Lost Coin missionaries comb Athens’ brothels and night clubs to help women find a way out of the sex trade
A Christian ministry based in Greece has taken the parable of the lost coin to heart.

Drawing its name from the Luke 15 passage in which Jesus describes a woman who swept her house clean searching for one lost coin, Lost Coin combs the streets of Athens searching for women who want help escaping the sex trade.

But because prostitution is legal for adults in Greece and widely accepted, even by many in the church, Lost Coin staff members and volunteers from local churches regularly go to brothels, bars and hotels where the sex trade thrives. They strike up friendships with women, offering them practical help, counseling and a way out. Recently, the two-year-old outreach established a drop-in center.

“One of the most prevalent ways of prostituting in Athens is through small-time pimps who keep women in private apartments,” said Lost Coin director Jennifer Roemhildt, an American missionary in Athens. “These girls are completely locked away and really beyond rescue by anyone but God. We offer a bridge to the healing community that the church is supposed to be.”

During two years of on-the-street ministry, Lost Coin has assisted about 150 women who were working in prostitution, but few actually seek new jobs. Roemhildt said that without an effective exit strategy, women who want to escape are not able to. The church, she adds, at times makes it more difficult.

As an example, Roemhildt said that when an Albanian woman or teenage girl trafficked to Greece has been a prostitute, even if by force or coercion, she cannot return to her village because of the shame.

“Most people not only on the streets but even in evangelical churches would say that prostitution is actually a public service,” she said. “They think that it reduces violent crime and rape. We need to work with the churches so that they can bring out the theology of redemption and receive women back who have been abused and used.”

During the Summer Olympics in August, teams of Christians hit the streets of Athens five nights a week. Spearheaded by Lost Coin–the Athens-based arm of International Teams, a nondenominational missions group headquartered in Illinois–these teams sought men and women who work in the sex industry. In expectation of an increased demand for prostitution an estimated 2,000 to 10,000 women had been trafficked to Greece, Roemhildt said. The BBC News reported a similar estimate.

As it turned out, business at Athens’ brothels was not as brisk as it had been during the 2000 Olympics in Australia–which Roemhildt said was an answer to prayer and a huge opportunity to step into the gap and offer ministry.

About 70 volunteers from Lost Coin and several other ministries–including Youth With A Mission, Operation Mobilization, the Southern Baptist Convention and some Greek churches–made contact with about 250 male and female prostitutes. They offered free bottles of water that had been donated by the Greek Orthodox Church and struck up conversations.

They talked about how the women and men could leave prostitution, and told them how much Jesus loves each of them. Lost Coin was ready to meet needs, including the offer of temporary shelter, help in returning to a person’s native country and prayer.

One contact was a Russian woman who received her first Bible. Another was a high-ranking representative of the Union of Greek Prostitutes. She was open to further discussion about how women who suffer in prostitution might be helped.

Roemhildt estimates that about 10,000 women work in the Greek sex industry even without the increase for the Olympics. Ninety-five percent of those have
been trafficked and come from five language groups.

Women and minors have been forced or coerced away from Albania, Moldova, Russia, Romania, Bulgaria and Nigeria, among other nations.

Beyond the direct outreach, teams of intercessors gather as support. And in Thessalonika, a major transit point for women trafficked to Athens, missionary Whitney Brown leads prayer walks.

“Satan is thinking that he has a good thing going,” Roemhildt said. “He is seeking to steal, kill and destroy, but God wants to bring women into a place where they can come to know who He is and that He cares for them. And He is doing it.”
Steven Lawson

The granddaughter of two Pentecostal ministers says she often is led to share personal messages from the Lord through song

For Dove Award-winner Nicole C. Mullen, nothing beats meeting the audience after a concert. Well known for contemporary Christian hits such as, “Redeemer,” “Come Unto Me” and “On My Knees,” Mullen often senses the need to deliver personal messages from the Lord to concertgoers, many of whom have stood in line to meet her. Fitting her gift, she sings them.

“This is for you,” Mullen told one woman recently and with a hum, sang out, “When you call on Jesus …” Tears flowed, as they often do. She said she has been having these kinds of ministry encounters since she was 8 years old, and her singing around the world is a fulfillment of a prophecy declared when she was 12.

Both of Mullen’s grandfathers are Pentecostal preachers in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mullen’s parents, Mary Jane and Napoleon Coleman Jr., branched off and helped start a nondenominational church by hosting it in their home. The pastor and his family even lived with the Colemans for a time.

The ministry grew to a storefront, and now New Life Temple in Madisonville, Ohio, spreads down the block.

“We always had gifts of the Spirit moving,” Mullen said. After a church service, she told Charisma, “I would capture a single mom and say, ‘Hey, can I sing you this song the Lord has put on my heart for you?’ They would sit and listen to my a cappella version, and sometimes they would start crying. I could see the Lord really working on their hearts.”

