Christian groups bring different messages to Pride event

ATLANTA, Ga — The battle for Jesus played itself out Saturday as it does every year during Atlanta’s largest event for gay people.

Outside the gates of Piedmont Park, where much of the Atlanta Pride Festival takes place, a handful of conservative Christians carried Bibles and signs, warning arriving gays of impending eternal doom unless they change.

For the past two years, local churches who affirm gays have mounted a counteroffensive. Their members stand near the conservatives, holding signs saying that God accepts gays just as they are.

“We are letting people know that there is an alternative message,” said Lisa Costen of Atlanta.

She attends Trinity United Methodist Church, which affirms gays though the United Methodist denomination has not taken that step.

The battling groups reflect much of what is happening inside American Christianity, as churches grapple with how to treat gay members. Some reject them. Some welcome them with open arms. Others are trying to find a balance.

Inside the park, local churches, from a born-again, charismatic gay congregation to mainline churches, such as the Episcopal Church, have taken vendors’ booths and invite gays in without demanding they change.

 

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Cross-Like T-Shirt Design at Penn State University Sparks Controversy

A blue, cross-like design emblazoned on T-shirts at Penn State University has some critics seeing red.

The shirts — intended to foster school spirit — sport a vertical blue line down the center with the words “Penn State White Out” emblazoned across the chest, forming a design that some say resembles a cross. The back of the shirt depicts the same blue line obscured by the words, “Don’t be intimated … It’s just me and 110,000 of my friends.” Roughly 30,000 of the shirts have been sold.

Penn State says it has received six complaints about the shirt, including one from the Anti-Defamation League’s Philadelphia branch, from people who say it connotes a Christian cross. The logo design also has become the focus of controversy in the student newspaper, “The Daily Collegian,” which has received several letters to the editor on both sides of the issue.

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Rehobeth celebrates 100 years

HEMINGWAY, S.C. —Rehobeth Pentecostal Holiness Church near Hemingway, observed their centennial recently. The committee prepared a pictorial souvenir book that chronicles the founder and the founding of the church, its progress and its present day activities.

In 1909 William James (Uncle Billy) Cox and his wife Sarah Jane Stone Cox started having church services in the home of their daughter and son-in-law, Ethel and John Briley Altman, in the Vox Community. This was approximately four miles from the church’s present location. John Briley served as song leader and according to records, secretary and treasurer. It is said that he would sit on his front porch and practice the songs he planned for the next service.

It is also reported that Uncle Billy, who was very religious and left a wonderful Christian heritage for his family to follow, was in his favorite chair on his porch when a little bird lit on the porches edge. He prayed, “Dear Lord, if I’m living a life pleasing in your sight, let that bird light on my head.” The bird did just that and if you listen closely, his praises can be heard even today!

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Bible verse ban spawns ‘wave of support for Christ’

FORT OGLETHORPE, Ga. — Despite a large public outcry over its decision to censor Bible verse banners held by high school football cheerleaders on the playing field, a Georgia school board is refusing to change its mind. However, the controversial policy has compelled many students to passionately defend their free-speech rights and proclaim their Christian beliefs.

The Catoosa County Board of Education in Georgia decided last night that it will continue to ban Bible-verse banners held by cheerleaders on the Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School football field. The ban was put in place after one woman complained the on-field banners violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

Many Christian parents and students in the community have voiced their disapproval of the ban by wearing “Warriors for Christ” T-shirts to football games and displaying scores of posters with Bible verses. And the Board’s decision on Tuesday night came despite another round of pleas from Christian parents who attended the meeting.

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NC church plans to burn Bibles, Christian books

CANTON, N.C. (AP)— A North Carolina pastor says his church plans to burn Bibles and books by Christian authors on Halloween to light a fire under true believers.

Pastor Marc Grizzard told Asheville TV station WLOS that the King James version of the Bible is the only one his small western North Carolina church follows. He says all other versions, such as the Living Bible, are “satanic” and “perversions” of God’s word.

On Halloween night, Grizzard and the 14 members of the Amazing Grace Baptist Church also will burn music and books by Christian authors, such as Billy Graham and Rick Warren.

