BI-BL PEOPLE FILES
- Thomas Bickerton - Mike Bickle - J Todd Billings - Josh Bingaman - Michael F Bird - David Black - Richard Blackaby - Dan Blair -Leonardo Blair - Paul Blair - Marshall Blalock - John Blanchard - John Blase - Mark Blitz - Ginger Blomberg
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==thomas bickerton======
Bishops urged to turn page on painful chapter
United Methodist Council of Bishops President Thomas J. Bickerton urged his fellow bishops to use their woundedness to help bring healing. He preached at opening worship of the Council of Bishops fall meeting, where episcopal leaders will discuss the future of the church after a season that has seen thousands of U.S. churches exit. The meeting also will include strategizing for the coming General Conference, the denomination’s top lawmaking body at which bishops preside. (Heather Hahn/United Methodist Church 11/7/23)
READ MORE>>>>>
United Methodist Council of Bishops President Thomas J. Bickerton urged his fellow bishops to use their woundedness to help bring healing. He preached at opening worship of the Council of Bishops fall meeting, where episcopal leaders will discuss the future of the church after a season that has seen thousands of U.S. churches exit. The meeting also will include strategizing for the coming General Conference, the denomination’s top lawmaking body at which bishops preside. (Heather Hahn/United Methodist Church 11/7/23)
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United Methodist bishops meet, look to pivot after 2,400+ churches disaffiliate
CHICAGO (RNS) — About 100 active and retired United Methodist bishops from across the globe are meeting this week in Chicago for the first time in person since the COVID-19 pandemic and since the launch one year ago of the Global Methodist Church, a conservative denomination formed for United Methodist churches looking to disaffiliate over LGBTQ ordination and marriage. Bishop Thomas Bickerton told the United Methodist Church’s Council of Bishops it was time to pivot, as the denomination has been losing churches since a 2019 special session of its General Conference approved a disaffiliation plan for congregations wishing to leave for “reasons of conscience” related to their beliefs about sexuality. The United Methodist Church has been stuck in disagreement over the ordination and marriage of its LGBTQ members for decades.
(Emily Miller/Religion News Service 5/1/23)
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CHICAGO (RNS) — About 100 active and retired United Methodist bishops from across the globe are meeting this week in Chicago for the first time in person since the COVID-19 pandemic and since the launch one year ago of the Global Methodist Church, a conservative denomination formed for United Methodist churches looking to disaffiliate over LGBTQ ordination and marriage. Bishop Thomas Bickerton told the United Methodist Church’s Council of Bishops it was time to pivot, as the denomination has been losing churches since a 2019 special session of its General Conference approved a disaffiliation plan for congregations wishing to leave for “reasons of conscience” related to their beliefs about sexuality. The United Methodist Church has been stuck in disagreement over the ordination and marriage of its LGBTQ members for decades.
(Emily Miller/Religion News Service 5/1/23)
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==mike bickle======
Michael Leroy Bickle (born July 17, 1955) is a former American evangelical leader and founder of the International House of Prayer (IHOPKC). Once the leader of IHOPKC, Bickle oversaw several ministries and a Bible school until his dismissal in December 2023 after confessing to sexual misconduct. Bickle has written books and served as the pastor of several churches.
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Mike Bickle Ousted From IHOP Links between the new Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson, and key Christian nationalist leaders have sparked fears the devout Louisiana congressman might seek to erode elements of the first amendment, which protects key US civil liberties including freedom of religion and the separation of church and state. Long before the evangelical conservative Johnson became speaker, he had forged close ties with Christian nationalists like David Barton, whose writings claiming the country’s founders intended to create a Christian nation have been widely debunked by religion scholars. (Ray Fava/Evangelical Dark Web 12/23/23) READ MORE>>>>> IHOPKC Report Discounts Mike Bickle Abuse Allegations; Whistleblower Fires BackThe International House of Prayer Kansas City (IHOPKC) has just released a report on initial findings, discounting some of the recent clergy sexual abuse allegations made against its founder Mike Bickle. The report also questions the “true objectives” of the “Complaint Group,” which presented the allegations to IHOPKC leadership in October. This group, comprised of former IHOPKC leaders, published a statement Oct. 28, saying it had become aware of numerous allegations of sexual abuse against Bickle from “credible” women, “spanning several decades.” (Julie Roys & Rebecca Hopkins/The Roys Report 11/16/23) Read More>>>>> |
December 23, 2023: After Bickle's confession and more allegations coming to light, IHOPKC cut all ties with Bickle. September 19, 2021: The Guardian reported: Mike Bickle in his book, THE SEVEN LONGINGS OF THE HEART says, “the longing for greatness is one of the in-born desires of man. It is not bad to desire to be great, but how we go about it is what matters.” |
Mike Bickle, Leader of IHOP Movement, Accused of Sexual Abuse
Mike Bickle, the longtime leader of the Kansas City-based International House of Prayer, which in the late 1990s launched a global round-the-clock prayer meeting, has been accused of clergy sexual abuse by former leaders in the movement. “A few days ago, we made the leadership team of the International House of Prayer in Kansas City (IHOPKC) aware of serious allegations spanning several decades concerning its founder, Mike Bickle,” said former IHOP leader Dwayne Roberts and Brian Kim, along with Wes Martin, the former pastor of Forerunner Christian Fellowship, which has close ties to IHOP, in a statement released Saturday (Oct. 28).
