British muslim children in danger of ‘Talibanisation’
Fri, 6 Aug 2010
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown is the chair of the British Muslims for Secular Democracy.
Something must be done to stop the alarming ‘Talibanisation’ of young British muslims, warns the chair of the British Muslims for Secular Democracy (BMSD).
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown said: “Make no mistake, Taliban devotees are in our schools, playgrounds, homes, mosques, political parties, public service, private firms and universities.
“And if we are to have any hope of combating them, we need to stop this attitude of appeasement and understand why so many Muslims are attracted to the most punishing forms of belief, suppressing women and children.”
Brutal
Mrs Alibhai-Brown cites a number of concerning cases in which Muslim children have been brutally beaten and disciplined for participating in simple school activities such as theatre or music.
She recounted last November, how on the steps of Tate Britain, she witnessed a scene of a furious Asian father shaking his young son and tearing up the picture his child had drawn.
She said the father explained to her that according to his Islamic mentors, drawing pictures of people was forbidden.
Objections
In a separate case Mrs Alibhai-Brown spoke of 13-year-old Femida, who lives in a refuge with her Jordanian mother, a wedding singer.
She said: “Her father, a convert to Islam, had become more and more authoritarian.
“Mother and daughter fled after he took a hammer to the CD player and TV set, and tried to throttle his wife.
Violence
“‘He was screaming that he wanted to kill my voice so I could be a good Muslim,’ said Femida.”
Mrs Alibhai-Brown said the “rapid spread of rigid, diehard Islam is deeply worrying”.
She cautioned: “For many of us Muslims, this creeping Talibanisation of childhood is unendurable.”
Worrying
A BBC investigation revealed that in one London school more than 20 Muslim pupils had been removed from music lessons because their parents felt such teaching to be anti-Islamic.
The Muslim Council of Britain confirmed that music lessons are likely to be unacceptable to ten per cent of Muslims.
Swimming, teddy bears and pets are also described as un-Islamic by hardline Muslim parents.
Banned
Mrs Alibhai-Brown asked: “Why are we fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan and indulging Taliban values here?
She insisted: “Even if it offends liberal principles, the powerful must find a way of stopping Islamicists from promulgating their distorted creed.
“If they don’t, the future is bleak for Muslims and the country. Many of us British Muslims care deeply about both”, she warned.
Showing posts with label Western. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Western. Show all posts
Friday, August 6, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Ranked family as the important issue in their lives
Five Major Trends for Churches in America
Discerning future trends can be difficult if not risky. If we miss a trend, we risk missing opportunities because we had our resources directed elsewhere.
Mon, May. 10, 2010 Posted: 07:35 PM EDT
Discerning future trends can be difficult if not risky. If we miss a trend, we risk missing opportunities because we had our resources directed elsewhere.
I am thus careful when I do trend projections. I am especially careful when I am projecting trends that will have a direct impact on the churches in America.
The Basis for the Trends
The trends that follow were not created in a vacuum. Most the information is based on studies we have done at LifeWay Research. But much of this research provides us information and facts about today’s realities. It does not offer certitude for future trends.
The process is analogous to weather forecasting. We can see all the ingredients that will likely cause a specific outcome. But those factors can change, so we can never say that we are 100 percent certain.
Five Major Trends
Because most of the research that is the basis for these trends was related to American demographics, we must not extend the projections beyond our nation’s borders. Nevertheless, it is possible that some of the research could have implications beyond American churches.
1. Our nation will see the emergence of the largest generational mission field in over a century. According to our current research, the Millennial generation, those born between 1980 and 2000, will have a very low Christian representation. Our estimates now are that only 15% are Christian. With a huge population of nearly 80 million, that means that nearly 70 million young people are not Christians.
2. The dominant attitude of this huge generation toward Christianity will be largely indifferent. Only 13 percent of the Millennials rank any type of spiritual matter as important to their lives. They are not angry at churches and Christians. They simply ignore us because they do not deem us as meaningful or relevant.
3. Senior adult ministries in churches will experience steep declines. As the large Baby Boomer generation moves into their older years, they will resist any suggestion that they are senior adults, no matter how senior they may be. Unfortunately, many churches are slow to adapt to new realities. If they do senior adult ministry the way they’ve always done it, it will be headed for failure.
4. The large Boomer generation will become more receptive to the gospel. Our data is anecdotal for now, but we are seeing indications that the Boomers may actually become more interested in spiritual matters in general, and Christianity specifically. If so, this trend will be counter to other trends where adults tend to become less receptive to the gospel as they age. The Baby Boomers have tried it all and found no joy. They may likely turn to the hope of the gospel.
5. Family will be a key value for both of the large generations. For the Millennials, family is their most important value. Nearly eight out of ten of the Millennials ranked family as the important issue in their lives. They told us that they had healthy relationships with their parents who, for the most part, are Baby Boomers. Some churches say they are family friendly, but few actually demonstrate that value. Churches that reach both of these generations will make significant changes to become the type of churches that foster healthy family relationships,
The Opportunity to Respond
We believe these trends may indeed become reality. They admittedly do focus only on two generations, but these two groups are the largest two generations in America’s history. They cannot be ignored.
Trend projecting is a meaningless exercise if it fails to engender action. Ultimately each local church must determine where God is leading the congregation. In the case of the five trends noted here, the opportunities seem significant. May the response of Christians and churches be nothing less than radical obedience.
Dr. Thom Rainer is president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Thom S. Rainer
Christian Post Guest Columnist
Discerning future trends can be difficult if not risky. If we miss a trend, we risk missing opportunities because we had our resources directed elsewhere.
Mon, May. 10, 2010 Posted: 07:35 PM EDT
Discerning future trends can be difficult if not risky. If we miss a trend, we risk missing opportunities because we had our resources directed elsewhere.
I am thus careful when I do trend projections. I am especially careful when I am projecting trends that will have a direct impact on the churches in America.
The Basis for the Trends
The trends that follow were not created in a vacuum. Most the information is based on studies we have done at LifeWay Research. But much of this research provides us information and facts about today’s realities. It does not offer certitude for future trends.
The process is analogous to weather forecasting. We can see all the ingredients that will likely cause a specific outcome. But those factors can change, so we can never say that we are 100 percent certain.
Five Major Trends
Because most of the research that is the basis for these trends was related to American demographics, we must not extend the projections beyond our nation’s borders. Nevertheless, it is possible that some of the research could have implications beyond American churches.
1. Our nation will see the emergence of the largest generational mission field in over a century. According to our current research, the Millennial generation, those born between 1980 and 2000, will have a very low Christian representation. Our estimates now are that only 15% are Christian. With a huge population of nearly 80 million, that means that nearly 70 million young people are not Christians.
2. The dominant attitude of this huge generation toward Christianity will be largely indifferent. Only 13 percent of the Millennials rank any type of spiritual matter as important to their lives. They are not angry at churches and Christians. They simply ignore us because they do not deem us as meaningful or relevant.
3. Senior adult ministries in churches will experience steep declines. As the large Baby Boomer generation moves into their older years, they will resist any suggestion that they are senior adults, no matter how senior they may be. Unfortunately, many churches are slow to adapt to new realities. If they do senior adult ministry the way they’ve always done it, it will be headed for failure.
4. The large Boomer generation will become more receptive to the gospel. Our data is anecdotal for now, but we are seeing indications that the Boomers may actually become more interested in spiritual matters in general, and Christianity specifically. If so, this trend will be counter to other trends where adults tend to become less receptive to the gospel as they age. The Baby Boomers have tried it all and found no joy. They may likely turn to the hope of the gospel.
5. Family will be a key value for both of the large generations. For the Millennials, family is their most important value. Nearly eight out of ten of the Millennials ranked family as the important issue in their lives. They told us that they had healthy relationships with their parents who, for the most part, are Baby Boomers. Some churches say they are family friendly, but few actually demonstrate that value. Churches that reach both of these generations will make significant changes to become the type of churches that foster healthy family relationships,
The Opportunity to Respond
We believe these trends may indeed become reality. They admittedly do focus only on two generations, but these two groups are the largest two generations in America’s history. They cannot be ignored.
Trend projecting is a meaningless exercise if it fails to engender action. Ultimately each local church must determine where God is leading the congregation. In the case of the five trends noted here, the opportunities seem significant. May the response of Christians and churches be nothing less than radical obedience.
Dr. Thom Rainer is president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Thom S. Rainer
Christian Post Guest Columnist
Saturday, August 15, 2009
The church always lags behind these shifts
Minister Studies Why Americans are 'Spiritual but Not Religious'
Source: Click here
Wed, Oct. 22, 2008 Posted: 05:09 PM EDT
With more Americans describing themselves as "spiritual but not religious," one researcher set out to find what that statement really means.
The Rev. Linda Mercadante, a professor of theology at Methodist Theological School in Delaware, Ohio, conducted research on this growing segment of the American population and found possible reasons why the "spiritual" tend to stay away from the church or religious practices.
"I heard the same arguments over and over again,” said Mercadante, a minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), according to the Presbyterian News Service.
After speaking to SBNRs (spiritual but not religious) across the country, all of whom volunteered for 90-minute interviews, Mercadante found that many of them are not in the church – or are not religious – because of "stereotypical arguments against organized religion and the claims of churches."
"I don’t know where this script comes from – no one knows any real churches that fit this profile or stereotype," she said, according to the denomination's news service.
Some of the stereotypes SBNRs listed include churches' claim to "exclusive truthfulness – that they have a corner on the truth market;" churches demanding that personal beliefs be abdicated; churches demanding conformity to a "corporate mentality;" and churches professing arbitrary or implausible beliefs, among others.
According to Robert C. Fuller, author of the 2001 book Spiritual, But Not Religious, it is likely that one in every five persons could describe themselves as spiritual but not religious. Fuller cited a study in which those who described themselves as SBNRs were less likely to evaluate religiousness positively, less likely to engage in traditional forms of worship such as church attendance and prayer, and more likely to characterize religiousness and spirituality as different and nonoverlapping concepts.
Spirituality, in that study, was associated with higher levels of interest in mysticism, experimentation with unorthodox beliefs and practices, and negative feelings toward both clergy and churches. Religiousness, meanwhile, was associated with higher levels of interest in church attendance and commitment to orthodox beliefs.
"Those who see themselves as 'spiritual, but not religious' reject traditional organized religion as the sole-or even the most valuable-means of furthering their spiritual growth. Many have had negative experiences with churches or church leaders," according to Fuller.
While negative feelings toward the church and organized religion remain, respondents of Mercadante's recent study reported little negative experience with churches. Mercadante went as far as rejecting the common assumption that many people are not religious because of a bad experience at a church. It is simply not true, she said, citing "very minimal reporting by people that they had been hurt in or by the church."
Based on her findings, which she plans to publish in book, Mercadante concluded, "I think it’s clear that much of the problem organized religion faces today is not really the church’s fault.
"We are experiencing a massive cultural shift that is extremely hard to keep up with and the church always lags behind these shifts – too slowly, obviously, for some people."
Audrey Barrick
Christian Post Reporter
Source: Click here
Wed, Oct. 22, 2008 Posted: 05:09 PM EDT
With more Americans describing themselves as "spiritual but not religious," one researcher set out to find what that statement really means.
The Rev. Linda Mercadante, a professor of theology at Methodist Theological School in Delaware, Ohio, conducted research on this growing segment of the American population and found possible reasons why the "spiritual" tend to stay away from the church or religious practices.
"I heard the same arguments over and over again,” said Mercadante, a minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), according to the Presbyterian News Service.
After speaking to SBNRs (spiritual but not religious) across the country, all of whom volunteered for 90-minute interviews, Mercadante found that many of them are not in the church – or are not religious – because of "stereotypical arguments against organized religion and the claims of churches."
"I don’t know where this script comes from – no one knows any real churches that fit this profile or stereotype," she said, according to the denomination's news service.
Some of the stereotypes SBNRs listed include churches' claim to "exclusive truthfulness – that they have a corner on the truth market;" churches demanding that personal beliefs be abdicated; churches demanding conformity to a "corporate mentality;" and churches professing arbitrary or implausible beliefs, among others.
According to Robert C. Fuller, author of the 2001 book Spiritual, But Not Religious, it is likely that one in every five persons could describe themselves as spiritual but not religious. Fuller cited a study in which those who described themselves as SBNRs were less likely to evaluate religiousness positively, less likely to engage in traditional forms of worship such as church attendance and prayer, and more likely to characterize religiousness and spirituality as different and nonoverlapping concepts.
Spirituality, in that study, was associated with higher levels of interest in mysticism, experimentation with unorthodox beliefs and practices, and negative feelings toward both clergy and churches. Religiousness, meanwhile, was associated with higher levels of interest in church attendance and commitment to orthodox beliefs.
