B - PEOPLE-FILES
- Joseph Backholm - Michael Baggot - Brad Baker - Caleb Baker - Mike Baker - Mike Baker - Randall Balmer - Gail Song Bantum - William Barber II - Mike Baker - Bob Barber - Eitan Bar - Mark Barclay - Ted Barham - Andy Barr - Beth Allison Barr - Desmond Barrett - Robert Barron - Walter Bartel - Emmanuel Baruwa -
|
|
==joseph backholm======
Joseph Backholm is Senior Fellow for Biblical Worldview and Strategic Engagement at Family Research Council. He combines extensive legal, political, and policy experience with a love for the way biblical truth cultivates human flourishing. Previously, Mr. Backholm served as legal counsel and Director of What Would You Say? at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview where he developed and launched a growing platform that creates short, animated videos answering common questions about faith and culture. His YouTube career began as a self-identified "6'5 Chinese Woman" in a series of YouTube videos exploring the logic of gender identity. He
served as a legislative attorney for three years and spent 10 years as the President and General Counsel of the Family Policy Institute of Washington in Washington State where he managed educational, legislative, and electoral operations on behalf of life, marriage, religious freedom, and parental rights. He led three ballot initiatives on marriage and gender privacy.
served as a legislative attorney for three years and spent 10 years as the President and General Counsel of the Family Policy Institute of Washington in Washington State where he managed educational, legislative, and electoral operations on behalf of life, marriage, religious freedom, and parental rights. He led three ballot initiatives on marriage and gender privacy.
|
Romans 13 tells us that the purpose of government is to promote good and stop evil, but to stop evil you must first have the capacity to identify it. In our modern, progressive world that has become oddly difficult. Can Christians really be victims when there are so many of them? So many Christians have done bad things too.
The gospel of tolerance has made us reluctant to identify acts of evil by convincing us that an act of apparent evil by someone in a particular identity group is “resistance” and therefore virtuous. It has taught us not to judge the massacre of innocents in a small African village or Israeli kibbutz until we know why they were gunned down? But that was always its own form of evil, so there’s something refreshing about the ability to call a spade a spade and simply identify Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern. Solving the problem involves more than that, but not less than that. May God give victory over evil and freedom to the oppressed in Nigeria. --Joseph Backholm 11.5.25 A first step in restraining evil We were told redefining marriage was a matter of fairness and decency, and a lot of people fell for it. People with moral objections to same-sex marriage supported it because they thought it was the kind and fair thing to do. But the sexual revolutionaries did not offer the tolerance they demanded. The moment they felt a sense of cultural dominance, they responded with speech codes, lawsuits against churches, and attempts to ruin the lives and businesses of anyone who expressed a contrary view. --Joseph Backholm 6/6.25 Humbled Pride
Last Week’s Election Results: About Sex, Not Abortion Joseph Backholm, senior fellow for Biblical worldview and strategic engagement at the Family Research Council, offers a possible cause for the lack of pro-life success. “While we were busy convincing the world abortion is wrong, the abortion industry, in partnership with the sexual revolution, spent all its time convincing the world abortion is essential regardless of whether it is wrong. The fact is most Americans agree with the pro-life cause that abortion is not morally good. We won that argument! So why do Americans vote for abortion anyway? Because they view it as happiness insurance…Thanks to Dr. Freud, the sexual revolution has convinced Americans it is impossible to be happy if you are not having sex. Because happiness, from their perspective, comes with a risk of pregnancy, abortion serves the same purpose as a fire extinguisher.” Backholm goes on to say that despite the undeniable logic of the pro-life stance and the persuasive appeal of its advocates, the pro-life movement is not prevailing as it should. This could be because pro-lifers have mistakenly perceived the abortion debate to be solely about abortion when, in reality, it has “predominantly been about sex.” (California Family Council 11/13/23) READ MORE>>>>> |
June 6, 2025: Joseph Backholm: We were told redefining marriage was a matter of fairness and decency, and a lot of people fell for it. People with moral objections to same-sex marriage supported it because they thought it was the kind and fair thing to do. But the sexual revolutionaries did not offer the tolerance they demanded. The moment they felt a sense of cultural dominance, they responded with speech codes, lawsuits against churches, and attempts to ruin the lives and businesses of anyone who expressed a contrary view. August 26, 2023: Arkansas Democrat Gazette reported: Scores of Arkansans gathered in Little Rock this month for a Christian worldview conference organized by the Arkansas-based Family Council. The two-day Foundations of Truth Summit featured a number of local and national speakers. Joseph Backholm, senior fellow for biblical worldview and strategic engagement at the Washington-based Family Research Council, spoke about "What it means to have a Christian worldview." Owen Strachan, provost and research professor of theology at Grace Bible Theological Seminary in Conway, focused on "Empowering change: Equipping the pastors and leaders." |
