Bishop T.D. Jakes’ giant conference in Atlanta drew 100,000 faithful-and a handful of protesters
More than 100,000 people from the U.S. and abroad converged on Atlanta to attend the second annual MegaFest event in early August.

Bishop T.D. Jakes, pastor of The Potterís House in Dallas and creator of the huge four-day gathering, fused his popular Woman Thou Art Loosed and Manpower conferences with Mega Youth Experience and MegaKidz to offer a smorgasbord of preaching, teaching and entertainment.

Participation this year was shy of the 140,000 who attended in 2004, but Jakes said meeting attendees’ needs was the event’s priority. “We quantify success in how we provide them with services, and the tools to help families leave MegaFest stronger than when they arrived,” he said.

His strategy seemed to work. With general sessions and workshops held in the Georgia Dome, Georgia World Congress Center, Philips Arena and International Plaza, conference-goers scurried from one venue to the next to participate in festivities geared toward faith and family.

“My faith isn’t what I believe God for,” preacher Juanita Bynum told thousands of people who attended her Morning Glory session. “It’s who I believe God is.”

The list of speakers read like a who’s who of famous preachers, musicians and authors. Festivities included a family expo, an Xtreme Sports event hosted by actor Stephen Baldwin, a parade, a fashion show, puppetry and much more.

But not everyone agreed with Mega-Fest’s blending of sacred with secular. One protester, Orlando Bethel of Loxley, Ala., held a sign outside an arena and distributed literature condemning MegaFest. Bethel, 38, said he believes it is wrong for Jakes to put on such a big show for Christians while ignoring the unchurched.

“How can we market to as many people as possible without standing on godly principles,” Bethel said, just as a police officer arrived.

Bethel was particularly upset that well-known mainstream singers and speakers participated in MegaFest. Last year, R&B singer Patti LaBelle and neo-soul artist India Arie were among the performers. This year financial guru Suze Orman; comedian Steve Harvey; Rich Dad, Poor Dad author Robert Kiyosaki; and Gladys Knight topped the list of participants.

“Gladys Knight is not saved,” Bethel told Charisma. “The Word of God says don’t be unequally yoked!”

Knight, who is a Mormon, sang her popular 1970s hit “Midnight Train to Georgia” during MegaFest’s Women of Purpose Concert. Billed as a tribute to Coretta Scott King, the event also featured gospel artists Martha Munizzi, Vickie Winans and the Clark Sisters, along with R&B artists Stephanie Mills and Chaka Khan—who is now a Christian.

Concertgoers arrived at the arena early and waited in line for hours to get inside. They responded to Knight’s performance with rousing applause, shouts and cheers.

MegaFest manager Derrick Williams defended Jakes’ decision to feature Knight’s performance, saying that she was not there to promote her Mormonism. “The purpose of the Woman of Purpose concert was to honor Coretta Scott King,” Williams said. “Gladys Knight and the others were there for that reason. We wouldn’t put [Knight] on the platform to preach.”

Although some believers question the need to include secular entertainers in religious events, big-name sponsors are taking note of the growing Christian market. Noticeable at MegaFest were well-known corporations such as the Coca-Cola Company, Bank of America and American Airlines.
Valerie G. Lowe in Atlanta

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

Considered the fastest growing church in the U.S., Without Walls International planned to finalize the $14 million deal in August
Three years after it first entertained the idea, a large charismatic church in Tampa, Fla., has purchased the property of what was once one of the largest church facilities in the world.

On June 14, Without Walls International Church (WWIC), a 22,000-member nondenominational congregation, signed a contract to buy Carpenter’s Home Church (CHC) in suburban Lakeland, which is about 45 minutes east of Tampa.

In the $14 million agreement, CHC would receive $8 million plus a 3,000-seat auditorium in Auburndale, Fla., which was used by Without Walls Central (WWC), a satellite of the Tampa congregation. The Auburndale church has been appraised at nearly $6 million, WWIC officials said. Auburndale is located about 25 minutes east of Lakeland.

“I think it’s a win-win for everyone,” said Randy White, who pastors WWIC with his wife, Paula. “Carpenter’s Home Church gets an almost brand-new sanctuary debt-free. We get a facility that we can grow into. It’s been our dream and ambition to impact the state of Florida.”