"Those who see themselves as 'spiritual, but not religious' reject traditional organized religion as the sole-or even the most valuable-means of furthering their spiritual growth. Many have had negative experiences with churches or church leaders," according to Fuller.
While negative feelings toward the church and organized religion remain, respondents of Mercadante's recent study reported little negative experience with churches. Mercadante went as far as rejecting the common assumption that many people are not religious because of a bad experience at a church. It is simply not true, she said, citing "very minimal reporting by people that they had been hurt in or by the church."
Based on her findings, which she plans to publish in book, Mercadante concluded, "I think it’s clear that much of the problem organized religion faces today is not really the church’s fault.
"We are experiencing a massive cultural shift that is extremely hard to keep up with and the church always lags behind these shifts – too slowly, obviously, for some people."
Audrey Barrick
Christian Post Reporter
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Commitment to holiness, biblical orthodoxy and Spirit-filled living
TIPPING POINT
How Pentecostalism must embrace ethnic diversity.
A tipping point is the moment when something unusual becomes common. That occurred on a hot Friday last August in Indianapolis. The General Council of the Assemblies of God (AG)—the world's largest Pentecostal fellowship—gathered to elect the denomination's executive officers. George O. Wood was elected as general superintendent to succeed Thomas Trask, who resigned after 14 years of service. The more telling election, however, was to come that afternoon.
One of the most successful Pentecostal leaders ever, Trask was an important agent of racial reconciliation. During his term the AG added millions of new members and expanded globally. Trask not only reaffirmed the Pentecostal commitment to holiness, biblical orthodoxy and Spirit-filled living, he also added an element vital to the AG's viability in the 21st-century world: diversity.
Hence the tipping point. That afternoon marked the first time the AG elected to its executive leadership an African-American. Zollie Smith was a police officer and detective, U.S. postal inspector and an airborne infantryman during the Vietnam War, when he was wounded and received the Purple Heart and Bronze Star. His background alone proved he was no stranger to perseverance. In his post-election address he recalled his times of angst while waiting for the fellowship to change.
"I wanted to quit and give up on the Assemblies because I felt there was no place for me," he said. He then exhorted: "To the young people under 40 and the women, your gift will make room for you. You must persevere, you must pray, you must be consistent. Let everyone know you have a mandate from almighty God."
The historic moment created a wave of hope that the Pentecostal community would finally understand that the original upper-room outpouring was a convocation of all races, languages and cultures for the purpose of building one kingdom—God's kingdom.
Jesse Miranda, executive presbyter and commissioner of ethnicity for the AG, applauds the election: "After 100 years of the Azusa Street revival, where the cry was heard that the blood of Jesus has washed the color line, the Assemblies of God is complying to fulfill this claim."
Miranda was the first executive presbyter of color elected to the AG and oversees the World Hispanic Evangelical Alliance for the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference. "The issue now is for ethnics to move beyond mere representation to effective influence, and for Anglo leadership to seek and gain cultural competency toward achieving what we represent in God's kingdom: a cooperative fellowship."
Others see the election as the beginning of a new era for Pentecostalism in America. "The AG is no longer talking ... about embracing diversity but rather putting it to practice," says Felix Posos, superintendent emeritus of the AG's Northern Pacific Latin American district.
At the end of the day, diversity is not a political issue but a kingdom one. "You ... have redeemed us ... out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation" (Rev. 5:9-10). Prayerfully, the day will come when the next generation will not know what a black, brown or white church is. They will instead know with certainty that a kingdom church embodies all races, tongues and peoples worshiping one God.
Sam Rodriguez is president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, the Hispanic NAE, serving 15 million Latino born-again Christians and 18,000 churches.
How Pentecostalism must embrace ethnic diversity.
A tipping point is the moment when something unusual becomes common. That occurred on a hot Friday last August in Indianapolis. The General Council of the Assemblies of God (AG)—the world's largest Pentecostal fellowship—gathered to elect the denomination's executive officers. George O. Wood was elected as general superintendent to succeed Thomas Trask, who resigned after 14 years of service. The more telling election, however, was to come that afternoon.
One of the most successful Pentecostal leaders ever, Trask was an important agent of racial reconciliation. During his term the AG added millions of new members and expanded globally. Trask not only reaffirmed the Pentecostal commitment to holiness, biblical orthodoxy and Spirit-filled living, he also added an element vital to the AG's viability in the 21st-century world: diversity.
Hence the tipping point. That afternoon marked the first time the AG elected to its executive leadership an African-American. Zollie Smith was a police officer and detective, U.S. postal inspector and an airborne infantryman during the Vietnam War, when he was wounded and received the Purple Heart and Bronze Star. His background alone proved he was no stranger to perseverance. In his post-election address he recalled his times of angst while waiting for the fellowship to change.
"I wanted to quit and give up on the Assemblies because I felt there was no place for me," he said. He then exhorted: "To the young people under 40 and the women, your gift will make room for you. You must persevere, you must pray, you must be consistent. Let everyone know you have a mandate from almighty God."
The historic moment created a wave of hope that the Pentecostal community would finally understand that the original upper-room outpouring was a convocation of all races, languages and cultures for the purpose of building one kingdom—God's kingdom.
Jesse Miranda, executive presbyter and commissioner of ethnicity for the AG, applauds the election: "After 100 years of the Azusa Street revival, where the cry was heard that the blood of Jesus has washed the color line, the Assemblies of God is complying to fulfill this claim."
Miranda was the first executive presbyter of color elected to the AG and oversees the World Hispanic Evangelical Alliance for the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference. "The issue now is for ethnics to move beyond mere representation to effective influence, and for Anglo leadership to seek and gain cultural competency toward achieving what we represent in God's kingdom: a cooperative fellowship."
Others see the election as the beginning of a new era for Pentecostalism in America. "The AG is no longer talking ... about embracing diversity but rather putting it to practice," says Felix Posos, superintendent emeritus of the AG's Northern Pacific Latin American district.
At the end of the day, diversity is not a political issue but a kingdom one. "You ... have redeemed us ... out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation" (Rev. 5:9-10). Prayerfully, the day will come when the next generation will not know what a black, brown or white church is. They will instead know with certainty that a kingdom church embodies all races, tongues and peoples worshiping one God.
Sam Rodriguez is president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, the Hispanic NAE, serving 15 million Latino born-again Christians and 18,000 churches.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Michael Jackson a Christian?
BULLY! PULPIT NEWS WORLD EXCLUSIVE: MICHAEL JACKSON
FACING A MASSIVE TOUR HE WAS ILL-PREPARED FOR, A DESPERATE MICHAEL JACKSON REACHED OUT TO GOSPEL SUPERSTAR ANDRAE CROUCH AND HIS MINISTER SISTER SANDRA FOR SOLACE IN HIS LAST DAYS
Los Angeles, California, (Bully! Pulpit News)---Facing a grueling concert schedule, Michael Jackson, the self-proclaimed King of Pop reached out to two old friends-legendary Gospel singer Andrae Crouch and his twin sister, singer and minister, Sandra, desperately seeking inspiration for a tour he was ill-prepared for, a few weeks before his tragic death.
But news of the meeting spiraled out of control as a series of blogs and emails raced around the world proclaiming that Jackson had converted to Christianity at the end of one of their meetings, raising hopes, especially among Jackson’s African-American fans that Jackson, a onetime member of the Jehovah’s Witness sect, who had reportedly converted to Islam in 2008, had become a Christian.
The news was first widely circulated on her website by Erica Campbell, a member of the Grammy-award winning duo Mary-Mary who, under the banner headline “Good News-RIP Michael Jackson,” wrote: “Last night we received some good news from Terri McFaddin-Solomon who is good friends with Sandra Crouch. Three weeks ago Sandra and Andrae spent some time with their close friend, Michael Jackson. Michael asked Andrae to play, "It Won't Be Long And We'll Be Leaving Here." Michael then prayed with Sandra and Andre and accepted Christ into his heart. Now he's singing in the heavenly choir! Our hearts rejoice!”
But according to Sandra Crouch, that may not quite be the full story. On a posting on her Facebook page Crouch wrote: “Not sure where that came from. We loved and respected Michael and will continue to pray for his family. All the extra is not from us.”
For his part, through a spokesman, Andrae Crouch attempted to further clarify the story:
“Andrae and Sandra did in fact visit with Michael Jackson two times, once at the recording studio, and once at his home in the last two months, as recently as three weeks ago, asking for prayer concerning the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and how he could make his music more ‘spiritual,’" noted Crouch’s Facebook administrator. “So Andrae and Sandra explained to him about the anointing and about Jesus. He wanted to know what makes your hands go up, and makes you ‘come out of yourself,’ and what gives a ‘spirituality’ to the music? He then requested to hear his favorite song that he loves and wanted then to sing to him, so they...joined hands and sang together, and he said, ‘it was beautiful.’ He first heard it in New York, and loved it and wanted it on tape. He had the engineer tape the song sang to him by Andrae and Sandra. He definitely had an encounter with them.”
As to whether or not the legendary singer had prayed to receive Christ, through his spokesman Crouch responded: “He did NOT reject Jesus or the prayer when (we) prayed, and gladly joined in prayer.”
“He usually doesn’t touch anybody, but he touched them, and held their hands in a circle as they sang and prayed,” continued Andrae Crouch’s spokesman. “There was NO actual ‘sinners prayer’ however, but they did talk and pray about Jesus and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. They also told him, ‘Michael, we consider you as our son,’ and he said, “yes, yes, yes” and gave him his latest music on a CD, and he told him, ‘Andrae I trust you with this,’ and gave him CD’s of 2 songs......unpublished, beautiful music.”
The Crouch’s reported one peculiarity about Jackson’s rented home: forbidden as a child from celebrating Christmas because of his Jehovah’s Witness faith which precludes such celebration, Jackson was still celebrating Christmas in June: “
“He still had his Christmas decorations up at home,” noted Crouch’s spokesman.
FACING A MASSIVE TOUR HE WAS ILL-PREPARED FOR, A DESPERATE MICHAEL JACKSON REACHED OUT TO GOSPEL SUPERSTAR ANDRAE CROUCH AND HIS MINISTER SISTER SANDRA FOR SOLACE IN HIS LAST DAYS
Los Angeles, California, (Bully! Pulpit News)---Facing a grueling concert schedule, Michael Jackson, the self-proclaimed King of Pop reached out to two old friends-legendary Gospel singer Andrae Crouch and his twin sister, singer and minister, Sandra, desperately seeking inspiration for a tour he was ill-prepared for, a few weeks before his tragic death.
But news of the meeting spiraled out of control as a series of blogs and emails raced around the world proclaiming that Jackson had converted to Christianity at the end of one of their meetings, raising hopes, especially among Jackson’s African-American fans that Jackson, a onetime member of the Jehovah’s Witness sect, who had reportedly converted to Islam in 2008, had become a Christian.
The news was first widely circulated on her website by Erica Campbell, a member of the Grammy-award winning duo Mary-Mary who, under the banner headline “Good News-RIP Michael Jackson,” wrote: “Last night we received some good news from Terri McFaddin-Solomon who is good friends with Sandra Crouch. Three weeks ago Sandra and Andrae spent some time with their close friend, Michael Jackson. Michael asked Andrae to play, "It Won't Be Long And We'll Be Leaving Here." Michael then prayed with Sandra and Andre and accepted Christ into his heart. Now he's singing in the heavenly choir! Our hearts rejoice!”
But according to Sandra Crouch, that may not quite be the full story. On a posting on her Facebook page Crouch wrote: “Not sure where that came from. We loved and respected Michael and will continue to pray for his family. All the extra is not from us.”
For his part, through a spokesman, Andrae Crouch attempted to further clarify the story:
“Andrae and Sandra did in fact visit with Michael Jackson two times, once at the recording studio, and once at his home in the last two months, as recently as three weeks ago, asking for prayer concerning the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and how he could make his music more ‘spiritual,’" noted Crouch’s Facebook administrator. “So Andrae and Sandra explained to him about the anointing and about Jesus. He wanted to know what makes your hands go up, and makes you ‘come out of yourself,’ and what gives a ‘spirituality’ to the music? He then requested to hear his favorite song that he loves and wanted then to sing to him, so they...joined hands and sang together, and he said, ‘it was beautiful.’ He first heard it in New York, and loved it and wanted it on tape. He had the engineer tape the song sang to him by Andrae and Sandra. He definitely had an encounter with them.”
As to whether or not the legendary singer had prayed to receive Christ, through his spokesman Crouch responded: “He did NOT reject Jesus or the prayer when (we) prayed, and gladly joined in prayer.”
