D - PEOPLE FILES
- Lauren Daigle - Jim Daly - Charlie Dates - Bible Davids - Rebecca Bible Davids - Andy Davis - Angela Davis - Chris Davis - Ellen F Davis - Mark Davis - Randy C Davis - Sarah Davis - Melissa Deckman - Brian Dees - Mason Dees -
==lauren daigle======
Lauren Ashley Daigle (born September 9, 1991) is an American contemporary Christian music singer and songwriter. After being signed to the label Centricity Music, she released her debut album, How Can It Be, in 2015. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top Christian Albums chart, has been certified Platinum by the RIAA and produced three No. 1 singles on the Billboard Christian Airplay chart ("First", "Trust in You", and "O'Lord").
Daigle's third studio album, Look Up Child, was released in September 2018. Bolstered by the pop crossover success of the single "You Say", it went on to debut at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart, becoming the highest-charting Christian album by a woman in over 20 years, and No. 1 on the Top Christian Albums chart, with 115,000 album-equivalent units sold in the first week. The album's lead single, "You Say", peaked at No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and has broken the record for the number of weeks at No. 1 on any chart by spending 129 atop the Billboard Hot Christian Songs chart. The album and single earned Daigle two Grammy Awards. In addition to two Grammy Awards, Daigle has won seven GMA Dove Awards, five Billboard Music Awards, two American Music Awards, and has had four No. 1 singles on both the Billboard Christian Airplay and Hot Christian Songs chart.
Daigle's third studio album, Look Up Child, was released in September 2018. Bolstered by the pop crossover success of the single "You Say", it went on to debut at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart, becoming the highest-charting Christian album by a woman in over 20 years, and No. 1 on the Top Christian Albums chart, with 115,000 album-equivalent units sold in the first week. The album's lead single, "You Say", peaked at No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and has broken the record for the number of weeks at No. 1 on any chart by spending 129 atop the Billboard Hot Christian Songs chart. The album and single earned Daigle two Grammy Awards. In addition to two Grammy Awards, Daigle has won seven GMA Dove Awards, five Billboard Music Awards, two American Music Awards, and has had four No. 1 singles on both the Billboard Christian Airplay and Hot Christian Songs chart.
Baton Rouge woman lives her dream, sings with Lauren Daigle at a Louisiana concert
A recent high school graduate sang with one of her favorite artists at a concert in Louisiana. Anna Crasto grew up in Baton Rouge and was part of the most recent graduating class at St. Joseph’s Academy. She got to sing with Lauren Daigle at the Cajundome in Lafayette on June 12, Daigle’s last stop on the Kaleidoscope Tour. Crasto went to the concert with her friends and mom, the tickets were a graduation gift.
(BRProud 7/3/24) READ MORE>>>>>
A recent high school graduate sang with one of her favorite artists at a concert in Louisiana. Anna Crasto grew up in Baton Rouge and was part of the most recent graduating class at St. Joseph’s Academy. She got to sing with Lauren Daigle at the Cajundome in Lafayette on June 12, Daigle’s last stop on the Kaleidoscope Tour. Crasto went to the concert with her friends and mom, the tickets were a graduation gift.
(BRProud 7/3/24) READ MORE>>>>>
LAUREN DAIGLE MINISTERS TO 300 WOMEN IN OKLAHOMA PRISON
Christian artist Lauren Daigle visited an Oklahoma prison and ministered to 300 women. She remarked, “When you go into prisons and sing, that is where you get a true sense of freedom.” PrisonThe Prison Fellowship shared on social media how the Christian singer Lauren Daigle used her talent to minister to women inside the prison. She was not indifferent but compassionate toward them.
(Christian Learning 4/24/24) READ MORE>>>>>
Christian artist Lauren Daigle visited an Oklahoma prison and ministered to 300 women. She remarked, “When you go into prisons and sing, that is where you get a true sense of freedom.” PrisonThe Prison Fellowship shared on social media how the Christian singer Lauren Daigle used her talent to minister to women inside the prison. She was not indifferent but compassionate toward them.