CHC’s spokesman Greg Gillman called the sale “a great win in the kingdom of God.” CHC is affiliated with the Assemblies of God (AG). “There are many wins in this arrangement,” said Gillman, CHC’s CFO and treasurer. “First and foremost, the grounds and buildings that pastor Karl Strader have ministered on for over 20 years will continue to be used to spread the gospel, which is the legacy of our pastor.”

Under Strader, the First Assembly of God of Lakeland built a 10,000-seat sanctuary in 1985 at a cost of $12 million, renaming the church Carpenter’s Home in the process. At the time, CHC had about 5,000 members, a TV ministry and a radio station. But in 1989 about 800 members split from CHC in a dispute over Strader’s leadership and formed Victory Church.

In the early 1990s, CHC was the site of services by Rodney Howard-Browne, the South African preacher who introduced the “laughing revival” to America. But Strader’s son, Daniel, was arrested in 1994 on fraud charges and convicted the following year of swindling investors, including some church members. The congregation of Strader, 76, who has served as CHC’s pastor for the last 38 years, now attracts only about 750 people on Sundays.

In contrast, Church Growth Today, a megachurch research center, recently named WWIC the nation’s fastest growing church. White said the ministry has 15,000 members in 240 satellite congregations across the U.S. and in Europe.

WWIC was close to an agreement to buy the CHC sanctuary in 2002, but in February 2003 CHC reportedly rejected a $10 million offer from WWIC because the board was asking $12.5 million, The Tampa Tribune reported. White said CHC contacted him in the spring to see if WWIC was still interested in the 75-acre property.

“We’re extremely excited to acquire this property,” said White, 47, noting that he expected to finalize the deal on the Aug. 1 closing date. “We believe this is part of God’s plan. Several years ago, prophet Kim Clement saw Carpenter’s Home filled to capacity. He said one day we would own the property.”

The agreement calls for a one-year transition period during which CHC would continue to hold worship services in a theater on the campus. Without Walls Central will worship at the massive CHC sanctuary starting this fall.

WWC pastor Scott Thomas, 38, will lead the Lakeland congregation, White said. Launched in January 2004, WWC started with 115 members, and it now has 1,500 people attending Sunday services.

Gillman said CHC owns the property, not the AG, adding that voting members approved the sale. “Pastor Strader has notified the Assemblies of God concerning the sale of our property,” he said. “We will continue to be Assemblies of God.”

Gillman added that the sale will enable CHC to move into a new era of ministry. “Prior to the congregation approving the sale of the property, pastor Strader cast a dynamic vision of raising up young pastors and planting them in multiple locations, providing them with the wisdom of his years and the resources necessary for them to be successful,” he said. “The sale of our property will provide Carpenter’s Home the unencumbered, debt-free resources that are critical to make this vision a reality, as well as provide a beautiful campus to a congregation of like faith.”
Eric Tiansay

Christian activists say they will work even harder to block similar legislation in the United States

The tempestuous six-month parliamentary debate over legislation that would legalize same-sex marriage in Canada ended with its passage June 28. But Christian traditional marriage activists on both sides of the Canadian border say they’ll continue fighting the acceptance of gay marriage in mainstream culture.

Following a close vote of 158 to 133, marriage was redefined as “a union between two consenting adults,” rather than a union between one man and one woman. The legislation includes a provision that permits religious officials to refuse to marry gays and lesbians.

Canada is the third country in the world-following Holland and Belgium-to legalize same-sex marriage. Spain followed suit in approving gay marriage legislation just two days after Canada did. Seven of Canada’s 10 provinces and one of its three territories already allowed civil marriages for same-sex couples prior to the parliamentary vote. Ontario was the first province to do so, following an appeal by a gay couple in June 2003 to the Supreme Court of Ontario.

“June 28 was a sad day for Canada, a sad day for marriage and a sad day for children,” said Charles McVety, head of Defend Marriage, a coalition of Christian groups seeking to maintain traditional marriage in Canada. “I don’t know if traditional marriage will be the norm by the time my 7-year-old daughter grows up.”

The House of Commons sat for several days into its summer break to allow the Liberal minority government time to finish voting on the controversial legislation. A parliamentary drama unfolded, with some Liberal Members of Parliament becoming independents or joining other parties, and others losing their cabinet positions because they refused to follow Prime Minister Paul Martin’s orders and vote in favor of legalizing gay marriage.

Critics say rushing the legislation was a ploy to keep gay marriage from becoming an issue in the upcoming federal election, and they say a referendum should have been held for the Canadian people. Opinion polls show Canadians are as equally divided as their politicians over the issue.

