- Tom Cooper - Jedidiah Coppenger - Chunks Corbett - Salvatore Cordileone - Eric Costanza - Kendra Cotton - J Blake Couey - David C Cramer - Brad Cranston - Barry Creamer - Charles F Creech - Mark Creech - Benjamin Cremer - Tony Cribb - Franco Crosby - Jeff Crosby - David Croteau - Ken Cuccinelli - David Curry - Michael Curry - David Curtis -
==tom cooper==================
Archbishop joins Christian leaders in statement against racism
Archbishop J. Michael Miller has added his signature to an open letter from Christian leaders condemning the sin of racism. The Vancouver archbishop is one of more than 130 signatories to the statement, titled An Open Letter to the Province of British Columbia and Canada. By God’s grace and mercy: Rev. Dr. Raymond C. Aldred, Director, Indigenous Studies, Interim Dean, VST; Michael Audain, Chairman, Polygon Homes; Thomas Cooper, President, City in Focus Foundation; Dr. June Francis, Associate Professor, Beedie School of Business SFU; Lawrence J. Ho, Senior Fellow, Murdock Charitable Trust, Hon. Yonah Martin, Senator
(The BC Catholic; 6/3/21) Read More>>>>>
Archbishop J. Michael Miller has added his signature to an open letter from Christian leaders condemning the sin of racism. The Vancouver archbishop is one of more than 130 signatories to the statement, titled An Open Letter to the Province of British Columbia and Canada. By God’s grace and mercy: Rev. Dr. Raymond C. Aldred, Director, Indigenous Studies, Interim Dean, VST; Michael Audain, Chairman, Polygon Homes; Thomas Cooper, President, City in Focus Foundation; Dr. June Francis, Associate Professor, Beedie School of Business SFU; Lawrence J. Ho, Senior Fellow, Murdock Charitable Trust, Hon. Yonah Martin, Senator
(The BC Catholic; 6/3/21) Read More>>>>>
Sept 2, 2016: Baptist Gobal News: Pastors oppose Franklin Graham crusade in Canada
Joining the Baptist pastors in objecting to the event were Marjeta Bobnar, coordinator of ecumenical and interfaith religions at the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver; Tom Cooper, president of the local charity City in Focus; and Ken Shigematsu, senior pastor of Tenth Church, a congregation affiliated with the Christian and Missionary Alliance.
Joining the Baptist pastors in objecting to the event were Marjeta Bobnar, coordinator of ecumenical and interfaith religions at the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver; Tom Cooper, president of the local charity City in Focus; and Ken Shigematsu, senior pastor of Tenth Church, a congregation affiliated with the Christian and Missionary Alliance.
==jedidiah coppenger============
Jedidiah Coppenger became a Christian when he was 20. He has served in a number of pastoral roles over the past 13 years, both in the United States and around the world. He edited and/or contributed to Retreat or Risk: A Call for a Great Commission Resurgence and Theology and Practice of Mission: God, the Church, and the Nations. He earned his B.S. in Business Administration from North Greenville University, my M.Div. from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Jed Coppenger is the lead pastor of Redemption City Church in Franklin, Tennessee.
Aug 26, 2019: Tennessean: Russell Moore: Southern Baptist churches must prevent sexual abuse, care for victims
Redemption City Church is one of them.
"We just know that we can't take a good enough approach to this kind of stuff and so we're always wanting to learn more and grow in our ability," said Jedidiah Coppenger, the church's lead pastor.
Redemption City Church is one of them.
"We just know that we can't take a good enough approach to this kind of stuff and so we're always wanting to learn more and grow in our ability," said Jedidiah Coppenger, the church's lead pastor.
How to celebrate Trump's election win? With humility.