==michael baggot======
How Christian Leaders Are Challenging the AI Boom
There are also Christian leaders who acknowledge the potential benefits of AI tools. Father Michael Baggot, a professor at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum in Rome, remembers how difficult it was to dive into Catholicism at the beginning of his religious journey. He now serves as an advisor to Magisterium AI, a chatbot app designed to answer questions about Catholicism and faith. “It is accessible 24/7 in a way that no priest or professor is available, and provides very clear and concise summaries of topics that can be a bit confusing or difficult to approach,” he says. But while Baggot sees clear use cases—such as translating the Bible into different languages—he has also grown disenchanted with the tech industry’s priority to accelerate AI tools regardless of the risks, particularly to children. He has taught courses about the dangers of AI companions and offered counsel to Megan Garcia, whose son, Sewell Setzer, died by suicide in 2024 after becoming romantically obsessed with a chatbot. (Time; 12.23.25)READMORE>>>>>>
There are also Christian leaders who acknowledge the potential benefits of AI tools. Father Michael Baggot, a professor at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum in Rome, remembers how difficult it was to dive into Catholicism at the beginning of his religious journey. He now serves as an advisor to Magisterium AI, a chatbot app designed to answer questions about Catholicism and faith. “It is accessible 24/7 in a way that no priest or professor is available, and provides very clear and concise summaries of topics that can be a bit confusing or difficult to approach,” he says. But while Baggot sees clear use cases—such as translating the Bible into different languages—he has also grown disenchanted with the tech industry’s priority to accelerate AI tools regardless of the risks, particularly to children. He has taught courses about the dangers of AI companions and offered counsel to Megan Garcia, whose son, Sewell Setzer, died by suicide in 2024 after becoming romantically obsessed with a chatbot. (Time; 12.23.25)READMORE>>>>>>
==brad baker======
|
|
With Turning Point Faith, Pastors Use Politics as a Church-Growth Strategy Inside, the service was heavy on praise and worship music, much of it led by a singer in an “Uncanceled” shirt. At the altar call, Brad Baker, one of Dream City’s pastors, told the crowd he dreamed of a U.S. “built on the principles of God.” “We’re believing that God is going to turn Arizona into a Christian state, and we will be known as a Christian state around the world — that’s our goal,” Baker said to yelps and applause. (Jack Jenkins/Word & Way 6/12/23) READ MORE>>>>>  Brad Baker Files
“We’re believing that God is going to turn Arizona into a Christian state, and we will be known as a Christian state around the world — that’s our goal,” -Brad Baker; Turning Point @ Dream City Church 6.12.23
|
==caleb baker======
June 29, 2023: Surprise Sports: Eastview Christian Church: Pastor Caleb Baker Allegations, Victims And Case Details
Pastor Caleb Baker Allegations were made for instances of abuse, specific cases of allegedly using power dynamics, and cover done by church leadership. Caleb is a former pastor in a church.
Pastor Caleb Baker Allegations were made for instances of abuse, specific cases of allegedly using power dynamics, and cover done by church leadership. Caleb is a former pastor in a church.
April 20, 2023: Roys Report: IL Megachurch Pastor Who Resigned Amid Scandal Launches Online Ministry
Meanwhile, Mike Baker helped Caleb get a fresh start and a new job at Arizona megachurch Central Christian Church (CCC). According to CCC Pastor Cal Jernigan, the elder Baker told him that someone had made an accusation against Caleb Baker, but that it was unfounded.
Meanwhile, Mike Baker helped Caleb get a fresh start and a new job at Arizona megachurch Central Christian Church (CCC). According to CCC Pastor Cal Jernigan, the elder Baker told him that someone had made an accusation against Caleb Baker, but that it was unfounded.
Mar 11, 2023: Charisma: Top of the Week: One Pastor’s Alleged Abuse and Cover-up Across Multiple Megachurches
“There’s nothing quite like waking up to discover that your church is being featured on an episode of ‘Dateline,’” Pastor Cal Jernigan wrote in a letter to Central Christian Church, the congregation he leads in Phoenix, Arizona.
Jernigan’s church has been under the microscope and featured in news headlines after he brought in Caleb Baker to work on their staff as the Lead Student Pastor and Associate Preaching Pastor.
“There’s nothing quite like waking up to discover that your church is being featured on an episode of ‘Dateline,’” Pastor Cal Jernigan wrote in a letter to Central Christian Church, the congregation he leads in Phoenix, Arizona.
Jernigan’s church has been under the microscope and featured in news headlines after he brought in Caleb Baker to work on their staff as the Lead Student Pastor and Associate Preaching Pastor.
