Campus Crusade for Christ’s The King’s College is focused on training leaders in the heart of New York City
It’s the tallest building in one of the world’s best-known cities–and that makes the Empire State Building a fitting place to house a small liberal arts Christian school, says one college administrator.

“We are a leadership school,” said J. Stanley Oakes Jr., president of The King’s College in New York City. “We want to produce Supreme Court justices and leaders in business and education. … If you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere.”

Fulfilling a dream of the late Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ International (CCCI), The King’s College is a Christian liberal arts college that Oakes believes will one day compete with prestigious secular schools. “Dr. Bright told me that God wanted him to develop a university on the level of an Oxford,” he said.

Bright tapped Oakes, a senior CCCI staffer, to explore his idea of launching a new school. Through a friend Oakes learned that The King’s College, founded by radio evangelist Percy Crawford in 1938, had closed in 1994. Realizing the value of the school’s charter and 11,000 alumni, Oakes persuaded Bright to leverage the defunct college as a basis for building his dream. “We just started out as a faith venture,” Oakes said.

Stepping out on a limb in 1996, Oakes and his wife personally borrowed $100,000 for the initial legal work. Next came the mammoth task of raising $1 million, which took a year to accomplish. Yet much more money was needed.

Then heavy-duty praying yielded a miracle when a Christian businessman offered $5 million. The only hitch was that Oakes had to raise the same amount in matching funds within four months. Miraculously, $7.7 million poured in.

Occupying two floors and 35,000 square feet in the Empire State Building, The King’s College reopened in 1999 with 17 students. Enrollment has reached 228 full- and part-time students, with 400 students expected in the fall semester. “Applications are up about 300 percent from last year,” Oakes said. He forecasts 2,000 students by 2014 and university status soon after that.

Although The King’s College owns land for a suburban campus, officials opted for a Manhattan beachhead because of its strategic location and proximity to the halls of power–the media, United Nations headquarters and the New York Stock Exchange.

At King’s the curriculum covers three majors: business, education and the Oxford program (politics, philosophy and economics). Prospective students are evaluated for leadership potential and not just SAT scores. “This year we will turn down 50 percent of the applicants,” Oakes said.

The student body represents many denominations. About 75 percent receive scholarships. Many are Pentecostal such as Daniel Sanabria, 22, who attends Bay Ridge Christian Center in Brooklyn. For the last three summers he has led missions trips to Turkey, Ethiopia and Peru.

One of 160 students living in nearby dormitory apartments, Sanabria is majoring in business/marketing. “I believe that if I am a business owner and I make money I’m going to take myself around the world and do evangelism,” he told Charisma.

Amy Weaver, a 21-year-old from Lancaster, Pa., discovered King’s on the Internet () after a stint with Youth With A Mission. “It was not on my radar at all,” she said.

But she said she loves the school and looks forward to a career in international journalism. “I’m learning to depend on Christ more and more every day,” she said, “and realizing how intrinsically He weaves the story of my life, and how he ties everything together.”

Instead of traditional chapel services, students are mentored in small groups and join evangelism outreaches aimed at New York City high school students. In August, 40 teenagers made decisions for Christ in one day, Oakes reported.

Faculty members stay close to King’s College students through prayer times, social activities and discipleship groups. “I’ve taken students camping in the Adirondack Mountains,” said Robert Carle, professor of theology. “I have found the faculty to be deeply caring.”

Critics have condemned King’s costly urban home and elitist mind-set, which Oakes denies. He sees graduates modeling the apostle Paul.

“You take Paul, an educated man under the power of the Holy Spirit, and you can change the world,” he said. “We want to train leaders, but we want them to serve and to give.
Peter K. Johnson in New York City

Participants in the Christian Hospitality Network offer hotel and retreat discounts to pastors and missionaries
When pastors need a break from the stresses of ministry and missionaries return from their fields of labor, there is a network of inns and retreats dedicated to serving these ministers at a portion of the cost to traditional patrons.

The burden that goes along with full-time Christian ministry has inspired innkeepers around the world to offer their hotels and getaways to Christian workers as a place of refreshing and renewal. They have joined the Christian Hospitality Network (CHN), which within a year has attracted 880 lodging properties that offer a minimum 25 percent midweek discount to ministers.

These innkeepers subscribe to the practice of hospitality as a Christian virtue, pointing to the Bible’s instruction in Hebrews 13:2 to “eagerly show hospitality to strangers because in so doing some have entertained angels without knowing it.” This belief has fueled the early success of the CHN, along with the dedication of its founder, Paul Cowell.

“Over 1,800 full-time Christian workers leave the field every month due to the stresses of the ministry,” Cowell said. “We [Christian innkeepers] have the opportunity to help pastors, ministers and missionaries find a place to get the rest they need to continue the battle God has called them to.”

