On lin eE di tio n
January 2011
Refuge in Atlanta TEAM Minnesota
Wounded Warrior Grace at Knifepoint
We Are the Church of God
ON MY MIND
LANCE COLKMIRE EDITOR
YOU AND I WILL BE MORE, BELIEVE MORE, DO MORE, AND EXPERIENCE
The Fasting Phenomenon
A
RE YOU FASTING this month? For thousands of Christians and hundreds of churches, fasting in the first month of the year has become an annual emphasis. The Awakening America Alliance, Jentezen Franklin Ministries, and Awake21.org are all mobilizing believers to fast for 21 days in January. Franklin said, “Corporately fasting in January is much the same precept as praying in the morning to establish the will of God for the entire day. I believe that, if we will pray and seek God and give Him our best at the first of the year, He will bless our entire year.” In November, I asked members of the Evangel’s Facebook family if their church observes a first-month fast. Here are three of the responses I received:
LIVES IN 2011.
We did a Daniel Fast this year and are planning on doing one in January 2011 as well. It had a wonderful spiritual impact on our church. Many reported a “humbling” in their life. Many said they felt drawn into a deeper intimacy with the Lord through the fasting, Bible study, and prayer. The fact that we were uniting with thousands of believers around the country praying for revival to come was indeed a powerful realization!—Pastor Steve Gardner (Knoxville, TN)
You may contact the editor by writing to him at
[email protected] or by calling 423-478-7592.
Yes, we are planning a fast for this January. We have done a fast for the past three years. The first year we fasted, we increased gradually in attendance. The second year we fasted, we went from an average of 40-50 to running over 100 per Sunday. That year we had over 120 saved, about 30 filled with the Holy Ghost, and added 40 new members to our church. The third year, we began a small food closet which has grown to the point where we are feeding over 300 people per month.—Pastor A. R. Whittaker (Monroe, MI)
MORE IF WE MAKE FASTING PART OF OUR
My husband pastors Harmony Church of God. Our congregation participated in a 21-day Daniel Fast in January. . . . We had a new couple saved, and I believe families were strengthened. We are a small congregation and [God helped us] through the economic crunch. When one man was laid off for three months, we all came together and prayed. He has gone back to work and is probably working more than he would like to! So God has blessed. We plan to do the 21-day fast again this January. It is an awesome time to come together and sacrifice for God and His will in our lives and church!—Cindy Smith (Attalla, AL)
Other individuals wrote about how their church fasts at other times. Elaine Ables said the Bridgeport, Alabama, Church of God observes a fast every other month. “Our pastor, Dennis Bunch, puts up a chart and we initial the days or meals that we wish to fast. . . . We often battle the devil around the time of our fasts, but God always prevails.” Four truths about sincere fasting conveyed in these testimonies should motivate you and me to push aside the plate and seek the Lord: 1. Fasting humbles us as we recognize our dependence on God (see 2 Chron. 20:3-5). When we humble ourselves before Him, He will lift us up (James 4:10). 2. Biblical fasting will compel us to minister to people in need (Isa. 58:6-7). 3. God will reward us as we pour ourselves out to Him in prayer and fasting (Matt. 6:17-18). 4. Fasting awakens us to and engages us in spiritual warfare so that important battles might be won (see Luke 4:1-14). You and I will be more, believe more, do more, and experience more if we make fasting part of our lives in 2011.
EVANGEL | January 2011
3
ONLINE EDITION
Contents
January 2011
volume 101
■
issue 1
COLUMNS
FEATURES
10
12
14
3 On My Mind Lance Colkmire
We Are the Church of God Celebrating our amazing diversity by H. Lynn Stone
6 Forward Together Raymond F. Culpepper
A Refuge for Atlanta’s Last, Least, and Lost Changing lives in the city’s worst neighborhood by Jeff Deel Luis Rodriguez, Wounded Warrior Experiencing God’s grace on and off the battlefield by Lance Colkmire
22 Where Are They Now? David G. Roebuck 30 Bible Answers Daniel L. Black
DEPARTMENTS
20
TEAM Minnesota Becoming the Father’s hands by Lance Colkmire
15
The Ups and Downs of Pastoring in a Military Community Ministering to and with soldiers by Paul Nolan
24
Love Aggressively; Never Compromise on Mission An interview with Travis Johnson by John UpChurch
16
Sharing the Unchanging Gospel in a Changing World How two churches are adapting to new realities by John UpChurch
26
Starting Afresh: New Beginnings in 2011 A new year is here, and that always feels good. by Josh Rice
18
Rebuilding a Solid Church Encouraging news from Maine by Thomas J. Duperry Jr.
27
Grace at Knifepoint God’s grace overpowers violent sin. by Dan Eason
8 Currents 28 People and Events
Subscribe to the Evangel by calling 800-553-8506.
PUBLICATIONS MINISTRIES DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR David M. Griffis DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS Terry Hart
Through the Generations EMMA DAVIS, our 7-year-old cover girl, is more blessed than she knows. Her parents, Kraig and Athena, take her to South Cleveland (TN) Church of God, where they are active members. Her maternal ggrandparents p also attend South Cleveland, as do her maternal greatgrandparents! How many families do you know with four generations attending the same church? The drawing Emma holds shows the Church of God has been a praising, praying, and singing movement from generation to generation. It also represents how our movement has spread from one ethnic group to another. The songs we sing in South Korea have a different beat than Nigerian tunes; prayers in Portuguese sound quite different from prayers in Congolese; and the worship rendered by Jamaican praise dancers looks different from German liturgy. However, the spiritual bond that unites us as Church of God believers is stronger than even four generations of biological ties. (Cover photo by A Athena Davis)
WELCOME TO THE ONLINE EVANGEL “Compared with 2009, describe your financial support of your local church in 2010.” That was the issue raised in the December Evangel poll, and considering the economic struggles so many families are facing, we were surprised at the results. Two weeks after the poll was posted, here were the responses: • 45%—gave about the same • 33%—gave somewhat more • 12%—gave significantly more • 6%—gave significantly less • 3%—gave somewhat less In our January online poll, we are asking about your favorite version of the Bible. Find it on the pathwaypress.org home page. In this month’s online Evangel, there are two articles not found in the print edition: • “Starting Afresh: New Beginnings in 2011,” by Josh Rice • “Love Aggressively; Never Compromise on Mission”—an interview with Pastor Travis Johnson The January print edition features the following pieces not available online: • “A Shout, a Praise, and a Two-Edged Sword—The Ministry of Nancy Harmon” • “The Miracle Man,” by Wendy C. Brown
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT David Ray MANAGING EDITOR Lance Colkmire CENTRAL DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR Robert McCall CFO Wayne Walston PRINTING DIRECTOR Mike Burnett
EVANGEL STAFF EDITOR Lance Colkmire EXECUTIVE SECRETARY Elaine McDavid COPY EDITORS Tammy Henkel, Esther Metaxas GRAPHIC DESIGNER Bob Fisher
EDITORIAL AND PUBLICATIONS BOARD Stephen Darnell, Raymond Hodge, Ray E. Hurt, Timothy Brown, David Nitz , Tony Cooper, Jeffrey Robinson
INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Raymond F. Culpepper, Timothy M. Hill, Mark L. Williams, David M. Griffis, Wallace J. Sibley
CHURCH OF GOD congregations meet throughout the United States and in more than 180 other countries. To find a church and times of services near you, access the church website, www.churchofgod.org, or fax your request to 423-478-7616. Publication of material in the Evangel does not necessarily imply endorsement of the Church of God. The Church of God Evangel (ISSN 0745-6778) is edited and published monthly. ■ Church of God Publishing House, 1080 Montgomery Ave., P.O. Box 2250, Cleveland, TN 37320-2250 ■ Subscription rates: Single subscription per year $17, Canada $24, Bundle of 15 per month $17, Canada $28, Bundle of 5 per month $7.50, Canada $11.25 n Single copy $1.50 ■ Periodical postage paid at Cleveland, TN 37311 and at additional mailing offices ■ ©2011 Church of God Publications ■ All rights reserved ■ POSTMASTER: Send change of address to Evangel, P.O. Box 2250, Cleveland, TN 37320-2250. (USPS 112-240)
Have an article idea, a praise, or a criticism regarding the Evangel? Write to the editor at
[email protected] MEMBER OF THE EVANGELICAL PRESS ASSOCIATION AND THE INTERNATIONAL PENTECOSTAL PRESS ASSOCIATION
FORWARD TOGETHER
Beyond Egos and Logos A Conversation With the General Overseer RAYMOND F. CULPEPPER GENERAL OVERSEER
I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT CHANGING DOCTRINE OR WATERING DOWN SCRIPTURE. I AM TALKING ABOUT HOW THE WORLD AROUND US HAS CHANGED; AND IF WE DO NOT ALLOW THE HOLY SPIRIT TO KEEP US IN TOUCH WITH THE WORLD, WE WILL HAVE NO PLATFORM FROM WHICH TO REACH THEM.
The Church of God celebrates its 125th anniversary this year. What should we hold on to from the past, and how must we change? At the 2010 Pentecostal World Conference, Brian Houston (Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia) spoke about a moving sidewalk at the Dubai International Airport. There he saw a small woman carrying a large bundle of packages. When she stepped off the sidewalk, she stopped walking. This created an explosion of luggage and people from those coming off the sidewalk behind her. Brian Houston’s point was just because one thing ends does not mean you have to stop moving. Some preferences have ended. When I was 9 years old, “67W” was the number of our dial-up phone. When someone picked up the phone, the operator would say, “Number, please.” Today we can pick up our smart phone and see someone else from another continent. A pastor told me that his elders asked him, “What must our church do to stop losing our children?” He responded, “That depends on what you are willing to change to keep them.” That night those heart-wrenched elders, weeping, said, “We will lay our preferences aside for our children.” My question is, How often do we lay aside our children for our traditions? I am not talking about changing doctrine or watering down Scripture. I am talking about how the world around us has changed; and if we do not allow the Holy Spirit to keep us in touch with the world, we will have no platform from which to reach them. How is the new divisional approach reshaping the Church of God? Restructuring alone will change nothing; if we restructure but do not make deeper spiritual and cultural changes in our Church of God culture and in our
6
EVANGEL | January 2011
commitment to the harvest, it will be more of the same with a different frame. The first step is planning; the second, restructuring; the third, we begin to live what our philosophical structure tells us we’ve done. So far, the change has allowed us to focus on the mission of the church. We have seen this in Executive Committee and Executive Council meetings, and in the Ordained Bishops Council at the General Assembly. The mission of the church—the Great Commission—is framing everything we are doing. The new approach is also helping the church financially. The Church of God is in a serious financial challenge caused by a national recession and the reallocation of the tithe dollars, which forms the income potential of the Church of God. Our tithe of tithes fell $3 million over the past three years. We had to dissolve over 125 jobs. It breaks my heart that those people lost their jobs, but we could not borrow money to pay salaries. We have had to create only 10 to 12 jobs to take care of the new structure. What have you learned from your international travels that can help the Church of God? We must retell the great stories of the church. J. F. Rowlands went to South Africa to reach the Indian population. In his first six years of ministry in Durban, he had no converts. He was rejected and repeatedly threatened. The time came when the Lord impressed him to rent a Hindu-owned hall, and his first convert was one of 170 who came to Christ that night. Today, the Church of God has over 50,000 Indian members in South Africa. Brother Rowlands formed the beachhead of the Church of God ministry to them. I recently preached at the Bethsaida Church in Durban, which has a membership of over 10,000 people.
