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Renovus: Restoring Faith for LGBTQ Christians in Atlanta
The South is known for its conservative and religious culture, and “de-identification,” or leaving the Christian faith, can be especially isolating when community acceptance depends on a heteronormative identity. It’s also no secret that people justify their disapproval or rejection of queer existence by referencing their faith and its teachings. Christianity encompasses a large network of sects and beliefs, some of which uphold harmful ideologies while others advocate for not just acceptance but celebration of the LGBTQ community. National organizations like The Reformation Project promote affirmation for LGBTQ people in Christianity and inspired two Atlantans to do the same. (Georgia Voice 3/22/24) READ MORE>>>>>
The South is known for its conservative and religious culture, and “de-identification,” or leaving the Christian faith, can be especially isolating when community acceptance depends on a heteronormative identity. It’s also no secret that people justify their disapproval or rejection of queer existence by referencing their faith and its teachings. Christianity encompasses a large network of sects and beliefs, some of which uphold harmful ideologies while others advocate for not just acceptance but celebration of the LGBTQ community. National organizations like The Reformation Project promote affirmation for LGBTQ people in Christianity and inspired two Atlantans to do the same. (Georgia Voice 3/22/24) READ MORE>>>>>
Index Magazine: Georgia's Bethlehem Church experiencing exceptional growth
Those who drove east on Highway 316 to the University of Georgia football games last fall may not have noticed Georgia Baptists’ largest church in worship attendance. Pastor Jason Britt and his excellent staff have been faithfully serving Christ and doing their work without much notice from those outside the Barrow, Oconee, and Walton County area, yet mobilizing hundreds of people to build one of the fastest-growing churches in America. The church reported a worship attendance of 5,800 in 2023, but on recent Sundays they have exceeded 6,000 in attendance in multiple services in three campus churches – the main 316 Campus, their 211 Campus, and their Oconee Campus. Bryan Nowak, iGo Database Manager for the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, explained, “Of the churches reporting an Annual Church Profile (ACP) in 2023, they (Bethlehem) are number one in average worship each week. The Bethlehem Church has been listed among the fastest-growing churches in America by Outreach Magazine several years in a row. Last year it had a 22% growth rate. (The Christian Index 2/29/24) READ MORE>>>>>
Those who drove east on Highway 316 to the University of Georgia football games last fall may not have noticed Georgia Baptists’ largest church in worship attendance. Pastor Jason Britt and his excellent staff have been faithfully serving Christ and doing their work without much notice from those outside the Barrow, Oconee, and Walton County area, yet mobilizing hundreds of people to build one of the fastest-growing churches in America. The church reported a worship attendance of 5,800 in 2023, but on recent Sundays they have exceeded 6,000 in attendance in multiple services in three campus churches – the main 316 Campus, their 211 Campus, and their Oconee Campus. Bryan Nowak, iGo Database Manager for the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, explained, “Of the churches reporting an Annual Church Profile (ACP) in 2023, they (Bethlehem) are number one in average worship each week. The Bethlehem Church has been listed among the fastest-growing churches in America by Outreach Magazine several years in a row. Last year it had a 22% growth rate. (The Christian Index 2/29/24) READ MORE>>>>>
NEW REPORT MAPPING CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM BY STATE SUGGESTS ELECTION NEED NOT BE PLAYED OUT ON CHRISTIAN NATIONALIST TERMS
Intuitively, this lines up with secular descriptions of the political landscape. Hardcore conservative supporters of Trump are a very small group. Surrounding them is a larger group of traditionalists. Together, those groups make up a majority (55%) of all Republicans. The vast majority of both Democratic voters (83%) and Independents (73%) are Skeptics or Rejecters. The 2024 election will be largely contested over the few Republicans suspicious of Christian nationalism and Independents friendly to it. You can literally map out these differences. Blue states have very low levels of support for Christian nationalism. Red states are just the opposite. And the battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, and Wisconsin? They’re all right around the national average. Those numbers are not destiny, however. Conservative Utah has low levels of agreement with Christian nationalism, at just 28%. Meanwhile its solidly Democratic neighbor New Mexico is a bit higher, at 32%. (Religion Dispatches 2/28/24) READMORE>>>>>
