The Network of Anglican Dioceses and Parishes was formed in response to the denomination’s election of V. Gene Robinson

Angered by the U.S. Episcopal Church’s recent election of an openly gay man as bishop of New Hampshire, a group of conservative Episcopalians, headed by a charismatic bishop, have formed a new network that leaders say will function as a part of the broader Anglican Communion.

Chartered Jan. 20 in Plano, Texas, the Network of Anglican Dioceses and Parishes (NADP) was organized by the bishops of 12 dioceses, which represent at least 10 percent of the 2.3 million Anglicans in the United States. So far, four diocese have ratified the charter.

The Episcopal Church in the United States (ECUSA) is part of the Anglican Communion, a global association of denominations that trace their lineage to the Church of England.

The new group’s charter said the network constitutes “a true and legitimate expression of the worldwide Anglican Communion,” Reuters reported. Its leader,
Robert Duncan, a charismatic Episcopal bishop from Pittsburgh, said ECUSA strayed from the denomination’s constitution when it blessed homosexual unions and elected V. Gene Robinson, who is openly gay, as a bishop.

The new network, which was formed after consultation with Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, would “operate in good faith within the constitution of the Episcopal Church,” Duncan said. “We are not splitting off from the Episcopal Church.”

Formed during the annual meeting of the American Anglican Council (AAC), a conservative group of Episcopal churches, the network is led largely by people influenced by the charismatic renewal that swept through ECUSA 40 years ago.

“The majority of the bishops and priests who are leaders of the orthodox movement leading the charge today against ECUSA have charismatic renewal backgrounds,” said AAC board member Roger Ames, rector of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Akron, Ohio.

“They are the fruits of the charismatic renewal of the ’60s to the ’80s,” said Ames, who is charismatic. “The days of working … to bring charismatic renewal have now come of age. The majority of the leaders who are resisting [ECUSA’s] culture moves have been prepared like Esther for a time like this.”

Before his death in 1991, ECUSA renewal leader Dennis Bennett said that if his denomination ever declared that homosexuality was the norm, he would have to leave, his widow, Rita Bennett, told Charisma. Though she has chosen to remain in her Episcopal congregation, Rita Bennett said: “I believe the Episcopal Church has stopped teaching and taking the book of Moses and the Torah seriously. All the laws on sexuality are given there. … It’s dangerous to throw out the law and be left with grace only.”

Alan Hansen, president and CEO of Acts 29 Ministries in Atlanta, which is designed to help strengthen leaders, believes ECUSA is going through a “mini-reformation.” Churches that choose to withdraw from the Anglican Communion entirely stand to lose their facilities, and ministers would forfeit their parishes and possibly their retirement benefits. Duncan claims his network–a “realignment” that remains connected to the broader Anglican Communion–would circumvent that kind of sacrifice.

Still, Hansen, who is charismatic, said the mini-reformation will not come without a price. He believes orthodox clergy will be persecuted as they work to restore fellowship with the rest of the Anglican Communion and the ecumenical family.

Since Robinson’s election, Anglicans worldwide have expressed their disapproval of ECUSA’s actions. In December, the archbishop of the Anglican Church in Uganda sent a letter to ECUSA’s presiding bishop saying the Uganda church “has recognized your departure from the faith” and “cuts her relationship and Communion.” The letter also rescinded an invitation to participate in a January ceremony to consecrate a new archbishop.

Letters of condemnation also have been circulating from Anglican leaders in Guatemala and Papau New Guinea. In October the top primates, or spiritual leaders, of the Anglican Communion condemned ECUSA’s moves during a conference at Lambeth Palace in London. In February, ECUSA reported a $3 million drop in donations, due in large part to churches withholding financial support in protest of Robinson’s election.
Mercedes Tira Andrei

Chinese House-Church Leaders Arrested

Three prominent house-church leaders were arrested recently in what is believed to be a government crackdown on the underground church. In January police arrested Qiao Chunling, 41; Deborah Xu Yongling, 58; and Zeng Guangobo, 35, who escaped two days after his capture, Christianity Today reported. The arrests followed the release of a book, Jesus in Beijing by David Aikman, and four-hour video, The Cross: Jesus in China, produced by China Soul for Christ Foundation. Both document the growth of Christianity in China, and police allegedly are focusing on those mentioned in the book and video. Some fear the crackdown may be as brutal as China’s action against the Falun Gong, which led to at least 64 deaths.

Missionaries Beaten in India Attack

Six Gospel for Asia (GA) missionaries were beaten recently by anti-Christian fundamentalists who reportedly intended to kill the believers. The attack occurred in Orissa State, where Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons were martyred in 1999. Onlookers intervened during the attack, sparing the missionaries. The men, however, were beaten so badly they had to be hospitalized. “Pray for their full recovery and strength,” GA officials said in an e-mail to supporters. “Like several other Indian states, Orissa has an anti-conversion law in effect. Pray for souls to come to Christ in Orissa and for the believers to stay strong in their faith.”

