Home Voices Ed Stetzer: Why Westboro Called Me A ‘Lying Whore False Prophet’

Ed Stetzer: Why Westboro Called Me A ‘Lying Whore False Prophet’

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When you come into my Wheaton College office, you will notice a strange nameplate. It says, “Lying Whore False Prophet.” A few years ago, I explained the story at my former blog. I have updated it here.

Some time ago, I was part of The Nines, an online leadership event hosted by my friends at Leadership Network. The topic of my video was how churches can best handle disruptive situations.

For the video, I reflected on an experience Philip Nation and I had with Westboro “Baptist Church.” (I actually prefer the term non-Baptist, non-Church.) They picketed the church we were serving at the time.

As the video aired, the folks at Westboro tweeted from their now-suspended account.

“Every day around the world a lying whore false prophet like @edstetzer holds forth about Westboro’s testimony. #GotTheirAttention #PraiseGod

– MargiePhelps (@MargieJPhelps) October 25, 2012

If that’s the kind of label they want to put on people whose desire is to show and share the love of Jesus Christ to all kinds of people, then by all means consider me (as my Twitter bio read for a while) a Christian, Husband, Father, President of Lifeway Research, Missiologist, Pastor, Lying Whore False Prophet.

So, if believing that God loves us—including sinners, and (yes) protestors—then I am guilty.

Now, thanks to Lizette Beard, I have a nameplate that including my new title, “Lying Whore False Prophet.” I plan to keep it on my desk just to explain that God loves all people— which was what the Westboro folks objected to.

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Ed Stetzer, Ph.D., is a professor and dean at Wheaton College where he also serves as Executive Director of the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center. He has planted, revitalized, and pastored churches; trained pastors and church planters on six continents; earned two master’s degrees and two doctorates; and he has written hundreds of articles and a dozen books. He is Regional Director for Lausanne North America, is the Editor-in-Chief of Outreach Magazine, and regularly writes for news outlets such as USA Today and CNN. His national radio show, Ed Stetzer Live, airs Saturdays on Moody Radio and affiliates. He serves at his local church, Highpoint Church, as a teaching pastor. Dr. Stetzer is currently living in England and teaching at Oxford University.