The ruling protects Orlando’s Holy Land Experience from owing more than $1 million in property taxes
Concluding a four-year legal battle, a circuit judge has granted a religious-themed Florida attraction the same tax-exempt status that is afforded to churches and museums.

The ruling spares Zion’s Hope, owner of The Holy Land Experience, from paying a delinquent property-tax bill that would have exceeded $1 million by the end of the year. Modeled after ancient Jerusalem, the Orlando-based theme park, which opened in 2001, includes recreations of Herod’s Temple and courtyard, Jesus’ garden tomb and the Qumran Dead Sea Caves. It also houses a scriptorium, which boasts the largest private collection of biblical texts and artifacts in the country.

“From beginning to end we are a missionary organization,” said Marvin J. Rosenthal, who stepped down as CEO of The Holy Land Experience in July.

But after pointing to the $30 admission fee, $5 parking fee and a slew of souvenir shops, Orange County Property Appraiser Bill Donegan denied the park’s tax-exempt status in 2001 when he cited that the park behaved more like a business than a religious ministry.

“When you look at The Holy Land, although it has a religious theme to it, it is a business that charges admission, charges for parking, has restaurants, has shops,” he said. “Now, if that constitutes a religious exemption, the court will tell me.”

But the court has already spoken, said Frank Manion, senior counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), which represented Holy Land.

“In this case, the judge has already said there are no disputes about the facts,” Manion said. “The only question is: Is this entity entitled to a tax exemption under the law? And the judge has already ruled that in fact we are and that the property appraiser was wrong.”

In her July 5 ruling, Circuit Judge Cynthia MacKinnon sided with Zion’s Hope. “The property appraiser has failed to direct the court’s attention to any evidence that Plaintiff is using The Holy Land Experience to make money or for some other purpose than evangelizing and worshipping,” MacKinnon wrote in her decision.

MacKinnon also said Donegan violated the park’s due process rights by refusing to explain why the tax exemption was rejected. “The law requires that if an entity that has applied for property exemption has been denied that exemption, they’re supposed to be told why,” Rosenthal said. “We weren’t told for over four years.”

Donegan responded to the ruling by filing a motion for reconsideration, Manion said, adding that those are rarely granted.

The ACLJ partnered with the Orlando-based Liberty Counsel in representing The Holy Land in its suit against Orange County. Counsel President Mathew D. Staver said the ruling sends a clear message.

“I think what it means for others is that the government cannot determine what’s orthodox regarding your church outreach,” he said. “There are a lot of things that are taking place today that may not look and act like the typical Sunday morning service … and I think that doesn’t make [them] any less Christian or any less biblical.”

Scott Pierre, chairman of the board of the Holy Land, said the ruling will affect scores of ministries. “This is something that sets a precedent to protect other ministries that have the same goal that we have and that is sharing the truth,” he said.
Suzy Richardson

Richard Rossi says his biopic about evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson reflects his own brokenness
When filmmaker Richard Rossi stood before 500 members of the influential Screen Actors Guild in July after a showing of his film, Aimee Semple McPherson, he told them about the power of the Holy Spirit and God’s ability to work through a “wounded healer.”

Rossi says he was talking as much about himself as he was his film, a biopic about the famed healing evangelist who founded the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel. “Sister Aimee’s story is a story of faith that the Holy Spirit can anoint things, and that anointing makes a difference,” said Rossi, whose film is to release this fall.

“I really identify with her because she prayed for healing for thousands, but could not seem to get healing for herself and her own personal relationships. When I was in the healing ministry, the more I was up on a pedestal the more isolated and depressed I became.”

Rossi, 42, grew up in Pittsburgh. The son of a jazz guitarist and an artist, he was playing guitar on stage at age 7. At 14, after watching the Christian movie A Distant Thunder, he walked the church’s aisle during the altar call. But two years later he nearly died from a drug overdose and in desperation called The 700 Club prayer line. They referred him to a Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship meeting, where he says he was baptized in the Holy Spirit.

He formed a Christian rock group and began playing at high schools. But wanting to preach, he enrolled in Liberty University and earned a master’s degree in biblical studies. There, he met Sherrie Plauger, and they soon married. After graduation, they returned to Pittsburgh to plant churches, minister in song and preach.

Rossi, who had a flair for the theatrical, appeared on The 700 Club and produced a Christian album. A Pittsburgh newspaper called his congregation “a church where hippies are hailed and people are healed.” The healing services grew from 200 to 2,000. He even filmed the healings and exorcisms and produced a Fox TV documentary. The Rossis’ marriage and ministry seemed on fire. But the flames soon died.

Suffering from depression that Rossi said stemmed from childhood abuse, he preached on Sunday mornings, frequented bars in the afternoon, then preached and prayed for healing that evening.

Then on June 24, 1994, Rossi was arrested for assaulting Sherri. Pleading no contest, he spent 101 days in jail. The story of the fallen healer appeared on A Current Affair, Hard Copy and Inside Edition.