Still, Mullen wasn’t the celebrated singer in the choir or her family’s favored child prodigy. She was known as just one of the three little Coleman girls until she privately began to dream bigger after a special message from God was delivered to her.

The last week of confirmation class, the church elders came and laid hands on the children. “Sister Dottie prayed over me and said the Lord had given her a word for me,” Mullen recalled. “I remember it clearly to this day: ‘Say not in your heart that you are small but that you are great because I live within you.’

“Then she said the Lord had told her how He was going to take me to different places to sing and how He was going to use me.” Mullen was excited and told her mother but was cautioned that “the true test of prophecy is that you don’t have to make it come about.”

In fact, nothing of magnitude seemed to be happening when Mullen started out singing backup vocals after she attended college at Christ for the Nations Institute. One connection led to another, though, and being introduced to Christian singer David Mullen and agreeing to help him with vocals and choreography caused her to step into destiny. And love.

Traveling kept them apart much of their two years of dating–Nicole toured with Amy Grant, while David performed across the country as a solo artist. When they wed 11 years ago, David decided to concentrate on production and songwriting and encouraged Nicole to perform solo. They work together on everything now, including raising their three children and tending their farm outside Nashville, Tenn.

Mullen continues to reach out to hurting women, and she devotes much of her time to encouraging young girls. In concerts, she sings her African-influenced song “Freedom” in honor of the Trokosi slaves in Ghana. Partnering with International Needs Network, she’s trying to help raise funds to free these women, whose parents gave them away as young girls to abusive priests as a sacrifice for their ancestors’ sins.

The ministry is purchasing the women’s freedom and teaching them the liberating gospel, as well as life skills to help them become self-supporting.

Mullen also reaches out to young girls in her own neighborhood. For years she taught dance classes, and her students have performed with her in concerts. Weekly now, some 40-50 young girls come to her Baby Girls Club. Together they sing Bible verses, share their current “drama” in small groups and pray. After crafts and dance class, there’s a talent show.

Mullen reminds them of such rules as, “You have to keep it under 90 seconds because we don’t want to hear all four verses of ‘I Believe I Can Fly.'” They also know when they come or leave they “gotta give Miss Nicole her hug.”

Sister Dottie has passed away, but it seems her prophecy has stood the test. Mullen’s fifth release, Everyday People, debuted in September. She has been honored with 20 Grammy and Dove Award nominations. And her worldwide performances include appearing at Carnegie Hall and singing the National Anthem at the 2004 Republican National Convention.

Marsha Gallardo in Nashville, Tenn.

Pentecostal Pastor Detained in Iran

An Assemblies of God pastor is still being detained at an unknown location in Iran, though nine other church leaders arrested with him have been released, Compass Direct reported. As of mid-September, Hamid Pourmad, 47, had not been able to contact his family since police raided a denominational meeting held in Karaj, located 20 miles north of the capital. Voice of the Martyrs expressed concern for Pourmad, who converted to Christianity from Islam 25 years ago, and feared there may be a new crackdown on Christians under way in the mostly Muslim nation.

House-Church Leader Released in Vietnam

A prominent house-church leader was released Sept. 6 after eight days of interrogation. The Rev. Tran Mai was arrested on Aug. 29 as he crossed the border of the Asian nation after several months abroad, Compass Direct reported. He was questioned regarding his association with two other prominent house-church leaders who are currently in police custody, the Rev. Bui Van Ba and the Rev. Nguyen Hong Quang. Mai’s release came after the Vietnam Evangelical Fellowship (VEF), an association of 30 unregistered house-church groups of which Mai’s group is an active member, called for a three-day period of fasting and prayer from Sept. 5-7. The VEF also urged Christians to pray for the protection of house churches, especially in light of Vietnam’s new Ordinance on Religion, which is scheduled to become law on Nov. 15, Compass reported.

Gunmen Open Fire in Colombian Church

Masked gunmen opened fire on worshippers gathered for an evening service at the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church in Puerto Asis, Colombia, Sept. 4, killing three and wounding 13 others, Compass Direct reported. The pastor, Francisco Sevillano, was not harmed. Colombian army spokesmen blamed the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC) for the attack, Compass said. Sources told the news service the shooting appeared to be aimed at an individual in the worship service and not the entire church body.

Hosted by Bill McCartney, the Fusion+Dallas event is one of several efforts aimed at reaching out to GenXers

The man best known for mobilizing men to be the godly leaders they were called to be is working to reactivate the faith of another group noticeably absent from many church pews: 20- and 30-somethings.

Promise Keepers founder and former University of Colorado football coach Bill McCartney has teamed up with his GenXer son, Marc, to host Fusion+Dallas at the Dallas Convention Center Nov. 13.

Among the invited guests are Los Angeles Pastor Erwin McManus, Breakaway Ministries founder Gregg Matte, missionary Heather Mercer, poet Amena Brown, worship leaders Shane & Shane and Christian rap duo GRITS.