Now is the time for humility — not brazen celebration from Donald Trump and his supporters — if there is any chance for healing the deep division in the country exacerbated by this fraught election season, says one Nashville pastor........Jedidiah Coppenger, lead pastor of the Redemption City Church in Franklin, said the election highlighted areas the church needs to work on, including better understanding the pain people are going through on either side of the ideological divide. But he thinks the church is poised to be a voice of hope and reconciliation by following Jesus' lead. "He listens to them and hears them and speaks to what they're really wrestling with, whether they agree or disagree," Coppenger said. (Holly Meyer/The Tennessean 11/9.16)
Read More>>>>>
Now is the time for humility — not brazen celebration from Donald Trump and his supporters — if there is any chance for healing the deep division in the country exacerbated by this fraught election season, says one Nashville pastor........Jedidiah Coppenger, lead pastor of the Redemption City Church in Franklin, said the election highlighted areas the church needs to work on, including better understanding the pain people are going through on either side of the ideological divide. But he thinks the church is poised to be a voice of hope and reconciliation by following Jesus' lead. "He listens to them and hears them and speaks to what they're really wrestling with, whether they agree or disagree," Coppenger said. (Holly Meyer/The Tennessean 11/9.16)
Read More>>>>>
Mar 28,2012: Youtube: Every Word Matters - Jedidiah Coppenger
An interview with Jedidiah Coppenger of B&H Publishing on the importance of every word.
An interview with Jedidiah Coppenger of B&H Publishing on the importance of every word.
==chunks corbett==============
June 30, 2023: Christian Post: Elevation Church withdraws affiliation with Southern Baptist Convention
"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.
"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.
salvatore cordileone
Apr 1, 2023: Christian Post: Nancy Pelosi ridicules archbishop for barring her from communion, not being LGBT advocate
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi publicly rebuked Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco, saying his decision to bar her from receiving Holy Communion was “his problem, not mine,” and criticized him for not supporting LGBT causes and opposing abortion.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi publicly rebuked Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco, saying his decision to bar her from receiving Holy Communion was “his problem, not mine,” and criticized him for not supporting LGBT causes and opposing abortion.
eric costanza
June 7, 2023: Washington Post: For many Southern Baptists, the only campaign question is which Republican candidate to support
“These days it’s almost impossible to avoid it, more than it used to,” said Eric Costanzo, pastor of South Tulsa Baptist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. “We’ve had to cross those lines in different ways because of the issues we’re involved in,” such as advocating for immigrants or for reforms in how Southern Baptists deal with issues of abuse.
“These days it’s almost impossible to avoid it, more than it used to,” said Eric Costanzo, pastor of South Tulsa Baptist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. “We’ve had to cross those lines in different ways because of the issues we’re involved in,” such as advocating for immigrants or for reforms in how Southern Baptists deal with issues of abuse.
kendra cotton
May 20, 2022: AP: Religious backers of abortion rights say God’s on their side
“We need to have a real conversation about what we describe as Christianity,” said Kendra Cotton, a member of the Black Southern Women’s Collective, a network of Black women organizers, many of them from faith-based groups.
The white evangelical worldview that abortion is murder has consumed the conversation, flattening the understanding of how religion and views on abortion truly intersect, she said.
“We need to have a real conversation about what we describe as Christianity,” said Kendra Cotton, a member of the Black Southern Women’s Collective, a network of Black women organizers, many of them from faith-based groups.
The white evangelical worldview that abortion is murder has consumed the conversation, flattening the understanding of how religion and views on abortion truly intersect, she said.
===j. blake couey=================
Hosea’s wife is named only once in the text: “Gomer, daughter of Diblaim” (verse 3).
The names of Gomer’s last two children, Lo-Ruhamah (“Not-Loved”) and Lo-Ammi (“Not-My-People”), articulate God’s rejection of Israel for worshiping other deities. But the name of her first child, Jezreel, has a different offense in view. It commemorates the place where a military official named Jehu usurped the throne of Israel by assassinating members of the previous ruling family and slaughtering their descendants (see 2 Kings 9-10). Set nearly a century later, during the reign of Jehu’s great-grandson Jeroboam II, Hosea 1:4 threatens that “the house of Jehu” will be held accountable for “the blood of Jezreel.” Later readers would have associated this prophecy both with the end of Jehu’s dynasty, when Jeroboam’s son Zechariah was assassinated, and with the conquest of Israel by Assyria a few decades later.