“He usually doesn’t touch anybody, but he touched them, and held their hands in a circle as they sang and prayed,” continued Andrae Crouch’s spokesman. “There was NO actual ‘sinners prayer’ however, but they did talk and pray about Jesus and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. They also told him, ‘Michael, we consider you as our son,’ and he said, “yes, yes, yes” and gave him his latest music on a CD, and he told him, ‘Andrae I trust you with this,’ and gave him CD’s of 2 songs......unpublished, beautiful music.”
The Crouch’s reported one peculiarity about Jackson’s rented home: forbidden as a child from celebrating Christmas because of his Jehovah’s Witness faith which precludes such celebration, Jackson was still celebrating Christmas in June: “
“He still had his Christmas decorations up at home,” noted Crouch’s spokesman.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Targeting overseas locations where the church is growing rapidly but has very little training resource
Why UK Bible colleges must change in the 21st century
Given we would all like to pass on vibrant, relevant and well run UK bible colleges to the next generation – what are some of the lessons I have learnt on the journey?
by Andrew Gray, Global Horizons
Posted: Monday, March 30, 2009, 11:44 (BST)
Last week we announced we are moving our UK training operation to Rugby in
Warwickshire. The decision to move UK training to Warwickshire is part of a new strategy we are embarking on to ensure we train more students and impact more nations this century than would have been otherwise possible. Our previous strategy focused on training all our students on one campus, the Bible College of Wales (BCW), established by Rees Howells in 1924.
For us, the old strategy was flawed. A campus in a poor state of repair, along with the associated costs of running a residential centre, funded predominantly by student fees was no longer viable. In the new world we will share a building with a well established church in Rugby. The training centre – Trinity School of Theology - will be non-residential, designed-for- purpose and rely more on qualified visiting lecturers.
Equally important is the training we will do overseas. We have begun targeting overseas locations where the church is growing rapidly but has very little training resource. Initially we are partnering with a training college in Lusaka, Zambia and a church group of 50,000 Christians in India. The demand for basic theological training by both partners is significant. This year we will train around 150 people through these two partners as well as the 40 or so we will train in the UK.
We wouldn’t want to say we’ve found ‘the’ way forward for UK Bible colleges but simply ‘a’ way forward. We still have many miles to travel and we will have to be prepared to amend our strategy as we go.
We are trying to face into the challenges many UK Bible colleges are facing - challenges that have become even tougher as an economic storm passes overhead. Given we would all like to pass on vibrant, relevant and well run UK Bible colleges to the next generation – what are some of the lessons I have learnt on the journey? All of the following needs to be preceded by prayer – without it we will come up with our own solution.
Firstly - keep close to the core church groups you have relationships with. As well as supplying students and lecturers, the local church and it members represent a key support base we cannot do without. They also help us keep up with the ever changing training needs of the local church.
Secondly - face into the financial and operational realities of your organisation. Financial losses don’t just go away. Make sure you are given reliable and easy to understand financial data and take the rose tinted specs off when reading it. Good stewardship of what we have now goes hand in hand with the faith we need for the future.
Next – watch out for peripheral operations which take up management time and don’t augment the core. There are certain things we are exiting from as a result of the strategic review.
Fourthly - as many UK Bible colleges are already doing, we need to continue pursuing good fund raising strategies to supplement the income. People are rightly selective about where they make their gifts so it is important we demonstrate that our operations are viable.
Next – Christian colleges need to consider partnerships, alliances and in certain cases, mergers. Not only will this result in a better use of scarce resources - the UK church at large will benefit as its future leaders better understand each other having studied with a broader group of students. These are tough things to do and will require us to continue building good relationships with each other.
Sixthly - if you can free up resources to help train the church in the emerging world you will make a big difference. Not all pastors in the emerging world need degrees - some simply need a better understanding of Scripture enabling them to teach and lead their churches more effectively. If we don’t have the financial resources to contribute to this invaluable area, we can at least put ourselves forward as the teaching and resource partner and let someone else bring the finance.
Finally – act – and if necessary be radical! We live in very exciting times. God is sovereign and he will bring many more people to himself this century. The organisations that help the worldwide church in its role of training have a key role to play – both here in the UK and overseas. Let’s rise to the challenge!
Andrew Gray is Operations Director of Global Horizons which currently
runs the Bible College of Wales. He has twenty years of experience in
business and was previously finance director of Boots the Chemist. For more information about the Bible College of Wales' plans for the future, visit
www.global-horizons.org
Given we would all like to pass on vibrant, relevant and well run UK bible colleges to the next generation – what are some of the lessons I have learnt on the journey?
by Andrew Gray, Global Horizons
Posted: Monday, March 30, 2009, 11:44 (BST)
Last week we announced we are moving our UK training operation to Rugby in
Warwickshire. The decision to move UK training to Warwickshire is part of a new strategy we are embarking on to ensure we train more students and impact more nations this century than would have been otherwise possible. Our previous strategy focused on training all our students on one campus, the Bible College of Wales (BCW), established by Rees Howells in 1924.
For us, the old strategy was flawed. A campus in a poor state of repair, along with the associated costs of running a residential centre, funded predominantly by student fees was no longer viable. In the new world we will share a building with a well established church in Rugby. The training centre – Trinity School of Theology - will be non-residential, designed-for- purpose and rely more on qualified visiting lecturers.
Equally important is the training we will do overseas. We have begun targeting overseas locations where the church is growing rapidly but has very little training resource. Initially we are partnering with a training college in Lusaka, Zambia and a church group of 50,000 Christians in India. The demand for basic theological training by both partners is significant. This year we will train around 150 people through these two partners as well as the 40 or so we will train in the UK.
We wouldn’t want to say we’ve found ‘the’ way forward for UK Bible colleges but simply ‘a’ way forward. We still have many miles to travel and we will have to be prepared to amend our strategy as we go.
We are trying to face into the challenges many UK Bible colleges are facing - challenges that have become even tougher as an economic storm passes overhead. Given we would all like to pass on vibrant, relevant and well run UK Bible colleges to the next generation – what are some of the lessons I have learnt on the journey? All of the following needs to be preceded by prayer – without it we will come up with our own solution.
Firstly - keep close to the core church groups you have relationships with. As well as supplying students and lecturers, the local church and it members represent a key support base we cannot do without. They also help us keep up with the ever changing training needs of the local church.
Secondly - face into the financial and operational realities of your organisation. Financial losses don’t just go away. Make sure you are given reliable and easy to understand financial data and take the rose tinted specs off when reading it. Good stewardship of what we have now goes hand in hand with the faith we need for the future.
Next – watch out for peripheral operations which take up management time and don’t augment the core. There are certain things we are exiting from as a result of the strategic review.
Fourthly - as many UK Bible colleges are already doing, we need to continue pursuing good fund raising strategies to supplement the income. People are rightly selective about where they make their gifts so it is important we demonstrate that our operations are viable.
Next – Christian colleges need to consider partnerships, alliances and in certain cases, mergers. Not only will this result in a better use of scarce resources - the UK church at large will benefit as its future leaders better understand each other having studied with a broader group of students. These are tough things to do and will require us to continue building good relationships with each other.
Sixthly - if you can free up resources to help train the church in the emerging world you will make a big difference. Not all pastors in the emerging world need degrees - some simply need a better understanding of Scripture enabling them to teach and lead their churches more effectively. If we don’t have the financial resources to contribute to this invaluable area, we can at least put ourselves forward as the teaching and resource partner and let someone else bring the finance.
Finally – act – and if necessary be radical! We live in very exciting times. God is sovereign and he will bring many more people to himself this century. The organisations that help the worldwide church in its role of training have a key role to play – both here in the UK and overseas. Let’s rise to the challenge!
Andrew Gray is Operations Director of Global Horizons which currently
runs the Bible College of Wales. He has twenty years of experience in
business and was previously finance director of Boots the Chemist. For more information about the Bible College of Wales' plans for the future, visit
www.global-horizons.org
A person must choose which is the final and complete revelation of God.
“Islamopalian” Priest Deposed
April 1, 2009
Contact: Jeff Walton 202-682-4131, 202-413-5639 cell
“Bishop Wolf’s handling of this situation is an example of proper discipline within the church and is to be commended.”
-Jeff Walton, IRD Spokesman
Washington, DC—A controversial priest who claimed both Muslim and Christian faith was permanently removed from ordained ministry in the Episcopal Church today. The Rev. Ann Holmes Redding of Seattle made her profession of faith in Islam in March 2006 and insisted that her new beliefs did not conflict with Christianity.
Redding had been under an inhibition from ministry since the summer of 2007 at the direction of Bishop Geralyn Wolf of Rhode Island. Redding was originally ordained by Wolf’s predecessor and was still canonically resident in the Rhode Island diocese.
The Episcopal Church has recently been forced to address a similar controversy with the election of the Rev. Kevin Thew Forrester to be bishop of Northern Michigan. Thew Forrester has received a Zen Buddhist lay ordination.
Jeff Walton of the Institute on Religion & Democracy commented:
Bishop Wolf handled this situation well: she removed Redding from ministry in order that her priestly role not be compromised, directed her to study the differences between Islam and Christianity, and gave her the opportunity to change course.
Releasing Redding from her vows and concluding her ordained ministry within the Episcopal Church was the only way to resolve the situation due to her intractable position that she was both a Muslim and a Christian.
The Episcopal Church’s baptismal service asks all Christians to ‘[c]onfess the faith of Christ crucified, proclaim his resurrection, and share with us in his eternal priesthood.’ The idea that a person can become a Muslim while remaining an Episcopal priest in good standing trivializes both faiths.
The election of Kevin Thew Forrester as Bishop of Northern Michigan poses the same problems as Ann Holmes Redding. A person with spiritual loyalties outside of the Christian faith cannot lead a flock in the Episcopal Church.
A person must choose which is the final and complete revelation of God. Is it Jesus Christ, or is it the message of the Koran, which denies Christ’s death and resurrection?
The Institute on Religion and Democracy, founded in 1981, is an ecumenical alliance of U.S. Christians working to reform their churches’ social witness, in accord with biblical and historic Christian teachings, thereby contributing to the renewal of democratic society at home and abroad.
April 1, 2009
Contact: Jeff Walton 202-682-4131, 202-413-5639 cell
“Bishop Wolf’s handling of this situation is an example of proper discipline within the church and is to be commended.”
-Jeff Walton, IRD Spokesman
Washington, DC—A controversial priest who claimed both Muslim and Christian faith was permanently removed from ordained ministry in the Episcopal Church today. The Rev. Ann Holmes Redding of Seattle made her profession of faith in Islam in March 2006 and insisted that her new beliefs did not conflict with Christianity.
Redding had been under an inhibition from ministry since the summer of 2007 at the direction of Bishop Geralyn Wolf of Rhode Island. Redding was originally ordained by Wolf’s predecessor and was still canonically resident in the Rhode Island diocese.
The Episcopal Church has recently been forced to address a similar controversy with the election of the Rev. Kevin Thew Forrester to be bishop of Northern Michigan. Thew Forrester has received a Zen Buddhist lay ordination.
Jeff Walton of the Institute on Religion & Democracy commented:
Bishop Wolf handled this situation well: she removed Redding from ministry in order that her priestly role not be compromised, directed her to study the differences between Islam and Christianity, and gave her the opportunity to change course.
Releasing Redding from her vows and concluding her ordained ministry within the Episcopal Church was the only way to resolve the situation due to her intractable position that she was both a Muslim and a Christian.
The Episcopal Church’s baptismal service asks all Christians to ‘[c]onfess the faith of Christ crucified, proclaim his resurrection, and share with us in his eternal priesthood.’ The idea that a person can become a Muslim while remaining an Episcopal priest in good standing trivializes both faiths.
The election of Kevin Thew Forrester as Bishop of Northern Michigan poses the same problems as Ann Holmes Redding. A person with spiritual loyalties outside of the Christian faith cannot lead a flock in the Episcopal Church.
A person must choose which is the final and complete revelation of God. Is it Jesus Christ, or is it the message of the Koran, which denies Christ’s death and resurrection?
The Institute on Religion and Democracy, founded in 1981, is an ecumenical alliance of U.S. Christians working to reform their churches’ social witness, in accord with biblical and historic Christian teachings, thereby contributing to the renewal of democratic society at home and abroad.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Coming generations of Christians are going to be monumentally ignorant!
The coming evangelical collapse
An anti-Christian chapter in Western history is about to begin. But out of the ruins, a new vitality and integrity will rise.
By Michael Spencer
from the March 10, 2009 edition
Oneida, Ky. - We are on the verge – within 10 years – of a major collapse of evangelical Christianity. This breakdown will follow the deterioration of the mainline Protestant world and it will fundamentally alter the religious and cultural environment in the West.
Within two generations, evangelicalism will be a house deserted of half its occupants. (Between 25 and 35 percent of Americans today are Evangelicals.) In the "Protestant" 20th century, Evangelicals flourished. But they will soon be living in a very secular and religiously antagonistic 21st century.
