cultural backgrounds to our own. When it comes to a lot of Reformed black men, this natural inclination is supplanted by a desire to fit in. More often than not, though, when it comes to interracial marriage for majority culture, similarity rules the day.
I have had a courtship turned on its head and wondered if my brownness had anything to do with it. I have been told that, if I were white, I would be such a great catch. I have been attracted to non-black men who were equally attracted to me but did not pull the trigger because of the color of my skin.
The hurt of being good enough to be a friend but not good enough to be a wife still lingers.
This is a statistical fact, but I did not need to see the numbers to know that it was true. In a world where the standard of beauty is not usually a woman who looks like we do (Beyonce and I have nothing in common), it makes sense that black women would get passed over.
I got used to the idea that as one of many black women in church I would forever be the side character in someone else’s romantic comedy—because my friends would pair off two-by-two according to their melanin count and I might be left out of the running for future wife, in part, because of the color of my skin. And at the risk of being a downer, it’s not something I ever felt comfortable admitting.
We are black women. My kids were going to be marked by my melanin whether I married a Swede, a Puerto Rican or a Pakistani. The reactions to the prospect of “mixed” children were often fearful: Will they always feel displaced? Will they have identity issues?
Sometimes, though, they were met with fetish: Mixed kids were seen as more valuable/adorable than just “plain” black kids. I should marry a white man so my kids could have blue eyes and fair skin and “good” hair.
Regardless of who I married, I was going to be passing on both my melanin and its baggage, in some degree, to my children.
As I’ve numbered off these issues, I’ve had to fight against the reflexes I developed over the years. Whatever you do, do not make the majority uncomfortable. Do your best to be the cool black friend who isn’t the oversensitive race baiter. Make them comfortable—keep the “black pride” to a minimum.
I feel a bit more freedom to be honest now that I am married because my husband knows what all men eventually find out: It doesn’t matter what color a woman’s skin is, she comes with baggage. It might be emotional, it might be spiritual or it might be ideological. But trying to avoid the baggage of marrying one of the black women who has spent her entire life hearing society tell her that she’s not as worthy of love as her white counterparts is just adding to her baggage.
Thank goodness we can lay our baggage at the Cross.
And I don’t say that as a pat answer for the unique struggles that my darker-skinned sisters in Christ face. That’s been done before, whenever I have had the nerve to broach this subject. Inevitably, someone will tell me that there is neither Jew nor Greek and that we are all one race, the human race.
However, this Pollyanna view of race relations in the church would be no more helpful than if Paul had just let the Judaizers run amuck. The way women of color have been treated throughout our nation’s history (particularly black women) still impacts us today. Those wounds are realities that we don’t do ourselves any favors to overlook.
Sisters: The Lord crafted your skin to bring him glory and honor and to herald his image here on earth. He would have just made you green if it weren’t important to him that you were a black woman. He had a plan for your rich history and your rich pigment, in spite of the hardships it so often presents.
I wish that we discussed these realities more often in our churches. Some of the black women in church feel this way. Some of these women want to be cherished wives and devoted mothers. Nevertheless, they are consistently thwarted because of the assumptions made about them.
Men reject these women because others seem like they would be easier to deal with. Men overlook these women because their complexities are seen as too nuanced and too large. They often gravitate toward one another because no one else understands or want to understand their plight.
See the black women in church. Pray for them. Search yourself for these Gospel inconsistencies and root them out. If they lurk in your heart, you are isolating an image bearer of the Most High God. And it hurts.
This article about single black women in church originally appeared here.
There is lots of talk and opinions being bandied around the virtual water cooler (i.e., Zoom calls, social media, and the internet) about vaccines. While many have taken advantage of the COVID-19 vaccine, one in four Americans said they would refuse a coronavirus vaccine outright if offered. Another 5% are “undecided” about whether they would get the shot. In another survey, about 29% of healthcare workers reported at least one concern with the COVID-19 vaccine. And local results can vary greatly: only 27% of people in Baker County, FL are vaccinated. No matter your thoughts, research, or opinions about COVID-19 and the various treatments, there is one thing that we can agree on when it comes to your church and small groups. There are at least three potential small group infections that we not only need to be on the lookout for, but to aggressively fight against and treat.
Some seem to think that gossip is a minor, if not benign, virus. While they think it’s not a biggie, it’s listed with some pretty serious stuff in Romans 1 including murder and God-haters. It separates close friends.
Treatment – Guarding our tongues, keeping ourselves from calamity. If Jesus died for us while we were still sinners, separated from God, then shouldn’t we also be willing to sacrifice our opinions?
Some are infected with the virus of hubris where they have all the right answers, have the inside scoop, they think of themselves more highly than they ought to.”
Treatment – The treatment is to “think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.” We are to purposefully “walk by the Spirit, and not gratify the desires of the flesh.” Reflect on your words, thoughts, actions, and attitudes, evaluating them in comparison to God’s love and acceptance for us in Jesus which is based on his sacrifice and death for us on the cross, “putting to death their hostility.”
we break off into smaller and smaller groups, following individual leaders or groups, isolating ourselves from the body of Christ based on who we follow.
Treatment – We treat ourselves and each other when we realize the reality of being “co-workers in God’s service.” This does not mean that there is no discernment, but there is room to “accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters.”
Let the truth of these treatments sink deep into our hearts for a moment. God was willing to personally pay the price for us, not just while we were sinners, but while we were his enemies. While we were personally and actively on opposite sides of the moral universe, Jesus crossed over to redeem, receive and renew us.