First inspired to minister through hospitality in 1963 while visiting a camp in the Adirondacks Mountains, Cowell spent decades traveling with his wife, Jean, to hundreds of inns and retreats around the world. Thirty-four years of notes later, he built Whitestone Country Inn, a luxurious AAA Four-Diamond estate in Kingston, Tenn.

Touted as “A Sanctuary for the Soul,” the bed and breakfast is set on 360 acres on Watts Bar Lake and includes 21bedrooms, three conference rooms, three dining rooms, 12 miles of walking trails and a wedding chapel meticulously built to replicate a historic Anglican church.

The realization of Cowell’s dream came after he spent 25 years as pastor of Christ Chapel in Knoxville, Tenn. Cowell made a series of profitable investments, including the eventual purchase of more than 100 outlets of Book Warehouse.

He also recognized early on the potential for growth in television home shopping. He bought 51 percent of Shop-At-Home, the precursor to the wildly popular Home Shopping Network. Cowell eventually sold his shares and business ventures, which provided the capital to build Whitestone.

“I am sovereignly blessed,” Cowell said. “A return on my investment is not my top priority.”

Cowell launched CHN in hopes that weary Christian workers could find relief at inns worldwide. “In the first five years of being an innkeeper, hundreds of pastors came, and I thought, why not expand this to other innkeepers who are perfectly willing to give pastors and missionaries the same opportunities I do,” Cowell told Charisma.

“In the first six months, we had 700 innkeepers join CHN,” said Steve Tackett, executive director of the organization. “We’re excited about what God is doing among those who are joining together to proclaim hospitality as a Christian virtue.”

Today the network makes more than 1 million room nights available and hosts a getaway for missionaries each year. “This is a four-day retreat for missionaries on the field in which they are working,” Cowell said. “We come to them and give rest and relaxation in a way that they have been unaccustomed to, at least since becoming missionaries.”

The first such retreat took place in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in November 2002. Through proceeds from fund-raisers and donations, CHN treated more than 100 missionaries to four luxurious days at the Chiang Mai Westin Hotel. The amenities even included foot massages.

Interviews with the families indicated that they not only had a refreshing weekend, but also were rejuvenated for the ministry, as some participants had been on the brink of resignation. CHN officials held a similar event in November in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and have plans for a third in Ghana in November.

“Missionaries and pastors are front-line soldiers and they need a place of refuge,” Cowell said. “They have experienced acts of violence and prejudice, and others are just worn out–or worse yet, burned out.”
Cameron Fisher in Kingston, Tenn.

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For more information about the Christian Hospitality Network, log on to their Web site at .

Natives of Belfast, Northern Ireland, Paul Kyle and his family are spreading the gospel worldwide through song

When Paul Kyle and his wife, Hilary, packed up their furniture and moved from Belfast, Northern Ireland, to Minneapolis in 1994 with their seven children, they had no idea what was in store.

“We asked ‘why Lord?’ many times–especially when temperatures in winter dipped into the minus 70s,” said Paul Kyle, a noted worship leader whose songs “Lord Jesus We Enthrone You” and “The Flame” have been popularized worldwide.

In Belfast, Paul Kyle had given up a career as a medical doctor a short time after his graduation in the 1970s to launch a unique endeavor. In a city infamous for religious hate, he established Community of the King, a fellowship that brought together Protestants and Catholics in both life and worship.

Moving West in 1994, the Kyles–whose children range in age from 27 to 12–felt inspired by the Irish saint St. Brendan, who set sail in a leather boat some 1,500 years ago to preach the gospel to nonbelievers “over the ocean.” They soon discovered that the Lord still needed the Irish to reach unchurched America.

Soon after settling in the United States, the Kyles were asked to set up “something spiritual” on Sundays by the owner of a well-known Irish pub in downtown Minneapolis. “Something low-key and casual, that people could enjoy a good influence without having things shoved down their throats,” as Paul Kyle recalls the job description.

Like a modern-day version of the Partridge family, the Kyles spent five years as a regular musical feature at the pub. But instead of using their music simply to entertain, the Kyles used their songs, Irish folkdance and storytelling to share the gospel during the Sunday Spiritual Luncheon.

Thousands passed through the pub’s new “St. Brendan’s Lounge,” as local newspapers and television reported on the outreach with some amazement. Many visitors found their way back to God. After five years Paul and Hilary were ready to start a new fellowship with people they had reached at the pub.

“In my Father’s house there are many mansions,” Paul Kyle sings on his latest CD The Ascent of the Bright Hostage. Similarly, the Kyles’ new house, known as the Father’s House, also has plenty of room for some of their new friends, who have moved in to the 6,500-square-foot home to share their lives and be discipled on a day-by-day basis. Some 50 believers gather each Friday night in the “Upper Room” for worship and teaching.

