Sex should no longer be ‘the last straw’ that causes us to question one’s ministry.

Sexual immorality is usually not the first stop on a leader’s road to perdition. Satan’s smarter than that, and he knows we are too. That’s why he tempts us with more innocuous delicacies, such as greed, power and false doctrine. A real-life example of this principle is vividly–and sadly–described by our columnist R.T. Kendall in this issue (see page 24).

Our demise begins rather like the familiar frog in the kettle. We allow ourselves to believe our own marketing: “Yes, I am a prophet–that’s why people are criticizing me.” “It’s OK if I misuse this text … as long as I get the point across.” “I do deserve this kingly treatment. After all, I have a very special gift.”

Before long, we’re sitting in a boiling hot tub, surrounded only by people who will affirm our delusions of greatness. We’ve successfully distanced ourselves from all opposition, and they’ve moved to a safe distance to observe our demise. We still draw crowds of people who view our heresy, pride and extravagance as idiosyncrasies of the anointing.

The problem is not that the church is too tolerant of sexual immorality. Instead, it is that we tolerate the more insidious behaviors that are the precursors to moral failure. It is only when the final straw of sexual immorality is laid on the back of the proverbial camel that we throw up our hands in exasperation and act as though we didn’t see it coming.

This was particularly poignant in the case of PTL founder, Jim Bakker. As he notes in his book I Was Wrong, many of his friends, spiritual peers and a nationwide audience loyally reinforced his adherence to a gospel of greed … that is until it was revealed that he had engaged in a one-night fling.

Friends, as spiritual leaders, sex should no longer be “the final straw” that causes us to question the validity of one’s ministry. We must be willing to challenge and confront those who persist in ethical and doctrinal ambiguity before Satan lays his last trap.

Paul’s instructions to his protégé Timothy reveal the inseparable link between false doctrine, greed and sexual immorality–none of which are to be tolerated among Christian leaders. He warns Timothy to watch both his life and doctrine closely, “for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Tim. 4:16, NKJV).

The flip side of Paul’s warning reveals the destruction in the church wreaked by those who fail at this. I, for one, have seen enough of this destruction and heard too many stories from sincere believers strewn in the wake of those who fall. We must have the grace and conviction to intervene–before the fall. *

Matthew Green is managing editor of Ministries Today.

“Too often we
tolerate the strange doctrine, shoddy ethics and greed that are the
precursors to
moral failure.”

Bishop Keith Butler may campaign for a seat in the U.S. Senate during his state’s 2006 election
With hopes of riding the momentum built by “moral values” voters during the November presidential election, a prominent charismatic pastor is considering a run for U.S. Senate in 2006.

Bishop Keith Butler, pastor of one of Detroit’s largest churches, Word of Faith International Christian Center, announced Dec. 31 that he was launching an exploratory committee to see if he could drum up enough support for a campaign. A longtime Republican, Butler, 49, said at the center of his platform would be the protection of marriage, religious liberty and national security.

Butler, who won a seat on Detroit’s city council in 1989 and served a four-year term, said it would benefit the nation as a whole “to have a senator that protects life, that protects traditional family values and … understands also that it is important to take care of the poor.”

He said his ministry has helped feed and clothe thousands of people since it was founded in 1979.

If he were to run for Senate, and if he were to win, Butler would not be the first minister to hold a seat in Congress. New York pastor Floyd Flake served six terms in Congress, while Oklahoma Baptist minister J.C. Watts spent four terms in the House.

But a win would make Butler only the fifth African American ever elected to the Senate, and only the second black Republican. Still, Butler says his goal is not to make history.

“Should I run, I will not be running as a black Republican,” Butler said. “I will be running as a Republican who believes deeply in protecting the family in our society, securing America, keeping her safe, keeping American jobs. I will look to be a senator for all the people of Michigan and not just one segment of the population.”

He admits, however, that it would not hurt the Republican Party to have another minority senator in Congress.

“I think it will assist the Republican Party to have [Hispanic Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida] and Keith Butler in the United States Senate,” Butler said. “It will make it very difficult for the anti-God and the anti-life [forces] to keep those states blue that are blue. I think Keith Butler [could help] some blue states turn red.”