(Christian Learning 4/24/24) READ MORE>>>>>
==Jim Daly======
Jim Daly (born July 22, 1961) started his career at Focus in 1989 as an assistant to the president, fostering relationships with the ministry’s supporters. He was appointed international field director for Asia, Africa and Australia in 1992, and in 1997 was promoted to vice president of the International Division. In 2004, Daly was appointed chief operating officer, the role he held until he was handpicked by Focus on the Family founder Dr. James Dobson to be the group’s president in 2005.
Christian leaders react to Trump surviving assassination attempt: 'Thank God the former president is alive'
In a statement shared with The Christian Post on Saturday, Focus on the Family President Jim Daly expressed gratitude that former President Donald Trump survived the shooting and was not severely injured. “We are grateful that President Trump was not seriously injured in the tragic shooting at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania this afternoon. We are praying earnestly for Mr. Trump and his family and the loved ones of the bystander who was killed — and we ask our fellow Christians to call on our mighty and merciful God to comfort all those affected. "While the full details of what occurred are still rightfully being carefully investigated, it is in no way premature to call for Americans of all ideological perspectives, Republicans and Democrats alike, to commit to bringing greater civility to their advocacy in the public square.
(Christian Post 7/14/24) READ MORE>>>>>
In a statement shared with The Christian Post on Saturday, Focus on the Family President Jim Daly expressed gratitude that former President Donald Trump survived the shooting and was not severely injured. “We are grateful that President Trump was not seriously injured in the tragic shooting at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania this afternoon. We are praying earnestly for Mr. Trump and his family and the loved ones of the bystander who was killed — and we ask our fellow Christians to call on our mighty and merciful God to comfort all those affected. "While the full details of what occurred are still rightfully being carefully investigated, it is in no way premature to call for Americans of all ideological perspectives, Republicans and Democrats alike, to commit to bringing greater civility to their advocacy in the public square.
(Christian Post 7/14/24) READ MORE>>>>>
Feb 28, 2023: Jim Daly: Belleville News Democrat: Importance of being playful
Jim Daly
The late novelist Pat Conroy described a broken marriage well when he said, “Every divorce is the death of a small civilization.” I think that’s absolutely right. Divorce doesn’t just split up a husband and wife or separate kids from their parents. The breakdown of the family is one of the most overlooked contributors to the poverty rate in America. --Jim Daly; Focus On the Family; 2.1.23
Nov 29, 2022: Daily Signal: Focus on the Family Blamed for Club Q Shooting Despite Jim Daly Condemnation, Suspect’s Nonbinary IdentityFocus on the Family President Jim Daly condemned the shooting on the day it occurred. He said the “horrific” event “exposes the evil and wickedness inside the human heart. We must condemn in the strongest terms possible the taking of innocent life.”
After the vandalism, Daly said the shooting’s aftermath should be “a time of prayer, grieving and healing, not vandalism and the spreading of hate.”
“The families of the five individuals killed in Saturday night’s senseless attack are in our prayers,” Daly added in a public statement. “We urge everyone to pray for peace and we also pray for the individual or group responsible for this mischievous and unwarranted defacing of our ministry’s property.”
Many news outlets cited Daly’s condemnation of the shooting, but the Southern Poverty Law Center notably did not. Instead, the SPLC illustrated how some on the Left smear political opponents, even when they have nothing to do with the crime at issue
After the vandalism, Daly said the shooting’s aftermath should be “a time of prayer, grieving and healing, not vandalism and the spreading of hate.”
“The families of the five individuals killed in Saturday night’s senseless attack are in our prayers,” Daly added in a public statement. “We urge everyone to pray for peace and we also pray for the individual or group responsible for this mischievous and unwarranted defacing of our ministry’s property.”