Intuitively, this lines up with secular descriptions of the political landscape. Hardcore conservative supporters of Trump are a very small group. Surrounding them is a larger group of traditionalists. Together, those groups make up a majority (55%) of all Republicans. The vast majority of both Democratic voters (83%) and Independents (73%) are Skeptics or Rejecters. The 2024 election will be largely contested over the few Republicans suspicious of Christian nationalism and Independents friendly to it. You can literally map out these differences. Blue states have very low levels of support for Christian nationalism. Red states are just the opposite. And the battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, and Wisconsin? They’re all right around the national average. Those numbers are not destiny, however. Conservative Utah has low levels of agreement with Christian nationalism, at just 28%. Meanwhile its solidly Democratic neighbor New Mexico is a bit higher, at 32%. (Religion Dispatches 2/28/24) READMORE>>>>>
Major stories of 2023: Georgia Baptists re-elect president, add more churches to roster
Fayetteville pastor Josh Saefkow will serve a second one-year term as president of the Georgia Baptist Convention, the state’s largest religious group with some 1.4 million members. That’s one of a long series of significant stories reported in The Christian Index during 2023. Saefkow, with his winsome personality and unwavering work ethic that had him crisscrossing the state for preaching engagements and meetings throughout his first term, had no opposition and was elected by acclamation at the annual meeting of the Georgia Baptist Convention in November. (Roger Alford/The Christian Index 12/25/23
READ MORE>>>>>
Fayetteville pastor Josh Saefkow will serve a second one-year term as president of the Georgia Baptist Convention, the state’s largest religious group with some 1.4 million members. That’s one of a long series of significant stories reported in The Christian Index during 2023. Saefkow, with his winsome personality and unwavering work ethic that had him crisscrossing the state for preaching engagements and meetings throughout his first term, had no opposition and was elected by acclamation at the annual meeting of the Georgia Baptist Convention in November. (Roger Alford/The Christian Index 12/25/23
READ MORE>>>>>
Pastor indicted in Georgia election case is ‘American hero’ to conservative Christians
Georgia prosecutors indicted Stephen Cliffgard Lee on five felony charges, claiming he is one of 18 co-conspirators who worked with Donald Trump to overturn Trump’s losing election results in the state.
But a handful of churches, conservative Christian media outlets and a pro-family group claim Lee is a devoted Christian, committed pastor and chaplain and “American hero” who is an innocent victim of a “weaponized” anti-Trump justice system, and they’re praying and raising funds for his defense.
(Steve Rabey/Baptist News Global 11/20/23)
Read More>>>>>
Georgia prosecutors indicted Stephen Cliffgard Lee on five felony charges, claiming he is one of 18 co-conspirators who worked with Donald Trump to overturn Trump’s losing election results in the state.
But a handful of churches, conservative Christian media outlets and a pro-family group claim Lee is a devoted Christian, committed pastor and chaplain and “American hero” who is an innocent victim of a “weaponized” anti-Trump justice system, and they’re praying and raising funds for his defense.
(Steve Rabey/Baptist News Global 11/20/23)
Read More>>>>>
Another ‘Christian attorney’ pleads guilty to spreading Trump’s Big Lie
One of the most prominent attorneys of conservative evangelicalism became the fourth person to plead guilty in a Georgia courtroom to wrongly aiding former President Donald Trump in his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Jenna Ellis has been at the forefront of Religious Right causes, working with some of the biggest names in that world of religiously motivated political action, including Jerry Falwell Jr., Charlie Kirk, James Dobson, John MacArthur, Thomas More Society, Alliance Defending Freedom and Trump himself
(Mark Wingfield/Baptist News Global 10/25/23)
Read More>>>>>
One of the most prominent attorneys of conservative evangelicalism became the fourth person to plead guilty in a Georgia courtroom to wrongly aiding former President Donald Trump in his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Jenna Ellis has been at the forefront of Religious Right causes, working with some of the biggest names in that world of religiously motivated political action, including Jerry Falwell Jr., Charlie Kirk, James Dobson, John MacArthur, Thomas More Society, Alliance Defending Freedom and Trump himself
(Mark Wingfield/Baptist News Global 10/25/23)
Read More>>>>>
‘Small-town Billy Graham’ sees 1,600 commitments to Christ in south Georgia crusade
BAXLEY, Ga. (BP) – Hundreds of people streamed out of the bleachers at Jimmy Swain Stadium on Wednesday, responding to a call from evangelist Rick Gage to get right with God. In a scene that harkened back to evangelistic crusades of yesteryear, they crowded around the platform where the man dubbed the “small-town Billy Graham” had just wrapped up a fiery Gospel sermon that warned of judgment for unrepentant sinners and promised eternal life for those willing to turn from their sins and commit their lives to Christ.