--J Blake Couey Working Preacher
The names of Gomer’s last two children, Lo-Ruhamah (“Not-Loved”) and Lo-Ammi (“Not-My-People”), articulate God’s rejection of Israel for worshiping other deities. But the name of her first child, Jezreel, has a different offense in view. It commemorates the place where a military official named Jehu usurped the throne of Israel by assassinating members of the previous ruling family and slaughtering their descendants (see 2 Kings 9-10). Set nearly a century later, during the reign of Jehu’s great-grandson Jeroboam II, Hosea 1:4 threatens that “the house of Jehu” will be held accountable for “the blood of Jezreel.” Later readers would have associated this prophecy both with the end of Jehu’s dynasty, when Jeroboam’s son Zechariah was assassinated, and with the conquest of Israel by Assyria a few decades later.
--J Blake Couey Working Preacher
==david c cramer=================
In short, Christian nationalism is “wholly obsessed with power,” “intimately intertwined with fear” and “completely comfortable with, and at times demands, the use of violence.”
When picturing Christian nationalism in action, we might think of the extremists who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, holding signs that read “Jesus is my savior, Trump is my president” or “Proud American Christian.” While this might lead us to imagine Christian nationalism as a fringe segment of U.S. society and Christian congregations, Whitehead notes that “close to two-thirds of white American Christians are at least favorable toward Christian nationalism, and that number increases to over 75% if we look solely at white evangelicals.”
Christian nationalism affects many of our churches today, even in the Anabaptist tradition. --David C Cramer; Anabaptist World; I Was a Christian nationalist; 8/18/23
When picturing Christian nationalism in action, we might think of the extremists who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, holding signs that read “Jesus is my savior, Trump is my president” or “Proud American Christian.” While this might lead us to imagine Christian nationalism as a fringe segment of U.S. society and Christian congregations, Whitehead notes that “close to two-thirds of white American Christians are at least favorable toward Christian nationalism, and that number increases to over 75% if we look solely at white evangelicals.”
Christian nationalism affects many of our churches today, even in the Anabaptist tradition. --David C Cramer; Anabaptist World; I Was a Christian nationalist; 8/18/23
brad cranston
Oct 25, 2023: Times of Israel: Support for Israel becomes top issue for Iowa evangelicals key to first GOP caucuses
Several pastors also have criticized biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, a political newcomer who has lined up with Trump’s foreign policy ideas and at times criticized US aid to Israel. Some evangelicals have long questioned whether they could vote for Ramaswamy, who is Hindu but often talks about his affinity for Judeo-Christian beliefs.
“I think he’s trying to figure out what conservatives want to hear,” said Brad Cranston, the former pastor of Heritage Baptist Church in Burlington, Iowa. “And I think he thinks conservatives want a less interventionist foreign policy. But that does not work when it comes to Israel.”
Several pastors also have criticized biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, a political newcomer who has lined up with Trump’s foreign policy ideas and at times criticized US aid to Israel. Some evangelicals have long questioned whether they could vote for Ramaswamy, who is Hindu but often talks about his affinity for Judeo-Christian beliefs.
“I think he’s trying to figure out what conservatives want to hear,” said Brad Cranston, the former pastor of Heritage Baptist Church in Burlington, Iowa. “And I think he thinks conservatives want a less interventionist foreign policy. But that does not work when it comes to Israel.”
Jan 30, 2023: New Republic: Ron DeSantis and His Christian Crusaders Are Stealing Trump’s Religious Thunder
“Donald Trump has to go,” conservative evangelical Everett Piper wrote for The Washington Times in November. “If he’s our nominee in 2024, we will get destroyed.” Some of her peers evidently agree. An unnamed evangelical leader told Vanity Fair last month that if Trump wins the GOP nomination, Republicans will “get crushed in the general.” Speaking with The Washington Post, Baptists for Biblical Values founder Brad Cranston disparaged the former president and said Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had the “best chance.”