This collapse will herald the arrival of an anti-Christian chapter of the post-Christian West. Intolerance of Christianity will rise to levels many of us have not believed possible in our lifetimes, and public policy will become hostile toward evangelical Christianity, seeing it as the opponent of the common good.
Millions of Evangelicals will quit. Thousands of ministries will end. Christian media will be reduced, if not eliminated. Many Christian schools will go into rapid decline. I'm convinced the grace and mission of God will reach to the ends of the earth. But the end of evangelicalism as we know it is close.
Why is this going to happen?
1. Evangelicals have identified their movement with the culture war and with political conservatism. This will prove to be a very costly mistake. Evangelicals will increasingly be seen as a threat to cultural progress. Public leaders will consider us bad for America, bad for education, bad for children, and bad for society.
The evangelical investment in moral, social, and political issues has depleted our resources and exposed our weaknesses. Being against gay marriage and being rhetorically pro-life will not make up for the fact that massive majorities of Evangelicals can't articulate the Gospel with any coherence. We fell for the trap of believing in a cause more than a faith.
2. We Evangelicals have failed to pass on to our young people an orthodox form of faith that can take root and survive the secular onslaught. Ironically, the billions of dollars we've spent on youth ministers, Christian music, publishing, and media has produced a culture of young Christians who know next to nothing about their own faith except how they feel about it. Our young people have deep beliefs about the culture war, but do not know why they should obey scripture, the essentials of theology, or the experience of spiritual discipline and community. Coming generations of Christians are going to be monumentally ignorant and unprepared for culture-wide pressures.
3. There are three kinds of evangelical churches today: consumer-driven megachurches, dying churches, and new churches whose future is fragile. Denominations will shrink, even vanish, while fewer and fewer evangelical churches will survive and thrive.
4. Despite some very successful developments in the past 25 years, Christian education has not produced a product that can withstand the rising tide of secularism. Evangelicalism has used its educational system primarily to staff its own needs and talk to itself.
5. The confrontation between cultural secularism and the faith at the core of evangelical efforts to "do good" is rapidly approaching. We will soon see that the good Evangelicals want to do will be viewed as bad by so many, and much of that work will not be done. Look for ministries to take on a less and less distinctively Christian face in order to survive.
6. Even in areas where Evangelicals imagine themselves strong (like the Bible Belt), we will find a great inability to pass on to our children a vital evangelical confidence in the Bible and the importance of the faith.
7. The money will dry up.
What will be left?
•Expect evangelicalism to look more like the pragmatic, therapeutic, church-growth oriented megachurches that have defined success. Emphasis will shift from doctrine to relevance, motivation, and personal success – resulting in churches further compromised and weakened in their ability to pass on the faith.
•Two of the beneficiaries will be the Roman Catholic and Orthodox communions. Evangelicals have been entering these churches in recent decades and that trend will continue, with more efforts aimed at the "conversion" of Evangelicals to the Catholic and Orthodox traditions.
•A small band will work hard to rescue the movement from its demise through theological renewal. This is an attractive, innovative, and tireless community with outstanding media, publishing, and leadership development. Nonetheless, I believe the coming evangelical collapse will not result in a second reformation, though it may result in benefits for many churches and the beginnings of new churches.
•The emerging church will largely vanish from the evangelical landscape, becoming part of the small segment of progressive mainline Protestants that remain true to the liberal vision.
•Aggressively evangelistic fundamentalist churches will begin to disappear.
•Charismatic-Pentecostal Christianity will become the majority report in evangelicalism. Can this community withstand heresy, relativism, and confusion? To do so, it must make a priority of biblical authority, responsible leadership, and a reemergence of orthodoxy.
•Evangelicalism needs a "rescue mission" from the world Christian community. It is time for missionaries to come to America from Asia and Africa. Will they come? Will they be able to bring to our culture a more vital form of Christianity?
•Expect a fragmented response to the culture war. Some Evangelicals will work to create their own countercultures, rather than try to change the culture at large. Some will continue to see conservatism and Christianity through one lens and will engage the culture war much as before – a status quo the media will be all too happy to perpetuate. A significant number, however, may give up political engagement for a discipleship of deeper impact.
Is all of this a bad thing?
Evangelicalism doesn't need a bailout. Much of it needs a funeral. But what about what remains?
Is it a good thing that denominations are going to become largely irrelevant? Only if the networks that replace them are able to marshal resources, training, and vision to the mission field and into the planting and equipping of churches.
Is it a good thing that many marginal believers will depart? Possibly, if churches begin and continue the work of renewing serious church membership. We must change the conversation from the maintenance of traditional churches to developing new and culturally appropriate ones.
The ascendency of Charismatic-Pentecostal-influenced worship around the world can be a major positive for the evangelical movement if reformation can reach those churches and if it is joined with the calling, training, and mentoring of leaders. If American churches come under more of the influence of the movement of the Holy Spirit in Africa and Asia, this will be a good thing.
Will the evangelicalizing of Catholic and Orthodox communions be a good development? One can hope for greater unity and appreciation, but the history of these developments seems to be much more about a renewed vigor to "evangelize" Protestantism in the name of unity.
Will the coming collapse get Evangelicals past the pragmatism and shallowness that has brought about the loss of substance and power? Probably not. The purveyors of the evangelical circus will be in fine form, selling their wares as the promised solution to every church's problems. I expect the landscape of megachurch vacuity to be around for a very long time.
Will it shake lose the prosperity Gospel from its parasitical place on the evangelical body of Christ? Evidence from similar periods is not encouraging. American Christians seldom seem to be able to separate their theology from an overall idea of personal affluence and success.
The loss of their political clout may impel many Evangelicals to reconsider the wisdom of trying to create a "godly society." That doesn't mean they'll focus solely on saving souls, but the increasing concern will be how to keep secularism out of church, not stop it altogether. The integrity of the church as a countercultural movement with a message of "empire subversion" will increasingly replace a message of cultural and political entitlement.
Despite all of these challenges, it is impossible not to be hopeful. As one commenter has already said, "Christianity loves a crumbling empire."
We can rejoice that in the ruins, new forms of Christian vitality and ministry will be born. I expect to see a vital and growing house church movement. This cannot help but be good for an evangelicalism that has made buildings, numbers, and paid staff its drugs for half a century.
We need new evangelicalism that learns from the past and listens more carefully to what God says about being His people in the midst of a powerful, idolatrous culture.
I'm not a prophet. My view of evangelicalism is not authoritative or infallible. I am certainly wrong in some of these predictions. But is there anyone who is observing evangelicalism in these times who does not sense that the future of our movement holds many dangers and much potential?
• Michael Spencer is a writer and communicator living and working in a Christian community in Kentucky. He describes himself as "a postevangelical reformation Christian in search of a Jesus-shaped spirituality." This essay is adapted from a series on his blog, InternetMonk.com
An anti-Christian chapter in Western history is about to begin. But out of the ruins, a new vitality and integrity will rise.
By Michael Spencer
from the March 10, 2009 edition
Oneida, Ky. - We are on the verge – within 10 years – of a major collapse of evangelical Christianity. This breakdown will follow the deterioration of the mainline Protestant world and it will fundamentally alter the religious and cultural environment in the West.
Within two generations, evangelicalism will be a house deserted of half its occupants. (Between 25 and 35 percent of Americans today are Evangelicals.) In the "Protestant" 20th century, Evangelicals flourished. But they will soon be living in a very secular and religiously antagonistic 21st century.
This collapse will herald the arrival of an anti-Christian chapter of the post-Christian West. Intolerance of Christianity will rise to levels many of us have not believed possible in our lifetimes, and public policy will become hostile toward evangelical Christianity, seeing it as the opponent of the common good.
Millions of Evangelicals will quit. Thousands of ministries will end. Christian media will be reduced, if not eliminated. Many Christian schools will go into rapid decline. I'm convinced the grace and mission of God will reach to the ends of the earth. But the end of evangelicalism as we know it is close.
Why is this going to happen?
1. Evangelicals have identified their movement with the culture war and with political conservatism. This will prove to be a very costly mistake. Evangelicals will increasingly be seen as a threat to cultural progress. Public leaders will consider us bad for America, bad for education, bad for children, and bad for society.
The evangelical investment in moral, social, and political issues has depleted our resources and exposed our weaknesses. Being against gay marriage and being rhetorically pro-life will not make up for the fact that massive majorities of Evangelicals can't articulate the Gospel with any coherence. We fell for the trap of believing in a cause more than a faith.
2. We Evangelicals have failed to pass on to our young people an orthodox form of faith that can take root and survive the secular onslaught. Ironically, the billions of dollars we've spent on youth ministers, Christian music, publishing, and media has produced a culture of young Christians who know next to nothing about their own faith except how they feel about it. Our young people have deep beliefs about the culture war, but do not know why they should obey scripture, the essentials of theology, or the experience of spiritual discipline and community. Coming generations of Christians are going to be monumentally ignorant and unprepared for culture-wide pressures.
3. There are three kinds of evangelical churches today: consumer-driven megachurches, dying churches, and new churches whose future is fragile. Denominations will shrink, even vanish, while fewer and fewer evangelical churches will survive and thrive.
4. Despite some very successful developments in the past 25 years, Christian education has not produced a product that can withstand the rising tide of secularism. Evangelicalism has used its educational system primarily to staff its own needs and talk to itself.
5. The confrontation between cultural secularism and the faith at the core of evangelical efforts to "do good" is rapidly approaching. We will soon see that the good Evangelicals want to do will be viewed as bad by so many, and much of that work will not be done. Look for ministries to take on a less and less distinctively Christian face in order to survive.
6. Even in areas where Evangelicals imagine themselves strong (like the Bible Belt), we will find a great inability to pass on to our children a vital evangelical confidence in the Bible and the importance of the faith.
7. The money will dry up.
What will be left?
•Expect evangelicalism to look more like the pragmatic, therapeutic, church-growth oriented megachurches that have defined success. Emphasis will shift from doctrine to relevance, motivation, and personal success – resulting in churches further compromised and weakened in their ability to pass on the faith.
•Two of the beneficiaries will be the Roman Catholic and Orthodox communions. Evangelicals have been entering these churches in recent decades and that trend will continue, with more efforts aimed at the "conversion" of Evangelicals to the Catholic and Orthodox traditions.
•A small band will work hard to rescue the movement from its demise through theological renewal. This is an attractive, innovative, and tireless community with outstanding media, publishing, and leadership development. Nonetheless, I believe the coming evangelical collapse will not result in a second reformation, though it may result in benefits for many churches and the beginnings of new churches.
•The emerging church will largely vanish from the evangelical landscape, becoming part of the small segment of progressive mainline Protestants that remain true to the liberal vision.
•Aggressively evangelistic fundamentalist churches will begin to disappear.
•Charismatic-Pentecostal Christianity will become the majority report in evangelicalism. Can this community withstand heresy, relativism, and confusion? To do so, it must make a priority of biblical authority, responsible leadership, and a reemergence of orthodoxy.
•Evangelicalism needs a "rescue mission" from the world Christian community. It is time for missionaries to come to America from Asia and Africa. Will they come? Will they be able to bring to our culture a more vital form of Christianity?
•Expect a fragmented response to the culture war. Some Evangelicals will work to create their own countercultures, rather than try to change the culture at large. Some will continue to see conservatism and Christianity through one lens and will engage the culture war much as before – a status quo the media will be all too happy to perpetuate. A significant number, however, may give up political engagement for a discipleship of deeper impact.
Is all of this a bad thing?
Evangelicalism doesn't need a bailout. Much of it needs a funeral. But what about what remains?
Is it a good thing that denominations are going to become largely irrelevant? Only if the networks that replace them are able to marshal resources, training, and vision to the mission field and into the planting and equipping of churches.
Is it a good thing that many marginal believers will depart? Possibly, if churches begin and continue the work of renewing serious church membership. We must change the conversation from the maintenance of traditional churches to developing new and culturally appropriate ones.
The ascendency of Charismatic-Pentecostal-influenced worship around the world can be a major positive for the evangelical movement if reformation can reach those churches and if it is joined with the calling, training, and mentoring of leaders. If American churches come under more of the influence of the movement of the Holy Spirit in Africa and Asia, this will be a good thing.
Will the evangelicalizing of Catholic and Orthodox communions be a good development? One can hope for greater unity and appreciation, but the history of these developments seems to be much more about a renewed vigor to "evangelize" Protestantism in the name of unity.
Will the coming collapse get Evangelicals past the pragmatism and shallowness that has brought about the loss of substance and power? Probably not. The purveyors of the evangelical circus will be in fine form, selling their wares as the promised solution to every church's problems. I expect the landscape of megachurch vacuity to be around for a very long time.