Sri Lankan Christians Blamed for Monk’s Death

Christians in Sri Lanka were recently attacked after the death of a Buddhist monk. According to the World Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission (WEARLC), Soma Thero, who championed Buddhist nationalism, died of a heart attack while in Russia, but Buddhist monks labeled his death the result of a Christian conspiracy. Rioting reportedly marked Thero’s Dec. 24 funeral, at which 15 Christians were wounded. On Dec. 28, two churches in Puvakpitiya were attacked as they ended morning worship. There were no immediate reports of casualties, but property damage was extensive. Security has been stepped up around churches, WEARLC said.

Ohio minister Mark Olds uses his testimony to share God’s love and redemption with ex-offenders

I’m a Christian and I’m not going to let you die.”

Those words were spoken to Mark Olds in 1979 by a state trooper who with four other law enforcement officers had him trapped at a roadblock on a North Carolina highway. Instead of attempting to escape, which he believes would have likely cost him his life, Olds surrendered, marking the beginning of his journey from robber to reverend. Today the ordained minister hopes to help others turn from lives of crime through his Cleveland-based The Righteous Men Ministries.

Olds has reached out to hundreds of men and women, helping them find jobs and clothes, and organizing support groups for their families. He also has the distinction of being the first person ever to be ordained a minister while incarcerated. He even led a congregation of inmates behind bars.

“He is another affirmation that human redemption is not only possible but miraculous,” said the Rev. Harold A. Carter Sr., the pastor of New Shiloh Baptist Church in Baltimore who ordained Olds in 1984. “In God’s world it can happen whenever faith is alive.”

Olds still finds it ironic that his faith came alive while he was serving a 61-year sentence for a string of bank robberies and a prison escape. He thanks God for the caring Christian policeman who interrupted his aggressive path toward self-destruction.

“To this day I believe God used that man to save my life,” Olds recounts in his biography Not Without Scars.

His decision for Christ at the age of 30 marked the end of more than a decade of drug dealing, gambling, bank robbing and even committing murder.

“I thank God He called me when I was still foolish, or else I may have thought I did this myself,” Olds told Charisma. “[God] knew what He was getting when He got me, and He knows who you are, but He still chose you and loves you.”

Today Olds is co-pastor of Eagle Rock Covenant Assembly in Cleveland, but he continues to reach out to inmates through his Seven Phases of Change seminars, which help inmates develop the discipline to avoid returning to lives of crime after they are released.

The curriculum is drawn from Olds’ own experience. While in prison, he had earned the respect of inmates, wardens and chaplains alike. He studied the Bible along with black history books and the works of Martin Luther King Jr.

He came to believe that the way to get people to behave properly was to get them born again. He said that although many Christians stress this view regarding sexual immorality and drug abuse, he also applied it to social issues such as racism, criminal justice and economic inequality.

He honed his unique brand of liberation theology–which taught that through Christ a person could find not only spiritual liberty, but also social and economic freedom–by writing articles while in prison, most of which were published on the outside. He also published a short booklet, Words of Liberation From Prison.

When he was later baptized in the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues, he said the experience “opened up a whole new realm to my faith.” Emboldened to preach, he anticipated a great life of ministry outside of prison. But upon his release in 1989, he found that creating a new life on the outside would take time.

He was 40 years old, and the only job he could find was as a mechanics assistant. Slowly, opportunities to get better-paying jobs and ministry positions began to open, thanks to help from Christians he met upon his release.

In 1991, Olds became associate pastor of The Full Gospel Evangelistic Center in Cleveland. He later became an associate pastor at Olivet Institutional Baptist Church before starting The Righteous Men Ministries (TRMM) in 2002.

He hopes to see TRMM spread across the country. “There has to be practical mentorship, but it is too much for one church to handle,” Olds told Charisma. “Churches in a community must come together and be willing to work to help these people come back in to society … because without Christ there is no point.”

Olds’ resolve stems from the miracles he has experienced. He has not only reconciled with his adult daughter, who was in grade school when he went to prison, but he has also married and has three more daughters and a granddaughter.

In a documentary about Olds’ life, released last year, one inmate said, “What allows [inmates] to feel like a human again is no matter what we’ve done, Christ still loves us.”

That’s a message Olds hopes will spread. “Everyone is incarcerated,” Olds said, “some physically, some have other strongholds. My story shows people you can start again. … God can use you.”
Tiffany Colter in Cleveland

Original Bibleman Willie Aames is hanging up his cape and will head a Kansas-based entertainment company

Robert “T” Schlipp figures he’s found his dream job. He’s a superhero.

Last summer, Schlipp resigned as children’s pastor of one of the largest churches in Northern California to become the new Bibleman, the Christian super-action hero who triumphs over evil by quoting Bible verses. His accomplice in good deeds, Biblegirl, is his wife, Anayansi.

“Being able to be a superhero, a superhero who delivers something of real value, is every kid’s dream come true,” Schlipp said. “We’re truly blessed.”

Schlipp replaces Willie Aames, the original Bibleman who toured the country the last eight years, putting biff, bam and pow into Bible-verse memorization. Initially Aames, who starred in the TV series Eight Is Enough from 1977-1981, was to remain as a consultant for Bibleman Live and continue to do Bibleman videos. But Aames said he was told in January that his position as senior executive vice president at Pamplin Entertainment, which produces the Bibleman videos, “was no longer needed.”