==mike baker======
|
Autism awareness isn't 'demonic,' despite what this Christian school pastor says I’d like to extend a personal note of thanks to the pastor of Trinity Christian Academy in Lake Worth for raising autism awareness to new heights at his school, the rest of Palm Beach County and beyond. Pastor Matt Baker may be an accidental hero but as some people like to say, “God works in mysterious ways.” So, I look at Pastor Matt as an unwitting vessel of enlightenment who was touched by divine provenance when he took a cruel stand against recognizing Autism Awareness Week at his school. (Palm Beach Post 4/12/24) READ MORE>>>>> Florida Christian School Cancels 'Autism Awareness Week,' Just Like Jesus Would Have Several parents sent copies of the email to WPTV this week, outraged at the way lead Pastor Matt Baker described the decision not to honor autism awareness. Andrea Gallik is a mother of two children, a 9-year-old daughter and a 6-year-old son, who attend Trinity Christian Academy. In his email, the pastor wrote the following: "The word 'Christian' means 'Like Christ,' and it was given to the followers of Christ because they acted just like Jesus. Remember those bracelets from the 2000s that asked, 'WWJD?' If Jesus Christ led Trinity, would HE have an Autism Awareness Week? Of course not! Why? Because anything that exalts itself above the name of Christ should be brought down. Also, anything that teaches our children to have their identity in anything other than Christ is idolatry and demonic. Let me repeat myself just so I am not quoted out of context: any philosophy, teaching, or program that teaches our precious children that their identity is found in anything other than Christ is idolatry and demonic. Period. The world, in its rejection and hatred of Christ, often devises programs such as 'Autism Awareness' (and cultural figures like the Easter Bunny and Santa Clause, etc.) to get the benefits of His teachings (compassion, kindness, feeling love, and self-worth) without acknowledging Jesus as the ultimate authority and the source of all life. These initiatives imply that Jesus alone is insufficient, and we fail to recognize just how deeply they have permeated into our daily lives as Christians. As a result, we have 'a form of godliness but deny its power (2 Timothy 3:5).'" (Wonkette 4/8/24) READ MORE>>>>> |
drivelIf Jesus Christ led Trinity, would HE have an Autism Awareness Week? Of course not! Why? Because anything that exalts itself above the name of Christ should be brought down. --Florida Pastor Matt Baker 4.5.24 |
==mike baker======
Pastor Mike Baker announces new church 6 months after resigning over son’s adultery scandal
Six months after resigning as senior pastor of Eastview Christian Church in Bloomington, Illinois, after his son, Caleb Baker, was fired from his job as a pastor at Central Christian Church following an extramarital affair with another church staffer, Pastor Mike Baker has launched a new church set to begin gathering this month. Baker, who made the announcement on his YouTube channel on Aug. 20, has named his new ministry Song & Sword Church after his online ministry and will begin meeting at The Chateau Hotel and Conference Center in Bloomington on Sept. 10. (Leonardo Blair/Christian Post 9/4/23) READ MORE>>>>>
Six months after resigning as senior pastor of Eastview Christian Church in Bloomington, Illinois, after his son, Caleb Baker, was fired from his job as a pastor at Central Christian Church following an extramarital affair with another church staffer, Pastor Mike Baker has launched a new church set to begin gathering this month. Baker, who made the announcement on his YouTube channel on Aug. 20, has named his new ministry Song & Sword Church after his online ministry and will begin meeting at The Chateau Hotel and Conference Center in Bloomington on Sept. 10. (Leonardo Blair/Christian Post 9/4/23) READ MORE>>>>>
June 28, 2023: WGLT: Investigator discusses reconciliation and healing in report to Eastview Christian Church
Senior pastor Mike Baker resigned in February as details of his and his son Caleb’s conduct became increasingly public. Church leaders became aware of misconduct allegations involving Caleb in 2016.
“While he worked for Eastview, leadership seemed largely unaware that Caleb used his position, role, or influence as a pastor to persuade women to engage in sexual activity," the report said.
Mike Baker had been Eastview’s senior pastor since 2007. In addition to a flawed executive structure, the report said that under Baker’s leadership, workplace culture at Eastview significantly degraded, with decisions being made foremost to protect the church’s image, avoid reprisal from leaders, and with disregard for those harmed by church leadership and for proper reporting procedure.
Senior pastor Mike Baker resigned in February as details of his and his son Caleb’s conduct became increasingly public. Church leaders became aware of misconduct allegations involving Caleb in 2016.
“While he worked for Eastview, leadership seemed largely unaware that Caleb used his position, role, or influence as a pastor to persuade women to engage in sexual activity," the report said.
Mike Baker had been Eastview’s senior pastor since 2007. In addition to a flawed executive structure, the report said that under Baker’s leadership, workplace culture at Eastview significantly degraded, with decisions being made foremost to protect the church’s image, avoid reprisal from leaders, and with disregard for those harmed by church leadership and for proper reporting procedure.
April 20, 2023: Roys Report: IL Megachurch Pastor Who Resigned Amid Scandal Launches Online Ministry
An Illinois megachurch pastor, who resigned following allegations he covered up his son’s sexual misconduct, has started a new online preaching ministry.
Mike Baker, former pastor of Eastview Christian Church (ECC) in Bloomington/Normal, recently launched Song and Sword. In an open letter posted online yesterday, he said he did so because he’s a preacher “called to preach” but with nowhere to preach due to a “media firestorm.” He said he also needed a source of income because he didn’t trust his elders to care for his family financially.
An Illinois megachurch pastor, who resigned following allegations he covered up his son’s sexual misconduct, has started a new online preaching ministry.
Mike Baker, former pastor of Eastview Christian Church (ECC) in Bloomington/Normal, recently launched Song and Sword. In an open letter posted online yesterday, he said he did so because he’s a preacher “called to preach” but with nowhere to preach due to a “media firestorm.” He said he also needed a source of income because he didn’t trust his elders to care for his family financially.
Mar 7, 2023: Christian Post: Eastview Christian Church hires law firm to conduct investigation after pastor resigns
Eastview Christian Church in Illinois announced Sunday that they have hired an attorney from the law firm Wagenmaker & Oberly to conduct an investigation after Mike Baker, the church’s longtime senior pastor, recently resigned over allegations that he covered up sexual misconduct by his son, Caleb Baker, while he was an employee at the church.
Eastview Christian Church in Illinois announced Sunday that they have hired an attorney from the law firm Wagenmaker & Oberly to conduct an investigation after Mike Baker, the church’s longtime senior pastor, recently resigned over allegations that he covered up sexual misconduct by his son, Caleb Baker, while he was an employee at the church.