(Bob Smeitana/Word&Way 10/30/23)
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Mike Bickle, the longtime leader of the Kansas City-based International House of Prayer, which in the late 1990s launched a global round-the-clock prayer meeting, has been accused of clergy sexual abuse by former leaders in the movement. “A few days ago, we made the leadership team of the International House of Prayer in Kansas City (IHOPKC) aware of serious allegations spanning several decades concerning its founder, Mike Bickle,” said former IHOP leader Dwayne Roberts and Brian Kim, along with Wes Martin, the former pastor of Forerunner Christian Fellowship, which has close ties to IHOP, in a statement released Saturday (Oct. 28).
(Bob Smeitana/Word&Way 10/30/23)
Read More>>>>
Kansas City Prophet Calls for 21-Day Fast and Prayer for ‘Salvation of Israel’
An independent charismatic ministry has launched a 21-day prayer and fast for Israel, which its leaders believe will hasten Jesus’s return as part of the Second Coming. The Isaiah 62 Global 21-Days of Prayer and Fasting, organized by the International House of Prayer Kansas City and its leader, Mike Bickle, is being billed as a historic gathering that will bring together as many as 1 million “intercessors” who will take turns praying an hour a day for what they call “the salvation of Israel.” (Yonat Shimron/Word&Way 5/9/23)
Read More>>>>
An independent charismatic ministry has launched a 21-day prayer and fast for Israel, which its leaders believe will hasten Jesus’s return as part of the Second Coming. The Isaiah 62 Global 21-Days of Prayer and Fasting, organized by the International House of Prayer Kansas City and its leader, Mike Bickle, is being billed as a historic gathering that will bring together as many as 1 million “intercessors” who will take turns praying an hour a day for what they call “the salvation of Israel.” (Yonat Shimron/Word&Way 5/9/23)
Read More>>>>
The New Apostolic Reformation drove the January 6 riots, so why was it overlooked by the House Select Committee?
Other self-proclaimed modern-day apostles include Bill Johnson of Bethel Church, Mike Bickle of the International House of Prayer, Dutch Sheets, Cindy Jacobs, Che Ahn and Don Finto. Independent charismatic prophets are those who say they experience dreams and visions that allow them to tell what God wants to say for a certain moment. They often believe they can discern where certain demonic spirits are so that the apostles can lead the charge against them. (Rick Pidcock/Baptist News Global 1/10/23)
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Other self-proclaimed modern-day apostles include Bill Johnson of Bethel Church, Mike Bickle of the International House of Prayer, Dutch Sheets, Cindy Jacobs, Che Ahn and Don Finto. Independent charismatic prophets are those who say they experience dreams and visions that allow them to tell what God wants to say for a certain moment. They often believe they can discern where certain demonic spirits are so that the apostles can lead the charge against them. (Rick Pidcock/Baptist News Global 1/10/23)
Read More>>>>
Sept 7, 2021: Baptist News Global: Angels from Africa: Reckoning with the New Apostolic Reformation
Prominent figures within the apostolic movement like Mike Bickle of the International House of Prayer in Kansas City or Bill Johnson with Bethel Church in Redding, Calif., claim NAR is a pejorative category invented by their critics. This is a straw man argument. No one claims the NAR is a denomination or a formalized group; but it is a movement defined by an identifiable constellation of beliefs.
Prominent figures within the apostolic movement like Mike Bickle of the International House of Prayer in Kansas City or Bill Johnson with Bethel Church in Redding, Calif., claim NAR is a pejorative category invented by their critics. This is a straw man argument. No one claims the NAR is a denomination or a formalized group; but it is a movement defined by an identifiable constellation of beliefs.