The Kyles have continued their reconciliation ministry from the States, and they eventually began to do similar work internationally, traveling to such nations as Korea and Australia. Paul Kyle has also recorded several CDs, including The Flame, whose title cut became the unofficial Olympic theme song in Australia when he recorded it in 2000.

Kyle said the song, which is still sung across Australia, is about Christians receiving a torch of faith from their ancestors, and it issues a challenge for listeners to be faithful to pass the torch on to the next generation.

The Kyles have taken their music and Irish spirituality to all kinds of settings in places from Australia to Sweden, and as Irish Protestants they intentionally reach out to Catholics. Not long ago they performed and shared the gospel in a home for the elderly run by Catholic nuns in Nice, France.

During the ministry time, Paul and Hilary were able to lead all those present in prayers of repentance. Paul said that afterward the director told him, “You should hold such a meeting in every old people’s home in France.”

Currently Paul is putting the finishing touch on a Father’s Love musical. In August, the cast and crew–who are from various countries–will gather in Minneapolis for its debut in an area church, aptly named Our Father’s House.
Herti Dixon in Minneapolis

Elderly Church Leader Beaten in Chinese Prison

An elderly house-church leader was recently beaten and crippled for leading 50 fellow inmates to Christ. According to China Aid Association (CAA), prison guards beat Chen Jingmao, 72, a South China Church (SCC) leader, on Feb. 6 for “bringing others to Christianity … [and] … shame upon the Communist Party.” Now fellow believers must carry Jingmao, who suffered broken legs, to the bathroom and to eat. Jingmao, who is from Chongqing City, located in Yunyang County, was arrested on July 9, 2001, and sentenced to four years in prison for “using an ‘evil cult’ to obstruct the law,” referring to his association with SCC. CAA President Bob Fu said the attack violated Chinese prison law, which guarantees a prisoner’s protection from beatings and torture.

Eritrean Families Arrested While Praying

Authorities in Eritrea, located in eastern Africa, recently raided the homes of Christians, arresting entire families caught praying and reading the Bible together. In two separate incidents on March 17 and 18, the families, including children, from the Rema Charismatic Church in the capital of Asmara were jailed, Compass Direct reported. Meanwhile, 10 believers from the Full Gospel Church meeting in a home in the Aba Shwale district of Asmara were taken to jail on Feb. 23. All were detained in prison except for an elderly woman who hosted the group. She was ordered to pay the equivalent of $37–almost half a month’s salary–for holding an illegal meeting for worship in her home.

Indonesian Christians Attacked by Muslims

Muslim militants recently attacked Christians in Central Sulawesi, leaving one dead and five injured. According to Barnabas Fund, four men riding on two motorcycles sped through the village of Maranatha, located near the regional capital Palu, wielding machetes on March 11. A 40-year-old mother of two identified only as Nuci was killed after being struck in the head, neck and back, though she was able to protect her baby. The attackers also wounded five other believers. The situation in the village was said to be still “tense” last month, though no further incidents had been reported.

Michigan state Rep. Triette Reeves supports traditional marriage and hopes to use her position to strengthen families
Politics wasn’t Michigan state Rep. Triette E. Reeves’ first choice for a career. “Every time I tried to get out [of politics]–and I tried–I still ended up in politics,” she told Charisma. “It was my undeniable destiny.”

That call to public service has put Reeves in support of legislation defending traditional marriage and requiring Michigan bookstores to cover sexually explicit magazines or put them in restricted areas. And though Reeves is a Democrat, conservative groups count on her to vote against abortion.

She describes it as a “strange alliance,” one that surfaces only when she is addressing moral concerns. Issues that affect the poor and disenfranchised are often sources of contention, as Reeves, 38, has also supported forums on maternal and infant health care, affirmative action and legislation that would establish a prescription-drug program for seniors.

“She is serious in response to her call to ministry and politics to be an advocate for the poor, women and marginal people, lifting up their rights and responsibilities as a voice of God,” said Tony Curtis Henderson, an adjunct instructor at the Detroit extension of Atlanta’s Interdenominational Theological Center.

A married mother of three and an associate minister at True Believers, a Pentecostal church in Detroit, Reeves believes her call is to promote God’s will, not an agenda. And though she believes she has little in common with conservatives, she has seen God build relationships between white and black Christians in different political parties, something she says “only the Holy Spirit can do.”

In 1999 she began participating in a small prayer group started in the legislature and befriended a white Republican colleague, former state Rep. Mark Jensen. They didn’t always see eye to eye.

“Generally, issues divided us based on the constituents we each represented,” Jensen told Charisma. “We thought we were on opposite sides, but after we talked I often changed my mind because our core beliefs were very much the same, especially regarding right to life and respect for humans.”