While in jail he enrolled in a 12-step program and later underwent restoration at Healing for the Nations ministry in Atlanta. Now, more than 10 years later, Rossi still attends a recovery group four days each week and speaks with his Alcoholics Anonymous mentor nearly every day.

“Our faith and family are stronger now than ever,” said Sherrie Rossi. “Our marriage is proof that a born-again family can overcome media scrutiny, incarceration and even friends telling me to give up on Richard when he was at the lowest point of suffering.”

In 2001 Rossi finished the documentary Saving Sister Aimee. Though some considered it a sensationalized depiction, it won the Motion Picture Council’s Angel Award for best documentary. Last year, with only a few months and $50,000, he wrote, directed and produced Aimee Semple McPherson. In February, a rough cut attracted a record crowd to Hollywood’s Beverly Cinema.

“The film came out of my brokenness, and had I not been broken, I could not have made this movie,” he said. “Her story is a story of total grace, and so is mine. As I made this story about a wounded healer, I received healing for my own wounds. I was able to tell my story by telling Sister Aimee’s story.”
Ed Donnally in Hollywood

SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS ACCUSED OF PROSELYTZING CHILDREN
Three Indonesian women have been accused of trying to convert Muslim children, Compass Direct reported. Rebekka Zakaria, Eti Pangesti and Ratna Bangun were questioned about activities and materials used in their Christian education program for elementary-school children. Bangun said the children prayed, read the Bible, sang and sometimes colored pictures. Judge Hasby J. Tholib responded by telling the women they never should have allowed Muslim children to participate in the program. Bangun and Zakaria said they had no hidden agenda, adding that the childrenís parents gave full consent to the program ó though none would say so during the trial. Before the hearing ended, the prosecuting attorney announced that the case would be transferred to the High Court, which observers say could lengthen the trial considerably.

STREET PREACHING BANNED IN KENYAN TOWN
Street preaching has been banned in Malindi town, located on Kenyaís north coast, unless it is sanctioned by police, said the Daily Nation, Kenyaís largest-circulation newspaper. Imposed at a meeting of Muslim and Christian religious leaders, the ban was intended to end religious confrontations, said District Commissioner Jan Ireri. ìThe globalization of religious concepts and faiths and the freedom of worship enshrined in the constitution should not be allowed to cause a breach of peace,î Ireri said. He told religious leaders that he was concerned that night prayers were infringing on the rights of citizens by disturbing their sleep. He also said there had been complaints that ministers who used the public address systems were a nuisance. An interfaith committee was formed to find a permanent solution to the religious conflicts and promote peace, the Daily Nation said.

STAINES KILLER INSPIRES DOUBLE MURDER
Kokala Govardhan, 25, has confessed to killing pastor K. Daniel and pastor Isaac Raju in Hyderabad, southern India, Compass Direct reported. Both murders occurred in May; in late June police arrested Kokala Govardhan, who told reporters he was inspired by Dara Singh, the man who orchestrated the murder of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons. Though Dara Singhís death sentence had been commuted to life in prison, Christian groups are now calling for the death penalty to be reinstated as a warning to extremists. Stainesí widow, however, has maintained her stand of total forgiveness. “If we don’t forgive men of the wrong that they do, then how can we be forgiven?” Gladys Staines told the BBC.

Illusionist Lawrence Khong says the real pulpits of the world are not found in churches but in the entertainment field
The art of illusion has opened new doors for Lawrence Khong, senior pastor of the 10,000-member Faith Community Baptist Church in Singapore and executive producer of the Magic of Love musical. Khong and his crew of 40 wrapped up their eight-city U.S. tour in June and will travel to Japan and China for performances this fall.

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Although U.S. ticket sales were disappointing, the feedback has been encouraging. “It is an outstanding show by any standardóbut trying to make a dent in the commercial sector is very challenging,” said Khong, who has been performing magic since the age of 10.

Magic of Love has attracted more than 160,000 people throughout Asia since it made its debut in 2001.

Khong said his goal was to produce a show containing good Christian values that can compete with some of the best shows in the world. Magic of Love tells the story of a father and daughter who are bonded together by their love for magic and eventually are torn apart by their greed for fame and fortune. The show stars Khong and his daughter, Priscilla Khong, who also is a magician.

About five years ago, Khong said God showed him that “the real pulpits of the world are not found in churches.” His church launched an entertainment company called Gateway Entertainment that has produced several movies and TV serials, and has underwritten Khongís magic shows.

“God has called me to get into the entertainment world and take it back for the Lord,” he said. “I don’t think I can take it back for the Lord completely, but at least I contribute my share.”

Khong has long been criticized for using magicówhile attending Dallas Theological Seminary in the 1970s and in recent years as the pastor of a charismatic megachurch.

“Magic takes you into a fantasy world, where the audience tends to momentarily suspend their unbelief,” he said. “The danger is, you can tell them whatever you want, and they will believe you.”