Will it shake lose the prosperity Gospel from its parasitical place on the evangelical body of Christ? Evidence from similar periods is not encouraging. American Christians seldom seem to be able to separate their theology from an overall idea of personal affluence and success.
The loss of their political clout may impel many Evangelicals to reconsider the wisdom of trying to create a "godly society." That doesn't mean they'll focus solely on saving souls, but the increasing concern will be how to keep secularism out of church, not stop it altogether. The integrity of the church as a countercultural movement with a message of "empire subversion" will increasingly replace a message of cultural and political entitlement.
Despite all of these challenges, it is impossible not to be hopeful. As one commenter has already said, "Christianity loves a crumbling empire."
We can rejoice that in the ruins, new forms of Christian vitality and ministry will be born. I expect to see a vital and growing house church movement. This cannot help but be good for an evangelicalism that has made buildings, numbers, and paid staff its drugs for half a century.
We need new evangelicalism that learns from the past and listens more carefully to what God says about being His people in the midst of a powerful, idolatrous culture.
I'm not a prophet. My view of evangelicalism is not authoritative or infallible. I am certainly wrong in some of these predictions. But is there anyone who is observing evangelicalism in these times who does not sense that the future of our movement holds many dangers and much potential?
• Michael Spencer is a writer and communicator living and working in a Christian community in Kentucky. He describes himself as "a postevangelical reformation Christian in search of a Jesus-shaped spirituality." This essay is adapted from a series on his blog, InternetMonk.com
High location allowances?
Expatriates prefer KL, George Town
Published: Wednesday March 11, 2009 MYT 5:00:00 PM
SINGAPORE: The Malaysian cities of Kuala Lumpur and Georgetown are among the top 10 locations in Asia where Europeans prefer to work and live in, according to a latest international location ratings survey.
Kuala Lumpur was ranked ninth and Georgetown 10th, after Singapore, Kobe, Yokohama, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Macau, Seoul and Taipei, said ECA International, an agency that develops and provides solutions for the management and assignment of employees around the world, in its annual Location Ratings Survey.
The survey rates living standards in more than 400 locations globally, according to categories including climate, air quality, health services, housing and utilities, isolation, social network and leisure facilities, infrastructure, personal safety and political tensions.
Its overall ratings normally would be used by international human resources departments to establish allowances which compensate expatriate staff for the difficulties of adapting to living in their assignment location.
Both Kuala Lumpur and Georgetown were also ranked ninth in Asia for Asians to live in, the survey said, adding that in the world's rankings, they took 61st and 64th spots, respectively.
In that same global category, Singapore took first placing, followed by Kobe (3), Yokohama (4), Tokyo (6), Hong Kong (11), Taipei (56), Macau (56) and Bangkok (63).
"These rankings reveal a large gulf in the quality of living among Asian locations," said ECA International Regional Director Asia Lee Quane.
He said, while there were a handful of locations in Asia which offered Asian assignees a good standard of living, the majority of locations would be challenging in some shape or form and therefore, warranting high location allowances.
The survey also said Baghdad remained the least favourable location to live in, followed by Kabul, Karachi and Port-au-Prince.
"A lack of suitable facilities for expatriates, along with high personal security risk, makes these locations the least desirable," the survey said. - Bernama
Published: Wednesday March 11, 2009 MYT 5:00:00 PM
SINGAPORE: The Malaysian cities of Kuala Lumpur and Georgetown are among the top 10 locations in Asia where Europeans prefer to work and live in, according to a latest international location ratings survey.
Kuala Lumpur was ranked ninth and Georgetown 10th, after Singapore, Kobe, Yokohama, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Macau, Seoul and Taipei, said ECA International, an agency that develops and provides solutions for the management and assignment of employees around the world, in its annual Location Ratings Survey.
The survey rates living standards in more than 400 locations globally, according to categories including climate, air quality, health services, housing and utilities, isolation, social network and leisure facilities, infrastructure, personal safety and political tensions.
Its overall ratings normally would be used by international human resources departments to establish allowances which compensate expatriate staff for the difficulties of adapting to living in their assignment location.
Both Kuala Lumpur and Georgetown were also ranked ninth in Asia for Asians to live in, the survey said, adding that in the world's rankings, they took 61st and 64th spots, respectively.
In that same global category, Singapore took first placing, followed by Kobe (3), Yokohama (4), Tokyo (6), Hong Kong (11), Taipei (56), Macau (56) and Bangkok (63).
"These rankings reveal a large gulf in the quality of living among Asian locations," said ECA International Regional Director Asia Lee Quane.
He said, while there were a handful of locations in Asia which offered Asian assignees a good standard of living, the majority of locations would be challenging in some shape or form and therefore, warranting high location allowances.
The survey also said Baghdad remained the least favourable location to live in, followed by Kabul, Karachi and Port-au-Prince.
"A lack of suitable facilities for expatriates, along with high personal security risk, makes these locations the least desirable," the survey said. - Bernama
Monday, March 9, 2009
Come over to Asia!
SYDNEY, Mar 09, 2009 (AsiaPulse via COMTEX) -- With the falling Australian dollar, the cost of living has plummeted across the country, but the most expensive city in the world is now in Asia, a survey has found.
The Economist magazine's cost of living survey shows Australian cities have become cheaper due to the battered Australian dollar, with Sydney dropping from 17th to 35th on its index of most expensive cities in the past six months.
Since September, Melbourne has fallen 15 places from 24 to 39, Brisbane from 35 to 57, while Adelaide plummeted to 72 after being listed at 48 in the last survey.
Auckland fell almost 30 places, from 49 to 78, while Wellington dropped 25 spots from 55 to 80.
A stronger yen saw Tokyo rise to top of the magazine's list of most expensive cities, knocking off Oslo in Norway, which fell to number five.
Osaka in Japan was listed at number two, Paris third, while Copenhagen in Denmark was fourth.
Apart from taking the top two spots, Asia boasted four of the five cheapest cities - Karachi in Pakistan, Mumbai and New Delhi in India, and Kathmandu in Nepal.
"(Asia) plays host to countries with the most and the least expensive cost of living in the survey," The Economist said in a statement.
"Cities in Australia and New Zealand have seen dramatic falls of between 21 and 25 index points.
"Conversely a stronger yen now means that the Japanese cities of Tokyo and Osaka have become the most expensive cities in our survey.
"Asia is home to many of the least expensive cities in the world, supplying five of the ten cheapest locations in the survey, four of which hail from the Indian subcontinent."
The Economist magazine's cost of living survey shows Australian cities have become cheaper due to the battered Australian dollar, with Sydney dropping from 17th to 35th on its index of most expensive cities in the past six months.
Since September, Melbourne has fallen 15 places from 24 to 39, Brisbane from 35 to 57, while Adelaide plummeted to 72 after being listed at 48 in the last survey.
Auckland fell almost 30 places, from 49 to 78, while Wellington dropped 25 spots from 55 to 80.
A stronger yen saw Tokyo rise to top of the magazine's list of most expensive cities, knocking off Oslo in Norway, which fell to number five.
Osaka in Japan was listed at number two, Paris third, while Copenhagen in Denmark was fourth.
Apart from taking the top two spots, Asia boasted four of the five cheapest cities - Karachi in Pakistan, Mumbai and New Delhi in India, and Kathmandu in Nepal.
"(Asia) plays host to countries with the most and the least expensive cost of living in the survey," The Economist said in a statement.
"Cities in Australia and New Zealand have seen dramatic falls of between 21 and 25 index points.
"Conversely a stronger yen now means that the Japanese cities of Tokyo and Osaka have become the most expensive cities in our survey.
"Asia is home to many of the least expensive cities in the world, supplying five of the ten cheapest locations in the survey, four of which hail from the Indian subcontinent."
Come over to Asia!
SYDNEY, Mar 09, 2009 (AsiaPulse via COMTEX) -- With the falling Australian dollar, the cost of living has plummeted across the country, but the most expensive city in the world is now in Asia, a survey has found.
The Economist magazine's cost of living survey shows Australian cities have become cheaper due to the battered Australian dollar, with Sydney dropping from 17th to 35th on its index of most expensive cities in the past six months.
Since September, Melbourne has fallen 15 places from 24 to 39, Brisbane from 35 to 57, while Adelaide plummeted to 72 after being listed at 48 in the last survey.
Auckland fell almost 30 places, from 49 to 78, while Wellington dropped 25 spots from 55 to 80.
A stronger yen saw Tokyo rise to top of the magazine's list of most expensive cities, knocking off Oslo in Norway, which fell to number five.
Osaka in Japan was listed at number two, Paris third, while Copenhagen in Denmark was fourth.
Apart from taking the top two spots, Asia boasted four of the five cheapest cities - Karachi in Pakistan, Mumbai and New Delhi in India, and Kathmandu in Nepal.
"(Asia) plays host to countries with the most and the least expensive cost of living in the survey," The Economist said in a statement.
"Cities in Australia and New Zealand have seen dramatic falls of between 21 and 25 index points.
"Conversely a stronger yen now means that the Japanese cities of Tokyo and Osaka have become the most expensive cities in our survey.
"Asia is home to many of the least expensive cities in the world, supplying five of the ten cheapest locations in the survey, four of which hail from the Indian subcontinent."
The Economist magazine's cost of living survey shows Australian cities have become cheaper due to the battered Australian dollar, with Sydney dropping from 17th to 35th on its index of most expensive cities in the past six months.
Since September, Melbourne has fallen 15 places from 24 to 39, Brisbane from 35 to 57, while Adelaide plummeted to 72 after being listed at 48 in the last survey.
Auckland fell almost 30 places, from 49 to 78, while Wellington dropped 25 spots from 55 to 80.
A stronger yen saw Tokyo rise to top of the magazine's list of most expensive cities, knocking off Oslo in Norway, which fell to number five.
Osaka in Japan was listed at number two, Paris third, while Copenhagen in Denmark was fourth.
Apart from taking the top two spots, Asia boasted four of the five cheapest cities - Karachi in Pakistan, Mumbai and New Delhi in India, and Kathmandu in Nepal.
"(Asia) plays host to countries with the most and the least expensive cost of living in the survey," The Economist said in a statement.
"Cities in Australia and New Zealand have seen dramatic falls of between 21 and 25 index points.
"Conversely a stronger yen now means that the Japanese cities of Tokyo and Osaka have become the most expensive cities in our survey.
"Asia is home to many of the least expensive cities in the world, supplying five of the ten cheapest locations in the survey, four of which hail from the Indian subcontinent."
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
America will become an undeveloped nation
Fox Business: Gerald Celente Predicts Food Revolution in US Paul Joseph Watson
The man who predicted the 1987 stock market crash and the fall of the Soviet Union is now forecasting revolution in America, food riots and tax rebellions - all within four years, while cautioning that putting food on the table will be a more pressing concern than buying Christmas gifts by 2012.
Gerald Celente (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Celente), the CEO of Trends Research Institute, is renowned for his accuracy in predicting future world and economic events, which will send a chill down your spine considering what he told Fox News this week.
Celente says that by 2012 America will become an undeveloped nation, that there will be a revolution marked by food riots, squatter rebellions, tax revolts and job marches, and that holidays will be more about obtaining food, not gifts.
"We're going to see the end of the retail Christmas....we're going to see a fundamental shift take place....putting food on the table is going to be more important that putting gifts under the Christmas tree," said Celente, adding that the situation would be "worse than the great depression".
"America's going to go through a transition the likes of which no one is prepared for," said Celente, noting that people's refusal to acknowledge that America was even in a recession highlights how big a problem denial is in being ready for the true scale of the crisis.
Celente, who successfully predicted the 1997 Asian Currency Crisis, the subprime mortgage collapse and the massive devaluation of the U.S. dollar, told UPI in November last year that the following year would be known as "The Panic of 2008," adding that "giants (would) tumble to their deaths," which is exactly what we have witnessed with the collapse of Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns and others. He also said that the dollar would eventually be devalued by as much as 90 percent.
The consequence of what we have seen unfold this year would lead to a lowering in living standards, Celente predicted a year ago, which is also being borne out by plummeting retail sales figures.
The prospect of revolution was a concept echoed by a British Ministry of Defense report last year, which predicted that within 30 years, the growing gap between the super rich and the middle class, along with an urban underclass threatening social order would mean, "The world's middle classes might unite, using access to knowledge, resources and skills to shape transnational processes in their own class interest," and that, "The middle classes could become a revolutionary class."
In a separate recent interview, Celente went further on the subject of revolution in America.
"There will be a revolution in this country," he said. "It's not going to come yet, but it's going to come down the line and we're going to see a third party and this was the catalyst for it: the takeover of Washington, D.C., in broad daylight by Wall Street in this bloodless coup. And it will happen as conditions continue to worsen."