Now their families go on outings together. “Spending time to understand each other’s communities opened our minds and hearts,” he said. “She has been a real blessing to me and my family.”

Reeves began her political career in 1998 after she lost her job following the birth of her third child. The former legislative aide said she felt the Holy Spirit leading her to run for office. “I didn’t know why God was doing what He was doing because I didn’t like politics,” she said.

Campaigning as a minister, with the slogan “It’s Time to Serve,” Reeves won by an overwhelming majority to serve Michigan’s 13th district, on the outskirts of Detroit, then was re-elected four years later to represent Detroit in the 10th district.

Most recently, she has been outspoken in her opposition to gay marriages, and she says Christian politicians must stand together against same-sex unions. “The institution of family that God created in the beginning between a man and a woman is the most important thing to promote and nurture,” she said

But ultimately, she believes the fight against same-sex marriage is a spiritual one, and she urges Christians to “deal with the spirits through spiritual warfare.” To that end, she began Family Life Ministries, a nonprofit advocacy group that links churches with resources to help strengthen families. Pursuing a master’s degree in spiritual formation, Reeves also oversees Fisherman Ministries, a prophetic training course that shows people how to answer God’s call on their lives.

Staying sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading in her own life has been challenging, even causing her to change her views several years ago when she stood to vote on
partial-birth abortion. Following the traditional Democratic position on abortion, she was prepared to vote pro-choice when she says the Holy Spirit whispered, “What is it?”

She had her office research the procedure, and after reading the packet of information she “cried like a baby,” unable to believe it was legal in the United States. She believed God was telling her, “This time you are going My way,” and she has opposed abortion ever since.

“[Abortion is] wrong from my perspective based on my convictions through the Word of God,” Reeves said. “I believe you can be a Christian and not receive certain convictions by the Spirit. It came by conviction for me.”

Now she presents information on abortion and same-sex marriage to churches and pastors conferences, presenting them as issues that destroy individuals and families. “The statistics shock them,” Reeves said. “Most church leaders don’t have any idea of the prevalence of abortion, especially in the African American community.

“Abortion is not a top 10 sin–more significant than racism, hate, lying, adultery or oppression,” she added. “If it’s against God, it’s against God, whether moral, social or economic.”

She believes Christians should be engaged–“not in politics, but a Christian’s role is to be God’s prophetic voice to political leaders, the community and have an agenda that promotes God’s will.”
LaVenia Jean LaVelle

The following reports were released during the last month by Charisma NOW. Go to our Web site at to subscribe to the free weekday service or to access full-length versions of each day’s stories. The site also includes a search engine so you can access archived news.

INTERCESSION URGED FOR OLYMPIC GAMES IN GREECE
Prayer leaders from Greece are calling on intercessors worldwide to pull down the spiritual stronghold over the host nation of this summer’s Olympic Games. According to Joel News, a Dutch-based prayer and revival news service, the Olympic fire was lit March 25 in Olympia, Greece, during a religious ceremony led by a high priestess who dedicated the Games to Greek gods. The ceremony marked the start of a 46,800-mile relay across all five continents that will culminate on Aug. 13 in Athens with the opening of the Games. “The main ceremonies and symbols of Athens 2004 are dedicated to idols [or spiritual powers], and the dates and rituals have been carefully chosen,” observed Joel News, which urged intercessors “to resist Satan’s evil schemes and to pray God’s destiny” for Greece in the coming months and during the Olympics.

PASTOR WANTS TO ‘SPIRITUALLY’ HELP TEENS HELD IN CROSS BURNING
A Pentecostal pastor in Washington state says he hopes he can help the teens who admitted to burning a 3-foot-by-5-foot cross March 24 in front of his home in Arlington, a predominantly white community about 40 miles north of Seattle. Jason Martin, who leads 150-member, nondenominational Jesus Is Lord Life Tabernacle in Marysville, said he’s not angry at the two 16-year-old boys who turned themselves in to police March 27, the Associated Press (AP) reported. Martin, 38, said if the boys are willing to hear him out, he hopes to tell them that he forgives them. “I would like to help them spiritually, of course,” said Martin, who is black, “to help them know that Jesus loves them, that He died for their sins, and that no one has not committed a sin,” the AP reported.

NORTHERN CANADIAN TERRITORY EXPERIENCES CHRISTIAN REVIVAL
Pentecostalism is reportedly spreading among indigenous people living in a remote territory of northern Canada. According to The Winnipeg Sun, a Pentecostal revival is growing in Nunavut, which means “our land” in the Inuit language. The region covers an area roughly the same size as Western Europe. The Canadian newspaper observed: “After years of patient work, fundamentalist religious leaders across the eastern Arctic are about to join hands and [expand] their rapidly growing flocks to form a new church that combines speaking-in-tongues, cast-out-the-devil Christianity with Inuit cultural pride.”