Many news outlets cited Daly’s condemnation of the shooting, but the Southern Poverty Law Center notably did not. Instead, the SPLC illustrated how some on the Left smear political opponents, even when they have nothing to do with the crime at issue
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Nov 2, 2022: Denver Post: Focus on the Family’s Colorado Springs headquarters sign vandalized days after Club Q mass shooting
“We recognize the community is hurting in the aftermath of the reckless and violent actions of a very disturbed individual,” said Jim Daly, president of Focus on the Family, in a Friday statement. “This is a time for prayer, grieving and healing, not vandalism and the spreading of hate.” “The families of the five individuals killed in Saturday night’s senseless attack are in our prayers,” Daly said. “We urge everyone to pray for peace and we also pray for the individual or group responsible for this mischievous and unwarranted defacing of our ministry’s property.” |
November 25, 2022
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==john danforth======
John Claggett Danforth is an American politician, attorney and diplomat who began his career in 1968 as the Attorney General of Missouri and served three terms as United States Senator from Missouri. In 2004, he served briefly as United States Ambassador to the United Nations. Danforth is an ordained Episcopal priest.
John Danforth
“I think that Clarence Thomas is going to be a judge who does not try to use the Supreme Court as a way of fostering his own political philosophy.” --John Danforth; Meet the Press; 1991.
“I think that Clarence Thomas is going to be a judge who does not try to use the Supreme Court as a way of fostering his own political philosophy.” --John Danforth; Meet the Press; 1991.
John Danforth
Republicans have transformed our party into the political arm of the conservative Christians.
--John Danforth
How do we stop ourselves from blowing each other up because we think that God wants us to blow each other up. --John Danforth
The Republican Party has become the party of one branch of one religion.
--John Danforth; NBC Meet the Press, September 24, 2006
--John Danforth
How do we stop ourselves from blowing each other up because we think that God wants us to blow each other up. --John Danforth
The Republican Party has become the party of one branch of one religion.
--John Danforth; NBC Meet the Press, September 24, 2006
John Danforth
In the Middle East, Iraq, Sudan, the former Yugoslavia and Northern Ireland, and many other places in the world, religion has been so divisive that people have killed one another, believing they were doing the work of God. --John Danforth
In the Middle East, Iraq, Sudan, the former Yugoslavia and Northern Ireland, and many other places in the world, religion has been so divisive that people have killed one another, believing they were doing the work of God. --John Danforth
John Danforth
Plenty of kind, decent, caring people have no religious beliefs, and they act out of the goodness of their hearts. Conversely, plenty of people who profess to be religious, even those who worship regularly, show no particular interest in the world beyond themselves.
--John Danforth
Plenty of kind, decent, caring people have no religious beliefs, and they act out of the goodness of their hearts. Conversely, plenty of people who profess to be religious, even those who worship regularly, show no particular interest in the world beyond themselves.
--John Danforth
John Danforth
Whatever this gay marriage amendment is all about, it certainly does not belong in the U. S. Constitution…. It is a drummed up political issue that amounts to gay bashing.
--John Danforth Seminar, Religion & Politics in America, Kennedy School of Government, October 23, 2006
Whatever this gay marriage amendment is all about, it certainly does not belong in the U. S. Constitution…. It is a drummed up political issue that amounts to gay bashing.
--John Danforth Seminar, Religion & Politics in America, Kennedy School of Government, October 23, 2006
John Danforth
The problem is not that Christians are conservative or liberal, but that some are so confident that their position is God's position that they become dismissive and intolerant toward others and divisive forces in our national life.
--John Danforth
The problem is not that Christians are conservative or liberal, but that some are so confident that their position is God's position that they become dismissive and intolerant toward others and divisive forces in our national life.
--John Danforth
John Danforth
The error of the Christian right is that in its attempt to codify the requirements of faith in a legislative program, it crowds out the demands of the Love Commandment …. ‘Thou shalt love they neighbor as thyself.’
--John Danforth; The Kansas City Star, September 24, 2006
The error of the Christian right is that in its attempt to codify the requirements of faith in a legislative program, it crowds out the demands of the Love Commandment …. ‘Thou shalt love they neighbor as thyself.’