"The first thing to do is organize with tax revolts. That's going to be the big one because people can't afford to pay more school tax, property tax, any kind of tax. You're going to start seeing those kinds of protests start to develop."
"It's going to be very bleak. Very sad. And there is going to be a lot of homeless, the likes of which we have never seen before. Tent cities are already sprouting up around the country and we're going to see many more."
"We're going to start seeing huge areas of vacant real estate and squatters living in them as well. It's going to be a picture the likes of which Americans are not going to be used to. It's going to come as a shock and with it, there's going to be a lot of crime. And the crime is going to be a lot worse than it was before because in the last 1929 Depression, people's minds weren't wrecked on all these modern drugs - over-the-counter drugs, or crystal meth or whatever it might be. So, you have a huge underclass of very desperate people with their minds chemically blown beyond anybody's comprehension."
The man who predicted the 1987 stock market crash and the fall of the Soviet Union is now forecasting revolution in America, food riots and tax rebellions - all within four years, while cautioning that putting food on the table will be a more pressing concern than buying Christmas gifts by 2012.
Gerald Celente (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Celente), the CEO of Trends Research Institute, is renowned for his accuracy in predicting future world and economic events, which will send a chill down your spine considering what he told Fox News this week.
Celente says that by 2012 America will become an undeveloped nation, that there will be a revolution marked by food riots, squatter rebellions, tax revolts and job marches, and that holidays will be more about obtaining food, not gifts.
"We're going to see the end of the retail Christmas....we're going to see a fundamental shift take place....putting food on the table is going to be more important that putting gifts under the Christmas tree," said Celente, adding that the situation would be "worse than the great depression".
"America's going to go through a transition the likes of which no one is prepared for," said Celente, noting that people's refusal to acknowledge that America was even in a recession highlights how big a problem denial is in being ready for the true scale of the crisis.
Celente, who successfully predicted the 1997 Asian Currency Crisis, the subprime mortgage collapse and the massive devaluation of the U.S. dollar, told UPI in November last year that the following year would be known as "The Panic of 2008," adding that "giants (would) tumble to their deaths," which is exactly what we have witnessed with the collapse of Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns and others. He also said that the dollar would eventually be devalued by as much as 90 percent.
The consequence of what we have seen unfold this year would lead to a lowering in living standards, Celente predicted a year ago, which is also being borne out by plummeting retail sales figures.
The prospect of revolution was a concept echoed by a British Ministry of Defense report last year, which predicted that within 30 years, the growing gap between the super rich and the middle class, along with an urban underclass threatening social order would mean, "The world's middle classes might unite, using access to knowledge, resources and skills to shape transnational processes in their own class interest," and that, "The middle classes could become a revolutionary class."
In a separate recent interview, Celente went further on the subject of revolution in America.
"There will be a revolution in this country," he said. "It's not going to come yet, but it's going to come down the line and we're going to see a third party and this was the catalyst for it: the takeover of Washington, D.C., in broad daylight by Wall Street in this bloodless coup. And it will happen as conditions continue to worsen."
"The first thing to do is organize with tax revolts. That's going to be the big one because people can't afford to pay more school tax, property tax, any kind of tax. You're going to start seeing those kinds of protests start to develop."
"It's going to be very bleak. Very sad. And there is going to be a lot of homeless, the likes of which we have never seen before. Tent cities are already sprouting up around the country and we're going to see many more."
"We're going to start seeing huge areas of vacant real estate and squatters living in them as well. It's going to be a picture the likes of which Americans are not going to be used to. It's going to come as a shock and with it, there's going to be a lot of crime. And the crime is going to be a lot worse than it was before because in the last 1929 Depression, people's minds weren't wrecked on all these modern drugs - over-the-counter drugs, or crystal meth or whatever it might be. So, you have a huge underclass of very desperate people with their minds chemically blown beyond anybody's comprehension."
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
They just saddled the churches with far too much debt
A Worshipping, Foreclosing Church
Marcus Yoars Ministry News
Three-quarters of the nation’s 335,000 churches are virtually or completely mortgage-free. But for many of those in the minority carrying a loan on their property, what were already tight times—due to decreased giving from financially stretched churchgoers—are quickly becoming tough times.
A recent report by First American CoreLogic discovered that hundreds of churches are facing foreclosure, almost all of which were affected by the mortgage boom in recent years that saw church-issued mortgages increase 50 percent from 2002 to 2005.
According to the U.S. Census, spending on church construction rose from $3.8 billion in 1997 to $6.2 billion in 2007. A separate study found that church borrowing as a whole peaked at $28 billion nationwide in 2006, including mortgages, construction loans and church bonds.
“There have been too many churches with a ‘build it and they will come’ attitude,” says N. Michael Tangen, executive vice president at American Investors Group, a church lender in Minnetonka, Minn. “They had glory in their eyes that wasn’t backed up with adequate business plans and cash flow.”
Those loaning churches money can attest to the bubble bursting. In its 45-year history, the Evangelical Christian Credit Union in Brea, Calif., had foreclosed on only two churches. This year it has served foreclosure papers to seven of its 2,000 members, and its president says the company expects to add to that number in the coming months. Another church lender, Church Mortgage & Loan Corp. of Maitland, Fla., has already foreclosed on 10 church properties in the past two years and, as a result, had to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March.
“Some of the mentality that you saw taking hold of the residential marketplace probably shifted into the church,” says Dan Mikes, executive vice president of the church banking division of Bank of the West. “Lenders loaned far too much, they loaned into lofty projections of future growth, and they just saddled the churches with far too much debt.” [wsj.com, 12/23/08; nytimes.com, 12/26/08]
Marcus Yoars Ministry News
Three-quarters of the nation’s 335,000 churches are virtually or completely mortgage-free. But for many of those in the minority carrying a loan on their property, what were already tight times—due to decreased giving from financially stretched churchgoers—are quickly becoming tough times.
A recent report by First American CoreLogic discovered that hundreds of churches are facing foreclosure, almost all of which were affected by the mortgage boom in recent years that saw church-issued mortgages increase 50 percent from 2002 to 2005.
According to the U.S. Census, spending on church construction rose from $3.8 billion in 1997 to $6.2 billion in 2007. A separate study found that church borrowing as a whole peaked at $28 billion nationwide in 2006, including mortgages, construction loans and church bonds.
“There have been too many churches with a ‘build it and they will come’ attitude,” says N. Michael Tangen, executive vice president at American Investors Group, a church lender in Minnetonka, Minn. “They had glory in their eyes that wasn’t backed up with adequate business plans and cash flow.”
Those loaning churches money can attest to the bubble bursting. In its 45-year history, the Evangelical Christian Credit Union in Brea, Calif., had foreclosed on only two churches. This year it has served foreclosure papers to seven of its 2,000 members, and its president says the company expects to add to that number in the coming months. Another church lender, Church Mortgage & Loan Corp. of Maitland, Fla., has already foreclosed on 10 church properties in the past two years and, as a result, had to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March.
“Some of the mentality that you saw taking hold of the residential marketplace probably shifted into the church,” says Dan Mikes, executive vice president of the church banking division of Bank of the West. “Lenders loaned far too much, they loaned into lofty projections of future growth, and they just saddled the churches with far too much debt.” [wsj.com, 12/23/08; nytimes.com, 12/26/08]
When that process was unsuccessful, we had to file foreclosure
Facing Foreclosure: Without Walls International Church
Written by Brenda Easterling, on 06-11-2008 15:34
The church body known as Without Walls International Church faces foreclosure of its Tampa property. This church was at one time one of the fastest-growing congregations in the country.
According to court records the church defaulted on a loan that was due in August and the credit union is demanding immediate repayment of that loan and the $12-million mortgage on Without Walls’ Grady Avenue property. Also the, foreclosure proceedings were filed by the California-based Evangelical Christian Credit Union who holds the church’s mortgage on the Without Walls International Church.
Pastor of Without Walls, Rev. Randy White said he is shocked by this move and said church leaders thought they were actively negotiating with the credit union when they were informed of this situation.Church leaders did negotiate with the company for months. They even presented the credit union with an agreement from a buyer who plans to purchase some of the church’s property for $1.4-million which would cover repayment of the $1-million loan.The church had been told the credit union would move the due date on the $12-million mortgage from January to June.
White said he showed the credit union a signed contract for a $33-million offer to purchase one of the church’s assets. All proceeds if the sale takes place would allow Without Walls to pay of its debt. White said, “In my opinion, it’s nothing more than greed from a Christian bank who’s supposed to be working with Christians.” “I don’t think Bank of America or SunTrust would ever do what this bank’s done. I think it’s because they’re drowning, they’re pulling so many people in with them. They’re scrambling.”
The Credit Union spokesman Jac La Tour said, “We worked with them for a number of months to reach an agreement.” “When that process was unsuccessful, we had to file foreclosure. It wasn’t a quick decision.” La Tour also said saving his company aims to help ministries, not sell real estate.This foreclosure comes as one of the ministry’s most difficult years.
The Rev. White in the last year divorced, and lost a daughter to brain cancer and has experienced a decline in church attendance. Without Walls board members include White’s ex-wife and church co-founder Paula White and Carrington who are very devastated according to the pastor.
Carrington said through tears “this is just really shocking”, we are not in a major financial default on our loan we’ve been 100 percent compliant with that loan for over 7 ½ years. This is just unbelievable.”
A difficult economy and layoffs are weighing heavy on church members and their ability to donate which continues to decrease in the income bringing it down by 30 percent according to White. The church chief financial officer, Norva Carrington said Without Walls owes $13-million on its Tampa property and $12.5-million on its church’s Lakeland branch. The credit union has also is putting in the works the foreclosure proceedings on the church’s Lakeland branch.
White will fight despite the church’s financial situation. Lawyers are checking into the federal regulators for an investigation of the California credit union. White said, “We didn’t throw the first punch, but the fight is just starting because I think right is right, and wrong is wrong.”
Written by Brenda Easterling, on 06-11-2008 15:34
The church body known as Without Walls International Church faces foreclosure of its Tampa property. This church was at one time one of the fastest-growing congregations in the country.
According to court records the church defaulted on a loan that was due in August and the credit union is demanding immediate repayment of that loan and the $12-million mortgage on Without Walls’ Grady Avenue property. Also the, foreclosure proceedings were filed by the California-based Evangelical Christian Credit Union who holds the church’s mortgage on the Without Walls International Church.
Pastor of Without Walls, Rev. Randy White said he is shocked by this move and said church leaders thought they were actively negotiating with the credit union when they were informed of this situation.Church leaders did negotiate with the company for months. They even presented the credit union with an agreement from a buyer who plans to purchase some of the church’s property for $1.4-million which would cover repayment of the $1-million loan.The church had been told the credit union would move the due date on the $12-million mortgage from January to June.
White said he showed the credit union a signed contract for a $33-million offer to purchase one of the church’s assets. All proceeds if the sale takes place would allow Without Walls to pay of its debt. White said, “In my opinion, it’s nothing more than greed from a Christian bank who’s supposed to be working with Christians.” “I don’t think Bank of America or SunTrust would ever do what this bank’s done. I think it’s because they’re drowning, they’re pulling so many people in with them. They’re scrambling.”
The Credit Union spokesman Jac La Tour said, “We worked with them for a number of months to reach an agreement.” “When that process was unsuccessful, we had to file foreclosure. It wasn’t a quick decision.” La Tour also said saving his company aims to help ministries, not sell real estate.This foreclosure comes as one of the ministry’s most difficult years.
The Rev. White in the last year divorced, and lost a daughter to brain cancer and has experienced a decline in church attendance. Without Walls board members include White’s ex-wife and church co-founder Paula White and Carrington who are very devastated according to the pastor.
Carrington said through tears “this is just really shocking”, we are not in a major financial default on our loan we’ve been 100 percent compliant with that loan for over 7 ½ years. This is just unbelievable.”
A difficult economy and layoffs are weighing heavy on church members and their ability to donate which continues to decrease in the income bringing it down by 30 percent according to White. The church chief financial officer, Norva Carrington said Without Walls owes $13-million on its Tampa property and $12.5-million on its church’s Lakeland branch. The credit union has also is putting in the works the foreclosure proceedings on the church’s Lakeland branch.
White will fight despite the church’s financial situation. Lawyers are checking into the federal regulators for an investigation of the California credit union. White said, “We didn’t throw the first punch, but the fight is just starting because I think right is right, and wrong is wrong.”
Friday, November 21, 2008
We must beware of eating demons hiding in Chinese food!
The article below is one of the funniest and craziest article i have ever read over the years! Only individuals with a great sense of humor should read this! The author according to his website is "committed to historical Biblical Christianity. We seek to be thoroughly Biblical, comprehensively catholic, and true to the Reformation faith." All those with reformed faith must now abstain from eating any dim sum, noodles, fishballs - all Chinese food!