==j todd billings======
September Grief and Children
They say ‘the body keeps the score,’ and I’ve noticed that each mid-September since 2019 I feel the urge to drive. As the days grow shorter and the evenings cool, I look westward, expecting a phone call that will pull me from my routines and drop me into the chaotic quiet of grief, the space where the shock of death brings stillness and an urgent openness to explore life’s biggest questions. This (admittedly depressing) headspace is also due, in part, to the fact that I just spent three days launching a new initiative with J. Todd Billings at Western Theological Seminary called the Faith and Illness Initiative. We’re diving deep into theological questions of creaturely limits, suffering, vocation, and virtue for Christians living with chronic illness. As we’ve gathered with theologians, philosophers, doctors and mental health clinicians, pastors, and people living with serious chronic illness, so many questions have been raised (many more questions than answers, by the way). (Kathryn Devries/Reformed Journal 9/24/23)
READ MORE>>>>>
They say ‘the body keeps the score,’ and I’ve noticed that each mid-September since 2019 I feel the urge to drive. As the days grow shorter and the evenings cool, I look westward, expecting a phone call that will pull me from my routines and drop me into the chaotic quiet of grief, the space where the shock of death brings stillness and an urgent openness to explore life’s biggest questions. This (admittedly depressing) headspace is also due, in part, to the fact that I just spent three days launching a new initiative with J. Todd Billings at Western Theological Seminary called the Faith and Illness Initiative. We’re diving deep into theological questions of creaturely limits, suffering, vocation, and virtue for Christians living with chronic illness. As we’ve gathered with theologians, philosophers, doctors and mental health clinicians, pastors, and people living with serious chronic illness, so many questions have been raised (many more questions than answers, by the way). (Kathryn Devries/Reformed Journal 9/24/23)
READ MORE>>>>>
April 20, 2023: Christianity Today: Evangelical End Times Thinking Has a Baby-and-Bathwater Issue
Chris Davis, pastor of Groveton Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia, was among those who avoid the topic of the Second Coming, out of embarrassment at the wild speculations and contentious debates that eschatology sometimes inspires. But in a season when hope was running thin, he returned to the theme and discovered afresh how it focuses our hopes and desires upon Jesus. This journey of rediscovery culminated in a new book, Bright Hope for Tomorrow: How Anticipating Jesus’ Return Gives Strength for Today. J. Todd Billings, author of The End of the Christian Life and professor of theology at Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan, spoke with Davis about his book.
Chris Davis, pastor of Groveton Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia, was among those who avoid the topic of the Second Coming, out of embarrassment at the wild speculations and contentious debates that eschatology sometimes inspires. But in a season when hope was running thin, he returned to the theme and discovered afresh how it focuses our hopes and desires upon Jesus. This journey of rediscovery culminated in a new book, Bright Hope for Tomorrow: How Anticipating Jesus’ Return Gives Strength for Today. J. Todd Billings, author of The End of the Christian Life and professor of theology at Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan, spoke with Davis about his book.
==josh bingaman======
Meet the evangelical pastors who could choose the next president
In early June, a group of Iowa pastors gathered at the First Church of the Open Bible to pray over a visitor. The man had just arrived in Des Moines, and he was going through a difficult time — financial strife, legal trouble, opposition from former friends. Pastor Josh Bingaman put his hand on the man’s shoulder and blessed him to submit to the hand of God, to seek wisdom and humility. The man was former President Donald Trump. After the prayer, Trump thanked Pastor Bingaman for the blessing, then took his place at the front of the room while pastors grilled him on abortion policy and how “pro-Bible” a potential second Trump term would be.
(Deseret News 8/14/23) Read More>>>>>
In early June, a group of Iowa pastors gathered at the First Church of the Open Bible to pray over a visitor. The man had just arrived in Des Moines, and he was going through a difficult time — financial strife, legal trouble, opposition from former friends. Pastor Josh Bingaman put his hand on the man’s shoulder and blessed him to submit to the hand of God, to seek wisdom and humility. The man was former President Donald Trump. After the prayer, Trump thanked Pastor Bingaman for the blessing, then took his place at the front of the room while pastors grilled him on abortion policy and how “pro-Bible” a potential second Trump term would be.