Though not easily offended, Khong said he hasnít received any negative comments from U.S. believers who saw the show. “You canít get too upset when people donít understand you,” he said. “Otherwise, you’ll never get going.”

C. Peter Wagner, presiding apostle of the International Coalition of Apostles (ICA), of which Khong is a member, attended a Magic of Love performance in Dallas with his wife, Doris. Afterward, he sent an e-mail of his thoughts to ICA members.

“One of the things that Doris and I wanted to check out was the spiritual cleanliness of this show,” Wagner wrote. “When demonic forces are present, [Doris] usually discerns it. Magic of Love, much to our delight, reflected nothing of the occult. It was good, clean fun, with Lawrence and Priscilla demonstrating incredible skills that are fascinating to watch.”

These days, Khong is away from Faith Community nearly six months out of the year; however, the church continues to grow. “I’m teaching my people not to see what I do as two different things,” he said. “They are praying for this tour just as they would pray for an evangelistic outreach.”

Khong was awarded the Master Magician Award in Las Vegas in 2002. His wife, Nina Khong, serves as producer of Magic of Love. She is a medical doctor and deputy senior pastor of Faith Community Baptist Church.
Carol Chapman Stertzer in Dallas

Iran-born pastor Donald Fareed says democracy will prevent new Christians from being killed in Muslim nations
Donald Fareed, a former Muslim, is used to receiving death threats during the call-in segment of his satellite TV show. But attempts at intimidation, illness and meager funding have not stopped the Iranian-born pastor from preaching the gospel to Muslims.

From his base in San Jose, Calif., Fareed reaches millions of Muslims in Iran, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and parts of Iraq each week through his broadcasts. If his salvation message wounds radical Islam, his calls for democracy adds salt. “Without democracy, new Christians are killed,” Fareed said.

Born in Iran during the Shahís reign, Fareed said the secret police arrested him at the age of 12 for complaining about government corruption. Though raised as a devout Muslim he fled a few years after the Iranian revolution in 1978-79, arriving in the U.S. with $23.

After launching a successful janitorial business, Fareed drifted into Sulfism, an Islamic cult, and embraced several New Age religions, including Scientology. But when three ministers wound up in his home in 1990 he came to Christ.

A few months later he said Jesus appeared to him in a vision, explaining the meaning of the cross. Soon his wife, Rima, accepted Christ and both were baptized in a local Iranian church. Recognizing his zeal, church leaders sent him to Istanbul, Turkey, in 1993 to do street evangelism. There, he met Bishop Heik Hovsepian, head of the Iranian Assemblies of God. They became friends, and Fareed began helping him get Christians, endangered by the new regime, out of Iran.

Then in January 1994 Hovsepian was killed in Tehran. “They carved his heart from his chest,” Fareed said. “Before that I was afraid to speak out about the oppression. But right then and there I made a commitment to follow in his footsteps.”

He soon planted two Persian churches in the Bay Area that have since brought more than 500 American Muslims to Christ. In 2000, he started the nonprofit Persian Ministries International and was soon struck by a sometimes-fatal muscle condition called Fibromyalgia Syndrome. Yet instead of slowing him, the thought that he might soon die intensified his efforts. So when longtime Muslim friend Sattar Deldar offered to sell him airtime on Deldarís Appadana International, Fareed started his broadcast.

Through his Bridging the Gap Ministries, he also teaches churches how to evangelize Muslims. His ìWhy I am Not a Muslimî sermon announcement on a church sign created a Bay Area controversy that put him on several TV stations.

“His ministry has had an incredbile effect in Iran and the U.S.,” said Kyle Windson, global ministries pastor at San Jose’s South Valley Christian Church, which oversees Fareed’s ministry. “The attack in London shows us how important it is to reach Muslims for Christ.”
Ed Donnally

Ted haggard considers Senate Run
Ted Haggard, senior pastor of 11,000-member New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colo., and president of the National Association of Evangelicals, said he would consider a run for Congress in 2006 if Republican Rep. Joel Hefley retired and he couldn’t comfortably support another candidate, the Associated Press (AP) reported. “I love this region of the country, and the people here need to be represented the way Joel has represented us,” Haggard, 49, said. But he said he is not itching for a new job. “Colorado Springs is used to me being a pastor, and I am very comfortable in the role I currently fill,” he told the AP. “I am not restless.”

Christian Films Win Awards
George W. Bush: Faith in the White House received three of the highest awards offered by the International Christian Visual Media Association, which recognizes TV shows and films that present family values. The documentary, produced by Grizzly Adams Productions, received Crown Gold Awards for Best Picture, Best Screenplay and Best Documentary over $50,000. Meanwhile, a seven-minute documentary about Rachel Scott, who was murdered during the Columbine High School shootings, received the grand prize in the Tribeca Film Festival’s Short Film Competition. Jon Lindgren, who runs ViaMedia in Midland, Texas, was awarded the $50,000 prize for Rachel’s Challenge based on an Internet audience vote. Lindgren’s upcoming projects include a documentary about contemporary Christian martyrs.