I have visited Indonesia, where a passion for prayer and worship is turning the nation around. In Latin America, there is a great move of God spilling out over the whole world. Someone asked me, “When you pastor again, will you pastor the same way?” I said, “No, I am not the same person. I have seen and had experiences that have changed my perspective.” We have a big God, and He is using people around the world to connect with the lost, plant churches, and convert people to Christ. Every 25 seconds, 3,000 souls are saved on this planet, according to James Rutz’s book Mega Shift. An incredible revival is happening internationally. Sadly, much of Europe is still in darkness. If America does not wake up, we are headed for the same spiritual night. We can be so familiar with the gospel message that we become hardened to it. What most encourages you about the Church of God today? First, I see churches embracing the prayer initiative. Prayer is not a program; everything else in ministry must feed out of the prayer life. Many states are organizing their prayer efforts around a prayer leader. We are becoming more focused in prayer. Second, I am seeing an embrace of the Great Commission. This is not novel, not cute, not sensational; it is the heart of Christ. As I meet with other groups— Southern Baptists, Pentecostal Holiness, Foursquare, Assemblies of God—there is a renewal of commitment to the Great Commission in the kingdom of God. I believe that God has decided the death of His only Son will not be in vain. He is calling people of all stripes to go into the world and make disciples.
from them. I serve on the board of directors for the National Association of Evangelicals, and we reap excellent networking benefits. Both the General Overseer’s office and Church of God World Missions are working closely with James Davis of the Billion Souls Network to win 1 billion souls and plant 5 million churches (an effort initiated by the late Bill Bright). Obviously, this will require networking of many groups. Discuss our denomination’s renewed emphasis on church planting. In times of crisis, the church has shaken itself and planted more churches. The Executive Committee, Executive Council,
“Someone asked me, ‘When you pastor again, will you pastor the same way?’ I said, ‘No, I am not the same person. I have seen and had experiences that have changed my perspective.’” tecostal Charismatic Churches of North America. I talk fairly often with Billy Wilson, who directs the International Center for Spiritual Renewal. We are supportive of the center’s “Awakening America Alliance” (www.awakening america.us), which is catching fire. When the preacher in Florida was about to burn a Koran, the Church of God cosponsored a newspaper ad with the Church of God of Prophecy, giving a theological and scriptural response to the situation. We had something positive to say. Bishop Randy Howard, the overseer of the Church of God of Prophecy, and I have a very good, solid relationship, and we cooperate with one another in a true spirit of unity. Outside the Pentecostal world, the Church of God is working with the American Bible Society, and we are learning
USA Missions under Tim Hill, and all of our state overseers are focusing on that aspect of the Great Commission. In our September Leadership Conference with Ed Stetzer (LifeWay Resources) and Alton Garrison (assistant executive presbyter of the Assemblies of God), we focused on church planting. On January 12-15, there will be a state overseers and district overseers leadership meeting in Cleveland, and we are bringing in church planters from around the world, along with James Davis of the Billion Souls Network. Internationally, churches are being planted rapidly, and we need to bring this spirit to America. If we are truly committed to our mission, we must lay down our territorialism and realize there can be multiple Church of God congregations in a city. No one should be able to Continued on page 23
^
How is the Church of God cooperating with other Pentecostal groups in our Great Commission efforts? During a meeting with the International Executive Council, the director of World Missions, Doug Leroy, and the former director, Roland Vaughan, said
they are convinced the Great Commission mandate—taking the gospel to all people groups—can be fulfilled within the next 12 years. But the Church of God cannot do it alone. If we can get beyond our egos and logos, we can reap the harvest. We must network with others. We are truly committed to working with other denominations. We are networking ideas, talking about what the Holy Spirit is doing in the world, and serving in various think tanks and idea forums. We were recently involved with the Pentecostal World Conference, where I had meetings with several Pentecostal leaders, including James Leggett and Jack Hayford. We participate in the Pen-
EVANGEL | January 2011
7
Currents The Fascination With VAMPIRES ■ IT TAKES MORE than a theological stake to the heart to kill the vampire legend. From Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight books and films to the current HBO saga True Blood, fascination with these socalled creatures of the night permeates contemporary life. So why is this mythic figure so long-lived and potent? Sigmund Freud said vampires represent our repressed sexuality and aggression, while Carl Jung argued they are a universal type of “shadow,” or dark side of the human personality. They embody aspects of ourselves that we reject, hide, or are ashamed to confront. Many religious scholars see the vampire as a mirror of Christianity. He is pictured as Christ’s evil twin, stealing ideas and imagery from the faith’s miraculous tale and twisting them into a sinister parable. Jesus told His disciples to “eat my flesh and drink my blood” as evidence of their devotion to Him and His mission. Jesus’ words were controversial even among His hearers, and later Romans and other pagans accused the early Christians of cannibalism, says John Morehead of the Western Institute for Intercultural Studies in Salt Lake City. Beyond blood, both Jesus and vampires offer immortality, admittedly through different paths. “We can read the vampire—and his status as having been alive, then dead and now undead—as related to the Christian idea of resurrection from the dead,” Morehead says. These days, though, items such as the crucifix and holy water no longer repel the demon, Morehead says. The church is depicted as “just as powerless in the face of the vampire as any other institution.” No one knows for certain the origins of vampires, but most scholars trace the roots to 16th-century Slavic nations, 8
EVANGEL | January 2011
where townsfolk believed in a cosmic battle between good and evil gods, one associated with light, the other with darkness. Like villagers everywhere, they were wary of strangers and outsiders. When the Eastern Orthodox Church came into power, it was threatened by pagans and heretics. Eventually, these Christians would identify many nonChristians—including pagans and Jews— as “vampires.” Both outsider groups were accused of drinking blood because of their ritual animal sacrifices, says Joseph Laycock, who
teaches a class on vampires at Tufts University in Boston. “The only blood they were supposed to drink was Christ’s.” Any unexplained illness, injury, or death often was blamed on the dead returning to harm the living. Vampires became the region’s scapegoats. Britain’s Lord Byron traveled to Greece and Turkey and came back to write macabre poems. By 1816, he produced the first modern vampire story. In his telling, the vampire was not a rotting corpse—still evil, but rich and provocative. The vampire he drew, Laycock says, resembled Byron himself—a womanizer and an embarrassment to the family. That marked the beginning of the seductive, but sympathetic, vampire who
is the father of the television show Dark Shadows in the 1960s, followed by Anne Rice’s Interview With the Vampire, and finally Meyer’s Edward Cullen (in the Twilight series). Cullen, a desirable and tortured protagonist created by Meyer, a Mormon and graduate of Brigham Young University, is a far cry from Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Ironically, a century ago Mormon missionaries were pictured more like Dracula than Cullen. In 1911, about 15 years after Stoker wrote his tale of the blood-sucking Transylvanian count, British writer Winifred Graham published The Love Story of a Mormon, which later was made into a silent flick, Trapped by the Mormons. When Dracula kissed his victims, he literally sucked the lifeblood out of them. The transfer of blood changed their identities and personalities, he writes. Graham believed Mormon missionaries did the same to their female converts. Like early Mormons, Dracula was polygamous, moving from woman to woman, and both vampires and Latterday Saints promised eternal life. Living in a Romanian village or a British suburb, lives were relatively simple and prescribed by circumstance. The vampire offered a cautionary tale of what would happen to those who dabbled in forbidden relationships. Such stories kept people in check. Contemporary vampire tales reflect a different reality, says Laycock, author of Vampires Today: The Truth About Modern Vampirism. “If you grow up in America, you have no idea where you are going to live, do, or be,” he says. “We have existential questions ancient people never had. We have more choices but our choices are isolating. We all feel like outcasts sometimes, too.” Many Americans, particularly young people, perceive worship as boring. They won’t sit still for lectures on good and evil from the pulpit, preferring instead a vague and nondemanding spirituality. Still, they are attracted to stories about supernatural creatures. In a twisted way, these yarns offer hope for something more than this life.—Steven Beaven (RNS)
the country. The church says it has more than 12,000 congregations in the United States. A former Baptist pastor, Charles Mason, founded the Church of God in Christ in 1907 in Memphis after attending the Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles. He dedicated 20 days in the fall as a meeting time for the church’s members. “This segment of the year was chosen because the majority of the communicants of the church
Pentecostal Convention Moves North ■ WHEN IS A CHURCH convention more than just another church convention? When 40,000 saints from the Church of God in Christ (COGIC) come marching in and relocate the year’s largest convention from one cash-strapped city to another. In November 2010, for the first time in more than a century, the Church of God in Christ—the nation’s largest African-American Pentecostal denomination—held its annual Holy Convocation outside of its hometown of Memphis. The previous year, church officials announced that St. Louis had offered them $1 million more in incentives than Memphis to move the convocation. Leaders agreed to a three-year deal that moved the conference to St. Louis through 2012. Across nine days last November, COGIC delegates occupied 25,000 hotel rooms and brought upwards of $30 million to the city, according to the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission. The commission was aggressive, offering meal discounts, free hotel parking, and use of all 502,000 square feet at the America’s Center Convention Center and Edward Jones Dome.
“Having them in town during this economic downturn speaks volumes for St. Louis,” said Stephanie Monroe, national convention sales manager. “This is a transition for the saints, and it’s important that we treat them as first-time guests and welcome them with open arms.” COGIC’s presiding bishop, Charles Blake, said the decision to move the convocation out of Memphis—where the church has its headquarters—after 102 years was both financial and logistical. “St. Louis is a tremendous city in terms of its capacity to accommodate us—from the hotels to the America’s Center to transportation options,” Blake said. The move was bad news for businesses in Memphis, where the $25 million brought in by the convocation represented the city’s largest convention of the year. “From a historical standpoint, this was a pretty significant blow to Memphis,” said Otis Sanford, editor for opinion and editorials at the Commercial Appeal, the city’s daily newspaper. The Church of God in Christ counts 6.5 million members, making it one of the largest Christian denominations in
lived in farming districts of Mississippi, Tennessee, and Arkansas,” according to the church’s website. “By this time of the year, they had sufficient provisions and financial resources from the harvesting of their crops, to enable them to attend and support a national meeting” (RNS).