March 3, 2023: Christian Post: Eastview Christian Church pastor resigns after son is fired from Central Christian Church for adultery
Mike Baker, the longtime senior pastor of Eastview Christian Church in Illinois, has resigned from the megachurch weeks after his son, Caleb Baker, was fired from his job as a pastor at Central Christian Church after he was caught in an extramarital affair with another church staffer.
“Caleb Baker, our lead student pastor and associate preaching pastor has been involved in an extramarital relationship for the past six months. And it involved a woman on our staff,” Cal Jernigan, lead pastor of Central Christian Church in Phoenix, Arizona, told his congregation near the end of his sermon at the megachurch on Feb. 19.
Mike Baker, the longtime senior pastor of Eastview Christian Church in Illinois, has resigned from the megachurch weeks after his son, Caleb Baker, was fired from his job as a pastor at Central Christian Church after he was caught in an extramarital affair with another church staffer.
“Caleb Baker, our lead student pastor and associate preaching pastor has been involved in an extramarital relationship for the past six months. And it involved a woman on our staff,” Cal Jernigan, lead pastor of Central Christian Church in Phoenix, Arizona, told his congregation near the end of his sermon at the megachurch on Feb. 19.
==randall balmer======
400 Christian leaders urge resistance to Trump administration on Ash Wednesday
Signers include Bishop Vashti McKenzie, president of the National Council of Churches; Bishop Hope Morgan Ward of the United Methodist Church’s Council of Bishops; the Rev. Jihyun Oh, stated clerk of General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA); Bishop Darin Moore, presiding prelate for the Mid-Atlantic Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church; David Emmanuel Goatley, president of Fuller Seminary; Jennifer Herdt, senior associate dean for academic affairs at Yale University Divinity School; the Rev. Corey D. B. Walker, dean of Wake Forest University School of Divinity; UMC Bishop Minerva Carcaño; the Rev. Otis Moss III of Trinity United Church of Christ; David Cortright, professor emeritus at the University of Notre Dame’s Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies; and the Rev. Randall Balmer, who holds the John Phillips Chair in Religion at Dartmouth College. (Religion News Service 2.13.26) READMORE>>>>>
Signers include Bishop Vashti McKenzie, president of the National Council of Churches; Bishop Hope Morgan Ward of the United Methodist Church’s Council of Bishops; the Rev. Jihyun Oh, stated clerk of General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA); Bishop Darin Moore, presiding prelate for the Mid-Atlantic Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church; David Emmanuel Goatley, president of Fuller Seminary; Jennifer Herdt, senior associate dean for academic affairs at Yale University Divinity School; the Rev. Corey D. B. Walker, dean of Wake Forest University School of Divinity; UMC Bishop Minerva Carcaño; the Rev. Otis Moss III of Trinity United Church of Christ; David Cortright, professor emeritus at the University of Notre Dame’s Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies; and the Rev. Randall Balmer, who holds the John Phillips Chair in Religion at Dartmouth College. (Religion News Service 2.13.26) READMORE>>>>>
Not Roe v. Wade but Race Segregation…
One of the big myths about the evangelical right-wing in the USA is that they were provoked into backing the Republican party by the Roe v Wade case that introduced the right to abortion across the USA. In his excellent book ‘Bad Faith – Race and the Rise of the Religious Right’, Randall Balmer sets out the real steps that led the religious right to dominate USA politics and bring Donald Trump to power. Evangelicals were not uniformly anti-abortion in the 1960’s, they tended to consider abortion an issue for Catholics. In 1968 the flagship evangelical magazine Christianity Today convened a conference to discuss the ethics of abortion and after several days of discussion, issued a statement admitting that there was no common agreement, but that in some circumstances to protect the mother’s welfare abortion could be necessary. In 1970 the United Methodist Church general conference called for the repeal of laws restricting abortion. Even after Roe v Wade in 1973, evangelicals were divided and uncertain. The Evangelical Christianity Today magazine published an editorial that, while acknowledging the complexity of the issue, expressed concern about the decision’s potential to undermine the value of human life, but also noted that some Christians, particularly within the Baptist tradition, saw the decision as a positive step in defining the boundaries between religious and secular authority. The magazine acknowledged that the Bible is silent on abortion. As late as 1977, Walter Martin, a prominent Baptist minister argued that abortion should be allowed in cases of rape and incest or to protect the health of the mother. Jerry Falwell did not preach his first anti-abortion sermon until February 1978, more than five years after Roe v Wade. (Slugger O'Toole 7/31/25) READMORE>>>>>
One of the big myths about the evangelical right-wing in the USA is that they were provoked into backing the Republican party by the Roe v Wade case that introduced the right to abortion across the USA. In his excellent book ‘Bad Faith – Race and the Rise of the Religious Right’, Randall Balmer sets out the real steps that led the religious right to dominate USA politics and bring Donald Trump to power. Evangelicals were not uniformly anti-abortion in the 1960’s, they tended to consider abortion an issue for Catholics. In 1968 the flagship evangelical magazine Christianity Today convened a conference to discuss the ethics of abortion and after several days of discussion, issued a statement admitting that there was no common agreement, but that in some circumstances to protect the mother’s welfare abortion could be necessary. In 1970 the United Methodist Church general conference called for the repeal of laws restricting abortion. Even after Roe v Wade in 1973, evangelicals were divided and uncertain. The Evangelical Christianity Today magazine published an editorial that, while acknowledging the complexity of the issue, expressed concern about the decision’s potential to undermine the value of human life, but also noted that some Christians, particularly within the Baptist tradition, saw the decision as a positive step in defining the boundaries between religious and secular authority. The magazine acknowledged that the Bible is silent on abortion. As late as 1977, Walter Martin, a prominent Baptist minister argued that abortion should be allowed in cases of rape and incest or to protect the health of the mother. Jerry Falwell did not preach his first anti-abortion sermon until February 1978, more than five years after Roe v Wade. (Slugger O'Toole 7/31/25) READMORE>>>>>
==gail song bantum======
July 7, 2023: Christian Post: Evangelical Covenant Church drops congregation over LGBT 'policies and practices'
The decision to remove the two congregations was to be finalized at this year's annual meeting. Quest Pastor Gail Song Bantum announced last month that her congregation is disaffiliating from the ECC after 21 years of membership. "We have discerned that, to be the body of Christ, we must embrace the fullness of God's life in all of our members, including our LGBTQIA+ siblings," Bantum said. "This belief emerges from our identity and values as an ECC church, not despite this identity and these values."