The Menace of Chinese Food
by James B. Jordan
December, 1984
[This essay was originally published in Presbyterian Heritage 5 (Dec. 1984), a newsletter of Geneva Ministries. Some very slight corrections and additions have been made here.]
One of the unrecognized and most deadly evil of modern life’s facets is Chinese food.
Most people are wholly unaware of the critical nature of the Chinese food question, and blithely continue to participate in this wicked and dangerous activity: eating Chinese food. Of course, to speak against such a hallowed institution as Chinese food is to be regarded as a fanatic, or even as sacrilegious, but we must be true to the faith!
A moment’s reflection by any serious and committed Christian will show transparently
why Chinese food must be rejected. Chinese food is an expression of Eastern monism. Not only does it come from the East, the heart of the world’s most sophisticated paganism (which in itself is reason to reject it as dangerous); it also in its very nature and composition reflects the monistic philosophy of the East.
Christianity gives equal ultimacy to the one and the many. In the West, this has meant that on one’s plate there are several kinds and portions of food: salad, vegetables, meat, and dessert. These are not, however, all mixed up together in a monistic unity, but are left diverse. It is the harmony and combination of the various foods, eaten one bite at a time, which gives expression to unity and diversity.
Chinese food, however, tries to break this down. All the foods — salad, vegetables, meats, and sweets — are mixed together in an attempt to destroy diversity and create a food-monad. This is obviously perverted and evil. Beyond this, sweet and sour are mixed together, in accordance with the philosophy of yin and yang. What could be more pagan?
There is more. Because the perverse nature of Chinese food causes it to be so intrinsically unpalatable to the human tongue, vast quantities of monosodium glutamate are added to make it taste better. Now, monosodium glutamate, or M.S.G. as it is popularly known, is recognized to be a poison, causing hyperactivity in children and cancer in adults. Not only is Chinese food pagan, it is also poisonous.
It is also idolatrous. This is in part due to the addicting nature of M.S.G., which causes the widely-recognized “Chinese restaurant syndrome.” The present writer, however, has further cause for alarm. Over the years I have tried to alert friends and family to the danger of Chinese food, and I have always met with rejection and ridicule. There can be only one possible reason for this — an idolatrous attachment to Chinese food. Why won’t people give it up? The arguments I have presented are clear as crystal, and obviously Scriptural and Christian. The reason can only be that people have an idolatrous attachment to Chinese food.
Non-Christians, of course, are more crazy about Chinese food than are Christians. I say this: Anything the pagans are that crazy about must be evil, and so Christians should keep as far away from it as possible.
There is still more. Few modern Christians have studied the classic exposé of Chinese
food by Alexander Slipshod: The Four Babylons. Slipshod in his masterful work demonstrates beyond a shadow of doubt that Chinese food originated at the Tower of Babel. Nimrod and three of his cousins, descendants of the four sons of Ham and known as the “gang of four,” developed Chinese food as a subtle means of undermining the true faith. People would become addicted to Chinese food, they believed, and as they ingested the food, they would absorb the monistic philosophy. For instance, if they ate sweet and sour pork, they would become committed to the philosophy of yin and yang. This has surely proved to be the case! We must beware of eating demons hiding in Chinese food! (Slipshod’s book has, I am aware, not been well treated by
reviewers. Its arguments, however, are obviously correct. Let the reader obtain a copy and find out for himself. The reviewers, obviously, are Chinese food addicts.)
How did Chinese food come into the West? Slipshod shows that it was the Bishop of
Rome who introduced Chinese food into the Christian world. Do we ever read about Chinese food in the New Testament? No, of course not. So, I rest my case. It can only be a Romish plot to destroy God’s true faith. Do we read anything about Chinese food in the Westminster Confession of Faith? No; so clearly the WCF is totally opposed to all Chinese food.
Have you ever noticed how fanatical people are about Chinese food? Not only do they eat the stuff, but they are willing to pay money for it. They even set up and support Chinese restaurants, wholly given over to the production of this evil, poisonous, idolatrous, and subversive food. When you try to get people to quit eating Chinese food, they act as if you are crazy. The whole world has to stop, just so they can eat their darling sin — Chinese food!
Like Luther before me, HERE I STAND! And if others do not like it, then it must be
TRUTH BEFORE FRIENDSHIP!
The Menace of Chinese Food
by James B. Jordan
December, 1984
[This essay was originally published in Presbyterian Heritage 5 (Dec. 1984), a newsletter of Geneva Ministries. Some very slight corrections and additions have been made here.]
One of the unrecognized and most deadly evil of modern life’s facets is Chinese food.
Most people are wholly unaware of the critical nature of the Chinese food question, and blithely continue to participate in this wicked and dangerous activity: eating Chinese food. Of course, to speak against such a hallowed institution as Chinese food is to be regarded as a fanatic, or even as sacrilegious, but we must be true to the faith!
A moment’s reflection by any serious and committed Christian will show transparently
why Chinese food must be rejected. Chinese food is an expression of Eastern monism. Not only does it come from the East, the heart of the world’s most sophisticated paganism (which in itself is reason to reject it as dangerous); it also in its very nature and composition reflects the monistic philosophy of the East.
Christianity gives equal ultimacy to the one and the many. In the West, this has meant that on one’s plate there are several kinds and portions of food: salad, vegetables, meat, and dessert. These are not, however, all mixed up together in a monistic unity, but are left diverse. It is the harmony and combination of the various foods, eaten one bite at a time, which gives expression to unity and diversity.
Chinese food, however, tries to break this down. All the foods — salad, vegetables, meats, and sweets — are mixed together in an attempt to destroy diversity and create a food-monad. This is obviously perverted and evil. Beyond this, sweet and sour are mixed together, in accordance with the philosophy of yin and yang. What could be more pagan?
There is more. Because the perverse nature of Chinese food causes it to be so intrinsically unpalatable to the human tongue, vast quantities of monosodium glutamate are added to make it taste better. Now, monosodium glutamate, or M.S.G. as it is popularly known, is recognized to be a poison, causing hyperactivity in children and cancer in adults. Not only is Chinese food pagan, it is also poisonous.
It is also idolatrous. This is in part due to the addicting nature of M.S.G., which causes the widely-recognized “Chinese restaurant syndrome.” The present writer, however, has further cause for alarm. Over the years I have tried to alert friends and family to the danger of Chinese food, and I have always met with rejection and ridicule. There can be only one possible reason for this — an idolatrous attachment to Chinese food. Why won’t people give it up? The arguments I have presented are clear as crystal, and obviously Scriptural and Christian. The reason can only be that people have an idolatrous attachment to Chinese food.
Non-Christians, of course, are more crazy about Chinese food than are Christians. I say this: Anything the pagans are that crazy about must be evil, and so Christians should keep as far away from it as possible.
There is still more. Few modern Christians have studied the classic exposé of Chinese
food by Alexander Slipshod: The Four Babylons. Slipshod in his masterful work demonstrates beyond a shadow of doubt that Chinese food originated at the Tower of Babel. Nimrod and three of his cousins, descendants of the four sons of Ham and known as the “gang of four,” developed Chinese food as a subtle means of undermining the true faith. People would become addicted to Chinese food, they believed, and as they ingested the food, they would absorb the monistic philosophy. For instance, if they ate sweet and sour pork, they would become committed to the philosophy of yin and yang. This has surely proved to be the case! We must beware of eating demons hiding in Chinese food! (Slipshod’s book has, I am aware, not been well treated by
reviewers. Its arguments, however, are obviously correct. Let the reader obtain a copy and find out for himself. The reviewers, obviously, are Chinese food addicts.)
How did Chinese food come into the West? Slipshod shows that it was the Bishop of
Rome who introduced Chinese food into the Christian world. Do we ever read about Chinese food in the New Testament? No, of course not. So, I rest my case. It can only be a Romish plot to destroy God’s true faith. Do we read anything about Chinese food in the Westminster Confession of Faith? No; so clearly the WCF is totally opposed to all Chinese food.
Have you ever noticed how fanatical people are about Chinese food? Not only do they eat the stuff, but they are willing to pay money for it. They even set up and support Chinese restaurants, wholly given over to the production of this evil, poisonous, idolatrous, and subversive food. When you try to get people to quit eating Chinese food, they act as if you are crazy. The whole world has to stop, just so they can eat their darling sin — Chinese food!
Like Luther before me, HERE I STAND! And if others do not like it, then it must be
TRUTH BEFORE FRIENDSHIP!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Teaches that all people, not just Christians, are saved ... ?
Downsizing in the Aftermath of Scandal
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
The property of an Atlanta megachurch founded decades ago by Earl Paulk is on sale for $24.5 million.
Listed this month, the campus of the Cathedral at Chapel Hill, well known for its neo-Gothic, 6,000-seat sanctuary, is one of the largest religious facilities currently available in the United States, said Matt Messier, a Florida broker and principal of CNL Real Estate Services of Orlando, Fla., according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
In recent years, membership at the Cathedral at Chapel Hill has declined from 10,000 regular attendees to roughly 1,000 after a series of sexual misconduct allegations against Paulk, 81. Current pastor D.E. Paulk, who grew up believing Earl Paulk was his uncle but recently learned he was his biological father, said the sale was triggered in part by the church’s evolving mission to be inclusive of people of diverse religions and sexual orientations.
“As we have become a ‘radically inclusive’ church our need for space has lessened considerably. ... If we were to preach an exclusive message we would need more space,” D.E. Paulk said. “The mission of the Cathedral has not changed, only expanded to include all of God's creation—Christian, Jew, Hindu, Buddhist, gay, straight, etc.”
D.E. Paulk, who also leads a group called the Pro-Love Organization, has advocated for gay rights in recent years and is an associate of the controversial preacher Carlton Pearson, who teaches that all people, not just Christians, are saved. In an interview with Charisma magazine, D.E. Paulk also alluded to universalism, saying the Cathedral does not seek to convert but to “convince everyone of Christ’s love.”
“We believe that Christ was successful, not a failure,” D.E. Paulk said. “Christ came to ‘reconcile the world to God,’ and we confess that Christ succeeded and ‘finished’ this work. If Christ was successful then the world was converted at Calvary. Salvation, then, becomes an awakening to God's free gift—not a conversion.”
Brandi Paulk, wife of D.E. Paulk and a pastor at the Cathedral, said the church property was valued at $31 million two years ago, but the price was lowered because of the economic downturn. She told the Journal-Constitution that the facilities were not being sold to pay legal expenses related to civil actions involving Earl Paulk, who has been hounded by claims of sexual misconduct since he was accused of committing adultery in 1960.
In February, a judge dismissed the most recent action against Earl Paulk. The lawsuit filed by Mona Brewer and her husband, Bobby, alleged that Paulk coerced the woman into a 14-year affair. The couple and their attorney were ordered to pay more than $1 million in legal fees. They are appealing the decision.
Although Earl Paulk remains archbishop of the church, he is not active in its daily operations. [charismamag.com, 11/13/08]
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
The property of an Atlanta megachurch founded decades ago by Earl Paulk is on sale for $24.5 million.
Listed this month, the campus of the Cathedral at Chapel Hill, well known for its neo-Gothic, 6,000-seat sanctuary, is one of the largest religious facilities currently available in the United States, said Matt Messier, a Florida broker and principal of CNL Real Estate Services of Orlando, Fla., according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
In recent years, membership at the Cathedral at Chapel Hill has declined from 10,000 regular attendees to roughly 1,000 after a series of sexual misconduct allegations against Paulk, 81. Current pastor D.E. Paulk, who grew up believing Earl Paulk was his uncle but recently learned he was his biological father, said the sale was triggered in part by the church’s evolving mission to be inclusive of people of diverse religions and sexual orientations.
“As we have become a ‘radically inclusive’ church our need for space has lessened considerably. ... If we were to preach an exclusive message we would need more space,” D.E. Paulk said. “The mission of the Cathedral has not changed, only expanded to include all of God's creation—Christian, Jew, Hindu, Buddhist, gay, straight, etc.”
D.E. Paulk, who also leads a group called the Pro-Love Organization, has advocated for gay rights in recent years and is an associate of the controversial preacher Carlton Pearson, who teaches that all people, not just Christians, are saved. In an interview with Charisma magazine, D.E. Paulk also alluded to universalism, saying the Cathedral does not seek to convert but to “convince everyone of Christ’s love.”
“We believe that Christ was successful, not a failure,” D.E. Paulk said. “Christ came to ‘reconcile the world to God,’ and we confess that Christ succeeded and ‘finished’ this work. If Christ was successful then the world was converted at Calvary. Salvation, then, becomes an awakening to God's free gift—not a conversion.”