By the NUMBERS GADGET OWNERSHIP Percentage of American adults who own each device: Cell phone
85%
Desktop computer
59%
Laptop computer
52%
mp3 player
47%
Game console
42%
e-book reader
5%
Tablet computer
4%
Pew Research Center (Oct. 2010)
EVANGEL | January 2011
9
We Are the Church of God by H. Lynn Stone
A
LMOST 15,000 people attended the opening service of the 73rd Church of God International General Assembly in Orlando. They gathered as the anointed body of Christ. Saints worshiped God “in the beauty of holiness” (Ps. 96:9). They celebrated “in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in [their hearts] to the Lord” (Eph. 5:19). The “glory of the Lord filled the house of God” (2 Chron. 5:14 NKJV). Both the glory and the beauty were magnified by the diversity of the life roads traveled by those believers. Elders were present whose roads of life could be traced directly back to the Appalachian Mountains—the birthplace of the Church of God in 1886. But the founding mothers and fathers could not have imagined the hometowns of these Assembly delegates. The church’s founders would have visited—or possibly even heard of—few of the cities, states, 10
EVANGEL | January 2011
regions, countries, and continents that delegates now call home. The majority of Church of God members find it difficult to comprehend the international composition of the church’s constituency. Of course, that is not true of the Lord, whose eyes, “run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him” (2 Chron. 16:9 NKJV). The worldwide face of the Church of God surely brings joy to “the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named” (Eph. 3:14-15). The Church of God is much like a growing child when it first discovers the wonder of its own God-created physical body. It seems that only now is the church beginning to fully appreciate the wonder of our identity. Those attending the opening service of the 2010 General Assembly received great joy simply by observing the diversity of the sights and sounds. Styles
of dress, colors of skin, musical preferences, and even worship expressions emphasized these differences. This was true in a single meeting greatly limited in number and dominated by the culture of the southeastern United States. How much more joy can it bring to believers who are able to picture and imagine the wide range of God-given diversity among Church of God congregations around the world! The joy is magnified when the proclamation is made for all to hear, “We are the Church of God.” By nature, humans tend to think of the rest of the world mostly in terms of what is physically seen by their own eyes. Therefore, it is easy for Church of God members to think of congregations around the country and throughout the world in the same manner. They are imagined as looking, feeling, and worshiping very much like we ourselves look, feel, and worship. The 21 delegates of the first General Assembly met in a small mountain
cabin in 1906. None could possibly have envisioned the Assembly in the cavernous Orlando Convention Center over a century later. But had it been revealed to them, their rejoicing, no doubt, would have saturated the Appalachian hollows. Their voices would have sounded for miles around as they joined in the chorus, “We are the Church of God.” Today, modern travel and media technology have brought the world closer together than ever. May the celebration of the church include the wonder of our diversity. Let the whole church rejoice . . . • as 300 far-eastern Indian brothers and sisters in New York City—with the women dressed in beautiful saris and traditional head scarves seated on one side and the smartly dressed men in stylish business suits seated on the other side—worship with the anointing of the Holy Spirit in a spirit that proudly proclaims, “We are the Church of God.” • as 50 farming-community brothers and sisters—with children bringing their pennies for the traditional “penny march” for orphans, and adults playing musical instruments as varied as a banjo, harmonica, guitar, mandolin, washboard, and Jew’s harp, and singing from the red-back hymnal—also worship with the Lord’s anointing in a spirit that proclaims, “We are the Church of God.” • as 7,000 suburban brothers and sisters—with a 200-voice robed choir and trained orchestra, and adults standing on plush carpet floors and seated on padded pews, and children and youth meeting in their own specialty venues, and songs and messages projected on movie screens, and the pastor’s sermon heard around the world via television, radio, and video streaming—also worship with the anointing of the Holy Spirit with a heart that proclaims, “We are the Church of God.” • as a small band of elderly brothers and sisters—dressed in traditional clothes
of the last century, and sometimes struggling with aged voices to keep time with the old piano played by the feeble but determined musician whose aging fingers find it difficult to play the hymns of yesterday, but whose resilient souls still rejoice in the Lord even as the younger generation moves from their beloved rural town to find work in neighboring states and thank God for their precious pastor who faithfully ministers week by week—also worship with holy anointing
These pictures of congregations within the boundaries of the United States of America, with its membership of 1 million, cannot begin to portray the diversity of the Church of God around the world, with its membership of over 6 million. All of them, through the grace of God that has fashioned us together as one spiritual family with one spiritual name, Sunday after Sunday and week after week, proclaim together, “We are the Church of God,” in the same beauty of holiness as . . . • The 700-member Church of God in the British Virgin Islands where almost every uplifting and lively service brings forth the deliverance of a demon-possessed soul seeking refuge from a life of devil worship and witchcraft • The small church in the northern Philippines which worships in an unfinished rural school building because they had to vacate their town church due to the persecution of the Muslim community • The Guatemalan church that worships in an outdoor city venue as it waits for the Lord to provide funding for a permanent facility to house its ever-growing community • The Indonesian church that worships in its new 10,000seat auditorium yet struggles to find seating for all who come to receive salvation and be blessed by the joyful sounds of worship • The African village church where the only music is the sound of human voices, the clapping of hands, and the soft tapping of bare feet on bare floors under a thatched roof. May every local church, and every member in every local church, experience the unspeakable joy of the Father in heaven as we proclaim in unison throughout the whole world, “We are the Church of God.”
The Church of God is much like a growing child when it first discovers the wonder of its own God-created physical body. It seems that only now is the church beginning to appreciate fully the wonder of our identity. in a spirit that proclaims, “We are the Church of God.” • as 200 inner-city brothers and sisters—dressed with attire that readily speaks of homelessness, drug-addiction and alcohol histories, whose testimonies give praise for God’s mercy that has brought them from prison cells, rehab centers, and hospital beds and whose tattoos cannot be hidden and whose jewelry may seem to many to be excessive, and whose singing skills come up short and the pastor’s sermon is a simple gospel message—also worship with the anointing of the Holy Spirit in a spirit that proclaims, “We are the Church of God.”
H. Lynn Stone, D.Min., is administrative assistant to the general overseer. EVANGEL | January 2011
11
A Refuge for
by Jeff Deel
A TLANTA’S Last, Least, and Lost E
VERY CITY has a neighborhood people want to avoid. Even the folks who live there wish they did not; they would be somewhere else if they had a choice. You know the neighborhood—its reputation is contemptible. It is characterized by houses that need paint, dirty streets and sidewalks, empty lots strewn with glass bottles and trash, liquor stores, and little shops that advertise “We accept food stamps.” These neighborhoods are populated mostly by people living below the poverty level. Atlanta’s version of such a community is called “The Bluff.” It is our version of the ghetto, our poster child for everything bad in the inner city. In Georgia, our zip code boasts first place in a number of notorious categories: violent crimes, illegal drug activity, single-parent households, high-school dropouts, inmates in Georgia’s jails and prisons, and so on. One street corner in The Bluff
12
EVANGEL | January 2011
Situated in the middle of this pivot point of so much that is wrong is a lighthouse of hope, a place where the last, lost, and least can run for protection and help. The Mission—A Place of Refuge (formerly known as Midtown Mission Church of God)—sits on nearly nine acres in the heart of Atlanta’s worst neighborhood, with 210,000 square feet of space under roof. In 1997, Pastor Bruce Deel was serving as associate pastor at Pleasantdale Church of God just north of the city. He accepted a commission by the denomination to serve as interim pastor at Midtown Mission for the purpose of dissolving the struggling church and selling the property. On his first Sunday, a career prostitute walked in during service and asked for prayer. The next week she brought one of her long-time customers, and he prayed for salvation as well. The proverbial snowball began to roll, and there was no stopping it. What people meant to end, God Children are at the heart of the City of Refuge’s ministry.
meant for a new beginning, and soon the few regulars were feeding homeless people and operating an after-school program for children. Pastor Deel and his family left their nice home and schools in Stone Mountain, moved into the church building, and began to accommodate people in crisis, from infants to homeless adults. In 2004, the ministry moved from its modest, traditional facility on 14th Street to the present location in The Bluff. The warehouse backs up to a railroad track between Burbank and Chappel Road, a city block the Atlanta Journal recently described as “Atlanta’s new problem child.” At the time of the report, there had been three murders on the block in one year; a couple more have taken place since then. Although The Mission is a “church” in the sense most people identify with, it is the ministry’s outreach arm, City of Refuge, that sets it apart. City of Refuge cooperates with city and county government to
provide Eden Village, a transitional living program for previously homeless women and children. The center has capacity for 230 residents and provides free child care, mental and physical health assessments and treatment, legal aid, career training, and job referrals. The Resource Center provides assistance for thousands of clients each year, supplying food boxes, hygiene kits, computer and phone usage, help with rent and utility bills, and referrals for drug/alcohol rehabilitation. The 180 Degree Kitchen prepares and serves nearly 20,000 meals per month, and operates a culinary training center and catering service. Currently, plans are being formulated to build a full-service medical clinic on site which will provide free services to Eden Village residents and people from the community. Children are at the heart of it all. An after-school tutoring program is alive and well, and when it comes to Christmas, there’s no child left behind. The annual “Back to School Bash” provides book bags and supplies to hundreds of inner-city kids, and summer camps keep them off the streets during times when they are not in school. When The Mission meets for worship on Saturday evenings, it is to celebrate all that has happened during the week. When members sing praises and clap their hands, it is to rejoice that the chains of injustice have been loosed and the oppressed have been set free. Church members take the mandate of Isaiah 58
literally, and when they worship they do so with the satisfaction that they have shared their food with the hungry and provided shelter for the poor wanderer. Middle-class suburbanites sit shoulder to shoulder with former drug addicts and prostitutes, and ex-convicts break bread with people who have never so much as smoked a cigarette. When they absorb the preaching and teaching from ministry leaders, it is so the following week they may be better equipped to carry out the instruction of Jesus concerning “the least of these” (Matt. 25:40), for service is the purest worship and produces the truest reflection of the Kingdom. Each church has its mission, vision, and assigned place, and each should include elements of evangelism, exhortation, and discipleship. In impoverished and problem-riddled communities such as The Bluff, evangelism must have trusting relationships as a cornerstone, and the most effective way to establish trust is to meet practical needs. As one frail, sickly, homeless man said, “I might not hear your words if my stomach growls while you are talking.” Exhortation must be balanced by example. The Kingdom message proclaimed by Jesus was replete with challenges to reach out to people living on the margins, but His commissions were always preceded or followed by His actions. His call to the disciples was, “Come, follow Me.” In other words, “Walk where I walk and do what I do.”
In the ghetto, people give very little consideration to what is said, but give great account to what is done. Discipleship is for the purpose of equipping disciples for service. It is not a matter of what one knows, but what one does with what he or she knows. At The Mission, this much we know: We are surrounded by people who are hurting, hungry, and desperate. We have been placed here for a purpose, and our commitment to equipping disciples to meet the needs is relentless. The Mission is tucked behind intimidating wrought iron gates and fences, but its light is permeating the neighborhood and darkness is perpetually pushed out. Atlanta’s worst neighborhood is changing. The “problem child” is getting a makeover. As a result of obedience to the Father’s command, light is “breaking forth like the dawn” and our “night is becoming like the noonday” (see Isa. 58:8, 10 NIV). Obedience has a way of bringing renewal and restoration. Ghetto life was never the Father’s intention for His children, and He has made a way for them to return to a “garden existence” with Him. As one long-time citizen said to a group of corner drug dealers, “Y’all might as well move out, ’cause Jesus is movin’ in!”