ADULT FILMMAKER HELPS CHRISTIAN ANTI-PORNOGRAPHY GROUP
A pornographer and a Christian anti-pornography group have become unlikely allies in a crusade against explicit material. James DiGiorgio has joined forces with in an effort to keep children away from pornography, the Los Angeles Times reported. DiGiorgio and his crew recently produced a public-service announcement for , founded by youth pastors Craig Gross of Fireproof Ministries and Mike Foster of Crossroads Christian Church, both based in Corona, Calif. The production featured puppets and a wholesome message urging parents to keep their adult videos and magazines from falling into children’s hands. DiGiorgio, who has directed more than 100 adult films, has received harsh criticism from his industry, but the father of two said he believes the industry has to take responsibility.

Church on the Way Selects New Senior Pastors

On April 4, pastor Jack Hayford named Jim and Alice Tolle as the new pastors of The Church on the Way in Van Nuys, Calif. Hayford has been serving as interim pastor since the death of his son-in-law and the church’s senior pastor Scott Bauer on Oct. 24. Tolle asked that Hayford remain as teaching pastor “while I seek to put my arms around this wonderful ministry.” A formal installation service is to be held in September.

Southern Gospel Artist Admits to Gay Struggle

Southern Gospel artist Kirk Talley canceled all further concerts after admitting to a 30-year battle with “feelings of loneliness and depression, all stemming from the struggle of homosexuality,” according to a statement he posted on his Web site. Talley said he is seeking restoration, and described being “set free” from his struggles after an intense prayer and counseling session. He said he plans to take a six-month break from the music industry.

Organist Gives One-Handed Easter Concert

Less than a year after severing his left arm in a car accident, organist Mark Thallander received a standing ovation for his one-handed performance of “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee” during an Easter service at Central Assembly of God in Springfield, Mo., AG News reported. Today the noted musician uses a prosthetic arm. “So many people around the world were praying for me,” Thallander said of his recovery, AG News reported. “I felt those prayers and Jesus sustained me through the entire event.”

The lightweight champion and youth pastor from Tulare, Calif., says he’s able to reach people who wouldn’t visit a church
James Kindell’s reputation precedes him.

He’s known as the “punching pastor”–and it’s not because of his forceful delivery from the pulpit. It’s because the youth pastor from Tulare, Calif., is an amateur boxer, winning a Northwest Golden Gloves championship last year and advancing to a national tournament.

He even competed in the Olympic Boxing Trials, though he was disqualified after the third match.

“I encouraged him to get back into boxing,” said Dennis Sunderland, the senior pastor at Bethel Assembly of God in Tulare. “It’s a great contact with a segment of our community that doesn’t come to church.”

Kindell started boxing at age 10 while growing up in Seattle, winning a silver medal at the Junior Olympics at age 15 and five years later ranking seventh nationally in his weight division in an amateur boxing career that included 75 bouts.

A year ago, at the age of 29, Kindell returned to the ring after a seven-year layoff, winning the Golden Gloves title in Tacoma, Wash., earning top honors at a regional tournament and later advancing to nationals at the legendary Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas–placing second in the 152-pound weight class.

Nearly every day before heading to church, Kindell wakes at 5:45 a.m. and runs six miles. He trains in the ring on Tuesday nights. “Young guys at the gym come up to me and ask, “‘You’re a pastor?'” Kindell said. “They see I’m not cussing. They see I’m different.”

Now, the 5-foot-7 Kindell mixes preaching and boxing, befriending street-tough kids who know nothing about the forgiveness of Christ.

“It’s part of my ministry,” Kindell said. “Most pastors aren’t able to reach these people. It’s a way of meeting some guys you won’t find in church.”

Win or lose, Kindell said his return to boxing has been a success because he gets an opportunity to share Jesus. Each Tuesday night at an aging boxing club, there are 20 to 30 boxers gathered, ranging in age from 15 to 25. It’s a vastly different group from those who come to Kindell’s Wednesday night Bible study at church.

“I wanted to be around street kids,” Kindell said. “Not preaching to them, just loving them, being Jesus with skin on.”

Married with three daughters, Kindell understands that he’s a role model. Tattooed above a crown of thorns on Kindell’s right shoulder is “John 14:6.”

“It’s just another tool,” Kindell said.

Ten years ago, Kindell burned his boxing shoes after becoming a Christian. It was an expression of commitment, showing that boxing would not interfere with his faith. Now Kindell doesn’t see the two passions contradicting.

“They complement each other,” he said. “I’ve been able to pray with people to receive Christ. If that wasn’t there, I’d be questioning my motives.”

Sunderland wasn’t reluctant to let Kindell climb back into the ring. He encouraged him. “He said go for it,” said Kindell, who Sunderland hired as youth pastor in 1997. “I’ve got one of the greatest pastors around.”