“Donald Trump has to go,” conservative evangelical Everett Piper wrote for The Washington Times in November. “If he’s our nominee in 2024, we will get destroyed.” Some of her peers evidently agree. An unnamed evangelical leader told Vanity Fair last month that if Trump wins the GOP nomination, Republicans will “get crushed in the general.” Speaking with The Washington Post, Baptists for Biblical Values founder Brad Cranston disparaged the former president and said Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had the “best chance.”
barry creamer
April 18, 2023: Baptist Press: SBC leaders, former presidents react to death of Charles Stanley
“For the past seven decades, Dr. Charles Stanley led faithfully in both his church and broadcast ministry, influencing countless lives through Scriptural exposition. His life provided an essential bridge from the generation of Dr. Criswell, inspiring other expositors to hold Scripture in the highest regard. May all those in Christian leadership emulate his model of fidelity and integrity.”--Barry Creamer, president, Criswell College
“For the past seven decades, Dr. Charles Stanley led faithfully in both his church and broadcast ministry, influencing countless lives through Scriptural exposition. His life provided an essential bridge from the generation of Dr. Criswell, inspiring other expositors to hold Scripture in the highest regard. May all those in Christian leadership emulate his model of fidelity and integrity.”--Barry Creamer, president, Criswell College
charles F. creech
Peace comes from obeying God’s commandments. A lack of peace comes from being “wicked.” Peace does not come from money or fame or acquiring material possessions. This passage of scripture tells us the truth concerning peace. You obtain peace about yourself and about the world around you by doing the right thing keeping God’s commandments. Human beings are spiritual creatures with a conscience. We become troubled when we know that we have sinned. We become disturbed when we realize that we have failed orally or ethically. The wicked are those who refuse God’s Word and God’s commandments. The wicked become tormented by the knowledge that they are not right with Christ. In Luke 16 Jesus tells us about a rich man who was in hell, and who lifted up his voice and said in Luke 16:12, “And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.” Some people are tormented in their minds because of their sins. There are two solutions to this turmoil of mind. One solution is to avoid sin. The more that you avoid sin, the more turmoil and torment that you will avoid for yourself as a result of the sin. There are few things more unsettling than a troubled conscience. If you have sinned, then you can find peace by turning to Christ for forgiveness. The Bible says in First John 2:1-2, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” --Charles F. (Rick) Creech
-------------------------------------------------
mark creech
March 3, 2023: Blue Ridge Christian News: ‘In God We Trust’ Would be Placed in N.C. Legislative Chambers Under New Bill
“In Washington, our national motto, ‘In God We Trust,’ appears opposite the President of the United States Senate, who is also the Vice President of the United States. The same phrase in very large letters appears in the marble, and backdrops the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. I know that I speak for all of the churches who support the Christian Action League when I say we are thrilled Rep. (Ben) Moss has filed a bill to have ‘In God We Trust” placed before our state’s Senate and House...........Absolutely necessary to the survival of this nation is this forceful and explicit statement that the hope and strength of our great state and nation is not in our own intellect, ingenuities or even inclusiveness,” Creech said. “Our strength and our hope, as a people, is primarily determined by our trust in the God of the Bible.” --Christian Action League Executive Director Rev Mark Creech 3.3.23
“In Washington, our national motto, ‘In God We Trust,’ appears opposite the President of the United States Senate, who is also the Vice President of the United States. The same phrase in very large letters appears in the marble, and backdrops the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. I know that I speak for all of the churches who support the Christian Action League when I say we are thrilled Rep. (Ben) Moss has filed a bill to have ‘In God We Trust” placed before our state’s Senate and House...........Absolutely necessary to the survival of this nation is this forceful and explicit statement that the hope and strength of our great state and nation is not in our own intellect, ingenuities or even inclusiveness,” Creech said. “Our strength and our hope, as a people, is primarily determined by our trust in the God of the Bible.” --Christian Action League Executive Director Rev Mark Creech 3.3.23
==benjamin cremer===============
How Not to Prove Progressive Christianity’s ‘Moral Superiority’