(Deseret News 8/14/23) Read More>>>>>
==michael f bird======
Jesus and the Powers: Christian Political Witness in an Age of Totalitarian Terror and Dysfunctional Democracies
N. T. Wright and Michael F. Bird have written a concise primer on Christian political engagement. This is a worthwhile book for any Christian concerned with a proper Christian political witness. The overall message for readers is that they should reaffirm the tradition of liberal democracy as the most plausible political option for our times. Wright and Bird state that “Jesus and the Powers has one objective: to say that, in an age of ascending autocracies, in a time of fear and fragmentation, amid carnage and crises, Jesus is King, and Jesus’ kingdom remains the object of the Church’s witness and work….Such a conviction means that the Church needs to understand how it relates to empires biblical and burgeoning, how to build for the kingdom in our cities and suburbs; to understand the time for obedience to the State and the time for disobedience to the State” (xiii-xiv). (Reformed Journal 12/23/24) READMORE>>>>>
N. T. Wright and Michael F. Bird have written a concise primer on Christian political engagement. This is a worthwhile book for any Christian concerned with a proper Christian political witness. The overall message for readers is that they should reaffirm the tradition of liberal democracy as the most plausible political option for our times. Wright and Bird state that “Jesus and the Powers has one objective: to say that, in an age of ascending autocracies, in a time of fear and fragmentation, amid carnage and crises, Jesus is King, and Jesus’ kingdom remains the object of the Church’s witness and work….Such a conviction means that the Church needs to understand how it relates to empires biblical and burgeoning, how to build for the kingdom in our cities and suburbs; to understand the time for obedience to the State and the time for disobedience to the State” (xiii-xiv). (Reformed Journal 12/23/24) READMORE>>>>>
==zahra billoo======
CAIR-SFBA Condemns Repeated Vandalism Targeting San Francisco Mosque During Ramadan
In a statement, CAIR-SFBA Executive Director Zahra Billoo said: “CAIR-SFBA is very concerned about these reported, repeat incidents targeting a San Francisco mosque during the holy month of Ramadan. We thank the local leaders and law enforcement for being responsive to the community. During this period of heightened, unprecedented Islamophobia, we urge mosque leaders to take extra precautions to protect their attendees and elected officials and civic leaders to take heed of how the Israeli violence in Palestine is having an impact here at home.” (CAIR; 4/10/24) READ MORE>>>>>
In a statement, CAIR-SFBA Executive Director Zahra Billoo said: “CAIR-SFBA is very concerned about these reported, repeat incidents targeting a San Francisco mosque during the holy month of Ramadan. We thank the local leaders and law enforcement for being responsive to the community. During this period of heightened, unprecedented Islamophobia, we urge mosque leaders to take extra precautions to protect their attendees and elected officials and civic leaders to take heed of how the Israeli violence in Palestine is having an impact here at home.” (CAIR; 4/10/24) READ MORE>>>>>
==david black======
Pastors at a protest? That's the scene at anti-Trump rallies across the US.
Federal officers recently shot Rev. Jorge Bautista with a pepper ball at close range, sending him reeling, with orange powder caking his face and clothing. A month earlier, Presbyterian pastor David Black was hit in the head with a pepper ball while praying outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Chicago. The video, which circled the globe after it was reported on by Religion News Service, caused an outcry. Since early summer, pastors, ministers, imams, rabbis and priests have stood between police and protesters in Los Angeles. They've been arrested by ICE agents in Chicago and Portland, and taken into custody at the U.S. Capitol and in congressional offices. (USA Today 10/26/25) READMORE>>>>
Federal officers recently shot Rev. Jorge Bautista with a pepper ball at close range, sending him reeling, with orange powder caking his face and clothing. A month earlier, Presbyterian pastor David Black was hit in the head with a pepper ball while praying outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Chicago. The video, which circled the globe after it was reported on by Religion News Service, caused an outcry. Since early summer, pastors, ministers, imams, rabbis and priests have stood between police and protesters in Los Angeles. They've been arrested by ICE agents in Chicago and Portland, and taken into custody at the U.S. Capitol and in congressional offices. (USA Today 10/26/25) READMORE>>>>
Chicago pastor sues Trump after ICE assaults him while praying
A Presbyterian minister attacked by National Guard troops during the peaceful protest of a Chicago-area migrant processing center has joined a lawsuit to stop the Trump administration’s violence against demonstrators and media. David Black, senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Chicago in Woodlawn, Ill., is one of numerous plaintiffs in a federal complaint filed Oct. 6 against President Donald Trump and other U.S. officials for authorizing arbitrary and unlawful force and detentions during constitutionally protected rallies against federal immigration facilities. The action stemmed from attacks against protesters and reporters during demonstrations at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in the Chicago suburb of Broadview in September. It was there Black was shot in the head with a pepper ball projectile and gassed by troops on Sept. 19.