A native of Detroit, Butler was a liberal arts major at the University of Michigan, studying social sciences and minoring in political science. He worked at IBM and General Motors before he founded Word of Faith with his wife, Deborah, after attending RHEMA Bible Training Center. Today the church has more than 20,000 members and has planted 15 satellite churches across the United States, and in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Scotland and London. Butler also oversees some 950 ministers through his Word of Faith Ministerial Alliance.

Conservative observers believe Democratic Michigan incumbent Sen. Debbie Stabenow is vulnerable to being unseated in the upcoming election. Michigan has the highest unemployment rate of any state as a result of significant job losses in recent years.

Several names have been tossed around as possible Republican candidates in 2006. Among them are U.S. Rep. Candice Miller, a former Michigan secretary of state; Oakland County Sheriff Michael Broussard; and Domino’s Pizza CEO Dave Brandon.

But Butler, too, is seen as a strong contender. Incoming Michigan Republican National Committee chairman Chuck Yob told the Detroit News he believes Butler would make a strong candidate. “He’s conservative and formidable,” Yob told the News. “He’s not well-known statewide, but he’s a proven vote-getter in Detroit.”

Getting votes outside Detroit may be one of Butler’s biggest challenges, though observers say he could overcome that obstacle. “I suspect he’ll do the work if he elects to run,” said Michigan Republican National Committee spokesman Nate Bailey. “He’s a smart man, well spoken, a man of great principle, great faith. I think he would make a fine U.S. senator.”

Already anticipating that Butler will run, Traditional Values Coalition (TVC) President Lou Sheldon has pledged to give Butler the maximum campaign contribution both personally and through TVC’s political action committee, the Christian Voters Project.

Butler chaired a TVC effort to support the election of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court and in 1991 helped Sheldon launch the Coalition for the Restoration of the Black Family. Last year the two partnered again to lead a group of African American pastors in opposing same-sex marriage.

“He understands and has lived out in his life conservative biblical principles relevant to the family and marriage, in matters of debt, in matters of defense,” Sheldon said. “So on the moral and social and economic issues, he has made his position well known through the years. And he would be a clarion voice in the United States Senate to keep America on those principles that our Founding Fathers gave us.”

Though Butler has been a Republican since the early 1980s and worked to get African Americans to vote for Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, observers believe he could get significant support from Michigan’s African American community.

Detroit pastor Marvin Winans, a longtime Democrat, said he plans to support Butler should he run. “We were teenagers together; we grew up here in Detroit,” Winans said. “And I know he is a man of integrity. I know he cares for people, and I think he would be a great addition, a sort of conscience, in the Senate.”

National Religious Broadcasters chairman Glenn Plummer, who is also president of the Christian Television Network in Detroit, said he believes African Americans’ loyalty to Democrats is weakening, especially among Christians. “I think there are a lot of people saying I used to vote Democratic because my mother did, grandparents did. Now people are seriously … reviewing their position on this.”

He added that Butler has earned the respect of many residents of Detroit, which is roughly 85 percent African American, and he is an independent thinker. Sheldon agreed.

“[Butler] is not in anyone’s pocket. He speaks his own mind and makes decisions based on his own convictions,” said Sheldon, adding that if Butler won 25 percent of Detroit’s black vote, he could win an election.

For now, Butler said his biggest challenge is raising the $18 million to $20 million he says it will take to run a campaign. Second only to his need for prayer support, Butler said getting campaign contributions is “absolutely critical. Early money decides whether you’re viable or not.”
Adrienne S. Gaines

A Pennsylvania evangelist faces three felony counts after being arrested while preaching against homosexuality during a Philadelphia gay-pride festival in October.

Repent America leader Michael Marcavage, 25, was arrested along with 10 others during the Oct. 10 OutFest event. The group allegedly failed to comply with police officers’ orders to move to another location one block away.

Charged with five misdemeanors and three felonies, including inciting a riot, criminal conspiracy and ethnic intimidation, which is part of the state’s hate crimes law, the 11 were jailed overnight and released without posting bail.

Charges against six were dropped after a judge viewed a videotape of the arrest. Three face misdemeanor charges, while Marcavage and a teenage girl, whose juvenile court hearing was scheduled for Feb. 18, still face the felony counts.