Telephone calls to the Amazing Grace Baptist Church and Grizzard’s home were not immediately returned Wednesday.

‘Be of good cheer,’ Bible told cheerleaders

Fort Oglethorpe, Ga –This small city’s namesake military base was decommissioned after World War II, but over the years Fort Oglethorpe, population 7,000, has retained its utilitarian, base-town ambience.

Public life here unfolds on two busy four-lane thoroughfares clogged with used-car lots, fast-food joints and pawnshops. All that’s missing are the troops.

What Fort Oglethorpe does not lack is churches — enough churches, in an array of Protestant flavors, to deliver salvation to brigades of sinners. The local paper lists 66 Baptist establishments alone crammed into Catoosa County, the smallest county in Georgia.

To drive through downtown Fort Oglethorpe is to feel overwhelmed by marquees barking out in blocky, black letters messages both sacred and secular:

“AMERICA WHERE IS GOD”

“5 BURGERS FOR 5.95″

“TRUTH IS NOT SOMETHING TRUTH IS SOMEONE”

So it didn’t feel like wires were being crossed when, back around 2003, the cheerleaders at Lakeview Fort Oglethorpe High School began painting Bible verses on the big banners that their football team, the Warriors, would crash through under the Friday-night lights of autumn.

The verses were picked for their gridiron-friendly themes of pluck and pep: from I Corinthians (“Be men of courage; be strong”); from Ezra (“We will support you, so take courage and do it”); from Proverbs (“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed”).

There are a handful of non-Christian kids at LFO High, but for years, no one pointed out any church-state separation issues. Until this season.

 

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David K. Bernard elected as General Superintendent for UPCI

St Louis –  The United Pentecostal Church International announces the election of the Reverend Doctor David K. Bernard as General Superintendent of the 3-million-member church. The ministers of the organization selected Reverend Bernard at their 85th annual General Conference held in St Louis last week.
David K. Bernard is the founder and senior pastor of New Life Church in Austin, Texas. He is also District Superintendent of the South Texas District of the United Pentecostal Church International and president of Urshan Graduate School of Theology, located in St Louis. He has earned a doctor of jurisprudence with honors from the University of Texas, a master of theology from the University of South Africa, and a bachelor of arts in mathematical sciences and managerial studies with high honors from Rice University. He is currently a doctor of theology candidate in New Testament at the University of South Africa.

In addition to his ministry in Austin and throughout the United States, he has ministered in forty-five countries on six continents. Bernard is also a prolific writer who has written extensively on the Bible, theology, the history of doctrine, and Christian living. To date, he has written thirty books, with a circulation of about 750,000. He has been published in thirty-six languages. In addition to his books, he has produced debates and teaching series on CD and DVD and other preaching and teaching helps on CD-ROM.

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Graham’s 2 CEO posts boost pay, draw critics

Concerns about his rising financial compensation during tough economic times have prompted evangelist Franklin Graham to temporarily give up future contributions to his retirement plans at the two charities he leads.

As president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse, he receives two full-time salaries and two retirement packages. Last year, his total compensation from the two Christian ministries was $1.2 million.

The size of Graham’s total 2008 compensation – $535,000 from Samaritan’s Purse and $669,000 from Charlotte-based BGEA – drew questions from nonprofit experts interviewed by the Observer. They doubted that one person – even the energetic, globe-trotting Graham – can do two full-time jobs leading organizations that employ hundreds and spend hundreds of millions around the world.

As head of the Boone-based Samaritan’s Purse, Graham earned more last year than any other leader of an international relief agency based in the United States. That includes eight with larger budgets, according to data compiled by Guidestar, a group that monitors nonprofits.

Graham, 57, and his two boards of directors pointed out that most of his 2008 compensation came not from increases in his salaries, which have remained flat in recent years, but from accelerated contributions to his retirement. Graham received no retirement his first five-plus years at Samaritan’s Purse and first year at the BGEA. The boards said they were playing catch-up and hoping to satisfy his goal of working for free when he reaches age 70.