The decision to remove the two congregations was to be finalized at this year's annual meeting. Quest Pastor Gail Song Bantum announced last month that her congregation is disaffiliating from the ECC after 21 years of membership. "We have discerned that, to be the body of Christ, we must embrace the fullness of God's life in all of our members, including our LGBTQIA+ siblings," Bantum said. "This belief emerges from our identity and values as an ECC church, not despite this identity and these values."
For years, others have asked Gail Song Bantum and Brian Bantum to reveal the secret to their marriage as a multiracial Christian couple with high-profile ministry callings. They're doing that in their new book, Choosing Us: Marriage and Mutual Flourishing in a World of Difference.
--CHVN95.1: Building a thriving marriage across personal and social differences 4.21.22
--CHVN95.1: Building a thriving marriage across personal and social differences 4.21.22
==Eitan bar======
Eitan Bar, a Jewish-Christian born in Tel Aviv, Israel (1984), holds bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees in Bible and theology. He has authored several books, including a few best-sellers. Eitan frequently lectures worldwide, primarily in Europe and the US, and his videos (teachings and lectures) have garnered over 25 million views.
Eitan Bar, a Jewish-Christian born in Tel Aviv, Israel (1984), holds bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees in Bible and theology. He has authored several books, including a few best-sellers. Eitan frequently lectures worldwide, primarily in Europe and the US, and his videos (teachings and lectures) have garnered over 25 million views.
Apr 14, 2023: All Israel News: Former One For Israel evangelist Eitan Bar now accusing Messianic Jews and Evangelical Christians of ‘fanatic ideology’ that led to a murder
After getting divorced, then fired from a ministry position, Bar is now blasting the very community of believers he once served
After getting divorced, then fired from a ministry position, Bar is now blasting the very community of believers he once served
==bob barber======
Bob Barber
So, what we have here in what we call the Acts of the Apostles is a Holy Spirit inspired record of the message and action of the Apostles. Luke introduces the letter by highlighting an important principle… “In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach,” (Acts 1:1). We note that Luke’s emphasis on the indispensable bond between preaching and practice reflects the pattern of our Lord Jesus Christ, who taught us to love our enemies and then demonstrated this lesson on the cross, when he prayed for those who were crucifying him… “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). The message and actions of the Apostles recorded for us here in the Book of Acts challenge us to share our faith in both words and deeds and inspire us to grow up into Christ by imitating them as they imitated Christ. -Bob Barber; The Classical Christian Difference; Preaching and Practice 1/12/18
==WILLIAM BARBER II======
William J. Barber II (born August 30, 1963) is an American Protestant minister, social activist, professor in the Practice of Public Theology and Public Policy and founding director of the Center for Public Theology & Public Policy at Yale Divinity School. He is the president and senior lecturer at Repairers of the Breach and co-chair of the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for a Moral Revival. He also serves as a member of the national board of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and is the chair of its legislative political action committee. From 2006 to 2017, Barber served as president of the NAACP's North Carolina state chapter, the largest in the Southern United States and the second-largest in the United States. He pastored Greenleaf Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Goldsboro, North Carolina from 1993 to 2023.
|
Pastors at a protest? That's the scene at anti-Trump rallies across the US. “We cannot be ministers in this moment and ignore what's going on,” Bishop William J. Barber, II, told USA TODAY. "If you can't stand up now, when you're talking about the death of the democracy, the death of human beings and the denial to the least of these, then you relegate yourself and your religion, your faith, as being terribly suspect." (USA Today 10/26/25) READMORE>>>> |
|
Religion Is Being Misused To Divide America | Opinion
As the intensity of this year's election season continues to grow, so, too, has the focus in the news on a movement of Americans invoking the name of God to perpetuate division in our country. Some of these Americans go to church and read the Bible. Many of them don't. But all of them understand the unmistakable power of using faith as a cultural wedge to advance a political agenda that harms millions more Americans than it helps. Followers of this political movement that misuses religion have become known as Christian Nationalists for their association with an ideology that vehemently rejects the pluralistic democracy our country aspires to be. The movement's origins are bound up with white supremacist oppression going back hundreds of years to when slavery was the norm and the Indigenous were systematically persecuted. I hesitate to even call them "Christian," because their actions do not reflect the teachings of Jesus.