Kindell isn’t the first one to go from pulpit to pugilist. George Foreman, former world heavyweight champion, is a pastor and is now talking about boxing again. “I listen to George, and the effectiveness he’s had for the gospel is tremendous,” Sunderland said.

As with Foreman, Kindell doesn’t consider boxing the priority in his life. He sees the sport as an opportunity to knock on the door of someone’s life. “James has a lot of passion,” Sunderland said. “He has a lot of passion about life in general. So his boxing is seen as a way of building relationships.”

Sunderland said he understands concerns about the image of a pastor trying to deck someone. “The only question people have is they think boxing is brutal,” he said. “But it’s a contact sport, no different than hockey or football.”

Kindell said he doesn’t box out of anger. He called boxing “an art,” saying it’s a sport of strategy. But Kindell admits he looks for the knockout. “I’m a puncher as opposed to a boxer,” Kindell said. “I’m a heavy hitter.”

With his fists as well as his words.
Gail Wood

It’s time for Christians to stop ignoring political issues and let our voices be heard.

This may be one of the most important columns I’ve ever written–and I’m praying you will respond to it. I want to motivate you to personally flood Congress with phone calls, letters and e-mails supporting the Federal Marriage Amendment and to get your friends and your church to do the same.

Two decades ago, the Equal Rights Amendment almost passed. On the surface it looked like a harmless plan to give everyone in our country equal rights. But it was potentially very damaging to citizens with conservative values, as it could have been used by those with an unconventional lifestyle to claim they had equal constitutional rights. Thankfully voices were raised in time, and it was defeated.

Now the radical homosexual community wants to legalize so-called gay marriages. In response to their pressure on individual states to pass same-sex marriage laws, President Bush is supporting an amendment to the Constitution called the Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA), which states: “Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution or the constitution of any State, nor state or federal law, shall be construed to require that marital status or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon unmarried couples or groups.”

Charles Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship Ministries, reported in the April 13, 2004, edition of his BreakPoint commentary that he had recently met with a group of senior congressional staff who are concerned about the lack of public support for the FMA. They told him that “no senator was reporting any unusual number of calls or e-mails” from constituents.

“One conservative Midwest senator … said he isn’t sure he wanted to get involved in this issue because he hasn’t heard from his constituents,” Colson wrote. “He’s not alone. This is tragic. Where are the Christians? Are we asleep?

“Too many, I fear, have been suckered into a ‘what’s-in-it-for-me?’ approach to faith,” Colson continued. “People go to church to hear a feel-good sermon, sing some happy clappies, and visit with friends. We ignore completely the cultural implications of our faith. And then we’re shocked by the state of the culture.

“The political realities in Washington are very clear: This is the best opportunity we’ll ever have to get this amendment.”

Colson summarized the situation in these words: “The fact is that we are going to have legalized gay ‘marriage’ in the United States … unless Christians and others speak up strongly.”

Focus on the Family founder James Dobson agrees. In April he issued an urgent call to action, stating that “the efforts of homosexual activists and liberal courts to legalize same-sex marriage … seem to be succeeding. Possibly in a matter of weeks … they may complete the job, unless we all take a stand.”

Pacifism among Bible-believing Christians has a long history, beginning with the Quakers in Pennsylvania who declined to get involved in the Revolutionary War. Nearly a century ago, most Pentecostals also were pacifists and refused to fight in World War I.

Pacifism among Pentecostals was less prevalent by the time World War II began, but all along church leaders have focused on doctrinal matters rather than political. I once read that when the possibility of nuclear war was a significant issue for political debate, one of the large Pentecostal denominations had no official policy on it–but they did have an official policy stating that playing volleyball on Sunday was wrong!

It’s time for Christians to stop ignoring political issues. We need to rise up and let our voices be heard!

Go to our Web site () to read about the dangers we face if we don’t act now. You will also find directions for how to contact your congressmen. I urge you to write or call them every week until the FMA passes.

We have a small window of opportunity. It’s possible the amendment will pass this summer. But if it dies in committee, what hope do we have of thwarting the homosexual agenda regarding same-sex marriage?

Please don’t wait. Act today to support this amendment. Your voice will make a difference!

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Stephen Strang is the founder and publisher of Charisma.

BOOKS

The Image of a Father
By Bryan Davis, AMG Publishers,
hardcover, 224 pages, $.

Readers are desperate for guidance on how to raise children, but they want more than the same food for each meal. Bryan Davis’ The Image of a Father offers fresh flavor.

With refreshing honesty, Davis opens the door to his home and heart, inviting readers inside. He tells tales of football games with his sons, shares kind notes from his daughter and talks of racing to the store for just what his pregnant wife needs. Through risky confessions of his failures as a father, Davis offers biblical guidelines for parental success and Christian character in everyday life.