The event is part of a larger trend toward reaching GenXers with a relevant gospel message. In recent years, 20- and 30-somethings have been planting churches, writing books and engaging other forms of media to help their peers sort through their spiritual questions and connect with like-minded people of faith.

Organized in part by Marc McCartney, 31, and Brian Mosley, the 25-year-old founder of Rightnow.org, an interactive Web site to help 20- and 30-somethings connect with ministry opportunities worldwide, the Fusion event is designed to be interactive and experiential. Instead of the traditional conference fare, Fusion will incorporate film, drama and Bible “discussions” that will encourage group participation.

Making the connection between faith and real life is key to reaching GenXers, leaders say.

Younger generations are drawn to what theologians label the postmodern emerging church, pastors say. They call for “authenticity,” go for “community” instead of “church,” and gather for a worship “experience,” not a worship “service.”

“It’s less a generational thing than it is a massive cultural shift; not as much about age group as it is about mind set,” said Chris Seay, founder of Ecclesia, a nontraditional church in downtown Houston.

Ministries that relate to that mind set already are reaching GenXers in large numbers. Frontline Bible Church in McLean, Va., began 10 years ago as a ministry of McLean Bible Church because the elders saw no church in the area successfully reaching out to young adults, said Frontline small-group pastor Mike Hurt. Today, Frontline averages 2,000 18- to 35-year-olds each Sunday night.

“We don’t believe in spectators for ministry but in everyone using their gifts to make a difference in the cause of Christ,” Hurt said. “I think the future of the church depends on how well it can figure out how to pass the baton.”

Former Lutheran pastor Karen Ward founded Church of the Apostles in 2002, and gathered her congregation into a renovated beauty parlor in what could be described as the seamy side of Seattle.

“Our goals are more modest than the megachurch,” she said. “We average about 500 and enjoy the intimacy of smaller numbers. We don’t believe in programs and never will have Sunday school. The early church did not have programs. We’re not trying to be different; we’re trying to speak the message and language of our generation and culture.”

By hosting the Fusion event, McCartney is proving that young adults aren’t the only ones who can reach out to 20- and 30-somethings. Bishop T.D. Jakes, pastor of The Potter’s House Church in Dallas, said his church continues to see an influx of young people who are seeking God.

“I have noticed that they come in, rather than have stayed in, our ranks. That is to say that many of them have had their prodigal son experiences before returning back to the flock,” he told Charisma. “There seems to have been an erosion of the ‘raised in church, stayed in church’ crowd. I think our parents who raised us in the church did a better job of instilling faith values in us than we did for our children.”

Jakes said he sees the need for church to remain cutting-edge in order to engage and communicate with this generation, like the Internet access to worship services The Potter’s House provides to those who aren’t coming through the church doors on Sunday.

To help pastors and relevant new churches communicate effectively with his generation, Cameron Strang, at age 24, founded Relevant Media in 2001. Strang said he noticed his peers were leaving for college and leaving church, and he found himself spiritually searching, but the church was not answering.

He said today his company sends multimedia kits to 300 subscribing pastors and church leaders each month through its Relevant Network, and publishes Relevant magazine and Relevant Books. Recent releases include The Relevant Church and Kary Oberbrunner’s The Journey Towards Relevance.
Marcia J. Davis

Appeals Court Refuses To Reopen Roe v. Wade

The 5th U.S. District Court of Appeals rejected a move to reopen Roe v. Wade on the grounds that the motion did not “represent a live case or controversy,” the Houston Chronicle reported. The case stems from a motion filed in June 2003 by Norma McCorvey, “Jane Roe” in the 1973 case. McCorvey asked the federal courts to overturn the landmark abortion ruling, saying it is unjust and destroys a woman’s physical and mental health, the newspaper said. Two of the three judges ruled that the case was moot because Texas’ laws criminalizing abortion had been “repealed by implication.” McCorvey’s attorney said they will likely attempt to take the case to the Supreme Court, the Chronicle said.

Pro-Family Groups Urge Boycott of Tide, Crest

The American Family Association (AFA) and Focus on the Family have called for a boycott of Proctor & Gamble (P&G) products. The Ohio-based company recently extended its support for a 1993 Cincinnati law that excludes gays and lesbians from seeking protection from discrimination based on their sexual orientation to be repealed. Saying P&G tacitly supports gay marriage, the AFA has asked its supporters not to buy Tide detergent and Crest toothpaste, replacing them with non-P&G products; to call the company’s chairman; and to sign a boycott posted on AFA’s Web site.

California Domestic Partner Bill Condemned

Pro-family groups are decrying the passage of a California domestic partners bill that will require companies to extend health, life, homeowners and auto insurance to cover unmarried domestic partners. In early September, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law AB 2208, a bill that pro-family groups say undermines marriage. The Campaign for California Families is asking California residents to contact the governor and urge him not to sign a slew of other “anti-family” bills on his desk, including a controversial hate crimes bill that some pro-family groups say could be used to punish Christians who condemn homosexuality.