Jeff Deel is communications director for the City of Refuge in Atlanta, and he is writing a book about its ministry. Jeff and his wife, Tracy, are the proud parents of seven children. The Resource Center serves thousands of people annually.
EVANGEL | January 2011
13
Luis Rodriguez, WOUNDED WARRIOR by Lance Colkmire
Overcoming his own battlefield loss inspires an Army veteran to build up others.
L
UIS RODRIGUEZ says he was an “Army recruiter’s dream” when he readily signed up in 1990 to pursue a military career. Reared in a Catholic family in Puerto Rico, Luis married Lilliam, whom he calls “a woman of great faith,” before they left the island. However, because she was an Evangelical, their marriage caused a “brouhaha” in the Rodriguez family. He said his religious life to that point was one filled with “candles and images—a life of religious rhythms, but not of relationship.” In 2003, when deployed to Mosul in northern Iraq, his life forever changed. On November 24, Sergeant First Class Rodriguez and his medical convoy were scheduled to bring supplies to a local hospital. He said, “I woke up with butterflies that day, even though I had battle experience and knew this was a peaceful mission.” Meanwhile, unknown to Luis, something unusual had happened 6,800 miles away at the Clarksville, Tennessee, Church of God just hours before. While church members were praying for their loved ones, a woman came to Lilliam and said, “Your husband will be coming home alive, and God will do things you cannot imagine.” Lilliam thought, Of course he’s coming home; he’s supposed to be back in two months. On their way to the hospital, Rodriguez’s convoy was hit by an IED (improvised explosive device). He said, “I was very scared—terrified. My right leg was gone. There was nothing I could do for myself. I closed my eyes and prayed, thinking, This is it.” Luis admits, “I was not sure of where I was going if I died.” 14
EVANGEL | January 2011
Another medic pulled Luis from his vehicle and placed a tourniquet around his right leg. Even though the convoy was under fire, they escaped and got their leader to a field hospital in Mosul. He said, “This was where I always brought the wounded for help. It shook up the staff to see I was the one injured.” Luis underwent 17 surgeries—two in Iraq, two in Germany, and 13 at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C. There, on Christmas Eve, his two little girls saw their dad for the first time since his injury.
Instead, Luis did something that never happened—he continued as an active-duty soldier even though he only had one leg. He was assigned to train medics to help wounded soldiers in a quickly changing war zone like Iraq, where it is difficult to identify the enemy. He developed methods for working through tactical problems to deal with medical emergencies.
Experiencing a Makeover
While home one day in 2005, Luis received a phone call from someone who said his family was a candidate for the TV show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Having never heard of this program, Luis said he was not interested. When they called back, he hung up on them! The third time, they talked with Lilliam, who sent them a video of their house and family. When Extreme Makeover called again, they asked Luis what kind of changes he would like to see in their house. He President George and said he would like wood floorLaura Bush salute Rodriguez ing instead of carpeting, which at Walter Reed Hospital. would make it easier for him to get around; also, a larger bathMelanie, age 5, kissed her dad’s stump as room would help. He added that Lilliam a sign of affection. would like to have new kitchen cabinets, but that was all they needed. Remaining in Active Duty When the Rodriguezes were choAs Luis lay in the hospital recovering, sen, everyone else in the neighborhood he was angry with God for letting him knew it before they did. They were sent leave his comrades; he worried about away, and on the day they returned and them. “They were my family,” he said. heard the cry, “Move that bus!” they saw After his injury, those soldiers had sent their 1,400-square-foot home had been Lilliam a note saying they had never left replaced by a 2,800-square-foot house Luis alone during his near-death experiwith lots of open space. Luis said, “I was ence, and that they had given blood for happy to represent military families on him. Luis also had to begin dealing with the show to help people understand what the psychological effects of losing a leg. we go through.” In response, Luis received He said, “I did not want pity.” emails from across the nation.
Challenging Others Rodriguez retired from the military as a master sergeant in September 2007, but he has not slowed down. He is founder and president of RMI, which provides a variety of services to the Department of Defense, including combat training with the use of simulation, information-technology services and support, and general professional services. RMI employs servicedisabled and other combat veterans. “They still want to serve,” Luis said. When Luis speaks with wounded soldiers and veterans, he gives them the same advice he lives by: “Don’t feel sorry for yourself; you must not let your injury shape your life.” In October 2009, when Extreme Makeover: Home Edition built a new house in Woodlawn, Tennessee, for the family of Scott Santiago—a Clarksville police officer who was killed in the line of duty— Luis provided behind-the-scenes help. When the Roxboro, North Carolina, home of Bobby Isaacs—who lost both
of his legs in an Iraq explosion—was remodeled, Luis Rodriguez climbed a 16-foot-ladder and operated a Bobcat dozer to help.
Wounded Warrior Combat Shoot handgun training in west Tennessee, specifically tailored for combat wounded soldiers with physical disabilities.
Growing Spiritually
Luis and Lilliam Rodriguez at a Tennessee Titans’ game
On October 30 and 31, 2010, Luis— with the help of PRI Tactics and Training and a few sponsors—conducted the first
Paul Nolan, pastor of the Clarksville Church of God, called Luis Rodriguez a church member who “helps others who need help. He reaches people on a level others cannot reach.” For instance, the pastor credited Luis with recently giving direction to a nonmilitary amputee. “Luis receives my sermons from a different viewpoint than others,” Nolan added. Luis said, “We see things from a different perspective. He accepts my advice, letting me help at church behind the scenes.” Because God was working behind the scenes in Mosul, Iraq, more than seven years ago, Luis’ life was spared, and many other wounded warriors have been encouraged and pointed in the right direction. by PAUL NOLAN
THE UPS AND DOWNS OF PASTORING IN A MILITARY COMMUNITY
I
T IS ONE THING to pastor a church with a few retired military service if they’re not too busy doing something else, or they’ll teach personnel; it’s a different challenge to pastor a church in a mili- a class if they’re not able to get season tickets for their favorite sports tary town. Besides having retired military folks, there are church team. Not so with the military believers; it’s almost as if they’re conmembers currently serving in the armed forces. When they are cerned they may have to do extra PT (physical training) if they don’t involved in a military engagement such as the war on terrorism, follow up on their commitment to God’s house! When they work for the sometimes they are present while at other times they are on the other Lord, they do so with a zeal that would make General Petraeus proud! Since this is my second pastorate in a church with military influence, side of the planet! I came to the Clarksville Church of God four years ago, and soon I have discovered another benefit. It’s when a former church member— remembered how challenging it is to lead a congregation with military someone I once served on the other side of the nation—gets “PCSed” to my town. Since being in Clarksville, I have been reunited influence. For starters, military members speak a different with military personnel whom I knew in Anchorage, Alaslanguage—everything is known by initials. You might think I have discovered ka. The greatest joy is finding they are still serving the Lord. TDY stands for “tidy,” PCS for “Reese’s Pieces,” and JCSS that some of our The “icing on the cake” is I have well-trained saints ready to for “Jesus Christ saves sinners.” Actually, these acronyms nation’s finest Christian young be placed into service almost immediately. stand for “temporary duty,” “permanent change of stamen and women Another great blessing of being a pastor in a military tion,” and “joint communications support squadron.” Of are serving in our town is realizing that some of our finest Christian men and these three, my least favorite is “permanent change of armed forces. women are serving our nation in the armed forces. They, station.” That is an oxymoron because “permanency” lasts along with all us other believers, are soldiers in the Lord’s only until the next PCS order arrives. I don’t like it because it represents the transfer of some of the most army. One day soon, the Commander of this eternal army will call all of dedicated and committed members of the local church I’ve ever had us to attention. As we ride in the largest “cavalry unit” ever assembled, the privilege to pastor. Maybe it’s because of their military training that we will get our orders for the greatest PCS ever in heaven! That station really will be permanent . . . and that’s ABM (alright by me). these people are so committed to the ministry of the local church. Too many nonmilitary church members don’t have this commitment in their work for the kingdom of God. They will come to worship Paul Nolan is pastor of the Clarksville, Tennessee, Church of God. EVANGEL | January 2011
15
O
N THE SOUTH SIDE of Richmond, Virginia, an elderly white couple holds a “Church Yard Sale” sign and waits fruitlessly for customers. In an area populated by weather-worn buildings with rough, handpainted signs for the “Apostolic Kingdom of Jesus Worshippers,” this couple represents a pristine mainline church with a name handed down for decades. Around them, the community reflects a diverse mix of blacks, Asians, and Hispanics, but the parking lot of the mainline church is populated only by a few white people. It’s a moment that depicts Richmond well, a city where pylons still stretch up out of the James River to hold a bridge that no longer exists, a casualty of the fleeing Confederate army. Here you’ll find many mainline churches with middleclass, aging congregations. Their homes retreat farther and farther away from the little islands they’ve maintained in the
drug-dealer-turned-Bible-smuggler spends his days telling people how Jesus spared his life from his former employer and how the Holy Spirit empowered him to tell Egyptians about Christ without a translator. His nights only vary by location. Instead of speaking to the people in his apartment building, tonight he is talking about Jesus to bar patrons. Walker is intimidating and enthusiastic. He is also evidence of hope, a sign that some Christians in Richmond have realized the seismic shift that is happening. Instead of boarding up and taking flight, they are taking the gospel to the people outside. Pastor Bryan Ogle of Enon Church of God knows about the importance of an outward focus toward a changing culture. Twenty-five minutes south of downtown Richmond, the community around Enon continues to swell. “The church moved to this location eight to 10 years ago,” he says. “Where we are now is more of a suburb of Richmond. There’s a military base
pleship approach to just having the church go from a smaller-church mentality to a bigger-church one. Changing the mentality of how leaders within the church lead. We are in the process of embracing the culture that will lead us into the future.” From handing out Gatorades at the local YMCA to hosting a night of camping on the church grounds to offering special seminars and events, the outward gestures to the changing community are already having a big impact as the church grows.
Hope and a Hurricane Few shifts in culture, however, have been as dramatic as what happened in the wake of Hurricane Andrew in 1992. The vibrant community of Florida’s Homestead Church of God collapsed from about 200 people to 27 following the devastation. Almost overnight, South MiamiDade County shed 250,000 people who left the ravaged area behind. It’s a change that Pastor Travis John-
Sharing the UNCHANGING Gospel in a CHANGING World How two congregations—one in northern Virginia, the other in south Florida—are adapting to new realities by John UpChurch
middle of rough neighborhoods. Tradition holds them there, but it’s doubtful they’ve seen a new believer in years. Only a few miles from where the yard sale was taking place, a tall steeple casts an impressive shadow across Cowardin Avenue, and you might think this growing mosque still houses a church. Other former mainline churches boast boarded-up windows, graffiti, and orange notices to keep out. The River City changed, and when those churches wouldn’t budge, the city changed them.