--John Danforth; The Kansas City Star, September 24, 2006
==charlie dates======
Reverend Dr. Charlie E. Dates is Chicago through and through. Raised on the southside of Chicago, he came of age having welcomed Christ into his life early. Dr. Dates holds a Bachelor's Degree in Speech Communication & Rhetoric from the University of Illinois - Champaign, Urbana, where he met his wife, Kirstie, who not only changed his life, but also elevated his approach to living. He continued his education with a Master of Divinity and a PhD in Historical Theology from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. In 2011, Reverend Dates became the youngest Senior Pastor to serve the historic Progressive Baptist Church of Chicago
Black churches team up to support migrants at Daley College
Members of two prominent Black churches on Chicago's South Side spent Wednesday afternoon donating food and other essentials to asylum seekers. They hope to send a broader message to people in their community that supporting migrants in Chicago is the right thing to do. Pastor Charlie Dates said the event is more than a food and toiletry giveaway. He said it is an opportunity for two predominantly-Black churches to show their brown brothers and sisters that they are not alone and will be cared for. (ABC7 Chicago 12/20/23)
READ MORE>>>>>
Members of two prominent Black churches on Chicago's South Side spent Wednesday afternoon donating food and other essentials to asylum seekers. They hope to send a broader message to people in their community that supporting migrants in Chicago is the right thing to do. Pastor Charlie Dates said the event is more than a food and toiletry giveaway. He said it is an opportunity for two predominantly-Black churches to show their brown brothers and sisters that they are not alone and will be cared for. (ABC7 Chicago 12/20/23)
READ MORE>>>>>
Jan 10, 2023: Christian Post: ‘I’m almost afraid to hand you this,’ Pastor James Meeks says in handing over megachurch to Charlie Dates
Founding pastor of the 10,000-member Salem Baptist Church of Chicago, James Meeks, said he was “almost afraid” to hand over the reins of the congregation he led for the last 38 years to Pastor Charlie Dates. In an emotional retirement ceremony Sunday, he revealed he is trusting God to give his spiritual son the strength he needs to carry on the ministry.
Founding pastor of the 10,000-member Salem Baptist Church of Chicago, James Meeks, said he was “almost afraid” to hand over the reins of the congregation he led for the last 38 years to Pastor Charlie Dates. In an emotional retirement ceremony Sunday, he revealed he is trusting God to give his spiritual son the strength he needs to carry on the ministry.
==bible davids======
Bible Davids is a Author, Anointed Bible expositor and Healing Minister. Jesus Christ appeared to the Apostle Bible Davids at the age of 10 (according to Davids) and anointed him as an Apostle to the nations of the earth. In that encounter, the Lord said to him, “Son, I raise you up as a pillar in my kingdom for the end-time to preach the word in power for the deliverance of mankind”. In over 30 years of impactful ministry, he has committed his life to preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and raising an army of supernatural believers who are empowered by the Holy Spirit to manifest miracles, signs and wonders and execute dominion in all the seven mountains of influence. His ministry reaches millions of people all over the world through Book & Magazine Publishing, Church Planting, Daily Television and YouTube Broadcast, Healing and Miracle Conferences, Massive Gospel Campaigns, Miracle Prayer Lines, Mentorship and Leadership Programs and Humanitarian Efforts. His ministry is notable for accurate prophetic utterances and creative miracles. Apostle Bible Davids is the president of Bible Davids Ministries and Apostolic overseer of Supernatural Life Center with campuses in the United States, Canada and Africa. He is married to Prophetess Rebecca Bible-Davids and reside in North Dallas, Texas, USA
Bible Davids
“This is not just a conference, this is a move of God. This is the wave of the Holy Spirit....The Lord told me, he said, ‘Tell the people to shout fire seven times. He said, When they shout seven times, the whole place is going to erupt like a volcanic eruption with My glory.’”
--Bible Davids; Dallas Mass Revival; Greeneville, Texas; 7.1.23
==rebecca bible davids======
Rebecca Bible Davids is a best-selling author, anointed Bible expositor, a Prophetess, and an intercessor, a researcher Rebecca Bible-Davids learnt the dynamics of serving the Lord right from her childhood days. Early in life, she developed an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit birthing a praying spirit. She authored the Legends of Faith Series, a Biography Series on God's Legends such as Late Archbishop Benson Idahosa and Pastor Enoch Adeboye of RCCG. She is the Associate Snr. Pastor of Supernatural Life Center with Churches globally and Vice President of Bible Davids Ministries. She is also the founder of Fire in Her Bones Conferences as well, Global Prayer Network and Woman of Worth Humanitarian Initiative. She is happily married to Apostle Bible Davids and their marriage is blessed with anointed children.