Jonathan Maracle, a Mohawk from Canada, is breaking musical ground with his Christian recordings
Jonathan Maracle used to gyrate his hips and strut across concert stages singing the AC/DC song “Highway to Hell.” Hooked on drugs and alcohol, he almost permanently ruined his voice during the early 1980s by screaming his lyrics while high on cocaine.

But one night Maracle remembered something his evangelist father told him: “Son, when your back is against the wall, call on Jesus.”

That’s exactly what he did in 1985. After losing a record deal in Los Angeles, Maracle considered suicide but instead prayed and gave his heart to Christ. Two weeks later he reconciled with his parents and eventually began a unique ministry that is touching hundreds of Native people in the United States, Canada and beyond.

“Native people have been given a gospel tainted by man’s opinions,” Maracle said. “It’s my job to change that.”

Maracle sings for Jesus today, but his music doesn’t fit in the typical contemporary Christian mold. He uses Native drums, flutes and rattles as well as guitars, and his colorful beads, feathers and fringed shirts complement his Mohawk hairstyle. Some of his songs are in Native languages and include piercing yelps and war cries.

Maracle’s message is pure gospel–yet the popularity of his band, Broken Walls, is growing as more Native people hear about its new sound. Based in Tyendinaga Territory in Ontario, near Toronto, Broken Walls has performed in churches, schools and other venues on dozens of reservations, including among the Onondaga, Navajo, Salish, Mi’kmaq, Apache, Kiowa, Ojibwa and Iroquois tribes.

What makes Maracle’s music so unique is that he is not afraid to blend the gospel with the rich cultural heritage of Native life.

“There’s nothing that reaches a Native person more than for them to know that God loves them the way they are,” he said, noting that in the past many white missionaries told Indians they had to get rid of their Native clothing and jewelry in order to be Christians. This stripped Native people of their dignity, he maintained.

“Native people have been given such a bad example of the church of Jesus Christ that they call it a white man’s religion,” he added.

Maracle, 49, has big shoes to fill as an evangelist. His father, Andrew Maracle, who died in 1999, was a pioneer in Native ministry for the Assemblies of God. His brother, Ross, started the National Native Bible College in Ontario. Their cousin, John Maracle, is active in Native evangelism as well.

But Jonathan Maracle’s decision to embrace Native culture and musical styles has set him apart from his family and stirred controversy within the Native Christian community. Some Native church leaders don’t allow drums or other instruments to be used in worship–a position that upsets Maracle.

“Some folks won’t allow a Native drum in a church, but they will allow a set of Japanese drums with the name ‘Yamaha’ on them,” he said during a recent concert in North Dakota. “So ‘Buddhist’ drums are OK?”

Some critics have even accused Maracle of syncretism–claiming that he mixes Christianity with paganism. But Maracle stands his ground and says there is nothing inherently evil about feathers, wooden flutes or the large drum he beats during concerts with two other musicians, Kris DeLorenzi and Jeremy Radawiec.

“The drum transcends words,” said Radawiec, 22, who is part Cree. “A Native person is deeply touched by the drum because it touches their core identity.”

The drum is so important, in fact, that Broken Walls released a new recording in October that contains only drum solos. Besides 2004 Broken Walls Drum: Created to Worship, Maracle has released five other recordings and sells them on his Web site, www.brokenwalls.com.

Drums are especially effective when Maracle brings a Native dance team with him. Dressed in colorful tribal outfits, the dancers lift their hands and praise Jesus while using typical Native movements. Such performances attract unchurched Native people and sometimes result in conversions.

At one church on a Hopi reservation in Arizona, 50 people made professions of faith in Christ at a Broken Walls concert. Maracle also regularly takes his message to Pikangikum, a remote Native village in Ontario that has the highest per capita suicide rate in the world.

“I can’t stand to see the funerals of all these Native young people who have killed themselves,” said Maracle, lamenting the fact that reservations have chronic problems with alcoholism, drug abuse and suicide. “They are precious people who haven’t been given a chance.”

Maracle intends to give them that chance. And when they give their lives to Christ he will not force them to renounce their ethnic identity.
J. Lee Grady in Devil’s Lake, N.D.

MUSIC

Made Me Glad
By Michael Neale, Integrity Music.

Serving as worship leader for Christ Fellowship in West Palm Beach, Florida, places Michael Neale in front of a fast-growing congregation of 18,000 every week. Though he has released independent recordings, Made Me Glad is an Integrity Music debut. Recorded live at Dayspring Church in Mobile, Alabama, the disc begins with a rousing celebration of God’s goodness and moves into a passionate time of dedication.

“Only a God Like You” is high-energy worship, featuring infectious music and the inspiring message that “Only a God like You deserves my praise.” Neale breathes new life into the classic “Blessed Be the Lord God Almighty.”

The title cut is a popular modern worship tune, but Neale does a great job of making it his own. “All That I Am” is a touching new track of dedication: “I am broken at Your feet, O God / Father, take everything in me.”