Christian watchdog groups say the legislation has already caused a lot of problems for Christians working in the public sector. Two human rights complaints were filed in January against Catholic Bishop Fred Henry following a letter he wrote to his own diocese, in which he said homosexuality, prostitution and pornography should not be accepted and that the federal government should use coercive power to outlaw same-sex marriage.

Civil marriage commissioners in several provinces have been told in writing that they’ll lose their jobs if they refuse to marry same-sex couples. Some have resigned, and others have lodged complaints with their provincial human rights commissions. Chris Kempling, a guidance counselor and teacher in British Columbia, has been suspended from his job twice for statements he made about homosexuals.

The legal repercussions for Christian business owners affiliated with the wedding industry are tremendous, said Janet Epp-Buckingham, director of law and public policy for the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. “Business owners who say they’re refusing service because the client wants a gay wedding can be charged with discrimination under the Human Rights Code,” Epp-Buckingham said.

“I had a Christian caterer phone me in tears because her husband unknowingly told a gay client that she was available the day of the client’s wedding. At that point she couldn’t refuse service.”

Same-sex marriage also has caused rifts within the Canadian church. When an Anglican diocese in British Columbia added a service of blessing for same-sex unions in 2002, a group of Anglican clergy broke formal ties with the church and established The Anglican Communion of Canada. The communion, which acts as an international advocate for traditional biblical values for Anglicans, now has 12 Canadian parishes on board who report to archbishops in other parts of the world.

Epp-Buckingham says the problem is worse for United Church clergy who disapprove of same-sex marriage. “Their superiors won’t back them legally if they decline doing a same-sex ceremony because the United Church of Canada has already sanctioned the process,” she said.

Americans fighting same-sex marriage in the U.S. say its validation in Canada is making them gear down harder. “It’s alerted us that there’s a virus to the north, and we better not let it cross the border,” said Lou Sheldon, president of the Traditional Values Coalition based in Washington, D.C.

“I think federal passing of it in Canada will get us moving to tighten up on same-sex marriage here,” said Mathew Staver, president and general counsel for Florida-based Liberty Counsel. “I think what’s intended to tear down marriage will actually strengthen it because it’ll make us rethink the importance of marriage.”

Staver said the Defense of Marriage Act protects any state from validating a same-sex marriage license issued elsewhere. He said a same-sex couple who was married in Canada launched three lawsuits seeking to get Florida to recognize their marriage. All were rejected.

Same-sex marriage is now permitted in Massachusetts, and California and Vermont allow civil unions for gay couples.

Glen Lavy of the Alliance Defense Fund cautioned that the legalization of gay marriage in Canada and other nations could prompt courts that look at international law to use that as rationale to force same-sex marriage through U.S. courts.
Josie Newman in Toronto

China pastor on trial over Bibles

A leader in China’s underground church stood trial July 7 on charges of operating an illegal business. Last year, pastor Cai Zhouhua, who oversees six house churches, was detained with 200,000 copies of unauthorized Bibles, the Associated Press (AP) reported. Cai was arrested with his wife and two relatives in what Christian human rights groups say is an ongoing crackdown on underground churches. No verdict has been handed down, and Cai’s lawyer, Gao Zhisheng, said he is not optimistic about the outcome, BBC News reported. Though Gao said the Bibles were to be given away for free, the authorities “are always using economics as a pretext to deal with religious and political issues,” BBC News reported. Only the state-sanctioned church is authorized to publish Bibles in China, and they are produced in controlled numbers and cannot be sold in ordinary bookstores, the AP said.

Missionaries’ Killers Sentenced to Life in Prison

The death sentence of a Hindu extremist who killed Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons six years ago has been reduced to life in prison. In June, the high court of Orissa State ordered life imprisonment for Dara Singh, Reuters reported. The court also acquitted 11 people sentenced to a life term by a lower court for burning alive Staines and his sons in a remote village in the state in 1999. Staines’ widow, Gladys, and her daughter, Esther, stayed in India after the deaths and opened the Graham Staines Memorial Hospital for lepers in 2004, but have since returned to Australia. Gladys Staines said she had forgiven the killers.