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Keeping The Multiplatform Faith

For religious television programmers, adapting to new technologies is nothing new. But as the pace of change has quickened, there’s a growing need for sophisticated responses on alternate platforms, executives agreed.

“The landscape has been changing for a while, but the change has certainly been accelerating in the last year,” said Gordon Robertson, CEO of the Christian Broadcasting Network, the Virginia Beach, Va.-based programmer responsible for The 700 Club. “There is still a lot of experimentation and a lot of shaking out to come.”

Jewish-themed Shalom TV — which uses the Internet primarily to drive viewers to its digital cable and video-on-demand channels — has started to respond to requests by making more of its programming available on alternate platforms, said chief operating officer Brad Hammer.

Still, new technologies can be tricky for religious networks, said Trinity Broadcasting Network vice president of administration Paul Crouch Jr. “We’ve been streaming onto the Internet for close to 10 years since back when the picture was the size of a postage stamp,” Crouch said, but “there’s absolutely a learning curve on new technology.”

And returns on investment don’t come right away — if ever at all. “It’s a fishing license to go for new trends but the leading edge a lot of times is the bleeding edge, and we can’t afford to throw millions at each new technology,” Crouch said. He conceded that the Internet and mobile platforms do offer a way to reach younger audiences.

Donor-driven networks such as TBN must sort out the best way to use new platforms, said Crouch. While TBN’s Web site has a “Donate Now” button, the network took a more indirect approach when streaming its linear programming online. To access live streams, visitors enter an e-mail address that TBN can use to solicit donations.

Viewers initially watched streaming in five-minute bursts, but an improved viewing experience now keeps them viewing for half-hour chunks, allowing the network to embed appeals within or between programs, Crouch said.

According to CBN’s Robertson, the network’s Web site gets 1.2 million monthly viewers, 45% of whom come for CBN News. The Web site is also being used for chat and other social networking, which has increased as CBN has gotten better at moderating and the technical side of managing the experience.

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HOUSTON CHOIR ADVANCES TO FINALS IN VERIZON WIRELESS’ HOW SWEET THE SOUND

Verizon Wireless held its second annual How Sweet the Sound gospel choir contest in Houston on September 19, 2009, in the search to find the nation’s best church choir. Hundreds of applications and videos were submitted from around the Houston area, but in the end, only eight regional finalists were able to compete for the chance to move on to the national finals later this year.
Resurrection Baptist Church’s Mass Choir took home the grand prize in the large choir division, winning $10,000 and the opportunity to compete in the national finals. The Levites of Greater Emmanuel Apostolic Church received the top honor in the small choir division, taking a $10,000 check back to the church with them.
The complete list of winners from this year’s event include:
• Overall Regional Winner: Resurrection Baptist Church Mass Choir, Resurrection Baptist Church, who will advance to the national finals later this year
• Large Category Regional Winner: Resurrection Baptist Church Mass Choir, Resurrection Baptist Church, wins $10,000 prize
• Small/Medium Category Regional Winner: The Levites, Greater Emmanuel Apostolic Church, wins $10,000 prize
• Verizon Wireless V CAST People’s Choice Award Winner: Royalwood Sanctuary Choir, United Pentecostal Church, wins $5,000 prize
• HopeLine Winner: Royalwood Sanctuary Choir, United Pentecostal Church, wins $1,000 for collecting the most phones and donating them to the HopeLine program

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Piece Be with You: Detroit Pastors Packing Heat

Detroit – The Rev. Lawrence Adams teaches his flock at the Westside Bible Church to turn the other cheek. Just in case, though, the 54-year-old retired police lieutenant also wears a handgun under his robe.

Adams is one of several Detroit clergymen who have taken to packing heat in the pulpit. They have committed their lives to a man who preached nonviolence and told followers to love their enemies. But they also say it’s up to them to protect their parishioners in church.

“As a pastor, I’m referred to as a shepherd,” Adams said. “Shepherds have the responsibility of watching over their flock. Do I want to hurt somebody? Absolutely not!”

Responding to a break-in at his church Sunday evening, Adams surprised a burglar carrying out a bag of loot and shot the man in the abdomen after the man swung the bag at him.