Hope and a Drug Dealer Walker is not the type of person who would care much about the history of such churches in the city he calls home. The 16
EVANGEL | January 2011
that’s supposed to triple in size. So, just the culture of the area that the building sits in now is much different.” Before he arrived, “The congregation had gone through some difficult times. They went through a transition of culture, and some people left. It was a low-morale type environment.” The first steps Pastor Ogle took reflect the purpose statement of the church: “Love God. Love people. Serve the world.” He opened his home to the congregation, inviting them to learn about the vision God had given him for Enon. From there, he is leading the church through necessary change to better serve the community. “We’re in the process of not thinking of the church as the way it has always been. That goes from music to our disci-
son remembers vividly. “Over 50 percent of the churches in Homestead closed and did not reopen,” he said. “The demographics radically changed. It was a financial miracle that the church continued immediately after Andrew and especially through the ’90s. The fact that the Homestead Church of God was still functioning in 2003 was testament to unbelievable devotion on the part of the church and my parents, who pastored the church.” Their example deeply influenced his desire to reach the “new” Homestead. “I’ve never seen such devotion and raw, pure, self-sacrificial ministry that close. I think most people would have left the community for normal lives. My parents did not. They deserve credit for their tenacity and faithfulness.”
“One of the great privileges I’ve ever had was baptizing Kekona Alana, one of our first team members at Life Pointe Church–Plantation Key. After I baptized Kekona, he turned and helped baptize Kanahoe, his older brother, whom he had led to Christ in rather dramatic fashion. The picture of that baptism captures and justifies all the joy and pain that has come with digging out the two Life Pointe campuses.”—Travis Johnson
The church he began leading had around 30 dedicated members, but God gave him a vision to remove as many barriers as possible and to create a “gospelobsessed community that loves God and man with reckless abandon.” Disaster had changed the city, economic adversity had hardened those in the area, but the need for the unchanging gospel is always the same. Post-Andrew Homestead needed to hear that message, and Pastor Johnson wanted to make it happen. “We considered ourselves a church replant. We rebranded [as Life Pointe Church], sold property, reopened, restructured, and relocated. In order to do all that, we had to have the buy-in from our church body and from the Church of God state office. The process took several years.”
Pastor Johnson continued, “As we talked about the future, we improved the facility. We simplified everything by throwing away anything that had not been used in a year. We painted, using Starbucks-colored themes. We relandscaped. We were broke, so everything we did was with elbow grease and donated services from new members. The week we painted, we had families show up for the first time saying they had never seen the church before. The physical changes lent credence to and reinforced the vision. As small wins built up, we were able to tackle the greater pursuit of relaunching.”
continues to change. Married couples with children account for only 22 percent of all households nationally, and “minorities” are no longer minorities in many places. Three million people have left the Northeast, and the Midwest shed another 2 million—many of them relocating to the South (www.adage.com). Shifting demographics affect all churches. To share the gospel effectively, churches must reach out to the changing realities as the Enon and Life Pointe congregations have done. Otherwise, the community may increasingly ignore the church and its message.
A New World Outside According to early results from the 2010 census, the world outside the church
John UpChurch is an editor and writer living in Cleveland, Tennessee. EVANGEL | January 2011
17
Rebuilding a Solid Church in PITTSFIELD, MAINE by Thomas J. Duperry Jr.
Being a small church, our resources are limited; however, our vision is huge.
S
IMPLY AMAZING! That is what I tell the Lord in my prayer closet almost every day. I am amazed watching His hand move throughout our congregation—the Solid Rock Church of God in Pittsfield, Maine. Recently, a young man in our community was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Because the tumor was so large, surgery was not an option. The doctors said the cancer was incurable and that the young man had only six months to live. That’s when the Master of the universe stepped in and proved He is in absolute control. The young man’s death sentence was revoked, and now he and his family are becoming members of our church!
Father to fulfill His promise to me. He knew my calling was to be a senior pastor of a church someday—a calling that had occurred some 17 years earlier. Being patient was certainly a part of God’s plan for me! In the 14 years we had been together, Pastor Derocher watched my wife and me move from the back of the church, too shy to ever draw any attention to ourselves, to the pulpit (becoming the assistant pastor), and growing in our passion for God. Despite knowing of the challenges that would face us in Pittsfield, he said it sounded like a great opportunity for Lori and me. His words confirmed what the Lord had placed on my heart.
An Open Door
The battered little church was barely alive when we first stepped through the door in October 2008. It was evident that folks had really cared about this church at
Two years ago, Bishop Bobby Scott (former overseer of Northern New England) asked me to pray about moving to Pittsfield to pastor. Some of our friends and even fellow ministers tried to discourage us from coming here. We were told, “The church has a bad reputation”; “It’s a small town and everyone talks”; and “It’s a preacher’s graveyard.” While some of the talk was true, this caused me to pray more earnestly. The more persuasive the talk was, the more I recognized the ability of God to restore all things. I called Bob Derocher, a good friend and trusted pastor of the Church of God in Lewiston/Auburn, Maine. My wife, Lori, and I had been discipled under his ministry. Pastor Derocher knew my strengths and weaknesses, and how I could become impatient waiting for our
18
EVANGEL | January 2011
A Divinely Ordained Meeting
The Solid Rock congregation
one time. I learned of and saw the talent of a craftsman, David Tarbox, who had spent much time working in the church. I called David, introduced myself, and told him I saw his handiwork all over the church. He said he was willing to help the church with snowplowing that winter, but would not be attending church. I asked if I could meet with him on the next Saturday. Later I called the assistant pastor, Milton Turner, and asked the same of him. Saturday quickly came, and my father-inlaw, who is the senior pastor of the New Life Church of God in Readfield, Maine (the church I had just left), dropped in to check things out. About the same time, both David and Milton arrived, and we talked about the church for five hours. I considered it our first church and pastor’s council meeting! David said he and his wife were leaving because he was tired of seeing his church family leave. Milton said he too was considering leaving, but the Lord had told him to attend this meeting. At this point, David and his wife, Sue, along with Milton, were three of the eight remaining church members. I had recently completed presenting a video curriculum (The Bait of Satan, by John Bevere) at the Readfield Church. During that Saturday meeting, I suggested watching the video curriculum as part of an evening service at Solid Rock. Much to my surprise, David Tarbox, who had
Pastor Tom and Lori Duperry
started attending another church at the time, had just begun watching the same video curriculum in that church! By no means did we just have a meeting that day. Instead, hearts that were passionate about the house of God met one another. John Bevere’s video became a source of healing for our little church and taught us how to fight back!
A Loving Foundation The Solid Rock Church of God is now the fastest-growing congregation in the area. Some say love is building this church, and I agree. Our Father not only sent His love here to heal this church, but to touch an entire community. It’s amazing to see how our Father is using this body of believers to touch and inspire other congregations! We call them “Solid Rock Invasions”—we simply share with other churches the importance of getting behind their pastor and fulfilling their church’s calling. Being a small church, our resources are limited; however, our vision is huge. It takes time to get some ministries going. This winter, we are launching the Solid Rock Café—an outreach specifically to a prep school for future college students situated behind the church. Central Maine Institute houses students from all over the world. The fulfillment of this vision
for a café transforms our little church into a world-class ministry! My wife and I have been involved many years in training ministers for the Church of God and even some independent ministries. That call and burden is still in full force. We are currently praying about how the Lord might help us to reopen ministries in three Maine towns: (1) Newburgh —where the state’s oldest Read three articles not available online Pentecostal in the January church has print edition of Evangel. its windows boarded up and doors nailed shut; (2) Hartland—where an old school with a great gymnasium and a kitchen could be “recycled” into a church; (3) Unity—what a great place for a church to be reborn! We want to share the message that our church too was once dead, but now we are very much alive, and God can do the same for them.
Faithful Prayer Warriors Every Friday evening, a dozen church members come together to pray for our church and its outreach. These faithful folks gather even in the worst of weather. As a result, God has performed miracles! We gather in awe, waiting with great expectation to watch our Father’s hand divinely intervene on our behalf. The testimonies of this group are breathtaking. Our Father really wants to answer prayer. He’s all about divine appointments and bad batches of cookies (see the sidebar testimony). We believe something bigger than ourselves is happening here. We have grown from eight to 80 members, with an average Sunday-morning attendance near 60. We are experiencing revival and sharing it with others.
Thomas J. Duperry Jr. is pastor of the Solid Rock Church of God in Pittsfield, Maine.
PRISON SAVED MY LIFE by Eugene Allen I put myself behind prison walls because I was serving Satan. God used those walls to keep me safe from myself and to protect society from my evil ways. I’ll never forget what God’s grace did for me when I asked Him to not let me free until He knew I would never hurt anyone else. My past is no excuse for hurting innocent people, but there were areas of my childhood that needed to be healed so God could use me as an instrument of His love. It took nearly 30 years behind prison walls for me to grow up. I had to be changed from the inside out. Only the razor-sharp sword of the Holy Spirit could complete this task in my life, and He did. God reached down with His right hand of righteousness and delivered me from those walls as a new man in Christ. I have been out in society living a healthy Christian life for nearly 10 years now. I was drawn to the loving fellowship of the Solid Rock Church of God through a bad batch of cookies. I was baking some cookies that did not come out the way I thought they should. My Christian fiancée, Carla, suggested that I contact her chef friend, Nancy. This conversation about cookies was actually a divine appointment that led Carla and me to start attending and then join the Solid Rock Church, where Nancy was a member. This was the first church I had attended since my freedom where I felt like a Christian brother and not just an ex-con Christian. This fellowship gave Carla and me the most awesome wedding any couple would ever imagine. If you would have told me all this was going to happen in my life when I was sitting behind prison walls 40 years ago, I would have laughed at you. This just shows how great our God is! God took me—an illiterate, angry, lost man—gave me an education and made me an author of three books. But the greatest gift He gave me was salvation and eternal life.
EVANGEL | January 2011
19
TEAM Minnesota by Lance Colkmire
Discovering the Father’s Heart and Becoming His Hands
T
WENTY YEARS as state administrative bishop of the Church of God in Minnesota has not doused Randy Hamon’s ministry passion one bit. Randy and his wife, Kathy, call their ministry TEAM Minnesota, the acronym being “Together Everyone Accomplishing Missions.” The Hamons see themselves as “pastors of the whole state,” in Kathy’s words.
Team Spirit As evidence of the team concept, the state’s 15 congregations were surprised one Sunday morning when all the lead pastors rotated pulpits, with each person preaching at a church other than their own. “Everyone loved it!” Kathy said. The Hamons emphasize pastoral couples doing ministry together, according to their ministry gifts. Bishop Hamon said,
20
EVANGEL | January 2011
“We want the whole army involved; not half.” TEAM Minnesota also involves regular statewide calls to prayer and fasting.
Kathy’s Story Kathy can easily relate to the pains of hurting people. She grew up in “the slums” where alcoholism was the norm. She was physically and sexually abused. Hope came when her grandmother, while lying on her deathbed, accepted Christ. Kathy was 15, and she began attending church, where she too received Christ. During a revival, Kathy brought a 16-year-old friend to church. Kathy said, “She came to the Lord out of prostitution. But she stormed out of the sanctuary, saying, ‘I’m never stepping inside a church again.’ When I asked her why, she said the evangelist had just invited her to his hotel room.”