In serving a balanced meal for parents, the author defines each ingredient of a father’s role, including life-giver, provider, truth-teller, judge, guide and warrior. He admits that children might suffer because their parents are not perfect, but encourages reliance on God in decision-making: “As we trust our Supreme Judge to correct our surrogate errors, we move on to the next case. Our fallibility is no excuse for avoiding our responsibility.”

Overall, The Image of a Father dishes up crucial instruction on how to truly rely on the Life-Giver, Guide and Supreme Judge.
Chris Maxwell

Healing the Masculine Soul
By Gordon Dalbey, W Publishing Group,

softcover, 272 pages, $.

Gordon Dalbey’s updated classic, Healing the Masculine Soul: How God Restores Men to Real Manhood, includes newer topical references and a study guide. Yet, 15 years after its original release–and amid escalating divorce rates, increasing fatherlessness and gay “marriage” debates–it’s more timely than ever.

Reading this book is an emotionally wrenching experience, one designed for both genders. It is not only millions of men who suffer from a lack of paternal affirmation. As Dalbey points out, many women also struggle with that and with unbalanced views of godly masculinity.

The book includes revealing glimpses of Dalbey helping counselees overcome such shortcomings. These are akin to observing inner-healing sessions. However, that strength is also the book’s weakness. Afterward, the question becomes: Where do we go from here? How do we address emotional diseases afflicting interpersonal
relationships?

As daunting as the task may be, if you are part of a Bible-study class or small group, one place to start is by thrashing out the issues Dalbey raises.
Ken Walker

How to Talk So Your Kids Will Listen
By H. Norman Wright, Regal Books,
softcover, 104 pages, $.

In this small but useful volume, H. Norman Wright sets out to show parents how to “really get through” to their children, recognizing that each child is different. Taking into consideration the uniqueness of each child, the parent can discover the most appropriate way to communicate with him or her.

Wright encourages parents to nurture their children, who are moldable like clay, with verbal and nonverbal expressions, affirming them for their right choices and correcting them for their wrong choices. He deals with communication situations, such as bargaining or the silent treatment, and how to cope with explosive topics, including clothes, contraception and curfews.

Practical exercises will help parents recognize problems in their communication styles and find solutions. Some parents will need to adopt the author’s pointed advice to “talk less” or “stop yelling,” for example. Many parents simply will need to hear Wright’s ultimate encouragement, that with the right communication style, “Your child will listen!”
Christine D. Johnson

FICTION

Hadassah
By Tommy Tenney, Bethany House
Hardcover, 351 pages, $.

A fascinating new spin on a beloved old story is what author Tommy Tenney produces in Hadassah: One Night With the King. Well-known for his inspirational nonfiction teaching books, such as The God Chasers, Tenney now successfully tries his hand at historical fiction with the help of Mark Andrew Olsen.

The flavor of this story is not unlike the works of authors Brock and Bodie Thoene or Francine Rivers, yet anyone who has heard or read Tenney’s inspirational works will pick up threads of those teachings even in this fictional story. There is plenty of action, intrigue and suspense despite the fact that Tenney never strays from his biblical base as the foundation.

Particularly satisfying is how the Jewish Hadassah determines to live out her faith in the pagan Persian palace and how she obtains favor among the leaders. She was not just part of an elaborate beauty contest, but also encountered great pressure to compromise the standards of her faith. This rendition of the Esther story also develops the anti-Semitism in Haman, a descendant of Agag, and the spiritual battle that has raged even centuries before and continues into our modern age.

Deborah L. Delk

MUSIC

Thank You Lord
By Don Moen, Integrity.

Don Moen’s new album is appropriately titled Thank You Lord, since thankfulness is primarily what praise and worship music is all about. For the most part, this album is built on acoustic musical backings and colored by plenty of piano and mandolin. Though most songs are originals, Moen has also included a short snippet of the hymn “I Need Thee Every Hour” and a few bars of the chorus “I Surrender All.”

In a few places, the music takes on a distinctly Celtic feel. Namely, on “Worthy of Praises”–but it also influences the closing of “When It’s All Been Said and Done,” with its lyrics that take stock of the Christian life and remind us that only what believers do for Christ truly counts in the end. “Mi Corazón” includes a few lines sung in Spanish during its chorus, and even sports a Spanish-styled guitar solo. Overall, Thank You Lord is a consistently satisfying effort.
Dan MacIntosh

Open Up the Gates
By Planetshakers, Word.

As the Hillsong series continues to influence worship circles, another Australian import explodes onto the musical scene. Planetshakers’ debut recording, Open Up the Gates, features high-energy, modern-rock-oriented praise from the youth movement of the same name that has drawn thousands worldwide.