Marcavage’s attorneys say because their client is accused of hate speech, the case has significant implications for Christians nationwide. “If they were to succeed, it would affect how everybody preaches, how everybody evangelizes,” said the group’s criminal defense attorney, C. Scott Shields. “You won’t be able to utter any Scripture around someone who might be offended.”

Though the maximum sentence for the felony charges is 47 years, Cathie Abookire, communications director for the district attorney’s office, said the defendants would likely be put on probation if convicted. She said the Christians were being prosecuted for “their conduct, not their speech.”

However, on Jan. 21 Judge Pamela Dembe dissolved a ban that kept the 11 from evangelizing within 100 feet of a homosexual gathering, saying she saw no criminal activity in the defendants’ behavior after watching a videotape of the arrest. Dembe was scheduled to hear the Christians’ motion to dismiss the charges on Feb. 17. Shields said he was very optimistic his clients would not be prosecuted.

American Family Association senior trial attorney Brian Fahling has filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of the 11 Christians, alleging abuse of power by the City of Philadelphia and several officials. He said he is seeking “significant” monetary damages.
Adrienne S. Gaines

After three ministers disfellowshiped Cain in October, he admitted to the charges and asked Christians to forgive him
Veteran charismatic minister Paul Cain issued a solemn apology on Jan. 31 in which he repented for immoral behavior and pledged to seek counseling for his alcoholism.

Celebrated in charismatic circles for his accuracy as a New Testament prophet, Cain was disciplined and disfellowshiped by three church leaders last fall after they determined he had engaged in a pattern of unbiblical behavior that included heavy drinking and homosexuality.

Rick Joyner, Mike Bickle and Jack Deere released their charges Oct. 19 in a statement on the Internet. They also said Cain was unwilling to submit to a restoration process.

Cain initially denied the charges in a statement on his own Web site, maintaining that his reputation was being attacked. But three months later he decided to come
clean.

“I am as guilty as I can be,” he told Charisma. “I am going for counseling. I am getting as much help as I can.”

Joyner, Bickle and Deere made their initial charges public because they found proof that Cain was involved in long-term homosexual activity and often got drunk, sometimes in public.

“We apologize to the body of Christ for our lack of discernment in promoting Paul’s ministry while he had these significant strongholds in his life,” their statement reads. “We hope that Paul can yet be restored and used again for the glory of God in the wonderful way that so many of us have been blessed to see in the past.”

Deere, who pastors Wellspring Church in Richland Hills, Texas, learned of the charges last year from a man who said he had been involved in a sexual relationship with Cain. Three witnesses also told Charisma that Cain drank heavily. The drinking got so serious that Cain once collapsed in public, one witness added.

Deere asked Joyner and Bickle to arrange a meeting in Moravian Falls, N.C., where they confronted Cain in April 2004. He initially confessed to the charges, Deere said. But later Cain retracted his confession and even sent out letters from doctors who vouched for his emotional health.

Now, however, Cain says he is no longer in denial.

“I have struggled with homosexuality for an extended period of time,” Cain said in his written apology. “I have struggled with alcoholism for an extended period of time. I apologize for denying these matters of truth, rather than readily admitting them. I am ashamed of what I have done to hurt those close to me and for the pain I have caused those who have believed in my ministry.”

Cain’s accuser, who spoke with Charisma but asked not to be named, is now undergoing spiritual rehabilitation. Meanwhile, Cain–who is 75– says he has no intention of going back into the pulpit anytime soon.

“I plan to take a low profile,” Cain said. “I promise to seek immediate help for my problems and submit to leaders in the body of Christ who will supervise my restoration.”

Cain has enlisted Korean pastor Daniel Kim of Destiny Training International
in El Monte, Calif., to help him. Kim, who describes Cain as a “fallen general,” says he will serve on a committee of leaders who will oversee Cain’s restoration process.

“When a man of [Cain’s] stature falls, there is often no support,” Kim told Charisma. “How we restore this man in mercy could end up being a lesson for the body of Christ.”

Kim said he believes Cain is also a “victim” in this tragedy because Christians sometimes idolize ministers and expect them to be super-human. “He had inner struggles and no one to confide in,” Kim said.