(Roger Alford/Baptist Press 9/25/23)
Read More>>>>>
BAXLEY, Ga. (BP) – Hundreds of people streamed out of the bleachers at Jimmy Swain Stadium on Wednesday, responding to a call from evangelist Rick Gage to get right with God. In a scene that harkened back to evangelistic crusades of yesteryear, they crowded around the platform where the man dubbed the “small-town Billy Graham” had just wrapped up a fiery Gospel sermon that warned of judgment for unrepentant sinners and promised eternal life for those willing to turn from their sins and commit their lives to Christ.
(Roger Alford/Baptist Press 9/25/23)
Read More>>>>>
Aug 24, 2023: Biblical Recorder: What’s working at Georgia church to bring salvations, changed lives
Wax Baptist Church was down to single digits in attendance in the summer of 2022. Not even high single digits, either.
Despite the low attendance when he agreed to become pastor last October, Pastor Gary Diggs was confident in the church’s potential.
“I told them to look around the sanctuary. Before long, they wouldn’t be able to see the purple on the chairs. It’s going to be so crowded, people are going to have to find new places to sit,” he said.
Wax Baptist Church was down to single digits in attendance in the summer of 2022. Not even high single digits, either.
Despite the low attendance when he agreed to become pastor last October, Pastor Gary Diggs was confident in the church’s potential.
“I told them to look around the sanctuary. Before long, they wouldn’t be able to see the purple on the chairs. It’s going to be so crowded, people are going to have to find new places to sit,” he said.
July 24, 2023: Christian Index: Gainesville pastor Javier Chavez visits Peru’s National Congress
Javier Chavez, senior pastor of Amistad Cristiana International in Gainesville, Ga., and a missions team from Fort Worth, Texas’s Birchman Baptist Church accepted an invitation from the National Congress of Peru for a private audience with the Third Vice President Alejandro Muñante.
The meeting took place Friday morning, July 21. Discussion topics included religious liberty, protections for the unborn, and family values.
Javier Chavez, senior pastor of Amistad Cristiana International in Gainesville, Ga., and a missions team from Fort Worth, Texas’s Birchman Baptist Church accepted an invitation from the National Congress of Peru for a private audience with the Third Vice President Alejandro Muñante.
The meeting took place Friday morning, July 21. Discussion topics included religious liberty, protections for the unborn, and family values.
June 7, 2023: Washington Post: For many Southern Baptists, the only campaign question is which Republican candidate to support
Pastor Mike Stone of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Blackshear, Georgia — a candidate for SBC president from its more conservative wing — said he doesn’t use the pulpit to endorse candidates.
Pastor Mike Stone of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Blackshear, Georgia — a candidate for SBC president from its more conservative wing — said he doesn’t use the pulpit to endorse candidates.
May 5, 2023: Baptist News Global: Paige Patterson praises independent Baptists for focus on evangelism
Patterson urged those who are so evangelistic minded to show up in New Orleans this June for the SBC annual meeting and “vote to return to a program of winning the lost.” He did not specify what particular program he had in mind, but SBC presidential challenger Mike Stone — a Georgia pastor supported by the most conservative wing of the SBC — has said if elected he would launch a national evangelistic campaign.
Patterson urged those who are so evangelistic minded to show up in New Orleans this June for the SBC annual meeting and “vote to return to a program of winning the lost.” He did not specify what particular program he had in mind, but SBC presidential challenger Mike Stone — a Georgia pastor supported by the most conservative wing of the SBC — has said if elected he would launch a national evangelistic campaign.
charles stanley obituary
ATLANTA, Ga. — In Touch Ministries has announced that beloved pastor Dr. Charles Frazier Stanley passed away at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday at age 90.
Visitation is sheduled for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church Atlanta, 4400 North Peachtree Rd., Atlanta, GA 30338. The memorial service will be a private, family-only gathering.
Known to audiences around the world through his wide-reaching TV and radio broadcasts, Stanley modeled his 65 years of ministry after the apostle Paul’s message in Acts 20:24: “Life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about God’s mighty kindness and love.”