Taizé founder stabbed at prayer service
Brother Roger, the 90-year-old founder of the French religious TaizÈ Community, was stabbed and killed by a mentally disturbed person during evening prayers Aug. 16, members of his community told Agence France Presse (AFP). At press time, police had detained a 36-year-old Romanian woman as a suspect. The TaizÈ movement started during World War II, when Swiss-born monk Roger Schutz, living in TaizÈ, located near Cluny, in the eastern Burgundy region, provided a refuge for those fleeing the conflict, regardless of their religion, AFP said. Roger, a Protestant with a degree in theology, was committed to seeing reconciliation between Christian groups.

Florida pastor settles Lawsuits
Pastor Clint Brown and his 6,000-member FaithWorld church in Orlando, Fla., have settled two lawsuits filed by a former member and a prominent Denver pastor, the Orlando Sentinel reported. On June 15 the ministry reached an agreement with former member Deborah Mitchell, who claimed the 42-year-old pastor refused to repay a $200,000 loan. On June 22, church attorneys “amicably resolved” a similar lawsuit in which Bishop Dennis Leonard charged that Brown hadn’t repaid a $100,000 loan from his Heritage Christian Center. Meanwhile, Florida minister Clark Whitten has resigned as senior pastor of Calvary Assembly in suburban Orlando. During his 10-year tenure, Whitten, 55, helped the 2,200-member church eliminate an $11 million debt on its facility, which is one of the largest structures in the Assemblies of God. Whitten plans to write and speak, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

Lutheran Church Votes Down Gay Clergy Proposal
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ECLA) rejected a proposal Aug. 12 that would have allowed homosexuals to serve as clergy in certain situations, the Associated Press (AP) reported. The proposal, which was rejected in a 503-490 vote, would have retained the churchís ban on ordaining sexually active homosexuals but allowed exceptions for candidates in long-term relationships. The ECLA, which represents some 4.9 million members, also upheld a 1993 statement that bans blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples. Despite the statementís prohibitions, it is generally acknowledged that some Lutheran pastors have been presiding at such ceremonies without consequence for years, the AP said.

Chinese House Church Pioneer Dies
Chinese house-church leader Allen Yuan died Aug. 16 in a Beijing hospital. He was 91. Yuan was one of 11 preachers, including Watchman Nee and Wang Ming Dao, who refused to join the Three Self Patriotic Movement after Mao Tse-Tungís communist rule began in 1949, Open Doors reported. In 1958, Yuan was arrested because of his “counter-revolutionary” faith and sentenced to life in prison with no hope of parole. But due to policy changes over the next few decades, Yuan was released in 1979. As recently as 2003 Yuan was baptizing 300 new converts each year. He is survived by his wife and six children. His second son, Yuan Fu Sing, continues to lead his church.

Habitat for Humanity Names New CEO
Jonathan T. Reckford has been named head of Habitat for Humanity. The 42-year-old is a former executive pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Edina, Minn., and previously served as president of stores for the Musicland division of Best Buy. Reckfordís appointment comes six months after the nonprofit home-building organization’s founder and CEO, Millard Fuller, was fired in the wake of a sexual harassment investigation. The board found “insufficient proof of inappropriate conduct,” according to a January statement from the organization, but fired Fuller because he made comments the board considered critical despite an agreement he made to keep quiet.

Investigative journalist Jerry Mitchell says he saw God’s hand at work when 1960s murder cases were reopened

The reporter whose work has led to convictions in several civil rights killings said his main motivation is a biblical sense of justice.

Jerry Mitchell of the Jackson, Miss., Clarion-Ledger has been credited with reviving a string of civil rights-era cases, prompting lawmen and prosecutors to bring them back to trial.

Those trials have resulted in the conviction this year of Edgar Ray Killen in connection with the 1964 murders of civil rights workers Andrew Goodman, James Chaney and Michael Schwerner; the 1998 conviction of Sam Bowers for the 1966 killing of Vernon Dahmer; and the 1994 conviction of Byron de la Beckwith for the 1963 assassination of Medgar Evers.

“As a matter of faith I feel like God’s hand has been involved in these cases,” said Mitchell, 46, who has written a number of devotionals in addition to his award-winning newspaper articles.

The son of a former preacher, Mitchell was born in Missouri, raised in Texarkana, Texas, and was working as a reporter in Mississippi when he saw the movie Mississippi Burning in 1989. It opened his eyes to the South’s legacy of racism.

That same year he got to look at files from Mississippi’s long-secret Sovereignty Commission that documented state complicity in racist acts. And he reported on the 25th anniversary of the Goodman-Chaney-Schwerner murders. “It was kind of a perfect storm that took place in 1989,” Mitchell said.

He has no doubt that God brought it all together. “We don’t begin to understand how God works. His ways are so far above ours. What we have to do is try to get in tune with His will,” Mitchell said.