Meanwhile, Deere, Bickle and Joyner said they regret giving Cain a platform. “I think our basic mistake was to overlook a lot of serious and obvious warning signs,” Joyner told Charisma.

Deere agreed. “We all have preached that you never put gifting over character,” he said, “but that is what we did for Paul. We would have fired anyone else. The reason we didn’t is because of [Cain’s] gifting. We let that gifting excuse character.”

Cain launched his ministry at age 18 during the Pentecostal healing revival of the 1940s and 1950s. But he vanished from the scene for more than 25 years, then re-emerged in the late 1980s when Bickle promoted Cain’s ministry at his Metro Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Kansas City, Mo.

Today Cain has homes in Kansas City, Dallas and Moravian Falls, N.C. But he says he plans to check into an alcoholism treatment center by the first week of March. If possible, he also hopes to complete a book he is writing, The Rise and Fall of God’s Anointed, which will include his memories of Pentecostal evangelists such as William Branham and A.A. Allen–men who, like Cain, experienced supernatural gifts of healing and prophecy.

“I never expected that I would be one of those fallen ones,” Cain said.

Cain’s full statement of apology can be found on his Web site, .
J. Lee Grady

Organizers say the School of Urban Missions continues the healing that began in 1994 at the Memphis Miracle
In what organizers describe as an historic show of racial unity in the Christian community, the Assemblies of God and Church of God in Christ have joined forces to operate the School of Urban Missions (SUM), an inner-city Bible college that combines theological education with practical hands-on training. The undertaking marks the first time ever the two Pentecostal denominations have embarked on a joint corporate venture.

“I began to realize that there were so many potential leaders in the urban community, but they didn’t have the ability to pursue the dreams that God laid in their hearts,” said George Neau, founder of SUM and school chancellor.

Neau’s dream to build a school that would provide opportunity to low-income, inner-city students became a reality in 1993 with the purchase of a building near downtown New Orleans. In 1999, SUM purchased a second site in Sobrante Park–a notoriously poor and drug-infested area of east Oakland, Calif.

Robert Cowan, a Church of God in Christ (COGIC) board member, describes the Oakland campus as an oasis in the midst of the inner city. “It gives hope to a community blighted by poverty, drugs and violence,” Cowan said. “The general church community is also benefited. Christian education is typically expensive. This fee is low enough and the education good enough that many churches are able and willing to support.”

SUM offers an Associate of Arts degree in biblical studies at a cost of $400 per quarter, allowing students of all economic backgrounds to graduate debt free. Through fund-raisers and donations, the school sponsors the remaining tuition, which can reach $10,000 a year per student.

SUM opened its doors with an enrollment of just four students. Today, more than 130 students attend, 65 percent of whom are African American.

“The school is based on going out there and making a difference,” said Alexander Largaespada, an SUM graduate. A gang member by age 17, Largaespada is now assistant director of When Warriors Dream, an SUM ministry in Oakland whose goal is to reach inner-city youth. “I want to give them what I never had by telling them that there is hope,” Largaespada said.

SUM has changed one of Oakland’s toughest neighborhoods, said Lt. Paul Figueroa of the Oakland Police Department “Their presence has certainly made an impact,” Figueroa said. “[Crime] activity has slowed down significantly. They took a rundown facility and made it into a top-notch school.”

Neau describes SUM as a Bible college with passion, one that connects the intellect and the heart. “I want to raise up an army of radicals who will help shape the nation for Christ,” Neau said. “Our goal is to put an SUM in every major city in America.”

As students worked feverishly to reach crime-riddled communities with a message of salvation, Neau says he recognized an urgent need to unite the denominations.

Previously owned solely by the Assemblies of God (AG), SUM petitioned COGIC to become a corporate partner. On Aug. 21, representatives from the two denominations signed a partnership agreement at a dedication service of the Oakland campus.

The event was also meant to expand resources, increase educators and enhance established campuses with opportunities for growth. “Racial tension is still very much alive in the church,” SUM President Anthony Freeman said. “If we can just get together, what a powerful statement we can make.”