Kathy commented, “We have people in the pulpit who were abused and now have become abusers. We need to get those preachers out of the pulpit for healing.”
The Father’s Heart For 12 years, the Hamons have been leading people through discipleship training called “The Father’s Heart.” They start with pastoral couples because healing happens “from the top down,” Bishop Hamon said. In turn, ministers disciple church members through this curriculum in cell groups. He explained, “Rather than taking up all the pastor’s time with counseling, healed church members can go out to minister to others who need healing.” Having grown up with dyslexia and thus hating to read, Kathy wrote the materials on a third-grade level to make it
easily understood. It teaches inner healing based on biblical principles. Study books and a DVD are available. Randy said, “When I was growing up in church and we had struggles, we were told, ‘Just pray about it.’ We are doing more by teaching biblical principles. It’s like showing someone how to take a hammer by the right hand, swing it, and hit the nail on the head.” Kathy added, “We teach people a lifestyle.” These materials have been translated into Spanish. In October, Kathy led a statewide bilingual women’s conference.
Christ, and the church followed up by placing individuals in cell groups. One congregation recently started 18 cell groups, called “Hosea Lighthouses,” which are all led by trained laypeople. “The first week, 50 to 60 of the people who came were new to the church. They came because they were fed, and at least 10 people were saved.”
Jay and Michelle Pepin One of the pastoral couples serving with the Hamons is Jay and Michelle Pepin. Jay said, “We were brought into
The Father’s Hands
^
Three years ago, the Lord gave Kathy a vision in which a church wall became a bridge, with church members leaving the building to provide people with food and clothing. She said, “God fed and clothed people in the Old and New Testaments, and I was convinced this is a ministry pattern we must follow today.” Thus, “The Father’s Hands” was formed. The Hamons are urging congregations around the state to get involved in benevolence ministries. At this point, there are clothing centers and food banks operating in five towns. In addition, there is a trailer loaded with clothes and food that travels from place to place. The state office is now looking for a warehouse from which goods can be distributed. The Hamons are waist-deep in this outreach; Kathy says, “Our garage has never seen a Young girl car” because of all the items that are at Cass Lake reservation stored there. Bishop Hamon said about half the Minnesota congregations have the Church of God by Bishop Randy and embraced Father’s Hands ministries, and Kathy—we connected with their vision.” “those churches are growing. Momentum Before that, the Pepins had been is building, and I fully expect all of our ordained by a church organization that churches to get involved.” left them wounded following some When the Mount Sinai Church of negative experiences. They found healGod, led by Jose´ Anleu, gave away food ing at the Solid Rock Church of God (in and clothing one Saturday in downtown Grand Rapids), where they eventually Minneapolis, “there was a line four to five got involved in ministry again. Feeling people wide for a block and a half” when called to serve in a small town, in 2003 the doors opened, Hamon said. The gosthe Pepins were appointed to pastor the pel was presented, many people accepted Church of God in Michelle’s hometown
of Remer (Harvest Church). A couple of years later, when the Grand Rapids pastor resigned, Bishop Hamon asked the Pepins to consider leading both congregaRead three articles not available online tions. They in the January said yes. print edition of Evangel. Thirty miles separate Remer from Grand Rapids. Michelle said, “We thought we would take turns preaching at each church, and sometimes switch around our worship teams.” While Michelle and Jay do preach at both churches, they have raised up individuals in those congregations who also fill the pulpits. It’s part of the TEAM Minnesota concept. Meanwhile, the Pepins became burdened about ministering at an Indian reservation at Cass Lake, located 60 miles from Remer. Jay explained, “It is one of the most disadvantaged places in Minnesota. It’s known for drugs, alcohol, and murder.” The Pepins started ministering there by helping with an existing summer camp. Then they began holding a Wednesday-night worship service on the reservation. Now they meet in an elementary school every Sunday night. The Remer and Grand Rapids churches pay the rental fee. The Pepins do not minister in Cass Lake alone; church members from Remer also serve. Jay recalls, “I took three ladies to Cass Lake who had never been involved in outreach ministry. We went to a rough neighborhood where there was broken glass and boarded-up windows. We went to a house where the door was open and people were hanging out, all drunk. But these women had been praying and fasting. They showed love to these people, laying hands on them in prayer. They gave food to one couple, who then shared the food with their neighbors.” Continued on page 23 EVANGEL | January 2011
21
WHERE ARE THEY
NOW? Robert and Jeanette Cary by David G. Roebuck
I
ENJOY MY WORK now as much as I ever have,” reports Robert Cary, who with his wife, Jeanette, serves as a missionary evangelist. Now 75 years old, Robert answered with an emphatic “no” when asked if he considered himself retired. Desiring to escape a life in the coal mines of Logan, West Virginia, Cary relocated to Florida immediately after his high school graduation in 1953. He lived for a while with his brother Lovell, who was serving as pastor of the Church of God in Winter Haven. That summer Robert accepted the Lord as his Savior. He also met Jeanette Williams at the Church of God Camp Meeting in Wimauma, and they were married the next spring. While working as a carpenter, Robert answered his own call to ministry. His pastoral ministry began in 1962 and included serving Florida congregations in New Smyrna Beach, Port St. Joe, Dade City, and later, Alton. From 1974 to 1978, he was the state youth and Christian education director for Florida. Cary credits his older brothers, Lovell and Ernest, with setting the examples that led to his burden for world missions. Robert and Jeanette’s first full-time missionary service was in St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands, where they served as pastor from 1978 to 1985. During that time Robert was also the overseer of the Virgin and Leeward Islands. In 1985 he became a missions representative, and in 1994 the World Missions Department appointed him as a projects coordinator for Asia. His job included determining what projects were needed and raising resources to meet those needs. He then served as regional superintendent of northeast Asia from 1996 to 2000. Today Robert and Jeanette are representing missions projects in local churches almost every Sunday. Many congregations 22
EVANGEL | January 2011
The Carys at a children’s ministry in Ecuador
invite them back every year. Some of the funds congregations give go toward building churches—including one in St. Kitts and one in Honduras. In recent years they have focused on orphanages and feeding programs. According to Cary, they are involved with over 20 different projects in places from Atlanta, Georgia, and Big Timber, Montana, to Guatemala, Honduras, Ecuador, the Philippines, Cambodia, and Romania. Among the ministries they support are a home for physically challenged children in Yanji, China, and a deaf ministry in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Currently they are partnering with Children of the World Ministries to assist orphanages in Guatemala and Guyana. During what many consider retirement years, Robert and Jeanette are busier than ever. With invitations coming all the time, he has traveled to 75 countries in his 75 years of living. Jeanette is not far behind, having visited 74 countries. Although not a credentialed minister,
Jeanette is always by Robert’s side and is a frequent and effective speaker at missions conferences and in local churches. Robert estimates that in 30 years of working with Church of God World Missions, they have conducted 1,500 services and raised $10 million to reach the harvest for Jesus Christ. According to Robert, “Jesus is coming soon, therefore fish hard—Matthew 4:19!”
Robert and Jeanette Cary
FORWARD TOGETHER Continued from page 7 “own” a five-mile radius around a church. Churches develop personalities, and they will usually not reach people outside their sphere of influence. The Holy Spirit can express Himself through different congregational personalities. We are learning from church-planting organizations such as the Association of Related Churches, Dynamic Church Planting International, along with what other denominations are doing to help us engage in specific spiritual strategies focused on multiplying the church. If someone asked me if the greatest thing they could do as a servant of Christ is to win a soul, I would say no. If they asked me if the greatest thing is to win 10 souls, I would say no. The greatest thing is to plant a church. By planting a church, you prepare a field for future harvest. We must realize that churches have a shelf life. If we do not plant new churches, we will die. New church plants usually grow exponentially faster than older established churches. This is important: We must have both—mature churches for strength and longevity, and new churches for creativity and energy. How should Church of God members pray for you? My mother has greatly influenced my
TEAM MINNESOTA Continued from page 21 In Remer, the Harvest Church has opened its doors to the local social-service agency, offering WIC assistance to lowincome families. The church also provides a Thursday-afternoon release-time program for the school system and operates a coffee shop. When Michelle volunteered to help with the community food bank, its elderly leaders said they planned to run the operation for a couple more years. Two weeks later, she received a call saying they were going to give up the food bank, and Michelle had 48 hours to decide if she wanted to take over its leadership. The
prayer life. She has a seven-point prayer plan she has been using for 25 to 30 years; she has filled many spiral-ringed notebooks with her prayer plan. From my mother’s example, I have developed a 10-point plan for my own prayer life. Here are four things of utmost importance in people praying for me: First, please pray for my family, and for the families of all of our church leaders and pastors. If the Enemy can get into our families, we feel the pain of distraction,
Fourth, pray that God will give me courage. I need courage to obey whatever the Spirit of the Lord leads us to do; the courage to be a lone voice; the courage to only go where I am led; to serve others, and not to seek power. Do you have any additional thoughts? I am convinced this is our time. God did not call our church to survive, but to thrive. We cannot simply look at our finances to determine who we are or what we do.
“God did not call our church to survive, but to thrive. We cannot simply look at our finances to determine who we are or what we do.” and we cannot stay focused firmly on the mission of the church. Second, pray for God to give me wisdom—not intellectual prowess, but spiritual discernment. Third, pray for my faith in God. I know that faith comes by hearing the Word of God, and by God giving the gift of faith. I want that gift of faith operating in my life.
This is our time, not my time. I’m here and I’m gone. When times are at their worst, churches are often at their best. God is with the Church of God. You never get a second chance to reach a ripened harvest. We must not focus on our own hurts or challenges; we must focus on the harvest. When the harvest is ripe, it must be reaped.
Pepins agreed. The food bank came with $30,000 in reserve. A couple of women from Harvest Church are now leading this outreach, assisted by volunteers from other area churches.
umbrella. The next step is opening a place of refuge where hurting leaders can find healing and be restored to effective ministry. Here is how Kathy coins God’s message—the heart of the heavenly Father— for broken people:
Every Person a Missionary When Randy and Kathy Hamon pastored their first church in Minnesota 35 years ago, they incorporated cell groups and a feeding ministry. So their current vision for the state—“Every person a missionary; every church a mission”—is what they have always believed and practiced. This vision continues to grow. Job searches, free haircuts, and crisis-pregnancy counseling are some of the ministries taking place under the Father’s Hands
I will gather and bandage the broken pieces of your heart and make everything new. I’ll break your bondages and open your prison doors. I will heal your eyes so you can see yourself as I see you—a treasure waiting to be unearthed, discovered, My child. I’ll remove your grief and restore your joy. I want to hear you laugh again.