(William Barber III; Newsweek 5/5/24) READ MORE>>>>>
As the intensity of this year's election season continues to grow, so, too, has the focus in the news on a movement of Americans invoking the name of God to perpetuate division in our country. Some of these Americans go to church and read the Bible. Many of them don't. But all of them understand the unmistakable power of using faith as a cultural wedge to advance a political agenda that harms millions more Americans than it helps. Followers of this political movement that misuses religion have become known as Christian Nationalists for their association with an ideology that vehemently rejects the pluralistic democracy our country aspires to be. The movement's origins are bound up with white supremacist oppression going back hundreds of years to when slavery was the norm and the Indigenous were systematically persecuted. I hesitate to even call them "Christian," because their actions do not reflect the teachings of Jesus.
(William Barber III; Newsweek 5/5/24) READ MORE>>>>>
June 11, 2023: ABC11: Former NC NAACP head Bishop Barber celebrates retirement from Goldsboro church
Bishop William J. Barber II celebrated his retirement after three decades as the head of the congregation of Greenleaf Christian Church.
Reverend Barber announced his retirement in December but stayed to assist the church with COVID and until a new pastor could be put in place.
Bishop William J. Barber II celebrated his retirement after three decades as the head of the congregation of Greenleaf Christian Church.
Reverend Barber announced his retirement in December but stayed to assist the church with COVID and until a new pastor could be put in place.
April 21, 2023: Religion News Service: Christian nationalists have provoked a pluralist resistance
Meanwhile the Poor People’s Campaign, a social movement led by the Rev. William Barber II and the Rev. Liz Theoharis, attacks Christian nationalism in the arena of policy and politics. The group has identified Christian nationalism as “a key pillar of injustice in America that provides cover for a host of other ills” and is leading a multiracial and multi-faith “moral movement” to confront it in the minutia of public policy, but also in demonstrations outside statehouses and the nation’s Capitol buildings.
Meanwhile the Poor People’s Campaign, a social movement led by the Rev. William Barber II and the Rev. Liz Theoharis, attacks Christian nationalism in the arena of policy and politics. The group has identified Christian nationalism as “a key pillar of injustice in America that provides cover for a host of other ills” and is leading a multiracial and multi-faith “moral movement” to confront it in the minutia of public policy, but also in demonstrations outside statehouses and the nation’s Capitol buildings.
William J Barber Files
“We pray for the league itself, the NFL, that it may never see the players as just pieces of an economic engine, but as people without whom the sport would not exist....May this moment cause us who see the game to recognize the players as people, not just competitors on a field, but fathers, brothers, uncles, husbands, sons and grandsons. Help us, oh God, to repent of all the times we have forgotten this Let this moment open up our conscience to care about all people in need and remind us how quickly in the blinking of an eye things can change for any family.”
--William J Barber; A prayer for NFL players and Damar Hamlin, the Buffalo Bills safety who went into cardiac arrest after making a tackle. 1.2.23
--William J Barber; A prayer for NFL players and Damar Hamlin, the Buffalo Bills safety who went into cardiac arrest after making a tackle. 1.2.23
Dec 22, 2022: Black Enterprise: REV. WILLIAM BARBER II TO HEAD YALE DIVINITY SCHOOL CENTER FOR PUBLIC THEOLOGY AND PUBLIC POLICY
Rev. William Barber II will lead the Yale Divinity School’s Center for Public Theology and Public Policy, according to Religious News Service. The reverend will teach his first class at Yale in January.
Rev. William Barber II will lead the Yale Divinity School’s Center for Public Theology and Public Policy, according to Religious News Service. The reverend will teach his first class at Yale in January.
==mark barclay======
Third Leader Faces Sexual Assault Charges at Televangelist Mark Barclay's Michigan Church
A third leader at televangelist Mark Barclay's Michigan church is facing charges of sexual assault, according to Midland County Circuit Court records . Randy Saylor, associate pastor at Living Word International Church in Midland, Michigan, is the second pastor and third person involved with the church to be charged with sex crimes. Saylor, 71, was arraigned Wednesday on charges of second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a person under 13, and second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a relationship. His crimes allegedly happened around March 2018. (Julie Roys 5/22/24) READ MORE>>>>>
A third leader at televangelist Mark Barclay's Michigan church is facing charges of sexual assault, according to Midland County Circuit Court records . Randy Saylor, associate pastor at Living Word International Church in Midland, Michigan, is the second pastor and third person involved with the church to be charged with sex crimes. Saylor, 71, was arraigned Wednesday on charges of second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a person under 13, and second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a relationship. His crimes allegedly happened around March 2018. (Julie Roys 5/22/24) READ MORE>>>>>
Third leader at televangelist Mark Barclay's church investigated for sex abuse crimes
A third leader at televangelist Mark Barclay's Michigan-based church has been suspended following accusations of sexual abuse, months after Barclay's son-in-law was charged with several counts of criminal sexual conduct. The Living Word International Church figure at the center of the recent allegations, an unnamed pastor, has been suspended and removed from all positions, according to Barclay's son, Pastor Josh Barclay, in an interview with WNEM-TV5 last week. According to Barclay, the alleged abuse did not occur at the church. (Christian Post 4/4/24) READ MORE>>>>>
A third leader at televangelist Mark Barclay's Michigan-based church has been suspended following accusations of sexual abuse, months after Barclay's son-in-law was charged with several counts of criminal sexual conduct. The Living Word International Church figure at the center of the recent allegations, an unnamed pastor, has been suspended and removed from all positions, according to Barclay's son, Pastor Josh Barclay, in an interview with WNEM-TV5 last week. According to Barclay, the alleged abuse did not occur at the church. (Christian Post 4/4/24) READ MORE>>>>>