Charles Crabtree, AG general superintendent, said the partnership is a continuation of the healing that began at the 1994 “Memphis Miracle,” where COGIC and AG leaders asked for forgiveness for racist attitudes that had kept the two groups apart. Ten years later, the dream of reconciliation is becoming a reality–thanks to SUM, Crabtree said. “SUM represents one of the very first clear indications of a change toward an interracial movement. This is our testimony to the world. What a blight if we can’t work together.”
Suzy Richardson

Nicknamed the ‘Minister of Defense,’ White began questioning his effectiveness in ministry during the last years of his life
At 6 feet 5 inches and 300 pounds, Reggie White was arguably one of the best defensive players in National Football League (NFL) history. But friends and colleagues say it was the 43-year-old’s strength off the field–as an ordained minister and humanitarian–that left the biggest mark.

“He was a big guy with a huge heart,” said longtime friend and fellow minister Paul Cole. “You could be in a room with other guys who were physically large, but Reggie would fill the room if he was there. Literally, he would walk in and something happened in the air. It was more than his physical presence; there was something bigger inside him.”

White’s sudden death on Dec. 26–likely caused by respiratory problems stemming from sarcoidosis (inflamed lungs) and sleep apnea–sent shockwaves of grief throughout the sports community. Survived by his wife, Sara, and their two children, Jeremy and Jecolia, White was buried Dec. 30 in Charlotte, N.C.

“He was one of the greatest players who ever put on a uniform at his position,” said Johnny Majors, White’s former coach at the University of Tennessee. “I once referred to him as the Tony Dorsett, [a legendary running back], of defensive linemen. There’s never been a better one.”

Twice honored as the NFL Defensive Player of the Year, White was voted to play in a record-setting 13 Pro Bowls, helped lead the Green Bay Packers to victory in Super Bowl XXXI in 1997, and held the all-time record for quarterback sacks (198) at the time of his final retirement in 2000.

But he was also an outspoken Christian who lost a $6 million deal as a sports analyst after he labeled homosexuality a sin during a 1998 speech before the Wisconsin state legislature. The Chattanooga, Tenn., native who became known as the “Minister of Defense” founded and supported several ministries. Among them were Urban Hope, which helps provide loans to minority businesspeople who can’t get funding from traditional sources; Christian Athletes United for Spiritual Empowerment (CAUSE); and the Inner City Church of Knoxville, Tenn., where he was a co-pastor.

Yet after a second and final retirement after the 2000 season, White grew introspective and began questioning his effectiveness in ministry. “I’ve been a preacher 21 years, preaching what somebody wrote or what I heard somebody else say,” said White in his final interview with the NFL Network in 2004.

“I was not a student of the Scripture. I did not read the Bible every day because I didn’t understand it. As much as I gave the perception that I understood what I was talking about, I didn’t understand it. I came to the realization that I had become more of a motivational speaker than a teacher of the Word.

“In many respects, I’d been prostituting,” he went on to say. “Most people who wanted me to speak at their churches were only asking me to speak because I played football, not because I was this great religious guy or this theologian.”

White put his ministry on hold and began an extensive study of the Hebrew language and the Torah. “I came to the realization that if I’m gonna find God,” White said, “I’ve gotta go back and research the Scripture in its original language to see what it says.”

After two years of study, White even altered his diet, giving up eating pork and meat from scavengers such as shrimp and lobster, as per Old Testament law. Some friends and colleagues began questioning whether he was straying into legalism.

“When Reggie started down the road of going back to the original language it really revitalized him,” said Qadry Ismail, a former wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings and the Baltimore Ravens who took up Hebrew studies along with White. “From the book of Genesis to the book of Revelation, that’s what Reggie held to be true. The traditions that we should not be involved in–the ones that have crept up into our ‘Christian’ lives over time–he moved away from.”

For a season, MorningStar Ministries founder Rick Joyner wouldn’t allow White to teach certain doctrines in his church. “As is common with those who have the insatiable hunger for deeper knowledge and understanding, sometimes they are open to those who have carried doctrines to extremes, and I felt that this happened to Reggie,” Joyner wrote in a tribute on his Web site in the days after White’s death. “However, I was never too concerned about Reggie, knowing that his sincere love of the truth and his integrity, would ultimately lead him to ultimate truth.”

Joyner said the two had reconciled before White’s death.