(Baptist News Global 10/10/25) READMORE>>>>
A Presbyterian minister attacked by National Guard troops during the peaceful protest of a Chicago-area migrant processing center has joined a lawsuit to stop the Trump administration’s violence against demonstrators and media. David Black, senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Chicago in Woodlawn, Ill., is one of numerous plaintiffs in a federal complaint filed Oct. 6 against President Donald Trump and other U.S. officials for authorizing arbitrary and unlawful force and detentions during constitutionally protected rallies against federal immigration facilities. The action stemmed from attacks against protesters and reporters during demonstrations at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in the Chicago suburb of Broadview in September. It was there Black was shot in the head with a pepper ball projectile and gassed by troops on Sept. 19.
(Baptist News Global 10/10/25) READMORE>>>>
==Richard blackaby======
Book review: Living Fearless, by Jamie Winship
Jamie Winship, Living Fearless: Exchanging the Lies of the World for the liberating Truth of God. Grand Rapids: Revell, 2022. 170 pages.
Jamia Winship was a police officer in Washington, D.C., and was then recruited to work for thirty years in the Muslim world.He has some amazing stories to tell about working with Muslims who experienced the truth of Christ. This book is built on the simple, fundamental tenet that people's basic problem is that we have believed lies about who we are, and understanding our true identity in Christ can set us free. Winship begins the book by describing what it was like to be trained by the toughest cop there was: the Troll. The Troll was rough, crude, and insulting. He made it as difficult as possible for people to complete their training. Winship survived and learned many lessons in the process about himself and God. At the end of every shift, the Troll would say, "Since I don't think you're going to make it, do you want to resign now?" Through that difficult experience, Winship learned what it meant to "abide" (Richard Blackaby/Biblical Leadership 11/16/23)
READ MORE>>>>>
Jamie Winship, Living Fearless: Exchanging the Lies of the World for the liberating Truth of God. Grand Rapids: Revell, 2022. 170 pages.
Jamia Winship was a police officer in Washington, D.C., and was then recruited to work for thirty years in the Muslim world.He has some amazing stories to tell about working with Muslims who experienced the truth of Christ. This book is built on the simple, fundamental tenet that people's basic problem is that we have believed lies about who we are, and understanding our true identity in Christ can set us free. Winship begins the book by describing what it was like to be trained by the toughest cop there was: the Troll. The Troll was rough, crude, and insulting. He made it as difficult as possible for people to complete their training. Winship survived and learned many lessons in the process about himself and God. At the end of every shift, the Troll would say, "Since I don't think you're going to make it, do you want to resign now?" Through that difficult experience, Winship learned what it meant to "abide" (Richard Blackaby/Biblical Leadership 11/16/23)
READ MORE>>>>>
June 28, 2021: Biblical Recorder: Jordon Willard recommended to serve as 2023 N.C. Pastors’ Conference president
Willard served as director of discipleship at the North Roanoke Baptist Association from 2013-16 and as a member of the church strengthening team at the South Roanoke Baptist Association in 2018. He helped organize church strengthening and revitalization conferences in 2018 and 2019, featuring speakers such as well-known author and speaker Richard Blackaby, seminary president Danny Akin and preaching professor Jim Shaddix.
Willard served as director of discipleship at the North Roanoke Baptist Association from 2013-16 and as a member of the church strengthening team at the South Roanoke Baptist Association in 2018. He helped organize church strengthening and revitalization conferences in 2018 and 2019, featuring speakers such as well-known author and speaker Richard Blackaby, seminary president Danny Akin and preaching professor Jim Shaddix.
Richard Blackaby Files
“If a revival came to the business world, it would quickly cross all denomination lines and spread around the world. If revival comes to America, it will come through the market place.” ”
-Richard Blackaby: president of Blackaby Ministries International; March 20, 2018
==dan blair======
Dan Blair is pastor at the First United Methodist Church, Hamlet. He is a native North Carolinian. He was appointed to FUMC church in the summer of 2019 after having served three other appointments in South Carolina and North Carolina. His passions are preaching, leading worship, and teaching. Blair graduated from Erskine Theological Seminary in 2005, but before that had earned B.A and M.A degrees in History from the University of North Carolina in 1989 and then East Carolina University in 1999.