==Ted barham======
Dearborn mayor refuses to apologize for telling Christian minister he was 'not welcome here
'At Dearborn, Michigan’s first city council meeting since his clash with a local Christian minister went viral after a heated exchange over a controversial honorary street sign naming, Mayor Abdullah Hammoud declined to apologize for his saying the minister was "not welcome here" and that he would "launch a parade" when he left town. Ted Barham, the same Christian minister, opened his remarks at Tuesday's meeting by repeating the words that went viral at the previous one on Sept. 9. "The mayor, in a way, cursed me, as was seen around the world. And I would like to repeat what I said that day to you, Mr. Mayor: ‘God bless you,’" Barham said. (Fox News 9/24/25) READMORE>>>>
'At Dearborn, Michigan’s first city council meeting since his clash with a local Christian minister went viral after a heated exchange over a controversial honorary street sign naming, Mayor Abdullah Hammoud declined to apologize for his saying the minister was "not welcome here" and that he would "launch a parade" when he left town. Ted Barham, the same Christian minister, opened his remarks at Tuesday's meeting by repeating the words that went viral at the previous one on Sept. 9. "The mayor, in a way, cursed me, as was seen around the world. And I would like to repeat what I said that day to you, Mr. Mayor: ‘God bless you,’" Barham said. (Fox News 9/24/25) READMORE>>>>
==beth allison barr======
Beth Allison Barr is the James Vardaman Endowed Professor of History at Baylor University. Her specialties include European women, medieval and early modern England and church history. She earned her PhD in Medieval History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is the bestselling author of The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth. She is the president of the Conference on Faith and History
| May 11, 2023
Welcome to Madang!
Madang is the outdoor living room of the world. Here, we invite you to sit and tune into unreserved, remarkable conversations with renown authors, leaders, public figures and scholars on religion, culture and everything in-between. This has been a dream of mine for many years and now it is. reality. Please join me at Madang. This is the 28th episode of Madang where I converse with Beth Allison Barr on her book, The Making of Biblical Womanhood. Today, she shares about being a pastor’s wife, what led to writing her bestselling book, Paul’s letters about women, Christian household codes, Reformation theology about women and so much more. |
April 18, 2023: Beth Allison Barr: Anxious Bench: My Career on The Anxious Bench–How it Started and How it is Ending
April 7, 2021: Religion News Service: Beth Moore apologizes for her role in elevating ‘complementarian’ theology that limits women leaders
Some female historians said Moore’s tweets were a decisive shift. Beth Allison Barr, a Baylor University historian and author of “The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth,” likened Moore to the biblical Joshua commanding the people to shout so the walls of Jericho fall down.
“She just shouted,” said Barr of Moore. “This is going to be the beginning of the end of complementarianism.”
Some female historians said Moore’s tweets were a decisive shift. Beth Allison Barr, a Baylor University historian and author of “The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth,” likened Moore to the biblical Joshua commanding the people to shout so the walls of Jericho fall down.
“She just shouted,” said Barr of Moore. “This is going to be the beginning of the end of complementarianism.”
==andy barr======
Senate Passes Resolution led by Sen. Cruz, Rep. Barr, Demanding China Release Pastor Ezra Jin and Other Leaders of Zion Church
Today, the U.S. Senate passed bipartisan legislation led by U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and U.S. Congressman Andy Barr (R-KY) demanding that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) stop persecuting Christians and release Pastor Ezra Jin and other leaders of the Zion Church currently imprisoned in China.On October 10, 2025, the Chinese Communist Party conducted the largest coordinated, nationwide crackdown against a Christian urban house church in over four decades. At least 22 pastors and church members from Zion Church, one of China’s largest underground congregations, were arrested, including a prominent pastor and the founder of Zion Church, Pastor “Ezra” Jin Mingri. “China needs to release Pastor Jin and stop persecuting Christians for practicing their faith. Until then, Senator Cruz and I will keep rallying our House and Senate colleagues to condemn this atrocity and hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable,” said Congressman Barr, a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Select Committee on China.(Andy Barr 11/12/25) READMORE>>>>
Today, the U.S. Senate passed bipartisan legislation led by U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and U.S. Congressman Andy Barr (R-KY) demanding that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) stop persecuting Christians and release Pastor Ezra Jin and other leaders of the Zion Church currently imprisoned in China.On October 10, 2025, the Chinese Communist Party conducted the largest coordinated, nationwide crackdown against a Christian urban house church in over four decades. At least 22 pastors and church members from Zion Church, one of China’s largest underground congregations, were arrested, including a prominent pastor and the founder of Zion Church, Pastor “Ezra” Jin Mingri. “China needs to release Pastor Jin and stop persecuting Christians for practicing their faith. Until then, Senator Cruz and I will keep rallying our House and Senate colleagues to condemn this atrocity and hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable,” said Congressman Barr, a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Select Committee on China.(Andy Barr 11/12/25) READMORE>>>>
==desmond barrett======
Tom Ascol, Sam Rainer, and Willy Rice Among FL Pastors Bracing for Hurricane Milton
Pastor Desmond Barrett of Winter Haven Nazarene in Winter Haven, Florida, requested prayer for his church. On Facebook, he told his congregation, “We will make it! Knees down and chin up. We will make it through this storm. Make a plan, and prepare now. The next set of hours will be challenging, but we will make it through this challenge.” The church plans to host normal Sunday services this weekend if possible.