Pastors forced to Apologize for Statements About Islam

Australian pastors Daniel Scott and Daniel Nalliah, both of Catch the Fire Ministries Inc., were ordered June 22 to apologize for comments they made last year that a Muslim group said disparaged Islam. Last December the two were found guilty of breaching the Victorian Racial and Religious Tolerance Act after the Islamic Council of Victoria accused the pair of making derogatory comments about Islam on their Web site and in a seminar, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reported. They were then ordered in June to apologize to the council, place a notice on their Web site giving the judges’ verdict and take out a newspaper ad for two weeks stating that they have been found guilty of inciting religious hatred. They were also banned from speaking about Islam anywhere in Australia. The pastors have taken out a “staying order” against the verdict and are appealing to the Supreme Court, CSW said. They also have launched a fundraising campaign to help cover their legal fees, arguing that the case is a fight to preserve religious freedom in Australia.

Lakewood Church, the nation’s largest congregation, now meets in a renovated sports arena that seats 16,000 people
Mercedes Garces remembers when Lakewood Church pastor John Osteen predicted that the ministry he founded would one day occupy Houston’s Compaq Center.

“Everything is possible with God,” said Garces, who has attended the church with her husband, Abel, for 14 years. “We believed it. At least I did.”

Osteen passed away in 1999, but on July 16 his bold claim became a reality when 16,000 people crammed into the former sports and entertainment venue for the grand opening of the nation’s largest church facility. Another 3,000 watched from an overflow area.

“How do you like our new home?” asked John’s son, current pastor Joel Osteen, who in the last five years has seen the church grow from 8,000 to 30,000, making it the nation’s largest. The crowd responded with one of many thunderous ovations.

Even before the doors opened two hours prior to the event, hundreds of people gathered outside waiting to get a closer look at the renovated facility. Once inside, church members and guests saw little resemblance to the arena that hosted NBA and WNBA championship games and rock concerts featuring the likes of U2, the Rolling Stones and Elvis Presley.

The floor has been replaced by additional seating, and the stage, designed by four-time Emmy Award-winner Rene Lagler, features a hydraulically operated orchestra pit, elaborate choir lofts, a pair of cascading waterfalls and a large golden globe that spins.

Throughout the evening, the congregation heard from dignitaries such as Joel Osteen’s mother, Dodie; his brother, Paul; and Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Other notable attendees included evangelists R.W. Schambach and Norvel Hayes, U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, Houston Texans quarterback David Carr and about 30 members from the original Lakewood church.

“The growth of this church has been nothing less than phenomenal,” Perry said. “It’s been that way because there was a big welcome mat out. … And why shouldn’t it be that way? When you strip away all that makes us different, we’re all very much one in a great sense. We’re all made in the image of God.”

Osteen used the grand opening as an opportunity to encourage those in the crowd or watching live on Trinity Broadcasting Network and Daystar Television Network. “If you have a dream in your heart, my prayer tonight is that that dream is going to really take root,” Osteen said. “And you’re going to know that you know that you can be all that God’s created you to be. You can accomplish everything God’s put in your heart.”

Irvine Team, a leading design and construction strategy team based in Houston, oversaw the 2-1/2-year renovation process that cost $95 million. “This is a superb sanctuary,” said Team President Dennis Irvine. “It’s a state-of-the-art, television-friendly environment. … It has been painstakingly thought-out and very well executed.”

The facility houses an interactive children’s ministry area that seats another 3,500 people. Adjacent to the church is a new five-story building that houses the church offices, media services, broadcast production suites and youth ministries.

Osteen said the new facility has several advantages, including a more centralized location, better access to parking and a more complete setup for its television broadcasts that reach an estimated 7 million people worldwide. “At our other place we were limited because of the street sizes and things,” Osteen said. “So just having a place that’s designed for 16,000 or 20,000 … will let our base grow so that we can touch the city and touch the world even more.”

He also said the record-setting facility could inspire other ministries to think big. “I think God’s helped us to be an example,” he said. “When I grew up, it was a big deal to have a church of a thousand. But I believe we can have churches where 20,000 people come, like this.”
Chad Bonham in Houston

Christian Groups Applaud President’s Supreme Court Nominee

Christian organizations praised President Bush’s choice of John Roberts Jr. to fill the Supreme Court seat being vacated by Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. Described as a “strict constructionist,” Roberts, 50, has served as a federal judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit for the last two years and has argued conservative positions on abortion and public school prayer at graduation ceremonies before the high court during his years as a lawyer. Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice, said Roberts “is exceptionally well qualified … and has a judicial temperament that is respected by all who deal with him.” Ohio pastor Rod Parsley, founder of the Center for Moral Clarity, said Bush’s choice “sends a clarion call to return our country to the principles of its Founding Fathers.” He also encouraged Christians to pray that Roberts “would be on the bench on Oct. 3, when the court is back in session.” Roberts’ confirmation hearings were to begin in August.