Neale ably leads the worship team and congregation through the praise journey and projects an excitement about the material he’s using. The upbeat spirit of Made Me Glad, along with a great collection of songs, will give listeners plenty to smile about.
Dewayne Hamby

Out the Box
By Tonéx, Verity Records.

Tonéx, one of gospel’s most talented, versatile and eccentric characters, recently released the two-disc, 36-track CD set Out the Box. Although he now presents a toned-down image, he still pushes the musical envelope with a diverse collection of inspirational and groundbreaking music.

His flexibility is highlighted on such cuts as the rock-oriented, guitar-driven “The Trust Theory” and the catchy “Doesn’t Really Matter.” Tonéx incorporates mainstream sampling such as The Jackson 5’s “Dance Machine” on “Alive,” the theme to Family Feud on the track “Games,” and the theme to the sitcom Taxi on the song “Taxi.”

Other standout tracks include the ragtime-colored “Work on Me,” the rock-driven “The Children’s Bread,” the smooth jazz-tinged “Why?” and the horn-textured “Believer.” The Latin festive “Todos Juntos,” the worshipful tracks “God Is Love” and “Your Word” are just a few of the strong cuts included in this set.

Not afraid to tackle real-life issues, Tonéx touches on financial woes, religious freedom and homosexuality. Not only does this set include music, but throughout the collection the artist also includes his own sermonic selections.

Fans will appreciate the artist’s live renditions of hits such as “Personal Jesus,” “God Has Not 4Got” and “Real With U.” He also brings in Yolanda Adams, Kirk Franklin and Sheila E. as featured guests. Tonéx is undoubtedly one of gospel’s most exciting players, and this project seals him as more than a fly-by-night sensation.
René Williams

For All You’ve Done
By Hillsong Music, Integrity Music.

With millions of units sold in the United States as well as the songs’ integration into worship in churches around the country, the Hillsong worship series has become known for original and engaging worship tunes. The newest release, For All You’ve Done, is a double-disc set that features more of their polished praise in a live setting.

Fifteen tracks are spread out on the double discs, which allows the songs a little more breathing room. While worship leader Darlene Zschech and others are featured on the release, the sound of a 500-voice choir joining in conveys a more congregational worship feel for the listener.

As in previous releases, the group mixes traditional praise with rock and pop leanings on songs such as the upbeat “One Way,” the celebration of the title track and the infectious “Forever and a Day.” More melodic tunes such as “Hallelujah,” “Glorify Your Name” and “With All That I Am” round out the experience.

If Hillsong’s 13th live album is any indication, the worship team shows no signs of slowing down in delivering the best in modern worship music.
Dewayne Hamby

BOOKS

My Spiritual Inheritance
By Juanita Bynum, Charisma House,
Hardcover, 256 pages, $19.99.

Best-selling author of Matters of the Heart and No More Sheets, Juanita Bynum delivers a strong call to walk in obedience to God and submit to spiritual authority in her latest release, My Spiritual Inheritance.

Her language is personal and specific in pointing out the tangible sides by which we come to know our spiritual authority. Readers will appreciate the detail of coverage and close scriptural support for realizing our spiritual destiny through walking obediently with God. As a result, Bynum helps us see that the moral and spiritual decline of the church and society will be counteracted.

She writes boldly, “God wants us to walk us through the process of inheriting morality, stability, integrity, and right standing with God and man from our spiritual parents.” She witnesses that too many babies in Christ are missing out on the portions that God has set aside for them by failing to find their spiritual authority. Her intention in this book is to map out the means for recognizing and submitting to one’s spiritual parents.

One thing that sets this book apart is that Bynum addresses her remarks specifically to a charismatic audience of believers. A gifted prophetess, she leads the reader on the journey to spiritual inheritance with wisdom, and Bynum herself becomes a spiritual parent. It is a must-have for those seeking a right relationship with God in the here and now–thus enjoying heaven’s abundance right here on Earth.

Pamela Robinson

Muslims Next Door
By Shirin Taber, Zondervan,
Softcover, 144 pages, $9.99.

This is a vitally important book for Christians. Zeal without wisdom is detrimental and this book will impart the necessary wisdom to help Christians have a more fruitful outreach to Muslim friends, neighbors and co-workers.

Author Shirin Taber has a unique perspective because her father is an Iranian Muslim and her mother was an American Catholic. Her mother died during Taber’s teens, and her mother’s Christian friend and neighbor reached out to help during the time of crisis. Needless to say the neighbor made an eternal impact on Taber’s life and was instrumental in introducing her to Christ.

Taber understands firsthand what it means to grow up in America with a Middle Eastern heritage in the shadow of September 11. She gives helpful insight into matters of hospitality, dress, courtship, education and conversation.