Pamplin CFO Andrea Merek would not discuss the circumstances surrounding the departure, but said they “parted ways on good terms.”

Aames’ final appearance as Bibleman was to be in the March release of Divided We Fall. Though he will hang up his Bibleman cape, Aames said he will serve as co-owner and president of the Kansas City, Kan.-based Outpost Broadcast Communications. He said he hopes to create characters “like Bibleman”–who has helped bring thousands to Christ.

In one year, 16,000 children and adults committed their lives to Christ in Bibleman outreaches. In September at a Franklin Graham crusade in Tulsa, Okla., where Aames made one of his last appearances as Bibleman, nearly 600 people–mostly children–accepted Christ.

The Schlipps, who married in March 2000, will begin an 8-1/2-month tour this month, doing between 80 and 100 performances, traveling across the country and living in a mobile home. “That’s pretty ambitious,” said 28-year-old Robert. “But we’re young, and we’re naive.”

Initially, Schlipp worried there would be a resistance to anyone other than Aames being the Bibleman. But he’s been reassured by an open-arm reception. “We don’t have to convince people about Bibleman,” Schlipp said. “There’s already a good reputation. We haven’t had to do a lot of publicity.”

Schlipp first met Aames six years ago at a Bibleman performance at Schlipp’s church, Sunset Christian Center in Rocklin, Calif. Schlipp served as children’s pastor there for seven years until he resigned in February 2003. Aames first asked him to join the Bibleman tour as a villain. In June he became the lead.

“Pastor T believes in the [Bibleman] ministry as much as I have,” Aames said. “The impact that Bibleman has had on our nation’s youth has been nothing short of miraculous. It would be a win for the enemy if we were to let this ground-breaking ministry fade.”

Plots of Bibleman adventures will center on the same themes. Bibleman, Biblegirl and Bibleman’s computer, Unis, will overcome villains such as the Wacky Protester, or an evil computer named Lucy that sneaks into the Bibleman’s headquarters. Bibleman counters by quoting Scripture and swinging his light saber, which Schlipp calls the sword of the Spirit.

Biblegirl has been in four videos, but she’s never been on the tour. “It’s an opportunity to have something positive for girls to look to, and to encourage them to learn Scriptures,” Anayansi Schlipp said. “Kids often tend to be the afterthought in the church world. After seeing the live Bibleman show for the first time, I was really impressed with the quality of it.”

In addition to Aames’ work on a new millennium Christian superhero, he plans to produce a series for 8- to 12-year-old girls, as well as some productions for adults, including a show titled Novella for the Spanish TV network TeleMundo, a fall pilot on the Food Network titled Local Entrée, and a documentary based on the book of Acts.
Gail Wood and Rhonda Sholar

Joe and Debbie Mayer lost all three of their daughters in a car accident New Year’s Day

A Minnesota family’s faith has carried them in the midst of a tragic car accident that took the lives of the family’s three girls a week after Christmas.

“I saw such a picture of our heavenly Father in processing the events of everything after the funeral,” Debbie Mayer, the girls’ mother said. “There’s such a hope, not just that we’re going to see them again, but that God is displaying who He is through this.”

Joe and Debbie Mayer were preparing for their son Joey’s wedding when they learned of the New Year’s Day accident.

The Mayer girls–Krista, 19; Nikki, 17; and Jessica, 12–were headed to Willmar, Minn., to meet their brother’s fiancee, Bree O’Connor, and her other bridesmaids for a dinner-and-movie bachelorette party. But on their way the girls ended up on the wrong side of a two-lane highway, possibly trying to pass a car, and before the sisters could get their silver Dodge Lancer back onto the right side of the road, they collided with a minivan coming from the opposite direction.

The 15-year-old minivan driver fractured a bone in her ankle, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported.

The girls’ car had no airbags, and only the driver, Nikki, was wearing a seat belt. Nikki and Jessica died at the scene, and Krista died at the hospital.

Because the girls died two days before the wedding, there was talk of canceling the ceremony. But the Mayer family was determined to continue. Despite the difficult circumstances surrounding the wedding, the family said it was a day of celebration.

Four days after the wedding, the girls’ funeral was held Jan. 7 at Redeeming Love Church, an Assemblies of God church in Maplewood, Minn. Roughly 1,500 people attended.

The theme of the service was taken from an excerpt in Krista’s journal that cited Philippians 1:21: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” The Mayers gave Redeeming Love pastor Mike Smith permission to give an altar call.

During his appeal at the funeral service, 150 to 200 youth went forward. Because the front of the sanctuary was full, adults wanting to respond in a similar manner were asked to simply stand in their place. About 20 adults stood to accept Christ. Among those responding were Debbie Mayer’s father and other family members.

Debbie Mayer described the event as “a mixture of awe and a holy moment” during which “part of heaven came to Earth.” She said that it was the girls’ wedding–the day they were united with Jesus, their Bridegroom. With that in mind, the girls were buried in their satin bridesmaids’ gowns.

Joey Mayer, the oldest of the four Mayer children, said the way his sisters’ lives touched others has helped him and his new wife to handle the deaths.