White’s story will be featured in the March/April issue of New Man magazine, which is owned by Charisma’s parent company, Strang Communications. “Reggie was one the best defensive players the NFL has ever seen–if not the best ever,” said New Man editor Robert Andrescik. “He lived an exemplary life. All of the scandals you hear about with pro athletes … Reggie rose above all that. He made us proud because he played hard and lived godly, both on and off the field.”
Jarrod Gollihare

Illinois Court Rules Decalogue Monument Constitutional

The U.S. Court of Appeals of the 7th Circuit ruled in January that the City of LaCrosse, Ill.’s sale of a piece of land on which a Ten Commandments monument sits was constitutional, the La Crosse Tribune reported. The monument, donated to the city by the Fraternal Order of Eagles in 1965, was located in a public park for years. When the Freedom From Religion Foundation filed suit alleging the statue violated the separation of church and state, the city sold the land on which the monument sits to the Eagles. The site is fenced in, and there are signs noting the land is private property, but the foundation still refused to withdraw its case. The appeals court ruled 2-1 that the fence and signs are sufficient for reasonable passers-by to recognize the land as private property. Opponents of the decision may appeal to the Supreme Court, the Tribune said.

Virginia Lawmakers May Consider Gay Marriage Ban

Republicans in Virginia’s General Assembly are preparing resolutions requesting an amendment to the state’s constitution limiting marriage to heterosexual couples only, The Washington Post reported. The ban on same-sex marriage would be similar to the ones passed in 11 states Nov. 2. Legislators in Maryland and Kansas also are likely to take up the issue this year, the newspaper said. So far, 17 states have constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage.

Court Denies Case on Gay Adoption Ban

On Jan. 10 the Supreme Court refused to hear a challenge to a Florida law banning gay adoption, the Los Angeles Times reported. Enacted in 1977, the law prohibits gays and lesbians from adopting, though homosexuals are permitted to serve as foster parents. Lawyers said the state encourages singles to adopt and permits former drug abusers and ex-offenders to adopt children, the Times reported. The high court gave no reason for refusing the case. Mathew Staver, president of Liberty Counsel, said the ban on gay adoption “serves the legitimate purpose of preserving the traditional model of the family.”

Whether or not he’s drafted by the NBA, Roger Powell Jr. says his ultimate goal is to pursue full-time Christian service
Roger Powell Jr. helped lead the University of Illinois basketball team to the top this season, but the senior forward believes he has a higher calling. In October, Powell, 22, received his minister’s license at Mount Zion Full Gospel Tabernacle, a Pentecostal church in his hometown of Joliet, Ill. The license allows him to preach.

“I want to show myself approved and study the Bible,” Powell told Charisma in December, shortly after the Fighting Illini was named the No. 1 college basketball team in the nation.

“Once I get ordained, I want to let the Lord lead me–be it as a pastor, evangelist, youth minister or something else,” added Powell, who preached his first sermon on being a “living sacrifice” from Romans 12. “I don’t know exactly what that calling is yet, but it’ll be in the ministry.”

For now though, his focus is basketball. For just the third time in school history, and the first time since 1989, Illinois reached the top of national rankings this season. The last two times Illinois went to No. 1, the Fighting Illini ended the season in the NCAA tournament’s Final Four.

Powell, who is 6 feet 6 inches tall and a leading scorer for the team, believes Illinois has what it takes to qualify and win the Final Four, which will be held this month.

“I don’t have a speech planned [if we were to win],” admitted Powell, who is a four-year starter at the university, which is located in Champaign. “I’m just going to glorify God. I would probably say, ‘Thank you, Jesus.’ I’d be too excited.”

He is excited about his future, including the prospects of playing in the NBA. Although he withdrew his name from last year’s NBA draft to return for his final college season, Powell sees playing professional basketball as part of his destiny.

“I believe God’s going to open a door for me to play in the NBA because He’s given me the talent,” he said. “It’s a great way to get the gospel out and reach kids.”

Powell said that out of respect for Reggie White, he did not want to comment on the late football star’s concerns that Christian athletes entertain believers, rather than teach them biblical truth.

Besides being heavily involved in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Powell proclaims his faith every time he steps on the court. It’s not surprising that he is considered the team’s spiritual leader.