Rebecca Bible Davids
“In case you don't know, this is not a show, this is not a regular conference. This is revival here. This is revival...You know when John the Baptist says, ‘I'm not honored to even unlatch your shoes,’ so I'm not going to go there,.”
--Rebecca Bible Davids; introducing Greg Locke at Dallas Mass Revival; Greeneville, Texas; 7.1.23
==andy davis======
Andy Davis finished his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at MIT, then went on to other academic degrees, a Master of Divinity at Gordon Conwell, and a Ph.D. in church history at Southern Seminary (SBTS). For more than 22 years, Davis has been senior pastor at First Baptist Church of Durham, NC.
Andy Davis
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:2-4)
Christians are to count it pure joy whenever we suffer trials of any kind at all. Nothing can touch a child of God apart from the direct and selective will of God. There truly is a “hedge of protection” around every child of God. So, if a particular sorrow comes into our lives, it is for a specific purpose. The trial is a skillful stroke by a master sculptor using his hammer and chisel on our souls. Yes, it’s supremely painful. But every stroke has a purpose. According to James it is to develop vital character traits in us. It begins with the testing of our faith. The concept of “testing of our faith” is of two aspects: 1) to prove that it is real… not temporary faith, like the stony ground hearer, or demon faith or dead faith (as James discusses in the next chapter of his epistle); 2) to purify it as gold is refined by fire (as Peter tells us in 1 Peter 1:7). The testing of our faith, once it is proved genuine and refined enables us to know with greater and greater certainty that God truly is working salvation in us. We really are children of God, our sins really are forgiven, we really are going to heaven when we die. This subsequently develops perseverance in us. The opposite of perseverance is giving up… quitting. The stony ground hearer… his faith dies whenever persecution and trial comes because of the word. But this person is more convinced than every before of his genuine status as redeemed. So, in Romans 5:5 our proven character becomes the ground of our stronger hope… a greater confidence that heaven is our destiny. This results in a powerful perseverance, because he knows that God’s work in his soul is not in vain.
James then says perseverance must finish its work in us so that we will be “mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Turning that around, James is implying that without trials we will be immature, incomplete, lacking significant aspects of sanctification. Therefore, according to James, suffering is indispensable to Christian maturity. No one grows by painless pleasure. We grow by suffering the chisel strokes of the master craftsman.
--Andy Davis; Two Journeys; How Suffering Works Maturity 8/29/23
Christians are to count it pure joy whenever we suffer trials of any kind at all. Nothing can touch a child of God apart from the direct and selective will of God. There truly is a “hedge of protection” around every child of God. So, if a particular sorrow comes into our lives, it is for a specific purpose. The trial is a skillful stroke by a master sculptor using his hammer and chisel on our souls. Yes, it’s supremely painful. But every stroke has a purpose. According to James it is to develop vital character traits in us. It begins with the testing of our faith. The concept of “testing of our faith” is of two aspects: 1) to prove that it is real… not temporary faith, like the stony ground hearer, or demon faith or dead faith (as James discusses in the next chapter of his epistle); 2) to purify it as gold is refined by fire (as Peter tells us in 1 Peter 1:7). The testing of our faith, once it is proved genuine and refined enables us to know with greater and greater certainty that God truly is working salvation in us. We really are children of God, our sins really are forgiven, we really are going to heaven when we die. This subsequently develops perseverance in us. The opposite of perseverance is giving up… quitting. The stony ground hearer… his faith dies whenever persecution and trial comes because of the word. But this person is more convinced than every before of his genuine status as redeemed. So, in Romans 5:5 our proven character becomes the ground of our stronger hope… a greater confidence that heaven is our destiny. This results in a powerful perseverance, because he knows that God’s work in his soul is not in vain.
James then says perseverance must finish its work in us so that we will be “mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Turning that around, James is implying that without trials we will be immature, incomplete, lacking significant aspects of sanctification. Therefore, according to James, suffering is indispensable to Christian maturity. No one grows by painless pleasure. We grow by suffering the chisel strokes of the master craftsman.