“We are amazed to see the impact that these three lives had in such a short time span,” he said. “It is one of the tools that has helped us cope with our grief.”

In addition to those affected at the funeral, more teenagers have come to Christ in local youth groups as a result of the impact of the deaths. The Mayers have also received many encouraging letters from parents who have lost children in car accidents.

Among other acts of support from the community, church friends of the family made meals and prayed for them. Also, a benefit concert for the Mayer Family Trust Fund was held in January.

In the midst of grieving, Debbie Mayer still struggles to understand how God can bring joy and peace out of pain and sorrow, but she takes comfort in the hope her faith gives her. Whenever her emotions become too much for her, Mayer thinks of her girls.

“I can just hear them cheering me on every time I start to fall apart,” Mayer said as tears filled her eyes.

Like his wife, Joe Mayer is comforted by his belief that the girls are in heaven.

“I personally have a picture of seeing the girls dressed in their robes of white, smiling and being free,” Joe Mayer said. “For me to be close to my girls, I need to be close to God. If I alienate myself from God, I would be alienating myself from my girls.”
Matt Modrich

Trinity Broadcasting Network’s (TBN) youth-focused channel JC-TV marked its first anniversary in January. Though JC-TV is available on only a handful of cable outlets–in Huntsville, Montgomery and Valley, Ala.; Panama City, Fla.; Augusta and Columbus, Ga.; Charleston, S.C.; Knoxville, Tenn.; and the campus of Old Mississippi University–leaders say it is available in 3 million U.S. households and worldwide through its live Internet stream.

The 24-hour channel includes much of the youth-oriented programming that aired on TBN on Saturday nights, including Eastman Curtis’ This Generation and Real Videos. But the network also is chock-full of original shows such as the youth forum WWJD-TV, the extreme sports show Xtreme Life, the fashion and beauty show Mind, Body and Spirit, and more than 10 hours of Christian music videos each day.

The youth network was developed in late 2002 after TBN founder Paul Crouch had a dream in which teens were telling him they needed a media vehicle that would be relevant to their generation. TBN Vice President of Administration Paul Crouch Jr., who also oversees operations for JC-TV, said TBN invested $1 million to create the infrastructure and solicited churches, youth ministries, and Christian colleges and universities for programming.

Crouch Jr. said JC-TV is not a commercial venture. “It costs nothing for youth ministries to be on JC-TV,” he told Charisma. “It’s kind of a missions project of TBN. TBN is underwriting the whole enchilada right now.”

Crouch said the network has been well-received, particularly in Costa Rica and Africa, where youth are watching over the Internet. “The penetration overseas has been faster than in the United States,” Crouch said.

Though he hesitates to describe JC-TV as a Christian version of MTV, Mark McCallie, who works with Jan Crouch as JC-TV programming director, said the goal is to see the network rival MTV’s production quality as it airs Christ-focused, entertainment-driven programs for youth.

Brandon Crouch, a 20-year-old JC-TV personality, said he has received “amazing” feedback about JC-TV. “I’ve had parents come up to me and practically fall at my feet saying: ‘Thank you so much. Your network has saved my son or daughter’s life. What can I do to get involved?’

“Time after time, even in Costa Rica when I was there, I had youth coming up to me saying: ‘Thank you. Your God has changed my life.'”

“Kids are searching,” his dad, Paul Crouch Jr., added. “I think a lot of kids stop on MTV because they think it’s cool or kind of the in thing.” He said hundreds of youth have posted messages on their Web site, www.jc-tv.net, complimenting the programming.”

“I think there was a pent-up demand for this kind of thing,” McCallie noted. “It will have a higher level of entertainment value than you might see on TBN.”

The JC-TV team has plans for further expansion, with new shows in the works, including an extreme-sports show that McCallie said will rival the quality of shows on ESPN.

Previous efforts to create a 24-hour Christian music channel failed. Z Music Television, owned by Nashville, Tenn.-based Gaylord Entertainment Company, shut down its cable signal in June 2000 after five years in operation. Crouch said JC-TV isn’t dependent on viewers and distribution as Z Music was because the youth network is not commercial-driven.

He said TBN has the resources to “keep it going forever,” but they hope the network will one day be self-sustaining. “We’re serving the product. Now it’s up to the end-user to see if they can put enough pressure on the cable system to get it into their homes,” Crouch said. “I’d encourage youth ministries and universities to mobilize and say, ‘Put this on the cable systems.'”

Brandon Crouch believes God has blessed their ministry. “We have practically the world covered,” he said. “If it wasn’t for God, we wouldn’t be this far in the first place. If you look at the bigger picture, God has brought us this far.”
Adrienne S. Gaines

The following reports were released during the last month by Charisma News Service. Go to our Web site at www.charismanews.com 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.