She also warns against stereotypes and paints a broader picture of what it means to be a Muslim in Western counties. She states that books pointing out the differences between Islam and Christianity are important. But she reminds us that it’s vital to know what we have in common and how we can relate respectfully to the Muslim next door.
Deborah L. Delk

Under God
By Toby Mac and Michael Tait
Bethany House Publishers, softcover,

384 pages, $16.99.

Did you know that Benjamin Franklin petitioned the first U.S. Congress to abolish slavery? Or that Thomas Jefferson’s similar proposal fell one vote short of passage and left slavery to wreak its venom another 63 years? Did you know that the “under God” phrase was first introduced by Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg in 1863?

Maybe you did know these things, but a new, easy-to-read volume contains fascinating accounts of heroes and heroines who aren’t so well-known.

Under God, by dc Talk’s Toby Mac and Michael Tait, is the Book of Virtues for “His-story” enthusiasts desiring a deeper understanding of America’s enduring faith and triumphal liberty. The 60 stories compiled (each can be read in less than five minutes) reveal that the story of America is the story of Americans who reached heights and shined the light and, at other times, ceded to darkness and stumbled.
J. James Estrada

NEWS

T.D. Jakes Releases
Mainstream Movie

Bishop T.D. Jakes, best-selling author, pastor and the force behind the recent Mega Fest conference in Atlanta, adapted his popular book Woman, Thou Art Loosed! to a stage play, conference and, most recently, for the big screen.
In October, Woman, Thou Art Loosed: The Movie was scheduled to open on more than 500 screens.

The film (www.wtalthemovie.com) centers on Michelle Jordan (Kimberly Elise, The Manchurian Candidate). Bad decisions, addiction, poverty and an apathetic mother land Jordan on death row. While incarcerated, Jordan asks Jakes (played by himself) to visit her. Through their conversation Jordan’s real story unfolds–one of sexual abuse, pain, healing and forgiveness.

Recognizable actors such as Loretta Devine (The Preacher’s Wife), Debbi Morgan (All My Children), Clifton Powell (Rush Hour) and others make the story realistic and riveting. The message of Christ is woven throughout, yet it is a movie unchurched people would feel comfortable viewing.

Though the film is rated R, the language and violence are not vulgar or overbearing. Jakes defends the film’s rating. “The Bible is violent when Amnon rapes his sister Tamar,” he says.

“The woman caught in the very act of adultery and dragged before Jesus is R-rated. … Too often, Christian films fail in the court of the world’s opinion because they fall short of what the world knows to be true, and audiences reject them as idealistic and preachy.”

Jakes says the church is the perfect place to promote such a film because “abuse statistics don’t stop or even drop at the church door. This movie has a mission to and through the church. When we turn the light on things that happen in the dark, we must also be ready to face the heinous realities among us and minister to both victims and perpetrators.”
René Williams

Since his days as co-host of Entertainment Tonight John Tesh has been hosting his radio show, leading worship at the church he and his wife, actress Connie Selleca, attend and making Christian music. Tesh returned to Red Rocks in Denver to record his latest release, Worship at Red Rocks. He calls his debut Red Rocks album “his first true intimate worship experience with the Holy Spirit.”

“We never should have been able to get it taped [because of rain], and it never should have become a PBS special. … But it did all those things. When God has His hand on something, it just jumps through hoops. … I wanted to go back and be even more honest by doing worship music there.”

Growing up Methodist, it wasn’t until Tesh met Selleca, who invited him to her church, that he got to know Jesus personally. He realized life isn’t about being popular but “about having an afterlife; and it’s only going to happen with your faith in Jesus.”

Tesh wants his music to encourage people to live a worshipful life all the time, not just on Sundays, so they can reach others. He says: “Christians have to be careful not to get trapped in their churches. … We’re hiding in these megachurches, and people from the outside world are seeing Christians meeting together and closing everybody out.

“Church is a training ground for you to go out into the world. … Take what you learn in that church, go out and be wisdom, salt and light in the areas where you’re needed.”
Mark Weber

Christians must have the highest standards of righteousness.
To anyone who has read the recent press reports, it’s obvious that Paul Crouch is the victim of attempted extortion. A convicted felon with a history of child molestation and drug abuse accused Crouch of sexual harassment in 1996. I believe the charge is bogus.

First, the alleged incident had no witnesses. Second, the accuser has zero credibility, whereas Crouch has a lifetime of ministry achievements to his credit. Third, Crouch has never been accused of sexual misconduct at any other time, and since this accusation was made public, no one has come forward with other charges. Finally, he has denied this charge in the strongest way possible in court and to other Christian leaders.

So if Crouch is innocent, why did he pay his accuser $425,000? Crouch says it was to avoid embarrassment to the ministry he founded and loves, and because he believed the man would “go away.”

Sadly, the man didn’t. After receiving the huge settlement, he threatened to sell a biography he wrote to a publisher unless Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) paid him $10 million.

If that isn’t extortion, what is?

I believe Christians should rally around Crouch and TBN. If Crouch says he’s innocent, that’s good enough for me. He has years of credibility as a man of God.