Some suspects in civil rights killings went to trial but got off with acquittals or hung juries even when guilt seemed apparent. Mitchell found evidence that the state secretly assisted in defending such suspects and that some lawmen lied under oath. Wanting to help redress such injustices, Mitchell began to investigate the Medgar Evers slaying in 1989. But there was little left to go on.

“There was no murder weapon, there was no transcript, no evidence, only a few pages in the court file,” Mitchell said. “But [widow] Myrlie Evers prayed, and amazing things happened.”

A few months after Mitchell began investigating, police ran across a bag of crime scene photos, including a fingerprint. Then Myrlie Evers found a transcript of the original trial. And prosecutor Bobby DeLaughter discovered the murder weapon among some old evidence. “If you wrote a novel and you put that in there, people would say, ‘No, that would never happen,'” Mitchell marvels.

He doesn’t mention his own dogged reporting—work that has been lauded by Newsweek, American Journalism Review and a host of other publications, and has brought him several distinguished awards and a Pulitzer nomination. An actor even played his part in the movie Ghosts of Mississippi, which is based on the Evers case.

Seldom explored in articles about Mitchell are his religious beliefs. “The way I view myself is [as] a disciple of Jesus,” he says simply.

His literary aspirations lean toward writing a discipleship manual and other Christian books. In recent years he’s even felt drawn to the ministry.

Mitchell has caught flak, even been threatened, for his work. The main charge is that he’s digging up a past that’s better left alone.

Mitchell doesn’t mind listening to—and answering—such critics. “As it says in the Psalms, God loves justice,” he said. “Justice is part of the nature of God. He’s a just God. He’s a merciful God, yes, but He’s a just God.”

Especially chilling are people like Beckwith and Killen, who call themselves Christian ministers. Mitchell recalls the night Beckwith told him that if he wrote negatively about white Christians, either God would punish him or “several individuals will do it for Him.”

Although Mitchell believes in the importance of securing justice, he also believes in the possibility of redemption. One of his favorite Psalms is chapter 51, “the idea of recognition of sin and being made white as snow,” he said.

“Some people have called these atonement cases,” Mitchell said. “I view these trials not only as atonement but as kind of redemptive.”
Ernest Herndon

SPOTLIGHT

Audio Adrenaline’s Mark Stuart is riding for a cause.

Audio Adrenaline frontman Mark Stuart spent two weeks in August riding his Victory motorcycle from Florida to California to raise money for the Hands and Feet Project, an orphanage his parents run in Haiti. “This is an opportunity for us as a band to put our money where our mouth is,” said Stuart, who’s been involved in ministry in Haiti since he was in the sixth grade. Stuart hopes the tour will help raise at least $80,000, which could build eight homes, and inspire Christian youth to reach outside their comfort zones to “be the hands and feet of Jesus.” At the end of the trip on Aug. 26, Stuart planned to auction his bike on eBay and give the proceeds to the ministry.
Adrienne S. Gaine

Prayer Point

This month marks the second annual Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem, which organizers plan to hold on the first Sunday of October until Christ returns. In the wake of the Gaza resettlement, we are reminded of Psalm 122, which tells us to pray for the peace and prosperity of Jerusalem. We encourage you to:

My Turn

Charisma’s 30th anniversary issue, (“Who Is the Holy Spirit?” August) was awesome! To be connected with the body of Christ through such a common denominator is truly amazing. Specifically, the article “Holy Spirit, Make Me Bold” by Wayde I. Goodall summed it all up because it took us from the early church experience to the filling of the Spirit—a gift that the article clearly states is available to us today.

What could we possibly accomplish that would benefit the kingdom of God, as well as our brothers and sisters, without the unction of the Holy Spirit? How effective would a car be if its navigation system didn’t work properly? The driver would be lost.

So it is with believers and the Holy Spirit. He is our resident guide. The entire magazine made it clear just how much we Christians need the Holy Spirit to fulfill our purpose so we can enjoy life the way God intended.
Leonie Chandersingh
Orlando, Florida

New Look, Same Message

Thank you for devoting so much of the redesigned August issue to God’s empowering Holy Spirit. It is His Spirit who can transform a Christian into a powerful servant of God. It is also the Spirit who gives us the peace that surpasses all understanding. That’s why He is called the Comforter.
Larry Higgins
Denver, Indiana

Although your 30th anniversary issue is much glossier, I have two concerns that surfaced after seeing it. Now that it is being sold on mainstream newsstands, will this limit the topics that need to be addressed? Second, will your editors be tempted to water down things that need to be said to the body of Christ but are not appropriate now that so many others are looking over your shoulder?

I have appreciated your integrity and passion in the past. But I fear this new paying audience will compromise your editor and other writers.
Rev. Rosie Farnsworth
Kingston, Washington

More and more Christian publications are looking like the celebrity tabloids we see in the grocery store checkout line. The photos and content all are focused on personalities, with just a few articles of real substance.

In these last days, much is at stake in the lives of your readers. Please don’t offer them just articles about personalities. We are drowning in personalities—even if they are “Spirit-filled”!