DAYSTAR, FAMILYNET TO REMAIN ON DISH NETWORK
After six months of legal wrangling, Christian TV networks Daystar and FamilyNet will be allowed to remain on the Dish Network. On Jan. 30, a federal appeals court reversed a July preliminary injunction that would have forced both networks to be immediately removed from Dish, which has 10 million viewers. The dispute stems from a lawsuit filed by Dominion Sky Angel, a Christian satellite company, against EchoStar, which owns Dish Network. Dominion claimed EchoStar breached its contract with Dominion by allowing Christian stations other than SkyAngel, Trinity Broadcasting Network and the Eternal Word Television Network to air on Dish. Though the ruling allows Daystar and FamilyNet to air on Dish, Dominion said it is still in litigation with EchoStar. Meanwhile, FamilyNet has announced plans to expand its programming to include a news show in partnership with Fox News, as well as Focus on the Family’s Adventures in Odyssey children’s series. The programs are scheduled to debut in September.

PONZI SCHEME VICTIMS LAUNCH COMPENSATION FUND

Benny Hinn, Marilyn Hickey and Christ for All Nations are among several ministers and Christian groups that helped start a compensation fund for the victims of a three-year Ponzi scheme involving International Product Investment Corporation (IPIC), which bilked mostly churches and Christian ministries out of $160 million. Though some investors lost all their money, others received profits. The fund was established with excess money the ministries or their leaders received through their dealings with IPIC head Gregory Setser, who was arrested in November and charged with securities fraud and money laundering.

CHURCHES UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN CHINA

Two state-sanctioned churches are under construction in communist China, which has repeatedly been criticized by the U.S. State Department for harassing and persecuting Christians there, the Associated Press reported. The Beijing Religious Affairs Office said the new facilities in eastern and western Beijing should be completed by Christmas. The structures would be the first churches built in Beijing since 1949. Critics believe the move is an attempt to get Chinese Christians to abandon their underground congregations for state-sponsored churches, thus making them less of a threat, the AP said.

AIRLINE EXECUTIVE APOLOGIZES FOR PILOT’S CHRISTIAN REMARKS
The head of American Airlines apologized Feb. 13 for remarks a Christian pilot made during a recent cross-country flight. At the start of the Feb. 7 trip from Los Angeles to New York, pilot Rodger K. Findiesen, who had recently returned from a missions trip, asked all Christians on board to raise their hands so fellow passengers could search them out for discussion about faith, the Associated Press reported. In a letter to Anti-Defamation League Director Abraham Foxman, American Airlines’ Gerard Arpey said: “Let me assure you that we take this very seriously and are conducting a thorough investigation. [The airline] promotes an environment of respect for the diversity of all persons, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, disability, gender, age or sexual orientation.” Findiesen has been grounded with pay.

Church Planter and Missionary Earl Kellum Dies

Missionary Earl Kellum, who planted dozens of churches across Mexico and Latin America through his Irving, Texas-based Latin America Missions, died on Jan. 21 of an apparent heart attack at his Iguala, Mexico, home. He was 77. Born in Mississippi, Kellum moved to Mexico in 1954 and went on to plant more than 400 churches there and another 100 in Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua and Peru. He is survived by two adult daughters and two brothers. Memorial services were held in Mexico Jan. 23 and Oneonta, Ala., Jan. 26.

Singer Stacy Orrico Decries Sexy Pop Image

Contemporary Christian singer Stacy Orrico, 17, decried the revealing clothing worn by pop stars Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera during an interview Feb. 14 in Singapore, where she was preparing for the MTV Asia Awards, the Associated Press (AP) reported. Calling the pair poor role models for girls, Orrico said: “I don’t think that’s sexy, I think it’s degrading. I think that a truly sexy woman comes from being confident and being classy, respectable and mature,” the AP said.

Israeli Official Calls for Muslim Conversion

During a February meeting with Christian leaders visiting from Europe, Israeli Tourism Minister Benny Elon asked missionaries to try to convert Islamic militants, the Associated Press (AP) reported. Elon said Israel would not tolerate evangelism among Jews, but recommended missionaries “remind all the Muslim killers that thou shalt not kill. Make them good Christians and good people,” according to the Yediot Ahronot daily, the AP said.

If you have a news tip for Charisma News Service, e-mail us at [email protected].

BOOKS

The Seven Secrets
By John Hagee, Charisma House,

256 pages, hardcover, $19.99.

In this autobiographically-flavored, inspirational volume, best-selling author John Hagee shows that such qualities as attitude, persistence, prayer and faith are the keys to success. The Seven Secrets: Unlocking Genuine Greatness is a clarion call to embrace the values that have inspired great leaders, whether legends of history or quiet heroes whose determination and selflessness enabled them to move mountains.

Each chapter on the seven secrets contains seven applications, fashioning a solid, biblically-based message of motivation. But this book is also packed with riveting, real-life anecdotes that illustrate the teachings. Some will have you laughing out loud and others will tug on your heartstrings.

One of the best chapters opens the book. In it Hagee writes that while success is for everyone, it does not encompass such sacred cows as money, power, attaining goals or “having it all.” Instead, what we long for can be found in trusting–and serving–the God who makes all things possible.

Ken Walker

Deal With It!
By Paula White, Thomas Nelson
Publishers, 241 pages, hardcover, $19.99.

In her latest release, Paula White provides a character study of 10 women of the Bible. The reader will be intrigued to find seldom recognized women–Dorcas, Gomer, the Shunammite woman and the daughters of Zelophehad–considered alongside often-scrutinized women such as Ruth, Leah, Rahab, Hannah, Mary Magdalene and Esther. The result is a candid, compassionate psychology of women that spans the centuries to offer biblical wisdom concerning the life issues women face today.