Progressive Christians are better than evangelicals: Just ask them! They care for the poor, they care for women’s rights, they care for downtrodden and oppressed LGBT people. They actually care about life more than evangelicals and conservative Catholics, whose only real concern is holding power over people. Funny thing, though: For all their moral superiority, they have serious problems with telling the truth. This isn’t just one accommodationist who does that. I see it again and again. Take the Rev. Benjamin Cremer, an ex-evangelical whose Xwitter feed (as I think we should all call it now) is one long rendition of moral superiority. Example One: Imagine if the pro life movement put all the effort it is putting into abortion bans into dismantling poverty, providing healthcare, living wages, access to reproductive education, and advocating equal rights for women rather than criminalizing them. They’d reduce abortion. (Tom Gilson/The Stream 11/12/23) Read More>>>>> |
==tony cribb=============
Prominent SC evangelical leaders form coalition, back DeSantis in 2024 GOP presidential race
A group of prominent South Carolina faith leaders are rallying support for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in his effort to woo evangelical voters in the 2024 race. Eighteen Christian leaders, including pastors, church leaders and theology experts, will lead a network of 100 members, the Greenville News has learned. The list includes leaders from churches based in the Upstate such as Rev. Tony Cribb at Hope Church, which has branches in Greenville, Spartanburg and Simpsonville. The list also includes educators from Bob Jones University and North Greenville University. Following the publication of this story, a representative from Hope Church reached out to the News and said the endorsement by Rev. Cribb does not reflect the views of the church. The representative said Hope Church is not endorsing a candidate.
(Devyani Chhetri/Greenville News 9/21/23)
READ MORE>>>>>
A group of prominent South Carolina faith leaders are rallying support for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in his effort to woo evangelical voters in the 2024 race. Eighteen Christian leaders, including pastors, church leaders and theology experts, will lead a network of 100 members, the Greenville News has learned. The list includes leaders from churches based in the Upstate such as Rev. Tony Cribb at Hope Church, which has branches in Greenville, Spartanburg and Simpsonville. The list also includes educators from Bob Jones University and North Greenville University. Following the publication of this story, a representative from Hope Church reached out to the News and said the endorsement by Rev. Cribb does not reflect the views of the church. The representative said Hope Church is not endorsing a candidate.
(Devyani Chhetri/Greenville News 9/21/23)
READ MORE>>>>>
==franco crosby==================
Sept 26, 2020: Faith On View: A small southern town and her monument
Franco Crosby is the friend who we went out to support that first night of demonstrations. He is an alumnus of Lee University and is starting the Masters in Theology program at Vanderbilt University this fall. He has emerged as a leader in this demonstration and a voice for peace. Under his guidance, the demonstrators no longer yell in response to provocation. They have adopted a stance of non-engagement. They demonstrate peacefully and do not respond to provocations from the pro-monument protesters or motorists. A growing group of demonstrators, dedicated to change, gather virtually every evening to call attention to the issue.
Franco Crosby is the friend who we went out to support that first night of demonstrations. He is an alumnus of Lee University and is starting the Masters in Theology program at Vanderbilt University this fall. He has emerged as a leader in this demonstration and a voice for peace. Under his guidance, the demonstrators no longer yell in response to provocation. They have adopted a stance of non-engagement. They demonstrate peacefully and do not respond to provocations from the pro-monument protesters or motorists. A growing group of demonstrators, dedicated to change, gather virtually every evening to call attention to the issue.
jeff crosby
The Top 10 Religion Stories of 2023
6. Seeing the Light on Religious Fiction Jeff Crosby, the executive director of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, is embracing Christian fiction after years as a skeptic, in large part because of the genre’s progress when it comes to adding more diverse voices and a greater range of topics.
(Emma Winner/Publishers Weekly 12/13/23)
READ MORE>>>>>
6. Seeing the Light on Religious Fiction Jeff Crosby, the executive director of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, is embracing Christian fiction after years as a skeptic, in large part because of the genre’s progress when it comes to adding more diverse voices and a greater range of topics.