“We call him ‘The Rev’ now,” teammate Dee Brown told The (Champaign) News-Gazette. “He’s giving himself over to God. That’s a positive thing. It’s not easy. I wish I could do it.”

Last spring, Powell told Illinois coach Bruce Weber that he had found his calling, and Weber wasn’t surprised. Weber said Powell “hasn’t gone overboard,” concerning his faith. “I think he’s always had a strong faith, and now it’s just that he’s going to make that his future,” Weber told the newspaper.

Powell, who attended Mount Zion as a youngster but didn’t surrender his life to Christ until his sophomore year in college, began courses in religious studies at Urbana Theological Seminary in January. He received a bachelor’s degree in speech communication from Illinois in December and plans to pursue a master’s degree in theology.

“He’s got a long journey to go, but he’ll get there,” Mount Zion pastor Craig Purchase told The News-Gazette. “He’s not T.D. Jakes, now, but he could be some day. Or better yet, maybe he’ll just be Roger Powell Jr.”

Speaking of Jakes, Powell is a fan of the well-known Dallas pastor, as well as other prominent charismatic ministers, such as Creflo Dollar and Rod Parsley. While watching the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) last year, Powell said he received a revelation regarding the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Friends from a campus group called Get Free Ministry had offered to help him “get baptized in the Holy Spirit.”

“I’ve never spoken in tongues, so when they offered I said I really didn’t know much about it and that I would pray about it,” Powell recalled. “I prayed and asked God to show me the answer. The next day I turned on TBN, and Marilyn Hickey was on.

“The first thing she said was: ‘Have you been baptized in the Holy Spirit? If you haven’t, then you should be baptized.’I was sitting in my bed and I raised my hand. I said, ‘Thank you, Lord, for that revelation.’ That was my answer to prayer.”
Eric Tiansay

Carol Kent says God taught her how to surrender to Him after her son committed murder in broad daylight
Her son was a respected soldier with a promising military career, but Carol Kent doesn’t want to give anybody the impression that he is a hero. That is far from the truth–he shot and killed a man in broad daylight. Instead, she wants to share with others the painful journey of faith God has helped her walk for the last half-decade.

Her journey began on Oct. 24, 1999. The telephone rang at 12:35 a.m. Her husband answered, listened, then informed her that their son, Jason, had been arrested for the murder of his wife’s ex-husband. Kent said she collapsed to the floor in shock.

Her son–a 25-year-old who loved Christ, was a model student and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy–had become so obsessed with the alleged abuse of his two stepdaughters that he shot their biological father in plain view of passers-by.

An author and speaker, Kent prayed and interceded for 2-1/2 years before her only child’s trial. When the trial finally took place, she walked around the courthouse seven times in a Jericho-style prayer walk, petitioning God for His will. But her prayers did not yield the results for which she had hoped. The jury delivered their decision and Jason accepted his sentence: life in prison, without the possibility of parole–ever.

“Jason received the punishment with a demeanor of quietness,” she said. “As if he had prayed much. He didn’t break down. He didn’t show anger. He was just at peace, much more at peace than any of the rest of us. Then they put the cuffs on him and the waist chain, and they sent him out.”

As her son serves his penalty, Kent, too, lives out a life sentence of hope deferred. But she says with the loss of former expectations comes the possibility of new dreams forged by fire, heartache and suffering that are made of strong metals.

She tells her story in her book When I Lay My Isaac Down (NavPress). She says through the darkness, she found a path to redemption in the story of Abraham and Isaac.

God tested Abraham, commanding him to offer his only son, Isaac, as a burnt offering. Abraham rose early the following morning and headed toward the altar. His son asked, “Father, where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham answered, “God will provide for Himself the lamb, my son.” And the two of them walked on together (see Gen. 22:1-8).

Kent knows that her son is not a picture of Isaac, who had done nothing wrong. “I don’t excuse what he did,” she said. “His actions would not have been God’s plan for his life. But Jason is my personal ‘Isaac.'”

She says God enabled her to lay down her claim to her son with complete trust and submission, even while her mother’s heart recoiled at letting go. “I realized that what I sacrificed on the altar were my own desires, prideful ambition for my son, family holidays and an idyllic future.”