For example, focusing on Dorcas, White addresses the needs of the 21st century woman. Dorcas falls into the category of women who do too much, and her lifestyle brought on her death. (Fortunately, Peter raised her from the dead.) White dispels the Superwoman myth by emphasizing the Bible’s teaching on work. She writes that “God is calling us to audit our lives and then put our lives in balance.”

Readers will appreciate White’s personal application of the lessons. She practices what she preaches: “If you are willing to identify, confront and conquer the issues of your life–to truly deal with them–God will heal you, restore you and lead you into the destiny that He has planned for you, a destiny beyond your wildest dreams.” Prepare for victory. Deal with it!
Pamela Robinson

The Cross and the Scalpel
By Gwen Wilkerson, Chosen Books,
208 pages, softcover, $12.99.

Gwen Wilkerson has been a minister’s wife for more than 50 years. Her husband, David, was a country preacher who began ministering to street gangs in New York City in 1959. His dramatic story was told in The Cross and the Switchblade. He went on to found Teen Challenge and World Challenge ministries, as well as Times Square Church.

While David’s ministry was growing, Gwen functioned behind the scenes, supporting her husband, raising their four children and facing her own health crises. Hers is a success story: She survived 16 surgeries and nine occurrences of cancer. In The Cross and the Scalpel, Gwen talks frankly about the challenges of body and spirit through which the Great Physician brought her.

The first 15 chapters of this book include events in her life through 1977–material covered in an earlier book published by the ministry titled In His Strength. Chapters 16-20 discuss her life in the last two decades. In one chapter, Gwen’s daughter Bonnie tells of her own bout with cancer.

Gwen sees herself as “a normal woman who has asked of God and received from God.” She stresses the importance of God’s Word in her life, saying she always kept her Bible close. Her honest, transparent story can minister to every woman.
Leslie Santamaria

Soul Sister
By Beth Redman, Regal, 120 pages,

softcover, $9.99.

Beth Redman, wife of worship leader Matt Redman, has a passion for guiding Christian women through the pleasures and pitfalls of their teenage years. Unlike many authors who use a coming-of-age theme, Redman conveys an authenticity based on personal experience, giving credence to her advice to young women struggling with being “in the world” but remaining true to their Christian values.

Soul Sister lives up to its title, with a focus on the community of women who are believers and who want to live all aspects of their lives to please God. Redman goes beyond discussing the usual topic of sex before marriage and touches on issues such as the meaning of Christian friendship, being salt and light in the world, and the importance of forgiveness.

Redman is not afraid to speak the language of youth, and her writing is both charming and relevant, although her “British-isms” might be perplexing for some American readers. With enthusiasm for her subject matter and a heart for the audience she wants to reach, this author makes a real contribution to young readers.
Janice Elsheimer

MUSIC

Carried Me: The Worship Project
By Jeremy Camp, BEC Recordings.

With his deep, modern-rock-suited voice and striking lyrics, Jeremy Camp made a name for himself as an artist in the last year with hits “I Believe” and “Right Here.” What fans may not know is that Camp got his start leading worship at Bible studies and church groups and still considers himself a worship leader. Camp’s
new album, Carried Me: The Worship Project, clearly displays that side of this talented singer-songwriter from the first phrase to the final word on the project–Camp whispering a reverent “Jesus.”

Camp’s original songs are cut-to-the-chase worship, with echoed refrains centering around the theme of wanting to be filled by the Lord. Original worship standouts include “Walk by Faith,” the harmonious “Revive Me” and the intriguing title track. Classics re-recorded Camp-style include his emotion-steeped vocals wrapped around “Enough” and the rocked-out “You’re Worthy of My Praise,” hands-down the most infectious track on the album.

Carried Me clearly shows that Camp is a talent that should be here to stay.
Natalie Nichols Gillespie

In the Name of Love: Artists United For Africa
By various artists, Sparrow Records.

Christian artists have responded en masse to U2 frontman Bono’s call to action for the AIDS-stricken nations of Africa. The latest evidence is In the Name of Love, a tribute to U2 by top artists in the Christian music industry, with 50 cents from each album sold going to World Vision to help fight the AIDS crisis.

The lyrics to the songs covered here clearly reveal Bono’s own Christian faith from standouts “Pride (In the Name of Love),” performed by Delirious and the elegant “Grace” by Nichole Nordeman to former hits such as “Sunday, Bloody Sunday” by Pillar and classic rock song “40,” covered by Starfield.

Some of the other U2 favorites include Jars of Clay on “All I Want Is You,” a nice fit for lead singer Dan Haseltine’s plaintive vocals, Chris Tomlin on “Where the Streets Have No Name,” Todd Agnew rocking the house on the bluesy “When Love Comes to Town” and Tait’s smooth crooning on “One.” The only misstep is the urban interpretation of “With or Without You” by Jadyn Maria and Grits, which seems out of place among this collection of rock songs.
Natalie Nichols Gillespie

Passion: Hymns Ancient and Modern
By various artists, Sparrow Records, Sixsteps Records.