The burglar survived – for which Adams is grateful – but the reverend said he could have been hurt or killed if he had not been armed.

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Texas televangelist Benny Hinn refused entry to Britain

A popular US Christian preacher has been refused entry to Britain leaving thousands stranded at an evangelical rally in London planned for this weekend, the Home Office confirmed today.

Benny Hinn, a televangelist from Texas, who draws large crowds to his Pentecostal revival rallies, was turned back at Stansted airport after he fell foul of new rules on visiting ministers of religion.

Many thousands of Pentecostal Christians had travelled from throughout the UK and Europe and booked long weekend breaks in London hotels for his mission at the ExCel exhibition centre in East London that was due to begin on Thursday night.

They were left disappointed after Border Agency officials turned him back when he landed with his private jet at Stansted because he had failed to obtain a “letter of sponsorship” from a church.
Mr Hinn then went to Paris and tried a second time to enter Britain at Luton airport but was once again turned back. Tonight he was on his way back to France.

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Houses of worship feel pressure as foreclosures soar

Pastor Daniel Kyle of Tabernacle of Pentecost Church wanted to create a center of hope from land along State Road 7 in Royal Palm Beach. Kyle’s vision: A preschool, a family-friendly community center and a shining new church to take his growing congregation to the next level.

But on the verge of finishing the preschool building, construction has ceased because the church ran out of money. Even worse, the church soon could lose the building – and all the land. That’s because lender Riverside National Bank of Fort Pierce has filed a $4.8 million lawsuit against the church, seeking to foreclose on the 18-acre parcel.
Kyle is heartsick. “If we lose this property, this church will be losing 37 years of progress,” Kyle said. “The church will have to hit the reset button and start all over again.”

Tabernacle of Pentecost isn’t alone in feeling pressure from its bank. Houses of worship in Palm Beach County are starting to experience the same troubles already afflicting homeowners and businesses: Tightening bank credit and rising foreclosure actions.

South Florida has company in this trend. Throughout the country, churches and other religious institutions have been struggling to make payments on bank debt at a time of declining contributions by cash-strapped members. Even the fact that religious institutions are a unique type of borrower – one that considers repayment of a loan a moral obligation – can’t make up for shortfalls in their cash on hand.

Such is the case with Tabernacle, which is officially known as United Pentecostal Church. The bank’s loan with Riverside included $4.1 million for the land, plus $900,000 for construction costs. The remaining $600,000 needed for construction of the preschool would come from member donations, Kyle said. Plans were to start construction on the preschool first, which would generate revenue to pay down the rest of the loan. Tabernacle’s 400 members have been holding services at a local high school until their new church home was completed.

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Faith-Based Health Care for Evangelicals

Thousands of Evangelical Christians are turning to faith-based alternatives to health insurance. These plans work, in some ways, like regular insurance — there are monthly payments and deductibles. They’re much cheaper than most insurance plans.But some say they’re taking advantage of the faithful.

When Scott and Rachel Kramer, gospel music makers from outside Peoria, Ill., discovered that their son, Weston, had autism, they spent $30,000 on early-intervention therapy.

All of it was paid for by strangers — fellow Christians who sent checks, cards and prayers.

“Sometimes it was just a simple note saying even though we don’t know you, we want you to know that we are thinking of you and we are certainly going to pray for your son,” said Rachel Kramer.

 

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Presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ Supports Obama Health Plan

Dr. Charles Blake leads the largest Pentecostal organization in the United States, the Church of God in Christ, which claims over 6 million members.

Dr. Blake, along with other black church leaders, are expected to endorse President Obama’s healthcare plan in a news conference.  Blake, who opposes abortion, is endorsing the plan after Obama called the assertion that tax dollars will be used to support abortion “a myth.”  Blake offered his support to Obama during his presidential campaign but differed in public with Mr. Obama on the issue of abortion.

Blake and other black religious leaders support Obama’s vision for universal healthcare but have drafted a carefully-worded statement against the coverage of “medical costs related to the abortion of fetuses . . . “

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