Brandi Paulk, wife of D.E. Paulk and a pastor at the Cathedral, said the church property was valued at $31 million two years ago, but the price was lowered because of the economic downturn. She told the Journal-Constitution that the facilities were not being sold to pay legal expenses related to civil actions involving Earl Paulk, who has been hounded by claims of sexual misconduct since he was accused of committing adultery in 1960.
In February, a judge dismissed the most recent action against Earl Paulk. The lawsuit filed by Mona Brewer and her husband, Bobby, alleged that Paulk coerced the woman into a 14-year affair. The couple and their attorney were ordered to pay more than $1 million in legal fees. They are appealing the decision.
Although Earl Paulk remains archbishop of the church, he is not active in its daily operations. [charismamag.com, 11/13/08]
Lord, help us to be wise and faithful!
Downsizing in the Aftermath of Scandal,Part II
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Atlanta’s Cathedral at Chapel Hill may be downsizing for the sake of being “radically inclusive,” but about 25 miles up the road, another high-profile church is downsizing for another reason: eviction. After failing to pay rent since July and owing more than $400,000 to its landlord, Global Destiny International Ministries, lead by Bishop Thomas W. Weeks III, was officially barred from its former meeting place this week. On Sunday, after almost 250 members of the congregation met in a hotel, Weeks claimed his church was “re-sizing … to fit economic times. We are committed to being an absolutely debt-free ministry.”
At one point Global Destiny had 3,400 members, but last year lost a reported 1,600 members in the wake of Weeks’ assault of ex-wife Juanita Bynum in an Atlanta hotel parking lot. “People do not understand the cost of running a worldwide ministry,” said Weeks, who has been dogged by numerous financial problems in recent years. “When something like this happens, it’s really an exodus into a new prophecy.” [ajc.com, 11/16/08]
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Atlanta’s Cathedral at Chapel Hill may be downsizing for the sake of being “radically inclusive,” but about 25 miles up the road, another high-profile church is downsizing for another reason: eviction. After failing to pay rent since July and owing more than $400,000 to its landlord, Global Destiny International Ministries, lead by Bishop Thomas W. Weeks III, was officially barred from its former meeting place this week. On Sunday, after almost 250 members of the congregation met in a hotel, Weeks claimed his church was “re-sizing … to fit economic times. We are committed to being an absolutely debt-free ministry.”
At one point Global Destiny had 3,400 members, but last year lost a reported 1,600 members in the wake of Weeks’ assault of ex-wife Juanita Bynum in an Atlanta hotel parking lot. “People do not understand the cost of running a worldwide ministry,” said Weeks, who has been dogged by numerous financial problems in recent years. “When something like this happens, it’s really an exodus into a new prophecy.” [ajc.com, 11/16/08]
Don't worry, you're not going to hell ....?
Anything You Can Do, I Can Do (With More Money)
Marcus Yoars
Oct 23, 2008
After seeing London buses advertising a Christian evangelism conference, an atheist group raised more than $175,000 online—mere hours after launching a charity site—to retaliate with their own signs. The British Humanist Association, which is administering the "Atheist Bus Campaign," will purchase ad space on more than 30 buses for signs that read: "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life." Although organizers originally planned to post the signs for only four weeks in January, donations have exceeded expectations almost twentyfold so far, immediately creating the possibility of a more massive push. "A lot of people say trying to organize atheists is like herding cats. The last couple of days shows that is not true," said comedy writer Ariane Sherine, who initiated the campaign. "I thought it would be a really positive thing to counter that by putting forward a much happier and more upbeat advert, saying 'Don't worry, you're not going to hell.' Atheists believe this is the only life we have, and we should enjoy it." [AP, 10/23/08]
Marcus Yoars
Oct 23, 2008
After seeing London buses advertising a Christian evangelism conference, an atheist group raised more than $175,000 online—mere hours after launching a charity site—to retaliate with their own signs. The British Humanist Association, which is administering the "Atheist Bus Campaign," will purchase ad space on more than 30 buses for signs that read: "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life." Although organizers originally planned to post the signs for only four weeks in January, donations have exceeded expectations almost twentyfold so far, immediately creating the possibility of a more massive push. "A lot of people say trying to organize atheists is like herding cats. The last couple of days shows that is not true," said comedy writer Ariane Sherine, who initiated the campaign. "I thought it would be a really positive thing to counter that by putting forward a much happier and more upbeat advert, saying 'Don't worry, you're not going to hell.' Atheists believe this is the only life we have, and we should enjoy it." [AP, 10/23/08]
Monday, September 22, 2008
One of the primary responsibilities of leaders is to grow new leaders
Church facing leadership crisis, warns Evangelical Alliance
Posted: Monday, September 22, 2008, 12:29 (BST)
The church is facing a crisis of leadership and we need to act – that was the challenge facing 60 leading evangelicals at the Evangelical Alliance council this week.
The council responded by endorsing a set of potential initiatives to mentor young leaders and use new media to inspire them into deeper theological engagement.
Key thinkers on leadership appealed to the council last Wednesday and Thursday to address the problem of an aging church leadership, being depleted through factors including exhaustion and depression, and a lack of younger leaders to replace those who are leaving or retiring.
Pete Greig, International Director of 24/7 Prayer, preached on excellence in leadership, using the example of Moses and Joshua. He said leaders need to aim not to simply to replicate themselves but instead to encourage their replacement to have the same spirit but in their own style.
“We need a new generation of leaders, not to replace anything that has been done by the last generation, but to entrepreneurially think of new ways of taking the timeless gospel of Jesus and making it relevant,” he said.
Internationally acclaimed author, speaker and futurologist Tom Sine warned the council that we are facing an “incredible shrinking western church” in which only 17 percent of members are predicted to be aged between 20 and 44 by 2025. Mr Sine explored ways forward based on his research from his book The New Conspirators.
“We’re struggling with diminishing resources, but I think there’s tremendous potential in young people,” he said, adding that the church needs to take young people more seriously and listen to them.
“We need to re-imagine succession that welcomes the imagination of a new generation.”
Richard Tiplady, British Director of European Christian Mission and an expert in leadership in a postmodern context, told the council good leadership succession can be like an Olympic relay race.
“Winning is all about the handover,” he said.
“One of the primary responsibilities of leaders is to grow new leaders. If you’re not doing that, you’re not being strategic.”
And Ruth Valerio, manager of A Rocha’s Living Lightly 24:1, speaking on Passing the Baton, identified a problem of several churches doing the same job in the same area, and all needing resources.
“I wonder, quite bluntly, whether some of our institutions and organisations are going to need to die in order to accommodate this new situation,” she said.
“I think some of these churches should die and come together and we can use our money, we can use our dwindling resources so much more effectively. Then, maybe, we can use some of that money to help people who are in need instead of propping up our churches.”
Krish Kandiah, the Alliance’s Executive Director of Churches in Mission, drafted a set of potential initiatives for the Alliance to address the issue, based on recommendations from the council.
These included facilitating mentoring programmes across denominational and cultural boundaries and making greater use of new media to encourage deeper theological engagement for leaders.
Dr Kandiah said: “The Alliance is uniquely placed to help catalyse leadership development across the denominations. We are already involved in this through resources like Slipstream, which networks younger leaders together across the country – engaging with thinkers as diverse as David Jackman from the Proclamation Trust to Brian McLaren and Shane Claiborne.
“There was a real sense of unity among the gathered MPs, denominational leaders, pastors and agency directors on the need to work together to support both current leaders and raise up the next generation.”
Posted: Monday, September 22, 2008, 12:29 (BST)
The church is facing a crisis of leadership and we need to act – that was the challenge facing 60 leading evangelicals at the Evangelical Alliance council this week.
The council responded by endorsing a set of potential initiatives to mentor young leaders and use new media to inspire them into deeper theological engagement.
Key thinkers on leadership appealed to the council last Wednesday and Thursday to address the problem of an aging church leadership, being depleted through factors including exhaustion and depression, and a lack of younger leaders to replace those who are leaving or retiring.
Pete Greig, International Director of 24/7 Prayer, preached on excellence in leadership, using the example of Moses and Joshua. He said leaders need to aim not to simply to replicate themselves but instead to encourage their replacement to have the same spirit but in their own style.
“We need a new generation of leaders, not to replace anything that has been done by the last generation, but to entrepreneurially think of new ways of taking the timeless gospel of Jesus and making it relevant,” he said.
Internationally acclaimed author, speaker and futurologist Tom Sine warned the council that we are facing an “incredible shrinking western church” in which only 17 percent of members are predicted to be aged between 20 and 44 by 2025. Mr Sine explored ways forward based on his research from his book The New Conspirators.
“We’re struggling with diminishing resources, but I think there’s tremendous potential in young people,” he said, adding that the church needs to take young people more seriously and listen to them.
“We need to re-imagine succession that welcomes the imagination of a new generation.”
Richard Tiplady, British Director of European Christian Mission and an expert in leadership in a postmodern context, told the council good leadership succession can be like an Olympic relay race.
“Winning is all about the handover,” he said.
“One of the primary responsibilities of leaders is to grow new leaders. If you’re not doing that, you’re not being strategic.”
And Ruth Valerio, manager of A Rocha’s Living Lightly 24:1, speaking on Passing the Baton, identified a problem of several churches doing the same job in the same area, and all needing resources.
“I wonder, quite bluntly, whether some of our institutions and organisations are going to need to die in order to accommodate this new situation,” she said.
“I think some of these churches should die and come together and we can use our money, we can use our dwindling resources so much more effectively. Then, maybe, we can use some of that money to help people who are in need instead of propping up our churches.”
Krish Kandiah, the Alliance’s Executive Director of Churches in Mission, drafted a set of potential initiatives for the Alliance to address the issue, based on recommendations from the council.
These included facilitating mentoring programmes across denominational and cultural boundaries and making greater use of new media to encourage deeper theological engagement for leaders.
Dr Kandiah said: “The Alliance is uniquely placed to help catalyse leadership development across the denominations. We are already involved in this through resources like Slipstream, which networks younger leaders together across the country – engaging with thinkers as diverse as David Jackman from the Proclamation Trust to Brian McLaren and Shane Claiborne.
“There was a real sense of unity among the gathered MPs, denominational leaders, pastors and agency directors on the need to work together to support both current leaders and raise up the next generation.”
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Not having a place to live in retirement, he will preach until he dies,
Baptist pastors in West face decline and in South, poverty
Posted: Sunday, July 27, 2008, 8:25 (BST)
The biggest problem a pastor faces depends on where the minister is located. That was the message from speakers at the Baptist World Alliance annual conference in Prague last week.
For pastors in North America, the greatest challenge is the cultural shift away from Christianity, said David Laubach, the North American presenter at the BWA workgroup about church health and effectiveness.
Five decades ago, 80 per cent of Americans attended church regularly, Laubach said, according to the Associated Baptist Press. Now, the number has fallen between 20 and 42 per cent depending on self-reported attendance or actual Sunday seat counts.
Moreover, three-quarters of US churches report a membership plateau or decline. Out of the churches that are growing, nearly a quarter are doing so by taking members from declining churches. Only one percent of US churches are growing by attracting new members from the unchurched population.
"Shrinking resources, absence of biological growth, aging mainline denominational populations, mobility, consumerist/entertainment culture, a sometimes-hostile environment, increased pastoral expectations and role overload, dramatically shifting ecclesiology, church change and conflict" are some of the stress North American pastors face, Laubach said.
He noted that the stress faced by “emotionally drained pastors” can cause them to “succumb to moral failure and personal and family breakdown”.
But churches in east Europe and South America, in contrast, are reporting growth.
Bulgarian pastors and those in many former communist nations in east Europe are seeing rapid growth, but face the problem of not being able to keep up with the demand for trained leaders, said speaker Teodor Oprenov.
Another issue for Eastern Europe Baptists is that their growth spurt has stirred animosity among those Christian traditions with deep roots in the country, such as the Orthodox Church.
The government in Bulgaria, for example, is said to tacitly or openly discriminate against Baptist pastors in favour of Orthodox clergies.
Baptist pastors also face discrimination in Chile, but their greatest difficulty is poverty, Rachael Contraras, the Latin American representative, said. Many Chilean Baptist pastors lack education and are poor, making it difficult for them to reach out to well-educated young adults. Their lack of education and inexperience also can reflect poorly on the denomination when they are invited by the government to participate in social work, she said.
"Their income is very low compared to the people in his church and in society in general. He will live in a society in which everyone has a car, but he won't. Others will have houses, but he will not. He will live in a parsonage. Not having a place to live in retirement, he will preach until he dies," Contraras noted.
Many Baptist pastors in Chile have to work long hours at a secular job to support their families. The stress from managing two jobs has created health problems for these pastors such as ulcers, burnout and depression, she said.
Other topics discussed at the BWA meeting included an organisational restructuring proposal, human trafficking, international relief and an open letter from Muslim leaders.
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