The Passion movement has produced an astounding body of new worship music. But for Passion: Hymns Ancient and Modern, lead worshipers Chris Tomlin, Charlie Hall, David Crowder Band, Matt Redman and Watermark’s Christy Nockels reached into the past and drew inspiration from great church hymns that are from 100 to 1,800 years old.

From the most ancient hymn the “The Phos Hilaron” (“Hail Gladdening Light”) to the more familiar “Doxology,” there is a common thread of humility, and reverence for and honor of each member of the Trinity. Though the songs are from long ago, the interpretations are thoroughly modern. Recorded live at Passion’s Thirsty Conference, the project captures both the intimacy of worship and the exhilaration of a praise gathering.
Mike Parker

World Service
By Delirious, Sparrow.

British rock group Delirious is back with its sixth album and latest collection of original worship songs. For the last couple of albums, Delirious seemed to struggle to decide if it is a rock band that sings about Jesus or a worship band that happens to rock.

With World Service, Delirious seems to answer the question ably with a collection of 12 tracks purposely designed to fit corporate worship services while packing a praise-filled punch. Still heavily influenced by U2 and using frontman Martin Smith’s emotive vocals to the max, these songs range musically from sweeping orchestral rock (“With You”) to the haunting piano-based lament “Mountains High.”

Opener “Grace Like a River” kicks this album into high rock ‘n’ roll gear with great guitar work reminding fans why Delirious remains an innovator on the worship music front. The first single “Rain Down” leads the charge to worship with serious guitar riffs and a catchy chorus. “Majesty (Here I Am)” adds sweeping strings and an easily adaptable corporate chorus destined to be a new classic.
Natalie Nichols Gillespie

A New Season of Gratitude

After singer and songwriter Sara Groves found success with debut album Conversations, faith became a challenge. She was constantly touring with her husband and young son, Kirby, and working on sophomore album All Right Here.

Groves had her second son, Toby, and took a break before recording her third project. The Other Side of Something is a testament to Groves’ wrestle with faith.

She explains: “I had always told God ‘Whatever, whenever–mold me, make me, break me.’ Then I had a son, and it was hard to say: ‘Mold him. Break him.'”

Between having her sons, Groves studied the story of Job, and she got angry at the Lord.

“All my gauges were on empty. I was not feeling the joy of the Lord.”

Then a friend’s teenage son was killed in an accidental shooting. The man and his wife turned their sorrow into joy by adopting terminally ill children.

Groves says: “[I] told the Lord how unfair it was, how giving him other children wasn’t enough to replace what was lost.

“The Lord told me, ‘You go back and tell him his second family doesn’t cut it.’ Suddenly, I could see [my friend] doesn’t believe that.

“He has such joy that he will see his son again in heaven and that he has his second family here. I finally had to swallow the sovereignty pill.

“I am now in a season of total joy and gratitude.”
Natalie Nichols Gillespie

CHARISMATIC TOP SELLERS

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

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

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

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

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

6. The Final Quest
Rick Joyner (Whitaker House)

7. The Three Battlegrounds
Francis Frangipane (Arrow Publications)

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

9. A Divine Revelation of Heaven
Mary K. Baxter with T.L. Lowery (Whitaker House)

10. The Battle Belongs to the Lord
Joyce Meyer (Warner Faith)

I am not alone in my desire to see the church return to biblical standards.

Jack Hayford called it a “watershed moment.” The occasion was a meeting of 50 to 60 key charismatic leaders who came together in Orlando in January to discuss tough integrity issues facing the church (see the report on page 20). In an age when it seems nearly anything goes–even in the church–and when confrontations about conduct, doctrine and morality are often greeted with charges of “judgmentalism” or “legalism,” the symposium convened to determine what can be done to set a standard.

Hayford and I both had felt for a while that we had to do something. We saw that too many leaders who are endeavoring to walk in integrity are hurt by extremists–those who, by their erroneous teaching or extravagant lifestyles, create negative stereotypes for all charismatics. So last fall Hayford wrote an article in Ministries Today magazine calling for accountability.

Then we decided to host an invitation-only meeting of ministers who are concerned about the same integrity issues that concern us. The group included charismatic leaders from several major denominations as well as various independent “streams.” Our common denominator was a commitment to God’s Word in the power of the Spirit.

Hayford set the tone for the meeting by declaring that charismatics must shed the image that our convictions regarding basic, Christ-like values are foggy. “By reason of an absence of a collective voice to address this,” he said, “the silence seems to be approval, or, at the very least, an indifference to righteous standards.”

A longer analysis of the meeting by Hayford appears in the March/April issue of Ministries Today, along with a copy of a statement, dubbed the “Orlando Statement,” that was drafted by the group. “I was impressed how quickly common acknowledgment was made that a reasonably practical, solidly biblical statement be set forth,” Hayford wrote in Ministries Today. “All expressed concern that a tidal drift from the stream of the Spirit’s purity and from leadership accountability be stemmed.”