(Emma Winner/Publishers Weekly 12/13/23)
READ MORE>>>>>
david croteau
May 3, 2023: Roys Report: Study Reveals Which Denominations Hold Strongest Beliefs on Tithing
The study released last week by Lifeway Research, a firm affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, found that 77% of Protestant churchgoers in the U.S. affirm that “tithing is a biblical command that still applies today.” Only 10% rejected this belief and another 13% were unsure. Lutherans’ rejection of tithing “makes a lot of sense historically,” said David Croteau, dean of Columbia Biblical Seminary, commenting on the survey. “Martin Luther himself did not believe that Christians were required to tithe,” he told The Roys Report (TRR). In a time of churches’ tightening budgets, Croteau, author of Tithing After the Cross, said he often hears concerns that giving will decline if a church’s teaching shifts away from tithing. But he contends that’s the wrong mindset.
“Ever since the modern emphasis on tithing began—in the 1870s—it has not helped increase giving among evangelicals,” he said. “Giving now is similar to giving during the Great Depression.”
Croteau said he urges pastors and lay leaders to study New Testament principles of “grace giving,” which he defines as systematic, sacrificial, and generous.
“Law is not a good motivator,” he added. “Love is a much better motivator and will last much longer than law.”
The study released last week by Lifeway Research, a firm affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, found that 77% of Protestant churchgoers in the U.S. affirm that “tithing is a biblical command that still applies today.” Only 10% rejected this belief and another 13% were unsure. Lutherans’ rejection of tithing “makes a lot of sense historically,” said David Croteau, dean of Columbia Biblical Seminary, commenting on the survey. “Martin Luther himself did not believe that Christians were required to tithe,” he told The Roys Report (TRR). In a time of churches’ tightening budgets, Croteau, author of Tithing After the Cross, said he often hears concerns that giving will decline if a church’s teaching shifts away from tithing. But he contends that’s the wrong mindset.
“Ever since the modern emphasis on tithing began—in the 1870s—it has not helped increase giving among evangelicals,” he said. “Giving now is similar to giving during the Great Depression.”
Croteau said he urges pastors and lay leaders to study New Testament principles of “grace giving,” which he defines as systematic, sacrificial, and generous.
“Law is not a good motivator,” he added. “Love is a much better motivator and will last much longer than law.”
ken cuccinelli
Mar 30, 2023: Religious News Service: Can DeSantis break Trump’s hold on the religious right?
A super PAC backing DeSantis has already snagged several notable veterans of Ted Cruz’s 2016 run, as well as former Trump administration official Ken Cuccinelli, a conservative Christian who has visited four early primary states seeking support for DeSantis. The governor has also garnered Nate Hochman, a young writer nurtured in the MAGA-adjacent conservative movement who describes himself as “a culture warrior first and foremost.”
A super PAC backing DeSantis has already snagged several notable veterans of Ted Cruz’s 2016 run, as well as former Trump administration official Ken Cuccinelli, a conservative Christian who has visited four early primary states seeking support for DeSantis. The governor has also garnered Nate Hochman, a young writer nurtured in the MAGA-adjacent conservative movement who describes himself as “a culture warrior first and foremost.”
david curry
Christian watchdog group pushes back against Pew report suggesting decline of Christians in China
The leader of a Christian nonprofit watchdog group is pushing back against a recent Pew Research report suggesting that the number of Christians in China could have declined in recent years amid a crackdown by the Chinese Communist Party. "A recent Pew Research Report measuring religion in China suggests that Christianity in the country has stagnated and is perhaps even in decline," Global Christian Relief President and CEO David Curry wrote in a Nov. 19 op-ed for Fox News Digital about the Chinese Christian population
(Jon Brown/Christian Post 11/26/23)
Read More>>>>>
The leader of a Christian nonprofit watchdog group is pushing back against a recent Pew Research report suggesting that the number of Christians in China could have declined in recent years amid a crackdown by the Chinese Communist Party. "A recent Pew Research Report measuring religion in China suggests that Christianity in the country has stagnated and is perhaps even in decline," Global Christian Relief President and CEO David Curry wrote in a Nov. 19 op-ed for Fox News Digital about the Chinese Christian population
(Jon Brown/Christian Post 11/26/23)
Read More>>>>>
--michael curry---------------------
The Most Rev. Michael Bruce Curry is Presiding Bishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church. He is the Chief Pastor and serves as President and Chief Executive Officer, and as Chair of the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church. Presiding Bishop Curry was installed as the 27th Presiding Bishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church on November 1, 2015. He was elected to a nine-year term and confirmed at the 78th General Convention of The Episcopal Church in Salt Lake City, UT, on June 27, 2015.