This is happening everywhere we turn, even in the church. We are drowning out the melody and watering down the new wine.
Dennis Wood
Palmyra, Pennsylvania

No More Pope Bashing

Your article about Pope John Paul II was a powerful witness to the things God can do with a surrendered heart and an openness to the Holy Spirit (“Vicar of the Spirit” by Stephen Mansfield, June). What puzzled me were the letters to the editor sent to discredit the pope. Is it so hard to believe that God will pour out His Spirit on all who call on Him, including Catholics?
Marianne Kluesener
Cincinnati, Ohio

I did not appreciate the anti-Catholic letters you published from readers. To give a platform for people to spread lies and misunderstandings about the Catholic Church serves no good purpose. Archbishop Fulton Sheen hit the nail on the head when he said: “There are not a hundred people in America that hate the Catholic Church, but there are millions who hate what they think is the Catholic Church.”
Kim Parnis
Livonia, Michigan

I am responding to the letters from readers who accused Roman Catholics of being pagans, cultists and practitioners of witchcraft. It’s ironic that some Christians say the same thing about charismatics!

Regarding the question of whether the pope is born again, consider the fact that his daily devotion included the Apostle’s Creed. We could all benefit from daily declaration that Jesus Christ is Lord through His virgin birth, crucifixion, death, resurrection and imminent return.

There are many expressions of the Christian faith. But the universal church agrees on the foundational revelation that Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation. There are traditions even in independent charismatic churches that have no root in Scripture. But I will not judge them as unsaved simply because I disagree with their fringe beliefs.
Teri Hamrick
Marietta, Georgia

I was appalled by some of the readers’ responses about the Catholic Church. In some of their letters they described Catholics as pagans, witches and cult members. Give me a break!

The way you learn things is basically from other people. This includes religion. I appreciate your special June issue on the pope.
Tracy Kern
Cumming, Georgia

I have been impressed with the open-mindedness and acceptance that Charisma shows—especially with your issue about Pope John Paul II. Unfortunately when I received your anniversary issue—with many letters criticizing Catholics—I felt compelled not to read your magazine again.

Then I realized that if I stopped reading Charisma that would make me just like the judgmental readers who wrote to you to criticize the pope. So rather than debate the misrepresentation of the Catholic Church (in letters full of idiocy, inaccuracy and close-mindedness) I will suggest that your critics read the New Testament.

Jesus would not spew the hate that oozed from those letters in the August issue. Those who wrote those letters have a translation of Jesus’ message that is both frightening and sad.
Michelle M. Mead
Wappingers Falls, New York

Thumbs Down on Hollywood

In response to Leigh DeVore’s review of the movie Cinderella Man: Shame on Charisma for using space and ink to support Hollywood by suggesting that readers waste money on this film.

This film has violence and cursing. Why are we supporting Hollywood in the first place? And since when did Hollywood ever care about Christians?

Charisma ought to get a backbone and recommend to its readers that they should not be seeking entertainment from Hollywood unless another Chariots of Fire or The Passion of the Christ comes along.
Curt Vieselmeyer
Boise, Idaho

Thumbs Down on Book Reviews

I was extremely disappointed in Eric Wilbank’s review of Francis Frangipane’s new book This Day We Fight (Vibes, August). I couldn’t help but wonder if he actually read the book or perhaps just skimmed it.

In this age of terrorism, drugs, war and immorality, it is sometimes easy to become complacent in prayer. The needs of the world can seem overwhelming. But this book shows that we can make a difference.

This book is about fighting and not giving up. It’s a wake-up call. But it’s also about perfecting our faith and developing the character of Christ so we can move in supernatural power and do what otherwise would be impossible.
Terri Rowray
Robins, Iowa

Lost Integrity

Kudos to editor J. Lee Grady for addressing greed among ministers (“Charismatic Idols,” June). Has Charisma ever written about The Salvation Army? You’ll never find their ordained ministers wearing Rolexes or driving luxury cars. You’ll find them in inner cities across the nation dealing with people few others care about.
Shane Gilmore
via e-mail

Thank you for addressing the issue of greed and lack of accountability in our churches. I was in a church in California for 23 years where the pastor treated his congregation like children. He stopped having business meetings, and the deacons had no say about anything. This man was given a $1,500 monthly housing allowance, a credit card from the church and a $12,000 anniversary gift each year.

Churches are being ripped off. These types of leaders do not believe they will be punished.
name withheld
Fordyce, Arkansas

Lee Grady recently wrote about a Florida minister who is divorcing his wife and fighting with her over money. His article lacked the balance most reasonable Christians know is necessary in dealing with personal finance and accountability. It is embarrassing to your magazine that Grady has painted ministers with such a broad brush—as if to suggest that people in ministry should not be prosperous in everyday life.
Stephen Spillers
Atlanta, Georgia

Lee Grady declared the charismatic movement over in his August column. I agree that some charismatics have refused to mature and that some groups are approaching apostasy.