It’s too early to tell what kind of long-term damage these charges will bring to TBN. Some Christians are quick to throw a brother in the pit at the first allegation. Yet it’s possible the man lied about what he says happened with Crouch.

God is the judge. If there was wrongdoing, He will expose it.

Meanwhile, each of us must judge ourselves. What is in our lives that is not pleasing to God? Self-assessment is especially important for large ministries with high visibility that often become a laughingstock for their showmanship and extravagance. That’s because what they do affects the rest of us in the body of Christ.

Long before the Los Angeles Times reported on the charges against Crouch, prophetic voices had been warning that a new season of judgment is coming to ministry leaders who don’t walk in righteousness. We’ve raised concerns in previous issues about ministries with a haphazard attitude toward divorce, remarriage and other lifestyle issues. Immorality in leadership is more common than any of us wants to admit.

God has brought down ministries before that lacked integrity. Consider Robert Tilton, Larry Lea and Praise the Lord (PTL)–the ministries they had no longer exist.

If anything, the media buzz over the accusations against Crouch should be a warning to other ministries in which unrighteousness exists. Surely the media realize the attack against Crouch is extortion. But they seem to take great delight in rehashing reports of extravagant living, well-stocked wine cellars and behavior unbecoming to Christians–especially those in leadership.

I know Satan would like to bring down an effective ministry such as TBN that is beaming the gospel into places not otherwise reached. But I also believe God is judging His church. The fact that a ministry is big and successful doesn’t mean it is blessed by God–and success is not a license to do whatever the leadership wants to do regarding money, morality, pride or arrogance.

This is a time for humility and repentance. All ministries are subject to media attention and attack. If it’s unwarranted, it will backfire on the media, just as the unfounded charges against President Bush backfired on CBS and Dan Rather.

But there is another side too. The Christian community must have the highest standards of righteousness among its leadership. At a time when there are so few values in the culture and a plethora of failed leaders in government and corporate America, we must live by a higher standard. Otherwise, how can the world look to Christians for answers?

If the unthinkable is true and Crouch did what his accuser says, then for the good of TBN and the larger body of Christ, Paul must step down. Otherwise, God cannot bless that ministry.

Let’s support Crouch and pray for him during what must be the most difficult time in his life. And let’s pray he discerns God’s will.

Churches and missions organizations have been reaching out to victims of the recent storms

Since a recent wave of hurricanes swept through the southeast United States and much of the Caribbean, Christians have been reaching out to their communities, sharing hot meals, water, ice and other relief. Leaders say church attendance has gone up as a result.

Covenant Centre International church in Palm Beach Springs, Fla., lost the roof and much of the interior of the building, forcing the church to rebuild from the ground up, pastor Norman Benz said.

“Florida has been hit hard, but I believe God is in control and this will result in a real move of God in our state and even nationwide,” he said. “Buildings are clothing for the ministry, but it’s really what God is doing in the lives of people that matters.”

Steve Lyons, a hurricane expert with The Weather Channel, told Charisma the 2004 season–which saw hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne rip through Florida from mid-August to September–is just slightly above normal. In a typical season, hurricanes form and then dissipate at sea, but this year storms are making landfall in the United States, primarily Florida, at an alarming rate.

In Pensacola, where Hurricane Ivan made landfall, churches have been rallying. Pastor Jody Herrington, assistant to the president at the Brownsville Revival School of Ministry, is leading relief efforts for Brownsville Assembly of God.

“God has used this [hurricane] to open the eyes and hearts of the community toward this church,” she said. “This is a moment for us to reach out to the community. The loudest gospel we can preach to them is to serve them.”

Herrington said scout teams are assessing damages in neighborhoods and then reporting back to the church so needed supplies and services can be provided. “We want them to see Jesus with skin on,” Herrington said.

Perdido Bay United Methodist Church, also in Pensacola, helped about 1,000 people per day after the storm hit Sept. 15, leaving many without food or a roof over their heads. “We’ve been able to offer security for people who have lost their security,” associate minister Rusty Glasgow said.

The church cared for two brothers who lost their homes, cars and jobs to Ivan. The young men packed their wives and children into their mother’s small house.

Central Chapel Worship Center joined with the American Red Cross to feed people and distribute supplies, even though the back of the church’s sanctuary was torn off by the storm. Senior pastor Tim Nail said at one point they were nearly out of food when a woman on the serving line prayed for God to provide. The next morning, five big trucks arrived loaded with food.

Pace Assembly of God became a key distribution point for aid, partnering with U.S. Army troops and federal relief agencies. As church members worked to help others, tragedy struck. Four key members–Bill Walther, Traves Neff, Cristy King and Daniel Wesley–died in a plane crash a week after Ivan hit.

Neff, who at the age of 26 was Continental Airlines’ youngest commercial pilot, wanted to perform an aerial assessment to help remote areas hurt by Ivan. The small, single-engine, four-seat Cessna crashed shortly after takeoff. Walther was a Pace Assembly staff member described as pastor Glyn Lowery Jr.’s “right-hand man.” King and Wesley, both 20, were raised in the church and due to be married in January.