--Andy Davis; Two Journeys; How Suffering Works Maturity 8/29/23
==angela davis======
Angela Davis is the host of MPR News with Angela Davis, a weekday talk show that airs at 9 a.m. She joined MPR News in November 2018 after more than 25 years of television reporting and anchoring in the Twin Cities and other cities throughout the country. Before joining MPR News, Angela anchored morning and evening newscasts at WCCO-TV in Minneapolis and KSTP-TV in St. Paul. She has won five regional Emmy awards for anchoring and covering breaking news. Her television career included jobs at CNN in Atlanta and local stations in Washington, DC, Dallas, TX and Lexington, KY. Angela holds a journalism degree from the University of Maryland, College Park, and grew up in southern Virginia. She also did graduate work in urban affairs at the University of Texas at Arlington. She is a member of the local and national chapters of the National Association of Black Journalists and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
May 20, 2022: MPR: How evangelical Christians in Minnesota are responding to calls for racial justice
MPR News host Angela Davis talks about churches and racial justice, specifically how white evangelical Christians are responding to calls for racial equity.
She’s joined by two leaders in the evangelical church and MPR News education reporter Elizabeth Shockman, who is reporting on a group of Black students pushing for equity changes at the University of Northwestern, a small evangelical school in Minnesota.
MPR News host Angela Davis talks about churches and racial justice, specifically how white evangelical Christians are responding to calls for racial equity.
She’s joined by two leaders in the evangelical church and MPR News education reporter Elizabeth Shockman, who is reporting on a group of Black students pushing for equity changes at the University of Northwestern, a small evangelical school in Minnesota.
==chris davis======
Chris Davis came to Virginia to be Groveton’s pastor in 2016 after serving as Pastor of Whitton Avenue Bible Church in Phoenix, AZ for 11 years. He is a graduate of Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama with a major in Piano Performance. He studied at Bethlehem College and Seminary in Minneapolis, MN then completed his Master of Divinity from Phoenix Seminary in Phoenix, AZ. He was ordained by his home church, Harp’s Crossing Baptist Church (SBC) in Fayetteville, GA. Chris is the author of Bright Hope for Tomorrow: How Anticipating Jesus’ Return Gives Strength for Today.
SBC legal brief sparks outrage and confusion
Several members of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee have expressed outrage over an amicus brief that was submitted in April regarding a reopened case of a sexual abuse survivor. The Louisville Courier-Journal reported on Oct. 27 that the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Lifeway Christian Resources and the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee had signed the brief, yet the article was the first time members of the Executive Committee had heard of it. Mississippi Baptist pastor Adam Wyatt, a member of the Executive Committee, tweeted, “We had no working knowledge of this as a board. Poor excuse, I know. But it’s true.” “This is deplorable. Unconscionable. Evil,” tweeted Virginia Baptist pastor Chris Davis. “The SBC is lending its voice against a survivor in a case in which it is not named. This is legal cruelty. And it goes against all the good faith efforts within the SBC to support survivors.” (Alexis Jones/The Ashbury Collegian 11/10/23)
READ MORE>>>>>
Several members of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee have expressed outrage over an amicus brief that was submitted in April regarding a reopened case of a sexual abuse survivor. The Louisville Courier-Journal reported on Oct. 27 that the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Lifeway Christian Resources and the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee had signed the brief, yet the article was the first time members of the Executive Committee had heard of it. Mississippi Baptist pastor Adam Wyatt, a member of the Executive Committee, tweeted, “We had no working knowledge of this as a board. Poor excuse, I know. But it’s true.” “This is deplorable. Unconscionable. Evil,” tweeted Virginia Baptist pastor Chris Davis. “The SBC is lending its voice against a survivor in a case in which it is not named. This is legal cruelty. And it goes against all the good faith efforts within the SBC to support survivors.” (Alexis Jones/The Ashbury Collegian 11/10/23)
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.
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.