Learn more about the Church of God in Minnesota from their website: www.mncog.org. EVANGEL | January 2011
23
Love Aggressively; Never Compromise on Mission An Interview With Pastor Travis Johnson by John UpChurch When you became the pastor of Homestead Church of God (now Life Pointe), what vision did God give you for the future of the church? I wanted us to be a gospel-obsessed community that “loves God and man with reckless abandon.” Simple. No spiritual trinkets/gimmicks—just straightforward gospel. No holds barred. Radical service. Low barriers for entry where people could belong before they believed. Not seekersensitive, but seeker-comprehensible. I wanted us to be loud, rather than quiet. Permissive and daring. Full of sinners. Full of faith. What were your first steps toward reaching that vision? Were they successful? We considered ourselves a church replant. We rebranded, sold property, reopened, restructured, and relocated. In order to do all that, we had to have the buy-in from our church body and from the Church of God State Office. The process took several years. Our first steps were to create new power centers, new influencers within the church. We focused on bringing people from the fringes into the center while not increasing the influence of long-term influencers. Some of the long-term people bought into what we were doing. Some resisted. The physical changes lent credence to and reinforced the vision. As small wins built up, we were able to tackle the greater pursuit of relaunching. Where there wasn’t enough buy-in, we were able 24
EVANGEL | January 2011
to move forward anyway because I was working outside of the church, insulating me from financial protest. In the end, we accomplished what we were wanting to accomplish. What were some of the biggest obstacles you faced in reaching the Homestead and Plantation Key communities? How did God help you overcome these challenges? Our biggest challenge in Plantation Key was the perpetual turnover of pastors in the Plantation Key Church of God. For two years, we’ve heard about how
we won’t stick around and how the “new church” will eventually close and leave. We respond by creating. We continue to launch home groups, serve the public high school football team, baptize, and serve the community. Our persistence, stories of personal transformation, and repositioning have slowly quieted those stigmas that even a name change, relaunching, and growth haven’t been able to address. In Homestead, some of the greatest challenges were subverted. My parents were a part of everything we were doing. While we haven’t seen eye-to-eye on everything, I’ve always had their support.
South
Florida Homestead
Plantation Key
Not a lot of people can say that. The other great challenge in Homestead was purely financial. Change can be violent. In the context of church change, the most resistant people have the money. As the saying goes, “He who pays, says.” Money has diffused vision many times. Newcomers generally don’t have money. So, transitioning is dangerous. For us, we found funding sources like renting out the church building to other churches/schools to fill the gap, which enabled us to relaunch more aggressively instead of transitioning slowly. Was there a cathartic “transformational” moment for Life Pointe? Yes. We had a family early on visit the church. He ran the Miami Beach Convention Center. I happened to have a trade show with my company in the Convention Center the day after their first visit. I rode to work with him every day and we shared. In the process, he bought into what we were doing and brought in crews to help make the vision happen. She volunteered full-time, working as my administrator for two years. At about the same time, Hurricane Charley hit Punta Gorda. We mobilized in less than 24 hours to help the Souls Harbor Church of God, which lost its roof. Out of a group of 75 people, we sent over 42 people with supplies in hand and completely reroofed the 10,000 square feet of church. From that moment on, resistance to forward progress was heavily diminished by the louder, more powerful push toward gospel momentum. What challenges have you faced with being a two-campus church? Has this approach helped the church grow? The single greatest challenge of being
a multicampus church is developing a system of leadership multiplication. If a church is dysfunctional in leadership structure, it will multiply its dysfunction into multiple campuses. Leadership and structural health is critical multisite function. Has it helped the church grow overall? I guess it depends on what lens one is looking through. We’ve certainly seen people come into a transforming relationship with Jesus who otherwise would not have through the ministry of Life Pointe Church. Has it helped us grow numerically? Yes and no. If we hadn’t launched
need. In a time of lack, I am thankful to see people learning to give freely of themselves, while also being frustrated at how captured we are by things other than Jesus. So, we strive to be missional. We certainly haven’t arrived—far from it. What advice would you provide pastors and church leaders who want to see lives changed in their communities? Love aggressively. Welcome everyone. Lift Jesus to the most prominent place. Do not allow success to move you into a defensive/protectionist posture.
“ Pursuing Christ in an economy of severe downturn, we are learning a theology of suffering and generosity in times of need. In a time of lack, I am thankful to see people learning to give freely of themselves, while also being frustrated at how captured we are by things other than Jesus.” —Travis Johnson a second campus, we would have more resources being brought to bear in Homestead. However, in the long term, I believe Life Pointe will be bigger as both campuses and additional campuses come on line and grow in maturity as the flywheel effect kicks in over time and leaders continue to be developed. Would you describe Life Pointe as “missional” or “on mission”? Life Pointe is on mission . . . sometimes. Like any church, we get distracted. Pursuing Christ in an economy of severe downturn, we are learning a theology of suffering and generosity in times of
Embrace your inner old-school-gospelpioneering DNA. Don’t play it safe. Be dependent on the Holy Spirit. Err on the side of loving the unlovable. Focus on the man in the ditch. Touch the untouchable. Preach the gospel with boldness. Love people who hurt you. Love people you hurt, and apologize as quickly and honestly as possible. Don’t burn bridges. Feed sheep. Fight for the marginalized. Never, ever compromise on mission. Be unyielding when it comes to mission, even if it means you lose friends. Don’t die for or part fellowship over the negotiables. Call people to Jesus instead of your own personality. EVANGEL | January 2011
25
STARTING AFRESH:
New Beginnings in 2011 by Josh Rice
A
NEW YEAR is here, and that always feels good. Even though we know January is just another month on the calendar and New Year’s Day is really like any other day, the artificial restart gives us a great opportunity to take stock of the way we lived our lives last year, and begin again. G. K. Chesterton said: The object of a new year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul and a new nose; new feet, a new backbone, new ears, and new eyes. . . . Unless a man starts afresh about things, he will certainly do nothing effective.
A new year gives us this golden opportunity to start afresh; to make resolutions about the ways that our lives can be better, richer, more meaningful, more successful, more effective, and more impacting on the world around us. How appropriate, then, that this newness is precisely where the teachings and ministry of Jesus begin. Jesus’ early ministry was characterized by the offer of a new beginning. Therefore, at the beginning of 2011, let us shift back to the basics of that new beginning that comes in the teachings of Jesus. We find this offer in His original sermon of Mark 1:15: 26
EVANGEL | January 2011
“The time has come. . . . The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” (NIV). This was the message of Jesus before the entire nation was buzzing about Him. Breaking down this simple message sets us up to “start afresh about things,” in Chesterton’s words. In time, following this simple teaching of Jesus gives us the new soul, nose, backbone, ears, and eyes that Chesterton referenced. First, Jesus said the kingdom of God is near. He was not talking about the afterlife. He was offering the full reign of God which had drawn near to the people in His own person. He was proclaiming the complete set of heavenly resources to be fully available to all who will humbly respond. Second, Jesus called people to repentance as the entry point to the full reign of God. The English word repent stems from the Italian word pentimento. It is not a religious term but an artistic one, hailing from the tradition of great Italian artists. In museums displaying the work of these artists, as the centuries pass and the paint begins to fade, it is not uncommon to discover a completely different painting underneath! Imagine the excitement of the curator to discover such a hidden
work of art! This phenomenon was caused by the method of pentimento, whereby an artist changed his mind about the painting midstream. Following the method, he would carefully whitewash the former painting and start afresh. Indeed, this is the offer of Jesus’ new beginning. Make a new start! Whatever you have created with your life up until this point can be radically changed! Third, Jesus said to believe the good news. It is only when we walk through the doorway of repentance that we can believe the gospel. God has good news for our lives in 2011—news that is far beyond any resolution we can make. God is dreaming good things about what our lives can be this year. He asks us to join with Him in seeing those dreams come to pass. As we make our resolutions this new year, let’s remember there is something more important than joining a gym, reading more books, or renovating our kitchen. The new start Jesus offers is the perfect point of focus for each of our lives this January; not that we may have a new year, but that we might be made fully new.
Josh Rice is a staff pastor for Cross Connection Church in Macon, GA.
Grace at Knifepoint Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more (Rom. 5:20 NKJV).
G
RACE grew up in a Pentecostal home where prayer, fasting, and Bible study were the foundation of their family life. Grace vividly recalls a common childhood scene: walking by her parents’ bedroom and seeing them knelt together at the side of their bed, praying fervently. At 3 years old, Grace had juvenile diabetes. She clearly remembers the Sunday when her daddy prayed and she was miraculously cured. The week of her miracle, a doctor confirmed that she was entirely free of diabetes. Grace had perfect trust and faith in her father and, largely because of him, also in her heavenly Father. Another faith-building moment happened when Grace was age 4. She was viciously bitten by a dog, nearly removing her scalp. This time, her brother prayed, and again she was healed! The next time a dog growled at Grace, she told him, “In Jesus’ name, go home!” She was delighted to see that dog whimper and then run away! Faith in God was firmly established in Grace’s heart in those early years. Several years ago, a man called Ted began to call on Grace. Eventually she went on a date with him. Grace quickly learned that Ted was a career criminal with a violent nature and a nasty drug habit. They dated on and off for three months before Ted attacked Grace the first time. Grace told him to get lost. Ted informed Grace that he owned her now, and if she tried to leave, he would kill her and her entire family. Despite the threat, Grace threw him out. In the middle of the night, Ted broke into her home and beat her brutally. She saw the devil in his eyes and knew that he could, and would, kill her and every member of her family. For the next three years, Grace lived in hell. This was the end of hope, and she began to join Ted in daily use of methamphetamines.
by Dan Eason
David was one of Grace’s only friends who would still come around. He eventually persuaded her to leave Ted and stay in his care. After a day at work, Grace returned to David’s and found him reading a note from Ted. As they read, a knock came on the door. As David answered the door, Ted reached in and began to stab him. Running for her life, Grace prayed the sinner’s prayer at the top of her lungs. She ran into a neighbor’s home, screaming, “Call 911! He just killed David and he’s going to kill me!” Ted busted in and attacked. Grace prayed loudly and fought with all of her might. He told her to stop praying and die. A sudden peace came over Grace, and an eerie stillness filled the room. She heard Jesus speaking in her mind, Relax. It will be OK now. She knew her soul was safe; she began to pray for her children, David’s children, and Ted’s children. The next day Grace awoke to see a doctor standing over her. He informed her that she had been stabbed over 30 times with a 13-inch blade. “But it must have been a rubber blade,” said the doctor, “because he missed every single vital organ.”
Grace was told she would never walk again, and would be in the hospital for five months. Five days later, she walked home. Recovery has been a long, slow process. Today, Grace is active in church and helps in the youth ministry. Her biggest step toward emotional healing happened not long ago. Her pastor asked her to attend a major youth event as a counselor. The Holy Spirit was working in her heart, and she went. In the final service of the final night, Grace felt the Holy Spirit flood her soul. When the speaker began the altar call, Grace stood, compelled of the Spirit, and walked directly to a certain girl. The girl reached up, and with a gentle finger, traced the patchwork of scars on Grace’s face. “What happened to you?” asked the child. “A man sliced me up,” said Grace. The girl lifted her shirt and showed Grace ropy scars across her abdomen. Then she told Grace the story of a rape and stabbing that had nearly killed her. Through her tears, Grace prayed, and the power of the Holy Spirit, so sweet and strong, knit two hearts together, and healed two souls. Grace’s body will always be scarred, but her heart and soul are well again, for God’s grace is stronger than sin.