I realize that some notable folk interpreted what Jesus was saying when he says, “A new commandment I give you that you love one another, for by this, everyone will know that you are my disciples.” It was this saying was attributed to Prime Minister Disraeli. It was also attributed to Mahatma Gandhi, but I never met either one of them. I heard it at a concert from Jimi Hendrix. And I don’t know if Jimi was actually consciously doing a riff off Jesus, but the Spirit was moving. And he may not have even known it.
Because when Jimi, I think, heard Jesus say, “A new commandment I give you that you love one another”—and then after he says all of that, toward the end of these sayings, he says, “In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” And Jimi heard that saying about the power of love. And he said this—like I said, I didn’t hear Gandhi say it, and I didn’t hear the prime minister say it, but I heard Jimi say it. I was a teenager, and I heard Jimi say it. This was before the internet.
Jimi said it this way: “When the power of love overcomes the love of power”—y’all with me now? “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will know peace.” Oh, oh, then the world, then the world, then the world will know peace. Then there will be justice. Then truth will be told in public squares. Then we will learn how to lay down our swords and shield down by the riverside and study war no more.
“When the power of love”—repeat after me—“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will know peace.” It is all about love. Oh, turn and tell your neighbor, it’s all about love. Go on, tell them. It’s all about love. All about love. All about love. It’s all about love.
Something dawned on me when I was getting ready for this, and I don’t think it was the medicines that I’m taking, but I hadn’t thought about it before. But it dawned on me that in that last week of Jesus’ earthly life, before the crucifixion, it dawned on me that Jesus was entering Jerusalem, which was a center of the Roman empire occupying Palestine. He was going to the heart of the beast in the Middle East. Did you like that? And he went there, it dawned on me, to confront an empire in love with power, with the power of love.
That’s why he went there. And when he went there, he deliberately provoked the empire that was in love with its power … Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, right? And he did it timing it with the entrance of Pontius Pilate, the governor of Rome. Pilate was coming in from the west side of the city, having been in his palace at Fortress Antonia. Jesus came in on the eastern side of the city, the Mount of Olives in that area.
--Michael Curry; Anglican Ink; Address to the “All about Love” festival delivered by Presiding Bishop Michael Curry 7.11.23
Because when Jimi, I think, heard Jesus say, “A new commandment I give you that you love one another”—and then after he says all of that, toward the end of these sayings, he says, “In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” And Jimi heard that saying about the power of love. And he said this—like I said, I didn’t hear Gandhi say it, and I didn’t hear the prime minister say it, but I heard Jimi say it. I was a teenager, and I heard Jimi say it. This was before the internet.
Jimi said it this way: “When the power of love overcomes the love of power”—y’all with me now? “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will know peace.” Oh, oh, then the world, then the world, then the world will know peace. Then there will be justice. Then truth will be told in public squares. Then we will learn how to lay down our swords and shield down by the riverside and study war no more.
“When the power of love”—repeat after me—“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will know peace.” It is all about love. Oh, turn and tell your neighbor, it’s all about love. Go on, tell them. It’s all about love. All about love. All about love. It’s all about love.
Something dawned on me when I was getting ready for this, and I don’t think it was the medicines that I’m taking, but I hadn’t thought about it before. But it dawned on me that in that last week of Jesus’ earthly life, before the crucifixion, it dawned on me that Jesus was entering Jerusalem, which was a center of the Roman empire occupying Palestine. He was going to the heart of the beast in the Middle East. Did you like that? And he went there, it dawned on me, to confront an empire in love with power, with the power of love.
That’s why he went there. And when he went there, he deliberately provoked the empire that was in love with its power … Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, right? And he did it timing it with the entrance of Pontius Pilate, the governor of Rome. Pilate was coming in from the west side of the city, having been in his palace at Fortress Antonia. Jesus came in on the eastern side of the city, the Mount of Olives in that area.