The first time Kent saw her son after his arrest, it was through the filter of a thick Plexiglas barrier. Ten inmates had assaulted him at the jail. “He was beaten and bruised, his two front teeth were jagged pieces. He was broken, hurt and sad. And so was I,” Kent said. “There was nothing I could do about the circumstances that brought Jason to that place. There was no way to bring [his victim] back to life. There was no way to fix things and make life as it was before.”

The Kents spent Easter with Jason following his trial. They sat together, as a family, in the prison courtyard and determined they would not waste their sorrow. They would allow God to use their tragedy as a platform upon which to proclaim His goodness to a world in need. A part of that proclamation is the Kents’ prison ministry called Speak Up for Hope, , a nonprofit organization through which the couple helps churches and ministries reach out to prisoners and their families.
Tonya Stoneman

Jack Dyer has spent 26 years delivering food and medical supplies to remote regions in Honduras and India
The man known as “Papa Jack” to thousands of Miskito Indians has taken a break from his adventures after a nasty fall on a mountain trek. But just because he’s 73 years old doesn’t mean Church of God missionary Jack Dyer is considering retirement.

“I’m a perpetual motion machine,” he told Charisma. “If I stop moving I’ll die.”

Dyer has been recuperating following that nearly fatal fall in the Himalayas in India last year. But that was just one of countless close calls he’s had in his 26-year missionary career, most of it spent among the Miskito Indians of Honduras, where he used his plane to ferry medical supplies and people to remote clinics, among many other duties.

Dyer grew up in Baton Rouge, La., and became a successful engineer before experiencing the “anointing of the Holy Spirit,” as he put it. He was a deacon and Sunday school teacher in a Baptist church but felt something working on him spiritually. “The Holy Spirit was touching me,” Dyer said.

The turning point came when he heard a sermon on Revelation 18. “It tells them to get out of Babylon,” he said. “God spoke to me just as clearly as I’m talking to you and said: ‘That’s you, Buddy. You’re mine, but you live in Babylon.’ And He said, ‘Get out.'”

Dyer heeded the message and began selling his extensive properties, including an Arabian horse farm, using the money to fund his future mission work and other “spiritual endeavors” such as a church camp for wayward boys. He moved with his wife, Shirley, to Honduras to be a missionary bush pilot, working with the Church of God and an organization called Friends of the Americas.

Dyer describes his experiences in his unpublished memoirs, which he wrote in third person. “I don’t like people blowing their own horn, so I just didn’t put my name in the book,” he explained. “I just think it’s more interesting that way.”

In the book, he writes of his arrival at a refugee camp in Mocoron, Honduras, in 1981: “He soon realized he was in a situation like he had never seen before. There were some 11,000 people living in an open field. There was no clean drinking water, no sanitary facilities, almost no food and nothing but the crudest thatched roofed sheds to protect them from the torrential rains that fell intermittently. They were living in a sea of mud mixed with human excrement. The odor was almost more than his stomach could bear. For a moment he thought he would throw up.”

But Dyer said he adjusted to the living conditions and was soon busy helping, sometimes transporting too-heavy loads to save lives or landing on dangerous terrain.

His adventures didn’t end with the refugee crisis. The day-to-day routine of a jungle bush pilot keeps Dyer living on the edge. On more than one occasion he damaged his plane and nearly lost his life landing on remote jungle strips. But he said he felt that he was in God’s hands, which enabled him to perform feats far beyond the limits of his own skills.

One such feat occurred when he decided to land on a sandbar in the Coco River. He scouted it out by air but saw it was covered with logs, so he sent an Indian friend upriver by canoe to clear it. Then he flew up to deliver Christmas boxes to the Miskitos. Dyer finessed the risky landing and handed out the boxes to grateful Indians.

Dyer was in his late 60s when he wrapped up his work in Honduras. But rather than retire to Baton Rouge to fish and dandle grandkids like an ordinary person, he set off to India for a new chapter in his missionary career. That led him on the trek that almost ended his life: He blacked out while hiking in the Himalayas and wound up at the bottom of a mountain. Doctors said a heart condition apparently caused the blackout.

Dyer returned “home” to Baton Rouge for medical treatment last year, but he made a monthlong trip to Honduras in November and planned another to India early this year. “I’m open to what God does with me,” he said. “I just want to be used.”
Ernest Herndon