Dan Eason pastors the Church of God in Prosser, Washington.
Escaping the Dominion of DARKNESS “MEN LOVED DARKNESS instead of light because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19).* The evil in our world—from telling “white lies” to committing adultery—makes our world a dark place. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came “into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in [Him] should stay in darkness” (12:46). “In [Jesus] was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it” (1:4-5). Jesus, “the light of the world” (8:12), was rejected and murdered. Then He came back to life as the conqueror of darkness and death. Confessing our evil deeds to God, trusting in Christ’s death and resurrection, and committing our lives to Him rescues us “from the dominion of darkness and [brings] us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:13-14). *Scriptures are from the New International Version.
EVANGEL | January 2011
27
people and events WIND OF THE SPIRIT DUNSEITH, N.D.—Daniel Bean was a ministry leader at the Snellville, Georgia, Church of God when he participated in a short-term mission trip to the Crow Creek Sioux Reservation in South Dakota in 2005. He says, “During this trip the Holy Spirit gave my wife and me a deep love for and desire to work with the first Americans. We planned and set up a return trip for spring 2006.” During the preparation for the return trip, “God called us to work fulltime with Native Americans,” Bean said. A mission church in Dunseith, North Dakota—located just outside the Turtle Mountain Reservation—needed a pastor. By the time Daniel and Sandi returned from their second missions trip, he had been appointed as pastor. He said, “All we knew was this was a nonpaid position and we would be responsible for raising our support and/or getting outside jobs. We also knew we would live in the church basement. So we packed up our lives and moved to North Dakota.” Nine people came to their first worship service—three members of the Bean family, the retired pastor and his wife, and four others. Daniel says, “In the first couple of months the Lord led us to form Wind of the Spirit Native American Ministries to be the outreach arm of the church. In January 2007 we began the Bread of Life outreach. We purchased 20 loaves of bread and labeled
28
EVANGEL | January 2011
them, ‘Compliments of the Dunseith Church of God and Wind of the Spirit Ministries’ along with John 6:35, where Jesus calls Himself ‘the bread of life.’” This outreach has multipied. They now hand out up to 100 loaves of bread; other food items
For daily news updates about what’s happening in the Church of God and Evangelical world, visit FAITH NEWS NETWORK, at www.faithnews.cc.
(“as God supplies”); copies of the Our Daily Bread devotional, the Church of God Evangel, and gospel tracts. Pastor Bean said, “God has used this to open many doors for us as we have gained great favor with the people.” When a van was donated to the church in summer 2007, the Beans began bringing people to
The Beans draw a crowd through Bread of Life outreach.
Sandi Bean speaks an encouraging word on the reservation.
Kids enjoy a snack on the steps of the Dunseith Church of God.
church from all over the reservation. At one point they had two vans, but one died. Nonetheless, they still bring anywhere from 30 to 60 people to Sunday worship, which sometimes requires five trips and a whole tank of gas. The church service starts once everyone has arrived. In 2008, the Solid Rock Church of God (Mobile, AL) and Pastor Glen Barnhill purchased a 100-year-old Methodist church building in Dunseith for the Church of God. Solid Rock brought 50 people to work on the building and hold a weeklong revival. The building was dedicated in the memory of Jeannie Robinson, the mother of the Church of God regional overseer, Jeffrey Robinson. Pastor Bean said, “We have sought to become as involved in the local native community as we can. We have attended the annual Pow Wow for the past four years, passing out water and hundreds of snacks. We have developed a close working relationship with the domestic violence shelter on the reservation. I was appointed to a national advisory board which seeks to develop faith-based programs throughout Indian country.” Pastor Bean added, “We believe Native Americans have a very important role to play in what God wants to do in this nation. If the church wants to see a true end-times outpouring, then there must be restoration and acceptance between the American culture and Native Americans.” Daniel Bean can be contacted at
[email protected].
VIRGINIA CHURCH RAISES ABUSE AWARENESS
David Roebuck (left) and Billy Wilson (right) present the Spirit of Azusa Award to Lovell R. Cary.
Cary Receives Azusa Award CLEVELAND, Tenn.—Lovell R. Cary received the Spirit of Azusa Award in October as part of the fifth annual Azusa Lecture at the North Cleveland Church of God. The award is given each year to honor a person whose life and ministry reflects the legacy of what is one of the best-known revivals in Christian history. A reception in honor of Dr. Cary followed the award presentation. Dr. David Roebuck, director of the Dixon Pentecostal Research Center, and Billy Wilson, director of the International Center for Spiritual Renewal, made the award presentation. Lovell R. Cary was born in Logan, West Virginia, and his early ministry was as an evangelist and pastor in West Virginia and Florida. He and his wife, Virginia, began their missionary service in 1954 in Hawaii, which was not yet a state.
The Church of God appointed him as overseer of the Philippines in 1959, and superintendent of the Far East in 1967. In 1984 Cary was elevated to assistant general director of World Missions and four years later to general director of the department. Tenure limitations led to a change in 1992, but Cary was returned to the office again in 2000, making him the first person to serve as general director on two different occasions. In making the presentation, Roebuck noted, “Although there are many missionaries worthy of honor, we have chosen Dr. Cary for his missionary zeal, dedication, and sacrificial obedience to Jesus’ Great Commission to ‘go into all the world.’” The Azusa Lecture and Spirit of Azusa Award were established in 2006 on the occasion of the centennial of the Los Angeles revival.
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.— “Restoring the Weaker Vessel” was the name of the seminar on domestic violence hosted by the Azalea Garden Church of God in October. Thirty-five women from several local churches came to hear the guest speaker, family counselor Vanessa Caldwell Jenkins, who taught them how to help women who have been victimized by abusers. Pat Orletsky, who has served in jail ministry for 20 years, and Katieh Hirsch, who attended an extended advocacy program for victims, helped bring this event about. Ladies Ministries President Marian Maye said, “The
Church needs to understand the multifaceted issue of domestic violence in order to minister to those involved. . . . The root cause can be dealt with only by coming into relationship with Jesus Christ.” Vanessa Caldwell Jenkins
DECEASEDMINISTERSandCOMPANIONS LAMBERT, Paul Eugene; 81; ordained bishop; Georgia; Archlean Lambert (wife)
POLEN, O. W.; 89; ordained bishop; Tennessee; Janet Price (daughter)
LEDFORD, Amos A.; 80; ordained bishop; Tennessee; Vivian Ledford (wife)
RAHMING, Lillian Viola; 86; ordained minister; Florida; Lohman Rahming (son)
LOONEY, Minnie Wilson; 97; ordained minister; North Carolina; LaDonna Gallando (niece)
RAMSEY, Ralph Leon; 74; exhorter; Alabama; Charlotte Ramsey (wife)
McCOY, Tommy Joe; 73; ordained bishop; Alabama; Joy McCoy (wife)
STANCIL, James M., Jr.; 64; ordained bishop; Alabama; Anita Stancil (wife)
OFFUTT, Thomas J., Jr.; 72; ordained bishop; Tennessee; Janet Elaine Offutt (wife)
SYNER, John Thomas; 68; ordained bishop; West Virginia; Sharon Syner (wife)
PARADISE, J. B. Scott; 75; ordained minister; Alabama; Virginia Paradise (wife)
EVANGEL | January 2011
29
BIBLE ANSWERS QUESTION: Is Allah simply the Arabic name for the same God worshiped by Jews and Christians?
By DANIEL L. BLACK
EVERY LANGUAGE HAS A WORD FOR GOD, BUT IT IS NECESSARY TO EXAMINE WHAT A GROUP OF PEOPLE BELIEVES ABOUT GOD’S NATURE, WILL, AND WORKS TO KNOW WHAT GOD MEANS TO THEM.
Daniel L. Black is the editor of adult Sunday school curriculum for Pathway Press.
30
EVANGEL | January 2011
ANSWER: Allah (al-luh) is the Arabic name for God, a name used by Muslims and many Arabic Christians when speaking of God. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are the three great monotheistic religions, meaning that all three teach there is only one God, the supreme Being, the Creator of all things. However, this does not mean that Muslims have the same beliefs as Jews and Christians about God’s nature and will, nor about what God has done in history in relation to humans, nor about what He will do in the future. Jews and Christians have in common the Old Testament’s (the Tanakh’s) vision of God, while the Christian’s vision of God is also based on the New Testament. The Muslims’ vision of God is based on their sacred scriptures, the Koran (Quran), written by Muhammad, the founder of Islam (A.D. 622), who, it appears, was influenced by Jews and Christians he encountered. Of the 1.4 billion Muslims in the world, most belong to two major groups—the Sunni (84%) and the Shia (14%). However, there are about as many sectarian variations within Islam as are found among Christians. Therefore, Muslims have among themselves differing ideas about Allah, but there is one prayer they all have in common. The Fatihah, the prayer spoken by devout Muslims five times each day, kneeling and facing toward Mecca in Arabia, is as follows: Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds! The compassionate, the merciful! King on the day of reckoning! Thee only do we worship, and to Thee do we cry for help. Guide Thou us on the straight path, The path of those to whom Thou hast been gracious; With whom Thou art not angry, and who do not stray. Every language has a word for God, but it is necessary to examine what a group of people believes about God’s nature, will, and works to know what God
means to them. For example, Jews and Christians have a shared (Judeo-Christian) religious heritage, and thus have essentially the same moral and ethical values, and the same beliefs about God; but only Christians believe in the deity of Jesus, and that He was (and is eternally) the Son of God, the Messiah, and the Savior of the world. Muslims regard Jesus (‘Isa) as one of the six greatest prophets of Allah (the others being Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Muhammad), but they adamantly reject the belief that Jesus was (or is) divine, the Son of God, the Messiah, or the Savior of the world. Generally speaking, Jews and Christians emphasize God’s love for humans, and God’s commandments that we love Him and our fellow humans; and obedience to God’s commandments that we love Him and others is seen as the fulfillment of all moral and ethical obligations. Generally speaking, Muslims emphasize reverential fear of God and a life of submission or surrender to the will of God as revealed in the Koran. The faith and practice of Muslims are governed by theology (called Tawhid) and law (called Sharia). The central doctrine of Islamic theology is the unity of God, which defines all that a Muslim should believe, while law prescribes everything a Muslim should do, and gives instructions for every aspect of human behavior. There is no official collection of articles of faith in Islam, but tradition attributes to Muhammad six core beliefs required of all Muslims: belief in (1) Allah; (2) his angels; (3) his books—the Koran being one; (4) his messengers—the prophets; (5) the last day—resurrection and judgment; and (6) the decree of both good and evil—the belief that everything, whether good or evil, proceeds directly from the divine will. The Creed of Islam (the Kalima) is simple and brief: “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah.”