PHOTOS: Hamlet kicks off Christmas season
HAMLET — Children of all ages had the opportunity to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus at the Hamlet Depot Monday evening following the town’s annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony. The event, now in its 37th year, began in Main Street Park with a welcome from outgoing Mayor Bill Bayless and invocation from Pastor Dan Blair.
(William R Toler/Richmond Observer 11/27/23)
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HAMLET — Children of all ages had the opportunity to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus at the Hamlet Depot Monday evening following the town’s annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony. The event, now in its 37th year, began in Main Street Park with a welcome from outgoing Mayor Bill Bayless and invocation from Pastor Dan Blair.
(William R Toler/Richmond Observer 11/27/23)
READ MORE>>>>
April 28, 2023: Laurinburg Exchange: Methodist churches share thoughts on disaffiliation decisions
“[The sexuality issue] has come up at every general conference and the UMC has been debating about it for 50 years,” said Dan Blair, pastor for First United Methodist Church and Fellowship United Methodist Church in Hamlet. Primarily, the issue most pertinent to the church is the ordaining of practicing gay and lesbian preachers and permitting homosexual weddings. “But over the last ten years, the temperature has gone up on it some,” he added.
Blair said that the disaffiliation language from 2019 didn’t address the core concerns over the topic. Meetings of the General Conference have been continually delayed to 2024 due to COVID-19, postponing any sort of resolution to the issue. Disaffiliating churches, which requires 2/3’s of the church congregation to vote to leave, would lose the United Methodist banner and join the Global Methodist Church.
“Some of the churches decided that they’re just done with it, and decided to take advantage of that clause to disaffiliate,” Blair, who was ordained in 2009, said.
“[The sexuality issue] has come up at every general conference and the UMC has been debating about it for 50 years,” said Dan Blair, pastor for First United Methodist Church and Fellowship United Methodist Church in Hamlet. Primarily, the issue most pertinent to the church is the ordaining of practicing gay and lesbian preachers and permitting homosexual weddings. “But over the last ten years, the temperature has gone up on it some,” he added.
Blair said that the disaffiliation language from 2019 didn’t address the core concerns over the topic. Meetings of the General Conference have been continually delayed to 2024 due to COVID-19, postponing any sort of resolution to the issue. Disaffiliating churches, which requires 2/3’s of the church congregation to vote to leave, would lose the United Methodist banner and join the Global Methodist Church.
“Some of the churches decided that they’re just done with it, and decided to take advantage of that clause to disaffiliate,” Blair, who was ordained in 2009, said.
==leonardo blair====== |
- Christian Post -
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Leonardo Blair is an award-winning investigative reporter and feature writer whose career spanned secular media in the Caribbean and New York City prior to joining The Christian Post in 2013. He is a 2007 alumnus of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, where he was an inaugural member of the Toni Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism. He lives with his wife and two sons in New York City.
What to know about Tony Evans' announcement that shocked the Christian world
Celebrated pastor and author Tony Evans shocked the Christian world when he recently announced he would step away from his pastoral duties to undergo a process of restoration due to an undisclosed "sin." Evans, who pastors the 11,000-member Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship church in Dallas, Texas, has had enormous influence throughout modern Christendom. Christian Post senior reporter Leonardo Blair joins "The Inside Story" to discuss what we know, why it matters and what comes next. "While Evans, who has pastored the church for 48 years, did not provide specific details on why he was stepping away, he confessed in a written statement that though he did not commit any crimes, he fell short of the biblical standards espoused by his ministry, suggesting it was 'due to sin,'" Blair wrote in a recent article. (Christian Post 6.17.24) Read More>>>>
Celebrated pastor and author Tony Evans shocked the Christian world when he recently announced he would step away from his pastoral duties to undergo a process of restoration due to an undisclosed "sin." Evans, who pastors the 11,000-member Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship church in Dallas, Texas, has had enormous influence throughout modern Christendom. Christian Post senior reporter Leonardo Blair joins "The Inside Story" to discuss what we know, why it matters and what comes next. "While Evans, who has pastored the church for 48 years, did not provide specific details on why he was stepping away, he confessed in a written statement that though he did not commit any crimes, he fell short of the biblical standards espoused by his ministry, suggesting it was 'due to sin,'" Blair wrote in a recent article. (Christian Post 6.17.24) Read More>>>>
Nov 28, 2023: Leonardo Blair: Christian Post: Pastor and wife hold on to faith as both are struck with deadly cancers
Nov 24, 2023: Leonardo Blair: Christian Post:Baptist pastor, Christian college president apologizes for allowing male speaker with long hair
Leonardo Blair
The more than 10,000-member Elevation Church in North Carolina, led by celebrity preacher Steven Furtick, has withdrawn its affiliation with the Southern Baptist Convention after more than 20 years of cooperation with the nation's largest Protestant denomination.