If He was willing to do that for us, can’t we follow His lead and exhibit those same godly attributes within our churches and Small Groups?
This article on treating small group infections originally appeared here, and is used by permission.
Wade Morris was a graduate from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a well-known speaker who traveled widely and evangelized at youth camps, conferences and events throughout the year. Morris, just 51, died August 3, 2021, following complications from the COVID-19 virus.
Morris was the guest preacher at Falls Creek Camp during the camp’s July 5-9th week. His final Twitter post was on July 10, 2021, where he celebrated God’s work in students’ lives the week prior, writing, “457 professions of faith this week in Oklahoma!”
Brian Hobbs, communications director for Oklahoma Baptists, who own the camp, said, “We are heartbroken to learn of Wade Morris’ passing. His speaking ministry in Oklahoma and across the country has forever impacted countless young people. Wade’s a faithful minister of the Gospel and a great friend to Oklahoma Baptists. We are praying for his family.”
North American Mission Board’s Shane Pruitt posted on his Twitter page, “Without a doubt, @WadeSpeaks heard, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant’ early this morning. As we’d chat through texts in the last couple of weeks…he’d always point to Jesus. Love you, dear friend, and will miss you immensely. Please join me in praying for his family.”
Ed Litton, Southern Baptist Convention’s president, asked people to pray for Morris’ family, saying, “Please pray for family & friends of @WadeSpeaks, who faithfully preached the Gospel and today stepped into God’s presence.”
Morris was husband to Deborah and father to two daughters.
Please keep the Morris family in your prayers.
A couple weeks after Morris served at the camp, the Oklahoma Baptists reported more than 2,000 decisions for Christ along with many other campers “making life-changing spiritual decisions.”
The statement also focused on a COVID-19 update and how the camp is working to combat any spread of the virus among attendees. “Having hosted more than 30,000 participants at camp this year, the number of positive COVID cases remains statistically low,” Oklahoma Baptists said in the statement. “Even so, we take nothing for granted as the well-being of every camper and staff member is foremost. We are treating the threat of COVID with the utmost seriousness as we closely monitor the situation and adapt our plans as this year’s summer youth camps end soon.”
The number of apparent cases haven’t been reported by Falls Creek Camp, but parents of youth who have returned home from the camp voiced their concerns. One mother, whose daughter had a 101-degree fever and a stomachache a day after returning home, said, “A lot of friends at the camp. There were several friends at the camp, and they had the same symptoms she did.”
Putnam City Baptist Church had to cancel small-group meetings and held only one Sunday worship gathering because campers returned home and tested positive for COVID-19.
It is unclear whether or not Morris contracted the virus from his time at Falls Creek Camp. No reports have linked the camp’s COVID outbreaks to his positive case.
(RNS) — The publisher of a bestselling Christian critique of critical race theory denies claims the book’s author misquoted sources and fabricated quotes.
Salem Books publisher Tim Peterson called the claims unfounded.
“Fault Lines” by Voddie Baucham Jr. was a top 10 bestseller among religion books in April, May and July, selling tens of thousands of copies and prompting praise and criticism in evangelical circles. The book warns of a “looming catastrophe” in evangelical churches in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd.
Floyd’s death and the protests that followed revealed that secular ideas like social justice and critical race theory have infiltrated Christian churches, argues Baucham, a conservative author and seminary dean.
Those theories, he claims, run counter to Christian teachings.
In his book, Baucham points to the work of law professor Richard Delgado — one of the founders of critical race theory, an academic field that studies how systematic racism affects society — to bolster his argument.
“Racism advances the interests of both white elites (materially) and working-class whites (psychically). Large segments of society have little incentive to eradicate it,” Baucham quoted Delgado as saying.
Then Baucham included in the quote this statement, which he put in italics: “This means whites are incapable of righteous actions on race and only undo racism when it benefits them.”
Author and blogger Joel McDurmon claims the statement about “righteous actions” never appears in Delgado’s writings. In a blog post and on social media, he has accused Baucham of fabricating that statement and falsely attributing it to Delgado. McDurmon also alleges Baucham plagiarized the work of atheist author and anti-CRT activist James Lindsay.
VODDIE USES FALSE QUOTES and PLAGIARIZES
1) Not only has Voddie Baucham attributed false quotations, but he has both done so repeatedly and it appears he plagiarized some of the material he included.
This is not acceptable. https://t.co/dTVvQ4lmPJ
— Lambs Reign (@LambsReign) July 30, 2021
McDurmon, a conservative author who has spoken at events with Baucham in the past, said “Fault Lines” paints Delgado and other CRT scholars in the worst light possible. He argues that Baucham’s inclusion of and denouncement of the quote about whites being “incapable of righteous action” sets the tone for the entire book.
“There’s this very loose respect paid to what the sources actually say and mean,” he said. “And there’s this readiness to take them in the most sinister way possible.”
He also believes Baucham intentionally sought to mislead readers.
McDurmon points to a January 2021 speech given by Baucham that includes the same contested Delgado quote. In the speech, the author appears to claim Delgado made the “incapable of righteous actions” statement in his writings.
“This means whites are incapable of righteous actions on race and only undo racism when it benefits them, when their interests converge with the interests of people of color—and yes, he used the word ‘righteous,’” Baucham said during the speech. “White people are incapable of righteous actions on race. Everything is racist. … Again, not me — this is critical race theory.”
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