Lowery was supposed to be on the flight but opted out at the last minute. He has been shaken by the tragedy but is comforted knowing his friends are in heaven. “I know they were doing what they wanted to do, and I know they wouldn’t come back for anything in this world,” he told Charisma.

Pensacola Mayor John Fogg, a committed Christian, told Charisma he’s encouraged by the outreach of area churches–many of them greatly affected themselves–and the strong sense of community that has developed in post-Ivan Pensacola. “I’m extremely optimistic that at the end of the day–and the end of the day may be a year or two down the road–we are going to be a better community because of this,” he said.

The four storms have taken a heavy toll. In addition to battering Pensacola, Hurricane Ivan ravaged Jamaica, killing 50 people and destroying more than 8,000 homes. In Haiti, the death toll was staggering–more than 3,000 dead and 200,000 homeless after Jeanne, then a tropical storm, ripped through the nation Sept. 17.

According to ASSIST News Service, an American Youth With A Mission (YWAM) staff member in Haiti said groups of needy people turned into angry mobs as relief aid was distributed. YWAM staff encountered one man who said the storm killed six people in his house. The man said he slept in a tree for two days, waiting for help.

Ann Briere, spokeswoman for Food for the Poor (www.food
forthepoor.com) based in Deerfield Beach, Fla., said the aid organization has been involved in hurricane relief in Jamaica, Granada, Grand Bahamas and Haiti.

In Granada, Briere said, 90 percent of the population of only 100,000 had their homes either destroyed or badly damaged. She said both Granada’s spice tree and tourism industries were critically damaged, crippling the economy.

Though the United States has suffered billions of dollars in damage, there are means to gain help from relief agencies, she said, unlike in Caribbean and Latin nations. “Those who haven’t traveled in the Third World don’t fully appreciate the lack of resources there,” she said.

Food for the Poor partners with local churches and organizations to distribute aid, helping pastors help their people, she said. “We believe we see Christ in all of the faces of the poor,” Briere said.

Springfield, Mo.-based Convoy of Hope (www.convoyofhope.org) sent out quick-strike response teams to bring food, water and supplies immediately, sometimes the day after the hurricane. Randy Rich, vice president of administration and disaster response, said the organization delivered 169 semitrailer-loads of food and supplies weighing more than 6 million pounds to some 300,000 hurricane victims. “Our heart is to be a resource for churches reaching out to their neighborhoods,” Rich said.

Florida children, many still recovering from their own losses, are joining others from across the United States to provide shoe boxes filled with school supplies, candy and letters of encouragement to 7 million children worldwide, including many in Haiti and Granada.

“I know what it feels like to see just about everything you have swept away by a storm,” said 11-year-old Connor of Melbourne, Fla., which felt the impact of Charley, Frances and Jeanne. “I hope my shoe box gift makes another kid who’s lost a lot in the hurricanes feel better.”
Richard Daigle in Pensacola, Fla

Two Christian TV networks can no longer be seen on the nation’s second largest satellite TV provider.

Daystar and FamilyNet were removed from DISH Network Sept. 17 after an arbitration panel unanimously ruled that DISH’s parent company, EchoStar Communications Corp., must comply with a 1996 contract it made with Dominion Sky Angel, the nation’s only Christian direct-to satellite TV service.

The agreement forbids EchoStar from broadcasting any Christian channels on DISH Network besides Dominion’s Angel One network, and Trinity Broadcasting Network and Eternal Word Television Network, which were airing on DISH before the contract was made. Dominion also was awarded more than $3 million for past economic damages and legal fees, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.

The dispute stems from an April 2003 breach-of-contract lawsuit that Dominion filed against EchoStar after it began airing Daystar and FamilyNet. The networks fought to remain on DISH, which is said to reach 25 million homes, leading to a heated dispute between Daystar and Dominion in particular.

Roughly a month before the arbitration panel’s ruling, Dominion founder Robert W. Johnson Sr. died of heart failure Aug. 5 at the age 66. His son, Robert Johnson Jr., is serving as Dominion’s interim CEO.

“It is our desire to put this issue behind us and move forward in obedience to the vision that the Lord has given for this important work of ministry,” the younger Johnson said.

Before Daystar and FamilyNet were removed from DISH, Daystar founder Marcus Lamb said he hoped Dominion would “do not necessarily what is legally right, but what is spiritually and Scripturally right and allow Daystar and FamilyNet to stay on the DISH Network so we can continue to win souls on that secular platform.”

Though he said FamilyNet was disappointed with the ruling, Chip Turner, vice president of marketing and distribution, noted that his network had increased the number of cable outlets on which it is carried by 100 percent.

EchoStar spokesman Steve Caulk said the company believed the ruling was unjustified and planned to appeal.
Adrienne S. Gaines