==ellen f davis======
July 6, 2023: Presbyterian Outlook: On women pastors and biblical authority: A Presbyterian reflection
Given that Presbyterians value the life of the mind in service to God, we tend to ask questions when we encounter a text like 1 Timothy 2, as well we should, for as Ellen F. Davis contends, “Receiving the Scriptures as God’s good gift means opening our minds to be changed by them; it does not mean relinquishing the right to disagree with some of what we encounter there – even the necessity of disagreeing on some significant points of faith and practice – since the biblical writers disagree among themselves, even within each Testament” (“The Soil That Is Scripture” in Engaging Biblical Authority). I hope Presbyterians are also inclined to argue with the text — to engage it, address it, confident that wrestling with Scripture is an act of faithfulness, of taking the text with the utmost seriousness. Indeed, we have much to learn from our Jewish neighbors about the sacred practice of arguing with Scripture.
Given that Presbyterians value the life of the mind in service to God, we tend to ask questions when we encounter a text like 1 Timothy 2, as well we should, for as Ellen F. Davis contends, “Receiving the Scriptures as God’s good gift means opening our minds to be changed by them; it does not mean relinquishing the right to disagree with some of what we encounter there – even the necessity of disagreeing on some significant points of faith and practice – since the biblical writers disagree among themselves, even within each Testament” (“The Soil That Is Scripture” in Engaging Biblical Authority). I hope Presbyterians are also inclined to argue with the text — to engage it, address it, confident that wrestling with Scripture is an act of faithfulness, of taking the text with the utmost seriousness. Indeed, we have much to learn from our Jewish neighbors about the sacred practice of arguing with Scripture.
==mark davis======
Christians and climate change: Southern California churches preach very different messages
Crews started installing solar panels this week on the red tile roof at St. Mark Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach. Pastor Mark Davis said the project, once complete, should easily power the church’s entire 7-acre campus.
Last year, many of St. Mark’s 550 members attended a meeting, in keeping with Presbyterian doctrine, to vote on taking out a loan to finance the $200,000 solar project. There was some spirited debate about the financial implications, Davis said with a chuckle, but in the end members gave the project an enthusiastic green light. They see the panels as key to St. Mark’s goal of going completely carbon neutral by 2030.
. (Brooke Staggs/Orange County Register 11/19/23)
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Crews started installing solar panels this week on the red tile roof at St. Mark Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach. Pastor Mark Davis said the project, once complete, should easily power the church’s entire 7-acre campus.
Last year, many of St. Mark’s 550 members attended a meeting, in keeping with Presbyterian doctrine, to vote on taking out a loan to finance the $200,000 solar project. There was some spirited debate about the financial implications, Davis said with a chuckle, but in the end members gave the project an enthusiastic green light. They see the panels as key to St. Mark’s goal of going completely carbon neutral by 2030.
. (Brooke Staggs/Orange County Register 11/19/23)
Read More>>>>>
==randy c davis======
Aug 18, 2023: The Alabama Baptist: Deal with the Problems of the Self by the Cross through the Exercise of our Spirit
Randy C. Davis, president and executive director of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, where McLaurin was employed for 15 years before joining the EC staff in 2020 as a vice president, said, “I am profoundly saddened right now.”
“To say that I am grieved would be an understatement,” Davis said in a statement released Aug. 17. “Willie McLaurin has been a shining light of encouragement to pastors and churches, both in Tennessee and across the Southern Baptist Convention.”
‘Beyond belief’“Unfortunately, the situation in which we now find ourselves is beyond belief, and I am simply trying to process all that has happened, and the enormous damage inflicted by the fraud perpetrated on his resumé regarding his educational background,” he wrote.
Randy C. Davis, president and executive director of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, where McLaurin was employed for 15 years before joining the EC staff in 2020 as a vice president, said, “I am profoundly saddened right now.”
“To say that I am grieved would be an understatement,” Davis said in a statement released Aug. 17. “Willie McLaurin has been a shining light of encouragement to pastors and churches, both in Tennessee and across the Southern Baptist Convention.”
‘Beyond belief’“Unfortunately, the situation in which we now find ourselves is beyond belief, and I am simply trying to process all that has happened, and the enormous damage inflicted by the fraud perpetrated on his resumé regarding his educational background,” he wrote.