Born Sept. 25, 1932, at the height of the Great Depression, in Dry Fork, Virginia, Stanley was raised by a single mother after his father died when Stanley was only nine months old.
After receiving a call to ministry at the age of 14, Stanley earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia, and a Bachelor of Divinity at Southwestern Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. He later went on to earn the distinctions of Master and Doctor of Theology from Luther Rice Seminary in Atlanta.
It was 1971 when Stanley assumed his longtime role as senior pastor of First Baptist Atlanta. The following year, he launched his foray into broadcast ministry with a 30-minute program, The Chapel Hour, on Atlanta-area TV stations WXIA and WANX (now WGCL).
The Chapel Hour—renamed In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley—went nationwide in 1978 after the Christian Broadcasting Network contacted Stanley, looking for a practical, Bible-teaching program for its new satellite distribution network. At no cost to First Baptist Atlanta, the broadcast grew from 16,000 local viewers to a nationwide audience in just one week. Stanley was the country’s longest-serving pastor with a continuous weekly broadcast program.
By 1982, In Touch Ministries was incorporated and the In Touch radio broadcast entered syndication. During the 1980s, the In Touch program penetrated almost every major market in the United States, reaching more than 1 million households. At the time of his death, Stanley’s messages were heard in more than 127 languages around the world via radio, shortwave, the Messenger Lab project, or TV broadcasts.
Believing, as he often said, that people are to “obey God and leave all the consequences to Him," Stanley focused his preaching on practical, Christ-centered, biblically based principles for everyday life. Many of his messages incorporated the 30 Life Principles that guided his life and helped him grow in his knowledge, service, and love of God. Other messages tackled such topics as parenting, finances, personal crises, emotions and relationships, prayer, and the character of God. Not having sought out the public spotlight, Stanley was a pastor who happened to be on TV, focused on teaching others how to seek and obey God through adversity and personal hardships.
Notable organizations and publishers honored Stanley throughout his long ministry. Stanley served two terms as president of the Southern Baptist Convention in 1985 and 1986. In 1988, he was inducted into the National Religious Broadcasters Hall of Fame for the consistent excellence of his broadcast, and leadership in the realm of Christian TV and radio. Religious Heritage of America named him Clergyman of the Year in 1989, an award that recognizes pastors who strive to make Judeo-Christian principles part of America’s daily life. In 1993, the NRB honored In Touch with the Television Producer of the Year award, and in 1999, with the Radio Program of the Year award. Most recently, Stanley was recognized for selling more than 10 million copies of his more than 70 books, the latest of which was published in 2023.
He was known, too, for his love of photography. Stanley’s images from his personal travels fill the walls of In Touch Ministries’ Atlanta headquarters and inspire program viewers to explore the beauty of God’s creation.
In September 2020, Stanley transitioned to the role of pastor emeritus of First Baptist Atlanta after serving 50 years as senior pastor.
Stanley is survived by his son Andy Stanley, founding and senior pastor of North Point Ministries; daughter Becky Stanley Broderson; six grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and half-sister Susie Cox. His former wife, Anna Johnson Stanley, preceded him in death. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to In Touch Ministries.
Visitation is sheduled for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church Atlanta, 4400 North Peachtree Rd., Atlanta, GA 30338. The memorial service will be a private, family-only gathering.
Known to audiences around the world through his wide-reaching TV and radio broadcasts, Stanley modeled his 65 years of ministry after the apostle Paul’s message in Acts 20:24: “Life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about God’s mighty kindness and love.”
Born Sept. 25, 1932, at the height of the Great Depression, in Dry Fork, Virginia, Stanley was raised by a single mother after his father died when Stanley was only nine months old.
After receiving a call to ministry at the age of 14, Stanley earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia, and a Bachelor of Divinity at Southwestern Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. He later went on to earn the distinctions of Master and Doctor of Theology from Luther Rice Seminary in Atlanta.
It was 1971 when Stanley assumed his longtime role as senior pastor of First Baptist Atlanta. The following year, he launched his foray into broadcast ministry with a 30-minute program, The Chapel Hour, on Atlanta-area TV stations WXIA and WANX (now WGCL).