While Elevation Church did not appear to make the decision public, a copy of a letter published online dated June 26 shows that the church informed the SBC Executive Committee that its withdrawal from the denomination was "effective immediately."
"This letter is to inform you that Elevation Church is withdrawing its affiliation with the Southern Baptist Convention effective immediately. You will find that our Statement of Beliefs on our website is very much in line with the Baptist Faith and Message — we have no intention of changing those core beliefs," Chunks Corbett, CFO of the North Carolina megachurch, wrote in the letter.
"We have no plans to make a public announcement on this decision — we have too much to do in reaching a world that needs the love of Jesus. Should your Credentials Committee decide to make this decision by Elevation public, we will only respond with a copy of this letter in anyone inquiring about the notification," Corbett added. --Leonardo Blair: Christian Post: Elevation Church withdraws affiliation with Southern Baptist Convention 6.30.23
While Elevation Church did not appear to make the decision public, a copy of a letter published online dated June 26 shows that the church informed the SBC Executive Committee that its withdrawal from the denomination was "effective immediately."
"This letter is to inform you that Elevation Church is withdrawing its affiliation with the Southern Baptist Convention effective immediately. You will find that our Statement of Beliefs on our website is very much in line with the Baptist Faith and Message — we have no intention of changing those core beliefs," Chunks Corbett, CFO of the North Carolina megachurch, wrote in the letter.
"We have no plans to make a public announcement on this decision — we have too much to do in reaching a world that needs the love of Jesus. Should your Credentials Committee decide to make this decision by Elevation public, we will only respond with a copy of this letter in anyone inquiring about the notification," Corbett added. --Leonardo Blair: Christian Post: Elevation Church withdraws affiliation with Southern Baptist Convention 6.30.23
Feb 9, 2023: Leonardo Blair: Christian Post: Before shooting his teacher, 6-year-old allegedly threatened to kill student with gun at recess
==paul blair======
Feb 7, 2023: Baptist Press: Univ. cancels Ken Ham after LGBT group ‘put up a fuss’
Instead, Ham will speak March 5 at Fairview Baptist (Independent) Church near the university as a guest of pastor Paul Blair, whose church operates the UCO campus ministry Valid Worldview (VW)
Instead, Ham will speak March 5 at Fairview Baptist (Independent) Church near the university as a guest of pastor Paul Blair, whose church operates the UCO campus ministry Valid Worldview (VW)
Faith and firearms: Some Oklahoma religious leaders share their views on gun control
Some leaders, like Rabbi Vered Harris, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley and the Rev. Jesse Jackson, said there are several measures that may be implemented to address gun violence while the Rev. Paul Blair said people and their morals are the issue and not guns. By contrast, Blair, senior pastor of Fairview Baptist Church in Edmond, said inanimate objects like guns aren't the problem and shouldn't be the focus. "For some reason, my car is never guilty of driving drunk," he said. "Likewise, my firearms never go on shooting sprees. Clearly, the problem is not with the inanimate object. If so, no one could escape a gun show alive. The problem is with the morality of the people." Blair said Scripture is "consistent in the right to defend your life, family, and property with deadly force." He cited Exodus 22:2-3. "While the Bible is consistent with the command forbidding murder and abortion, man is allowed to kill trees for firewood or construction, animals for food and clothing, capitol punishment for first-degree murder, defensive warfare and killing in self-defense," he said.
(Carla Hinton/ The Oklahoman 6/5/22)
READ MORE>>>>>
Some leaders, like Rabbi Vered Harris, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley and the Rev. Jesse Jackson, said there are several measures that may be implemented to address gun violence while the Rev. Paul Blair said people and their morals are the issue and not guns. By contrast, Blair, senior pastor of Fairview Baptist Church in Edmond, said inanimate objects like guns aren't the problem and shouldn't be the focus. "For some reason, my car is never guilty of driving drunk," he said. "Likewise, my firearms never go on shooting sprees. Clearly, the problem is not with the inanimate object. If so, no one could escape a gun show alive. The problem is with the morality of the people." Blair said Scripture is "consistent in the right to defend your life, family, and property with deadly force." He cited Exodus 22:2-3. "While the Bible is consistent with the command forbidding murder and abortion, man is allowed to kill trees for firewood or construction, animals for food and clothing, capitol punishment for first-degree murder, defensive warfare and killing in self-defense," he said.