==sarah davis======
Oct 18, 2021: Christianity Today: Ravi Zacharias’s Daughter Steps Down to Launch New Ministry
The CEO of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) has stepped down to start a new apologetics organization.
Sarah Davis led RZIM through her father Ravi Zacharias’s death, the posthumous investigation of his sexual abuse, and the breakup and dramatic downsizing of the global apologetics ministry. Now, she will go out on her own and launch a new ministry called Encounter.
The CEO of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) has stepped down to start a new apologetics organization.
Sarah Davis led RZIM through her father Ravi Zacharias’s death, the posthumous investigation of his sexual abuse, and the breakup and dramatic downsizing of the global apologetics ministry. Now, she will go out on her own and launch a new ministry called Encounter.
==melissa deckman======
How a bucolic Tennessee suburb became a hotbed of ‘Christian Nashville-ism’
Melissa Deckman, CEO of PRRI, said concern about cultural issues has driven support for MAGA-style politicians, rather than economic concerns. She pointed to data from PRRI’s latest Americans Values Survey, which found that white evangelicals (59%), white mainline Protestants (53%) and white Catholics (53%) — as well as Black Protestants (52%) — all preferred a presidential candidate who could “protect and preserve American culture and the American way of life” over one who could manage the economy. Republicans (58%) also preferred a president who could preserve American culture. “The economy truly takes a back seat for MAGA Republicans in most cases because they believe the threats they perceive in the country — growing secularization, changing demographics, more identification as LGBTQ among younger Americans — are far more disturbing to their worldview and to their own base of power,” said Deckman.
(Bob Smietana/Religion News 11/8/23)
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Melissa Deckman, CEO of PRRI, said concern about cultural issues has driven support for MAGA-style politicians, rather than economic concerns. She pointed to data from PRRI’s latest Americans Values Survey, which found that white evangelicals (59%), white mainline Protestants (53%) and white Catholics (53%) — as well as Black Protestants (52%) — all preferred a presidential candidate who could “protect and preserve American culture and the American way of life” over one who could manage the economy. Republicans (58%) also preferred a president who could preserve American culture. “The economy truly takes a back seat for MAGA Republicans in most cases because they believe the threats they perceive in the country — growing secularization, changing demographics, more identification as LGBTQ among younger Americans — are far more disturbing to their worldview and to their own base of power,” said Deckman.
(Bob Smietana/Religion News 11/8/23)
READ MORE>>>>>
==brian K dees======
Jan 24, 2023: Picayune Item: Church provides ‘House of Bread’ food bank for over 15 years
East Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church’s Pastor Brian K. Dees said the food bank was been operational for about 15 years. Turner has been a part of it for seven and Barbra Walton’s been helping for two years now. The church’s food bank also delivers to its senior members who aren’t able to attend.
East Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church’s Pastor Brian K. Dees said the food bank was been operational for about 15 years. Turner has been a part of it for seven and Barbra Walton’s been helping for two years now. The church’s food bank also delivers to its senior members who aren’t able to attend.
July 13, 2018: Picayune Item: Improvements at Friendship Park are first of many planned
Committee members include city of Picayune Grant Manager Christy Goss, Picayune Parks and Recreation Director Trevor Adam, Capt. Theresa Milar with the Picayune Police Department, Picayune Main Street Director Reba Beebe, Rev. Allen Hickman with Resurrection Life Ministries, Rev. Brian Dees, Pastor Darrell Worley of Christian Life Assembly of God and Laura Rutherford.
Committee members include city of Picayune Grant Manager Christy Goss, Picayune Parks and Recreation Director Trevor Adam, Capt. Theresa Milar with the Picayune Police Department, Picayune Main Street Director Reba Beebe, Rev. Allen Hickman with Resurrection Life Ministries, Rev. Brian Dees, Pastor Darrell Worley of Christian Life Assembly of God and Laura Rutherford.
“True gratitude, Christian gratitude, doesn’t exist in a vacuum; it has an Object.” --Nancy Leig DeMoss