The CD is the introduction of the Planetshakers invasion that will also feature concerts and conferences in the United States. Under the direction of worship pastors Henry Seeley and Sam Evans, the songs are fresh and original yet accessible and catchy.

Highlights include the rousing rock of the title track, the solemn praise of “How I Love You,” the passionate “It’s All About Jesus” and the anthem “All I Want Is You.” Similar to Passion and Hillsong, Planetshakers should be welcomed by many seeking fresh and inventive new worship songs.

DeWayne Hamby

Praise Jams Volume 1
By Club J, Integrity.

Adults might not get Praise Jams, but they are not supposed to. This project is especially geared to tweens–praise and worship for the 8- to 14-year-old category.

Part Jump5, part club music, Praise Jams opens with the high-energy dance number “Love to Be With You,” followed by a fast-paced, crunchy guitar version of the Jesus tribute “My Best Friend” in the tradition of Relient K or The Elms.

Some of the familiar songs are downright cool, such as “You Are Good” and “Open the Eyes of My Heart.” Though some might sound a bit cheesy, such as the juvenile-sounding “Every Move I Make,” overall, Praise Jams is a great alternative to today’s tween radio offerings.
Natalie Nichols Gillespie

VIDEO

Home Beyond the Sun
By Garden City Pictures.

God works in mysterious ways in Home Beyond the Sun: The Found Forsaken. Based on a true story, this film examines China’s dilemma of unwanted daughters in an overpopulated land of more than 1 billion people.

Jenna Wilton (Melyssa Ade) is a 22-year-old Bible-college graduate from America who goes to China to teach English a boy’s academy. She believes this is an opportunity to take Jesus to a land controlled by communism.

After discovering a Christian orphanage near the school, she meets 8-year-old Chu Lee (Molly Sayer). Chu’s mother was forced to leave her as an infant on the doorstep of the orphanage just before she was gunned down by the secret police.

Wilton, who was also an orphan, becomes a “big sister” to Chu, who longs to be adopted but is passed over for the younger orphans. Wilton offers Chu hope as she tells her about life in the United States.

Thanks to Wilton, an American couple agrees to adopt Chu, but Col. Khan (Von Flores), the secret police captain, seems bent on blocking the girl’s road to freedom. Wilton and Chu, though, eventually get help from an unexpected source. Featuring a surprise revelation at the end, the film shows that “with God all things are possible.”

Home Beyond the Sun is suitable for the entire family. This movie will tug at the hearts of couples desiring to adopt Chinese orphans and Christians concerned about the persecution of believers in China.
Eric Tiansay

Paula White loves to shop for antiques and read the classics. She is Mom to four children, ages 18-26, a blended family she enjoys with her husband of 15 years, Randy. She is also “Pastor Paula” to the 15,000 who attend their Tampa, Florida, multiracial Without Walls International Church.

White’s life message is “use pain as a conduit for power,” a conviction shaped by her past. Her father committed suicide. And she endured years of physical and sexual abuse.

Having learned from personal experiences and then ministry, White exposes the characteristics of violators and encourages cutting off unhealthy relationships. “Go to those who celebrate you,” she says. You need their perspective: “Most of my close friends have known me since I lived in a trailer and ate government cheese.”

Her book Deal With It! You Cannot Conquer What You Will Not Confront (Thomas Nelson) highlights relatable women of the Bible. Leah, Jacob’s surprise wife, was manipulated and unloved. Rahab, once a fertility-cult prostitute, ended up as the great-great-grandmother of King David–proof that God does not let the condition of your past determine your future.

Her first Charisma House book, He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not, has been revised with a journal quality and a new cover. White explains that only God can fulfill our most desperate need for love. As we embrace a relationship with God, His unconditional love transforms the way we view ourselves and others.

Though busy speaking at conferences and making TV appearances, White’s priority is inner-city ministry. She has helped establish a medical center, vocational and technical center, an adoption agency, and more. Without Walls offers training three times a year to those who want to minister to others in similar ways.
Marsha Gallardo

CHARISMATIC TOP SELLERS

1. Total Forgiveness
R.T. Kendall (Charisma House)

2. Matters of the Heart
Juanita Bynum (Charisma House)

3. The Three Battlegrounds
Francis Frangipane (Arrow Publications)

4. Pigs in the Parlor
Frank and Ida Mae Hammond (Impact Christian Books)

5. The Torch and The Sword
Rick Joyner (Destiny Image)

6. A Divine Revelation of Hell
Mary K. Baxter (Whitaker House)

7. Prison to Praise
Merlin R. Carothers (Merlin R. Carothers)

8. The Tongue
Charles Capps (Harrison House)

9. The Final Quest
Rick Joyner (Whitaker House)

10. Within the Gates
Rebecca R. Springer (Christ for the Nations)