(Carla Hinton/ The Oklahoman 6/5/22)
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==MARsHALL BLALOCK======
Marshall Blalock serves as pastor of the First Baptist Church of Charleston. A native of Charleston, Marshall grew up in First Baptist Church. A graduate of Furman University (B.A. History), Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div.), and North Greenville University (D.Min.), he was ordained by First Baptist Church in August of 1981. He previously served as pastor of St. Helena Baptist Church in Beaufort, SC, and Sullivan’s Island Baptist Church in the Charleston area, returning to First Baptist Church as pastor in 1997. In the shadow of the Emanuel Nine murders on June 17, 2015, Marshall has been working for racial reconciliation to the city and beyond. He serves on the steering council for Unify, an initiative to bring reconciliation through churches across America. He has spoken at Mission Mississippi, the Southern Baptist Convention, and in universities across South Carolina. He has served as president of the South Carolina Baptist Convention, chairman of the Abuse Reform Task Force for the Southern Baptist Convention, and currently serves as a trustee on the International Mission Board.
Jan 14, 2023: Sight Magazine: Southern Baptists: Dispute over abuse hotline reveals how far the SBC still has to go
South Carolina pastor Marshall Blalock, who chairs the taskforce charged with implementing abuse reforms approved last summer, said survivors and advocates have every right to ask questions in this process.
“When concerns are raised, it is important to hear them,” he said.
South Carolina pastor Marshall Blalock, who chairs the taskforce charged with implementing abuse reforms approved last summer, said survivors and advocates have every right to ask questions in this process.
“When concerns are raised, it is important to hear them,” he said.
==john blanchard======
Feb 17, 2023: Christian Post: Rock Church Pastor John Blanchard agreed to psychosexual assessment to dismiss prostitution case
Despite once expressing no objection to sealing records pertaining to a child sex solicitation charge against Rock Church International Pastor John Blanchard, the Chesterfield County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office in Virginia now opposes that idea as a special prosecutor considers whether the case should be reopened amid a cloud of controversy.
Despite once expressing no objection to sealing records pertaining to a child sex solicitation charge against Rock Church International Pastor John Blanchard, the Chesterfield County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office in Virginia now opposes that idea as a special prosecutor considers whether the case should be reopened amid a cloud of controversy.
==john blase======
John Blase is a pastor’s son, writer, collaborator, and a full-time editor for David C. Cook Publishing. He was a pastor for 14 years in Texas, Arkansas, and Colorado. John has recently co-authored two books with Brennan Manning – All is Grace and Smack Dab in the Middle of God’s Love.
John Blase Files
While we still sorrow, the hope the apostle Paul talks about is that death doesn’t have the final say (1 Corinthians 15:54-55). There is something that follows, another word: resurrection. Paul grounds that hope in the reality of the resurrection of Christ (v. 12), and says “if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (v 14). If our hope as believers is limited to this world only, that’s just a pity (v. 19).
We will one day see those again who have “fallen asleep in Christ” (v. 18) — grandparents and parents, friends and neighbors, or perhaps even old schoolyard crushes. Death doesn’t get the last word. Resurrection does. --John Blasé
We will one day see those again who have “fallen asleep in Christ” (v. 18) — grandparents and parents, friends and neighbors, or perhaps even old schoolyard crushes. Death doesn’t get the last word. Resurrection does. --John Blasé
==mark blitz======
==ginger blomberg======
When my kids were little, a friend introduced me to the writings of Amy Carmichael. Carmichael’s young adult life was full of adventure as she traveled across the world and was part of a growing evangelism ministry in India. Then she started to shelter and raise young girls who were abandoned by their parents. Carmichael remembered an Indian proverb “Children bind the mother’s feet,” and as the number of children grew, she wondered if it was right for missionaries like her to abandon blossoming public ministry to “become just nursemaids.” In the end, she concluded, “If by doing some work which the undiscerning consider ‘not spiritual work,’ I can best serve others, and I inwardly rebel, thinking it is the spiritual for which I crave, when in truth it is the interesting and exciting, then I know nothing of Calvary love.” Her writings about the beauty of everyday faithfulness, especially in caring for children, were profoundly encouraging to me as I raised my own kids.
--Ginger Blomberg; Gospel Coalition; Amy Carmichael Shaped Me as a Mom 5.25.23
--Ginger Blomberg; Gospel Coalition; Amy Carmichael Shaped Me as a Mom 5.25.23