The Chapel Hour—renamed In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley—went nationwide in 1978 after the Christian Broadcasting Network contacted Stanley, looking for a practical, Bible-teaching program for its new satellite distribution network. At no cost to First Baptist Atlanta, the broadcast grew from 16,000 local viewers to a nationwide audience in just one week. Stanley was the country’s longest-serving pastor with a continuous weekly broadcast program.
By 1982, In Touch Ministries was incorporated and the In Touch radio broadcast entered syndication. During the 1980s, the In Touch program penetrated almost every major market in the United States, reaching more than 1 million households. At the time of his death, Stanley’s messages were heard in more than 127 languages around the world via radio, shortwave, the Messenger Lab project, or TV broadcasts.
Believing, as he often said, that people are to “obey God and leave all the consequences to Him," Stanley focused his preaching on practical, Christ-centered, biblically based principles for everyday life. Many of his messages incorporated the 30 Life Principles that guided his life and helped him grow in his knowledge, service, and love of God. Other messages tackled such topics as parenting, finances, personal crises, emotions and relationships, prayer, and the character of God. Not having sought out the public spotlight, Stanley was a pastor who happened to be on TV, focused on teaching others how to seek and obey God through adversity and personal hardships.
Notable organizations and publishers honored Stanley throughout his long ministry. Stanley served two terms as president of the Southern Baptist Convention in 1985 and 1986. In 1988, he was inducted into the National Religious Broadcasters Hall of Fame for the consistent excellence of his broadcast, and leadership in the realm of Christian TV and radio. Religious Heritage of America named him Clergyman of the Year in 1989, an award that recognizes pastors who strive to make Judeo-Christian principles part of America’s daily life. In 1993, the NRB honored In Touch with the Television Producer of the Year award, and in 1999, with the Radio Program of the Year award. Most recently, Stanley was recognized for selling more than 10 million copies of his more than 70 books, the latest of which was published in 2023.
He was known, too, for his love of photography. Stanley’s images from his personal travels fill the walls of In Touch Ministries’ Atlanta headquarters and inspire program viewers to explore the beauty of God’s creation.
In September 2020, Stanley transitioned to the role of pastor emeritus of First Baptist Atlanta after serving 50 years as senior pastor.
Stanley is survived by his son Andy Stanley, founding and senior pastor of North Point Ministries; daughter Becky Stanley Broderson; six grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and half-sister Susie Cox. His former wife, Anna Johnson Stanley, preceded him in death. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to In Touch Ministries.
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Apr 6, 2023: Baptist News Global: The Barabbification of America
In Israel, a man indicted for bribery, fraud and breach of trust is prime minister, due to the votes he and his party received in the last election. True, it’s a coalition government where no winner took all, but the fact remains that those who voted for Netanyahu knew of his indictment. In America, a man demonstrably corrupt, dishonest and eternally suspected as a repeat-offense white-collar criminal and sexual predator, is being lionized by legislators and political leaders in both the federal government and state governments and by religious people who call themselves “good news” people — evangelicals. |
In America, an intolerably foolish woman named Marjorie whom other foolish people elected as a United States representative from Georgia, is among the loudest rabble-rousers calling for disorder under the guise of protest, pandering to a man named as the co-conspirator in a crime for which the other co-conspirator went to prison. By any rules — logical or literal (but unfortunately not legal, for, you see, this is why the law is referenced elsewhere as an ass) — that man is a convict and a criminal. And by the way, people like Bill Barr, who skewed the Mueller report to create a political hit job against the truth, to save that Barabbas, who now shamelessly and infuriatingly calls the indictment of Donald Barabbas “a political hit job” are part of the crowd contributing to the Barabbification of America. |
March 8, 2023: Religion Dispatches: SHOULD WE EXPECT TO SEE A RISE IN CHRISTIAN NATIONALIST VIOLENCE IN THE US?
Consider the words of Kandiss Taylor, a former candidate for governor of Georgia: “The good thing about the First Amendment is that if you’re a Jew or you’re a Muslim or you’re a Buddhist, you still get to worship your god because you’re in America. But you don’t get to silence us,” she declared last year to an approving audience. She went on to proclaim: “we’re running the state with Jesus Christ first.”