Charisma magazine should highlight some of the formerly independent charismatic groups that have adopted in recent years a more sound, biblical understanding. They still teach about the gifts of the Holy Spirit but they have embraced reformed theology.
Dan Becker
Alpharetta, Georgia

For and Against the War

We are losing the war in Iraq because some of God’s people are complaining about our president and the ongoing conflict. First Timothy 2:1-2 says prayer and intercession and giving thanks should be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.

All I hear on the news is bad-mouthing against God’s elect. Let’s pray instead of complaining!
C.F. Polston
Darby, Montana

Tell me again how the Iraq war has made us safer from terrorism. Point out for me again how we’ve suffered no terrorist attacks since the day George W. Bush took the fight to the enemy.

You’ll have to speak up, though. It’s going to be hard to hear you over the explosions, sirens and wails of the maimed in London. Sooner or later it will be us again.
Leonard Pitts Jr.
via e-mail

Corrections:

In a July news story about Israel donating 35 acres to a group of evangelical leaders, Benjamin Netanyahu should have been identified as former prime minister. A caption in an August news story about Christian persecution in Sri Lanka misidentified pastor Shawn Turing as pastor Jebamoney Ratnam. Both men have endured attacks by Buddhist mobs. Charisma regrets the errors.

The Patriarchs
By Beth Moore, LifeWay Press,
softcover, 240 pages, $.

For all those gals out there who love Beth Moore’s Bible studies, you’re in for a treat with The Patriarchs: Encountering the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob study. The video production grows steadily better with the release of each study. This is also true for the cover and layout of the new workbook. A Leader Kit is available for $.

Moore herself is even funnier, well researched and more transparent about her own joys and struggles than ever. She unabashedly admits to loving women’s ministry and shares tidbits from letters of those who have been touched by the ministry and feel as if they know her. She reassures them that the feeling is mutual.

As always, Moore never sugarcoats lives of the people in Scripture and demonstrates how students can learn from their victories as well as their mistakes. She can demonstrate the meanings of the ancient Hebrew words and then turn around and bring the truth to bear upon the contemporary lives of women today. Her passion for God is absolutely contagious as she not only teaches but also imparts the fire of the Spirit to those who hunger for God’s Word.
Deborah L. Delk

BOOKS

Forgiving the Unforgivable
David Stoop, Regal Books, softcover, 160 pages, $.

“I think it’s about forgiveness, forgiveness” whispers a lyric in a popular song chorus—quite astute for a top 40 artist. Clinical psychologist David Stoop agrees, and in his book Forgiving the Unforgivable, he takes the workings of forgiveness and details with precision the benefits for all involved.

By providing a path to the end results of forgiveness (healing from hurts, freedom from captive thoughts and other crippling effects), Stoop provides a good reason to take the first step: the belief that God will bring relief and restoration. The root of bitterness assigns blame for unfortunate circumstances that inevitably come.

Forgiving the Unforgivable shows us how to get to that root and prevent others from gaining ground. As Christians, it is an absolute duty to forgive others and ourselves.
J. James Estrada

The Four Seasons of Marriage
By Gary Chapman, Tyndale House Publishers,
Hardcover, 206 pages, $.

Known for his best-selling book The Five Love Languages, Gary Chapman continues to help couples at various stages of marital relationships in The Four Seasons of Marriage: Which Season of Marriage Are You In? Building on the four decades of his own marriage and more than 30 years as a counselor, Chapman communicates principles to better any husband-wife relationship.

Seeing marriages as “perpetually in a state of transition,” Chapman describes the recurring stages of marriage metaphorically in terms of nature’s seasons, each of which has its own potential for health and happiness as well as challenges. Illustrating the seasons with examples from couples he has encountered, Chapman gives seven strategies to enhance each season, including dealing with past failures and discovering the joy of helping your spouse succeed, and sensitively answers tough questions in the book’s final section.

Although this book does not contain particularly original concepts, Chapman offers hope even when only one spouse is working on the marriage.
Christine D. Johnson

From Darkness to Light
By Jeff Harshbarger with Liz Harshbarger,
Bridge-Logos, softcover, 162 pages, $.

In From Darkness to Light: How to Rescue Someone You Love from the Occult, former Satanist Jeff Harshbarger tells how he gave his life to Christ after two suicide attempts.

Harshbarger’s journey into darkness began when he was a child. The son of an alcoholic and distant father, he often felt a “presence” watching him, received messages from a Ouija board and had out-of-body experiences. Soon he began seeking supernatural experiences—reading books about telepathy, listening to pop psychics and hard-rock music in which band members sang about dark themes.

After meeting a local Satanist and starting a coven, Harshbarger’s life plummeted into deeper depths of despair. When he heard the Lord speak to him after the second suicide attempt, he became a Christian.

Harshbarger, who with his wife now operates Refuge Ministries—which offers biblical counseling and other support services—presents a quick study of the occult, which he says is “the quest for knowledge, or the claim to possess hidden knowledge.”