--Michael Curry; Anglican Ink; Address to the “All about Love” festival delivered by Presiding Bishop Michael Curry 7.11.23
Mar 7, 2023: Christian Post: Frank Griswold, former head of Episcopal Church, dies at age 85
Current Presiding Bishop Michael Curry said Griswold was "a remarkable and faithful servant of God" and asked for prayers for "Bishop Griswold, and the souls of all the departed."
Current Presiding Bishop Michael Curry said Griswold was "a remarkable and faithful servant of God" and asked for prayers for "Bishop Griswold, and the souls of all the departed."
--david curtis-------------------
The late author and astronomer, Carl Sagan, said, "The universe is all that ever was and ever will be." As an astronomer who studied the heavens, he didn't see the glory of God, he didn't see God at all. Julian Huxley, who was an English evolutionary biologist, said, "It is all accident, all a matter of chance. No reason, no end, no purpose at all." These men didn't just view, they studied God's creation, and they never saw Him or His glory. Natural man says that the matter of which the universe is made somehow over billions of years organized itself into all that we see without any outside assistance or intelligence.
What is called, "natural or general revelation" will not bring anybody to God; just like special revelation won't bring anybody to God. The only way man comes to God is if God draws him to Himself:
"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. John 6:44 NASB
But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. 1 Corinthians 2:14. The man without the Spirit cannot appreciate God's glory through the heavens, or through special revelation. God must first effectually call a man, then man can see His glory in creation and in the Word. How much do dead men see of the glory of God?:
For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 1 Corinthians 1:21 NASBThis verse destroys every variety of "natural revelation" and natural theology: "The world through its wisdom did not come to know God." Knowledge of God comes only through His propositional revelation. --David B Curtis; Berean Bible Church; They Knew God? (Romans 1:19-23) 1.3.16
What is called, "natural or general revelation" will not bring anybody to God; just like special revelation won't bring anybody to God. The only way man comes to God is if God draws him to Himself:
"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. John 6:44 NASB
But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. 1 Corinthians 2:14. The man without the Spirit cannot appreciate God's glory through the heavens, or through special revelation. God must first effectually call a man, then man can see His glory in creation and in the Word. How much do dead men see of the glory of God?:
For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 1 Corinthians 1:21 NASBThis verse destroys every variety of "natural revelation" and natural theology: "The world through its wisdom did not come to know God." Knowledge of God comes only through His propositional revelation. --David B Curtis; Berean Bible Church; They Knew God? (Romans 1:19-23) 1.3.16
Now, being rich has its share of problems, just as being poor has its share. The temptation to the rich is to trust in riches, while the temptation to the poor is to doubt God's provision. But in both cases the Lord is saying, "I have a perspective for you. If you are rich or poor, your focus is to be on Me." For example, in verse 21 He says, "Put your treasure in heaven, because that is where I want your heart." In verse 33 He says, "But seek ye first the kingdom...." In other words, "Put your heart in heaven and don't worry, I will give you what you need." The focus of the rich in the world is to lay up treasures on earth (v. 19). The focus of the poor in the world is to seek after what they will eat, drink, and wear for clothing. If you are rich, pursue a heavenly investment; if you are poor, pursue the kingdom of God. When it comes to money and possessions, our focus is to be on God and not on possessions. We are not to grasp and claw after things, we are to seek God and allow Him to fulfill His promises and provisions to us.
The emphasis of verses 25 through 34 is on the subject of anxiety or worry. Three times in these verses, Christ gives the admonition, "Do not be anxious." We live in a society which is characterized by worry over material things. -David B Curtis; Berean Bible Church; Stop Worrying, Start Trusting! Matthew 6:25-27 03/02/2003
The emphasis of verses 25 through 34 is on the subject of anxiety or worry. Three times in these verses, Christ gives the admonition, "Do not be anxious." We live in a society which is characterized by worry over material things. -David B Curtis; Berean Bible Church; Stop Worrying, Start Trusting! Matthew 6:25-27 03/02/2003