Consider the words of Kandiss Taylor, a former candidate for governor of Georgia: “The good thing about the First Amendment is that if you’re a Jew or you’re a Muslim or you’re a Buddhist, you still get to worship your god because you’re in America. But you don’t get to silence us,” she declared last year to an approving audience. She went on to proclaim: “we’re running the state with Jesus Christ first.”
Feb 24, 2023: The Christian Index: Hundreds pray for revival across Georgia campuses on Collegiate Day of Prayer
Across the country on Thursday students gathered to pray and worship as part of the Collegiate Day of Prayer. Organizers encouraged students, and others, to pray on and for every college campus in America.
Georgia Baptist Collegiate Ministry was active in organizing events statewide.
Across the country on Thursday students gathered to pray and worship as part of the Collegiate Day of Prayer. Organizers encouraged students, and others, to pray on and for every college campus in America.
Georgia Baptist Collegiate Ministry was active in organizing events statewide.
Feb 23, 2023: Baptist Press: Churches respond to action of Executive Committee
New Faith Mission Ministry in Griffin, Ga.; St. Timothy’s Christian Church in Baltimore, Md.; Calvary Baptist Church in Jackson, Miss.; and Fern Creek Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky., were deemed to be not in friendly cooperation because of female senior pastors.
New Faith Mission Ministry in Griffin, Ga.; St. Timothy’s Christian Church in Baltimore, Md.; Calvary Baptist Church in Jackson, Miss.; and Fern Creek Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky., were deemed to be not in friendly cooperation because of female senior pastors.
Feb 23, 2023: WALB: Ga. Christian School students spend a day helping a domestic hunger-relief charity
Second Harvest of South Georgia is the leading domestic hunger-relief charity organization in the region.
Over 40 students from Georgia Christian School (GCS) in Valdosta donated their time to fill about 1,000 boxes to be donated to senior citizens all across southwest Georgia.
Second Harvest of South Georgia is the leading domestic hunger-relief charity organization in the region.
Over 40 students from Georgia Christian School (GCS) in Valdosta donated their time to fill about 1,000 boxes to be donated to senior citizens all across southwest Georgia.
Dec 2022:
Georgia's U.S. Senate race pits the Black church against white Christian nationalism
On the surface, the Georgia Senate runoff is a race between incumbent Raphael Warnock and former NFL superstar Herschel Walker. But these two Black men have come to represent two very different religious traditions - the civil rights legacy of the Black church and a growing movement of mostly white Christian nationalism.. Sandhya Dirks: Christian nationalism, Onishi says, is a new name for an old phenomenon. It's a vision with white men at the top - no trans people, no gay people and people of color but only in service of white supremacy, Onishi says. At the same time, as white evangelical Republicans have embraced Herschel Walker, campaign ads and messaging paint Raphael Warnock as not a real Christian. (Sheila Poole/Frederick News-Post 12/5/22) READ MORE>>>>>
On the surface, the Georgia Senate runoff is a race between incumbent Raphael Warnock and former NFL superstar Herschel Walker. But these two Black men have come to represent two very different religious traditions - the civil rights legacy of the Black church and a growing movement of mostly white Christian nationalism.. Sandhya Dirks: Christian nationalism, Onishi says, is a new name for an old phenomenon. It's a vision with white men at the top - no trans people, no gay people and people of color but only in service of white supremacy, Onishi says. At the same time, as white evangelical Republicans have embraced Herschel Walker, campaign ads and messaging paint Raphael Warnock as not a real Christian. (Sheila Poole/Frederick News-Post 12/5/22) READ MORE>>>>>
Dec 6, 2022: Rev. Will Dyer says if pastors aren’t speaking out against Christian nationalism, then they’re making a huge mistake. Dyer, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Augusta, has addressed the ideology in his sermons and in private conversations with members, cautioning against the philosophy that some say calls for the blending of religion and government. His stance cost him about 10 members from his congregation, which has an average Sunday attendance of 1,000. (Atlanta-Journal Constitution)
Dec 9, 2022: Atlanta megachurch (New Birth Missionary Baptist) pastor Jamal Bryant wants to reach the masses. “New Birth is the largest land-owning Black church in America,” Bryant said. “My position to my deacons is ‘why aren’t we not raising cannabis?” During an appearance on The Cool Soror Podcast with Rashan Ali, the pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Georgia made a bold statement: he was looking for
male congregants that “smell like weed.” (Relevant)
male congregants that “smell like weed.” (Relevant)