He gives detailed information on sorcery, fortune-telling, necromancy (contact with the unknown to gain desired knowledge) and dealing with those involved in the occult.

The author’s candor and faith provide a safe backdrop to explore how to rescue those trapped in the darkness of the occult.
Tracee N. Mason

Changing My Mind
By Chris Maxwell, LifeSprings,
Softcover, 160 pages, $.

When an illness damaged Chris Maxwell’s brain eight years ago, he plunged into a world of forgetting the simplest information. He couldn’t remember what ice cream tasted like or how to use a fork. Names, people and events often eluded him. In Changing my Mind: A Journey of Disability and Joy, Maxwell challenges people to confront the pain that comes from change, coming to terms with life and
becoming what you never expected to be.

Using his own story of illness and recovery and the continual memory loss he deals with, Maxwell focuses on the problem believers have of wanting to know instead of just wanting to be—to control our situation instead of just living.

Maxwell, the senior pastor of Evangel Assembly in Orlando, Florida, demonstrates the need to live the message of the cross: in losing you gain. His is a heart-wrenching story that will help anyone who has faced unexpected tragedies gain the courage to go forward in the face of obstacles.
Tracee N. Mason

MUSIC

Now More Than Ever … Worship
By Joann Rosario, Verity Records.

A few years ago, Latin gospel artist Joann Rosario wowed the gospel industry with her debut project, More, More, More, and its hit title tune. Noticeably absent after her initial success because of the temporary loss of her voice, she is now back.

Crediting God with her complete healing, she delivers her sophomore project, Now More Than Ever … Worship. Rosario opens with a live rendition of “Welcome Into This Place” followed by the Latin urban cut “Never the Same.” “My Desire” finds her ministering purely from the heart. Giving God thanks throughout the project, Rosario includes the pop-oriented “Thanks be Unto God,” the jazzy “Life so Wonderful” and the thoughtful “Sing of Your Goodness.”

Other memorable cuts are the inspiring “I Hear You Say,” the horn-tinged, funky “Psalm 27 (He Reigns)” and the infectious “Open My Eyes Lord.” Another gorgeous ballad is the Babbie Mason-penned “With All My Heart.” “God,” arguably the best and one of the most genuine in this collection of songs, was written by Donald Lawrence and is backed with a wailing gospel choir.

René Williams

What I Was Made For
By Big Daddy Weave, Fervent Records.

What I Was Made For is a pop-rock collection that encourages listeners to draw closer to God. In this follow-up to its successful sophomore effort, Fields of Grace, Big Daddy Weave proves again that the band’s strength rests in its collective talent—musically, lyrically and vocally.

The 11-song collection mixes acoustic-based ballads with electric guitar-driven tunes. Highlights include a duet with BarlowGirl on “You’re Worthy of My Praise,” the danceable “Just the Way I Am” and the praise number, “It’s All About You.”

Listeners who enjoy music from strong songwriters/artists such as Steven Curtis Chapman, Dave Matthews Band or Casting Crowns will appreciate What I Was Made For.
Ginny McCabe

MOVIES

Dreamer
DreamWorks Pictures, PG, opens Oct. 21.

Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story stars Dakota Fanning, Kurt Russell, Kris Kristofferson, Elisabeth Shue and a prize-winning racehorse named Soñador. But it’s Dakota who, with her Shirley Temple charm, steals the show. Dreamer yarns a tale about accomplished horseman Ben Crane (Russell) who struggles as a husband, father and son.

Crane makes an extraordinary decision, refusing to put down the injured horse—not a smart move in the rarefied world of Triple-Crown madness. He loses his job, but gets to keep the filly.

Hope, a daring rescue, a restored father-son relationship and a young girl chasing an improbable dream fill carefully crafted scene after deftly directed scene. Destined to become a family favorite, the movie will cause parents to laud the values of respect, sacrifice, honesty, responsibility, restoration and more woven into the story.

Not since Chariots of Fire has a film so ably juxtaposed a major sporting event and a heart-warming story of the simplest but richest of dreams come true. Enough written: Dreamer is highly recommended.
Steven Lawson

The Greatest Game
Ever Played
Disney Pictures, PG, opens Sept. 30.

As a boy, Francis Ouimet, son of immigrant parents, is intrigued by the gentlemen’s game of golf. A chance encounter with golf great Harry Vardon ignites his passion. Ouimet comes as close to the game as possible, serving as a caddy at the country club. When he gets one chance to play as an amateur he falls short.

Keeping a promise, Ouimet gives up the game but never loses his desire to play—nor his talent. Several years later he gets a chance to compete in the 1913 U.S. Open, which becomes a showdown between a working-class amateur and the greatest players in golf.

The Greatest Game Ever Played is about perseverance, sacrifice and fulfillment. Families will enjoy the beautiful scenes that bring to life the true story of a young man discovering he has the courage to pursue his passion.
Leigh DeVore