I was encouraged by the strong affirmations made by other leaders. As a Christian journalist for the last 28 years, I have seen ministries rise and fall and some increasingly disturbing trends develop. A decade ago, leaders of a widely known charismatic church were accused by more than two dozen women of gross sexual wrongdoing by the leadership. When we appealed to leaders to investigate the charges, the response was to sweep the issue under the rug. Recent experience has shown that a similar attitude on the part of Roman Catholic leaders created one of the greatest crises that denomination has faced in 50 years.

Unquestionably, there are wonderful things happening. But it seems that not a month goes by that another scandal doesn’t develop. This month Lee Grady reports in his column that in at least one city charismatics are saying churches should condone homosexuality.

The leadership symposium was an encouragement to me that, like the prophet Elijah who believed he was the only one serving God but found out there were 7,000 other prophets that had not bent their knee to Baal, I am not alone in my desire to see the church return to biblical standards of life and ministry.

The symposium and its resulting statement was Step No. 1 in a process that must continue. I hope the statement will be widely accepted, and I’m urging all ministry leaders to affirm it.

Please read it on our Web site, www.ministriestoday.com, and then post your comments. I believe a tidal wave of response will make a statement not only to the church but also to the world. It will show that we are committed to focusing on the church’s greatest calling, emphasized at the symposium by evangelist Reinhard Bonnke: winning souls.

Our hope, as Rod Parsley so aptly expressed it, is that “a paradigm shift can take place in the leadership and the body of Christ at large, where souls, once again, truly become our focus.”

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Stephen Strang, founder of Charisma, hosted the symposium in Orlando in January. Go to www.ministriestoday.com to access the Orlando Statement.

The co-founder of the 1970s pop group now coaches gospel choirs and mentors aspiring musicians

At the height of his fame, the co-founder of one of the most successful pop-and-funk bands of the 1970s left his lucrative career to return to his Christian roots. Today one-time Commodores guitarist Thomas McClary leads a simpler life, overseeing the music ministry at his Orlando, Fla., church and preparing to release a CD by its 100-voice choir.

Once famous for million-selling singles such as “Three Times a Lady,” “Shining Star” and “Brick House,” McClary is a deacon and worship team leader at New Destiny Christian Center. Later this year he will produce the church’s first CD on his own Visitation Records label.

“He has the zeal of Peter but the wisdom of Solomon,” his pastor, Zachery Tims Jr., said. “He keeps everything balanced. He’s a team player and a team builder. When he takes charge, people want to follow him.”

“He’s really a nice guy,” added Sam Kenoly of the Kenoly Brothers, who is also a member at New Destiny. “He’s given me so much advice that it’s like taking college courses. He’s really been an inspiration to me.”

Born Oct. 6, 1950, in Eustis, Fla., the youngest of eight children, McClary played high school sports and graduated as valedictorian. He went on to the Tuskegee Institute in Montgomery, Ala., where his life took the path that would lead to fame. While standing in line to register for classes, he heard someone whistling a sax solo by legendary jazz musician Eddie Harris.

“He was going through all the riffs, and I was thinking this guy’s got to be a musician,” he recalls.

McClary asked the student to start a band with him. His name was Lionel Richie, and they founded the Commodores in 1968 with four other Tuskegee students.

They started off as a backup band for Jerry Butler, Candi Staton and the Ike and Tina Turner Revue. Later they landed a two-year opening spot for the Jackson 5’s world tour. Their popularity growing, Motown head Berry Gordy wanted to sign them.

Their string of pop smashes brought them negotiating power. They demanded to keep their song-publishing rights–something Motown’s Jobete Publishing never surrendered to artists.

But the Commodores became trailblazers, creating music that won fans worldwide. “Some of the letters we’d get were amazing,” McClary remembers. “One lady was dying of cancer. She said every time she put a certain song on, it would ease the pain.

“We had people write us from around the world who didn’t speak a lick of English but knew the spirit in which the songs were written. … We tried to be good stewards of that gift that God gave us even though we didn’t give God the glory at that time.”

One of the group’s most beloved songs, “Jesus Is Love,” hit the R&B Top 40 in 1980.

By 1982 McClary and Richie had co-written songs for Diana Ross and Kenny Rogers. After their manager–the glue that kept the group together–died, both men went solo.

McClary cut the Hot 100 single “Thin Walls” and produced a hit with the group Klique. He was scheduled to produce James Ingram, Melissa Manchester and the Four Tops. Then, “I heard an audible voice from God while I was in the shower,” he recalls. “The voice said, ‘It’s time for you to come home now.’ I thought I was hearing things.”

McClary went home–literally. He returned to Eustis, where he joined a church and produced a documentary titled The History of the Apostolic Faith. He used his celebrity influence and recording royalties to fund local church and community charities and, as a local hero, gave motivational speeches at youth groups.

Meanwhile, Universal Records keeps all of the Commodores’ music in print with various hit compilations. Because of the group’s enduring popularity, McClary says there may be a reunion tour in the near future. He keeps in touch with his band mates and reminds them of the source of their good fortune.

“I tell the guys all the time that God had to honor me to honor His Word,” McClary explains. “I was a tither even back then. I tithed even though I wasn’t saved because of my praying parents who feared God. My accountants used to laugh at me and wonder why I’d be giving six figures to the church. … For the last 20 years the royalties have not stopped. It’s been incredible.”
Bill Carpenter