(Church Leaders 10/9/24) READMORE>>>>>
Pastor Desmond Barrett of Winter Haven Nazarene in Winter Haven, Florida, requested prayer for his church. On Facebook, he told his congregation, “We will make it! Knees down and chin up. We will make it through this storm. Make a plan, and prepare now. The next set of hours will be challenging, but we will make it through this challenge.” The church plans to host normal Sunday services this weekend if possible.
(Church Leaders 10/9/24) READMORE>>>>>
==robert barron=====
Bishop Barron Goes Full MAGA: A Silence and a Scandal Behind His Rightward Shift
Once seen as a centrist evangelist with wide appeal, Bishop Robert Barron has spent the past few years aligning himself with MAGA politicians, right-wing media, and partisan culture war flashpoints. One of the most revealing tests of a Catholic leader is which issues they choose to address — and which they pointedly ignore. On that score, Bishop Barron’s recent record is striking. Consider a few matters of life and justice he has not found time to seriously engage: though Leo talks about it nearly weekly, not a single public word about the Israeli bombardment of Gaza that killed over 13,000 children since 2023. No mention of the young woman killed by an ICE agent last week in his home state of Minnesota. (Letters from Leo; 1.14.26) READMORE>>>>>
Once seen as a centrist evangelist with wide appeal, Bishop Robert Barron has spent the past few years aligning himself with MAGA politicians, right-wing media, and partisan culture war flashpoints. One of the most revealing tests of a Catholic leader is which issues they choose to address — and which they pointedly ignore. On that score, Bishop Barron’s recent record is striking. Consider a few matters of life and justice he has not found time to seriously engage: though Leo talks about it nearly weekly, not a single public word about the Israeli bombardment of Gaza that killed over 13,000 children since 2023. No mention of the young woman killed by an ICE agent last week in his home state of Minnesota. (Letters from Leo; 1.14.26) READMORE>>>>>
==walter bartel======
Walter Bartel is pastor of Calvary Baptist Church of Treherne in Canada.
Walter Bartel Files
The Psalms have many references to the mercy of the LORD. He is merciful all the time. In (Zechariah 1:13) verse 13 the LORD not only demonstrated His mercy but also His longsuffering. He was willing to answer the angel with good words and comfortable words. God’s Words are good and they are comfortable to those who walk humbly with Him. The ungodly will not find comfort in God’s Word, because they do not understand true comfort, nor do they understand the way of having comfort. The world looks at material things as the means of comfort. The child of God seeks truth and needs to be taught that comfort comes through truth and through submission to the truth. Comfort of heart is essential. Without that, the “comforts of the world” are very temporal. Those who seek comfort from the LORD will find that it is of greater substance than material things. -Walter Bartel; Sermon Audio; The Importance of Seeking God’s Answer 10.15.13
==emmanuel baruwa======
[ICYMI] Why I stopped tithe, offering payment in my church — Pastor
My name is Prophet Dr Emmanuel Baruwa (JP) popularly known as Baba Talitakumi. I’m the pastor at the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church Talitakumi model parish based in Ijoko Otta, Ogun State. I have some reasons for taking the decision. First, during the time immediate period after the fuel subsidy was removed, many people could not come to church because they did not have money. Also, with the situation in the country right now with the cost of foodstuffs, it became clear to me that people are suffering. Food is now expensive. Let’s forget about me, I think all of us should put ourselves in the position of these church members. If we put ourselves in the position of a church member, we will know the problems a lot of them are facing. When somebody is coming from a far place to worship at the church, and he is to spend N2,000 on transportation. And that person has just N3,000 and will still want to pay the Church offering from that money, How will he survive? If I stop the offering, it doesn’t mean I will not eat. If I stop the tithes, it doesn’t mean God will not send a helper to me. So, I have to be considerate. Many people believe the Bible says we should pay for offerings in Church, and it is when we pay for offerings that God will bless us. But when somebody doesn’t have the money to pay the offering, is God not going to bless that person?, of course, God will bless the person.
(Punch 6/9/24) Read More>>>>>
My name is Prophet Dr Emmanuel Baruwa (JP) popularly known as Baba Talitakumi. I’m the pastor at the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church Talitakumi model parish based in Ijoko Otta, Ogun State. I have some reasons for taking the decision. First, during the time immediate period after the fuel subsidy was removed, many people could not come to church because they did not have money. Also, with the situation in the country right now with the cost of foodstuffs, it became clear to me that people are suffering. Food is now expensive. Let’s forget about me, I think all of us should put ourselves in the position of these church members. If we put ourselves in the position of a church member, we will know the problems a lot of them are facing. When somebody is coming from a far place to worship at the church, and he is to spend N2,000 on transportation. And that person has just N3,000 and will still want to pay the Church offering from that money, How will he survive? If I stop the offering, it doesn’t mean I will not eat. If I stop the tithes, it doesn’t mean God will not send a helper to me. So, I have to be considerate. Many people believe the Bible says we should pay for offerings in Church, and it is when we pay for offerings that God will bless us. But when somebody doesn’t have the money to pay the offering, is God not going to bless that person?, of course, God will bless the person.
(Punch 6/9/24) Read More>>>>>