Oklahoma Zoo Nixes Creationism Exhibit

A Tulsa, Okla., city board rejected plans July 7 to add a creationism exhibit to the Tulsa Zoo, the Associated Press (AP) reported. The 3-1 vote, made during a special board meeting, reversed a June 7 decision to add a Genesis story to the zoo. Tulsa resident Dan Hicks, who lobbied for the exhibit, said the creationism display would balance other religious items at the zoo, which he said include a globe sculpture that promotes pantheism and a Maasai display that contains the equivalent of posting Scripture. Dale McNamara, who voted against the exhibit, said the zoo should develop displays that explain the cultural significance of animals. She said an elephant-like stone statue near the elephant exhibit, which Hicks said depicts a Hindu god, fit within that mission, the AP said. Tulsa Mayor Bill LaFortune was the only board member to support the creation exhibit.

Christians decry high court decision

Christian groups say the Supreme Court’s recent ruling in favor of using eminent domain for development that would increase a city’s tax base may make churches and other tax-exempt organizations vulnerable to land seizures. Several legal experts say various state and federal laws, as well as the First Amendment, make it almost impossible for churches to be targeted for condemnation, the New York Times reported. But the American Family Association, Focus on the Family and the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) all warned that the ruling puts churches at risk. In June, the ACLJ announced a petition campaign in support of the Protection of Homes, Small Businesses, and Private Property Act of 2005.

Glory Reborn, which offers free maternity care to poor and homeless women, has delivered 400 babies since 2003
A 20-something woman from Texas has launched a midwifery ministry in the Philippines, causing hundreds of expectant women to experience new birth.
Since September 2003, Hilary Overton’s Glory Reborn Organization (GRO) has provided free maternity care to the homeless and poor mothers of Cebu City, located 365 miles south of Manila.

Overton, 24, said GRO has delivered more than 400 healthy babies and helped many more women in the community through medical care and services. Expectant mothers are offered prenatal and post-natal checkups, vitamins, health teachings and a feeding program, as well as weekly prayer and worship sessions before their babies are delivered.

Overton estimates that at least 200 women have accepted Jesus. “It is amazing to see the many lives that have been transformed not just physically but spiritually throughout the course of pregnancy and delivery, and how many little lives will be impacted to live for Jesus,” Overton said.

A native of El Paso, Overton is part of a family of ministers. Her uncle is popular worship leader Tommy Walker. Her aunt and uncle, Janey and Sam Stewart, head a worldwide feeding ministry called Charlie’s Lunch. Another uncle, Dale Walker, is founder of Heart for the World Mission Organization. And her father, Steve Walker, was founding pastor of Jesus Chapel West in El Paso.

Overton said she fell in love with ministering in Cebu during a June 2000 missions trip with Youth With a Mission. In September 2000, she moved to Cebu and lived there for 15 months while working on her midwifery degree through a New Mexico school.

She went back to Texas for five months to plan her June 6, 2003, wedding to David Overton, also 24. “I came back to Cebu in September 2003 to start Glory Reborn in my apartment, where we delivered our first baby,” said Overton, noting that her husband is GRO’s clinic administrator and “fix-it” man.

Overton said Glory Reborn’s name is based on 2 Corinthians 3:18. “We chose ‘Glory Reborn’ because it sums up the process of going from glory to glory after we are born again,” said Overton, who doesn’t have any children. “The name really has to do with the ministry being a birthing center for new life.”

Mercy Sanchez, 32, knows this firsthand. Shortly after she came to GRO, she learned her baby had died in her womb. “In the midst of all my sadness and despair, I had to look to Jesus for hope, and through this struggle I gave my heart and my baby to Jesus,” Sanchez said. “When I went home, I felt freedom and happiness for the first time, and I knew that my baby was in heaven with Jesus. Now Jesus is helping me change my life.”

According to a newspaper in Cebu City, which has a population of 610,000, only four of 10 births in the region occur at a health facility. Three out of 10 infants in the area die before reaching age 1, and 20 percent of newborns are born with a low birth weight. For every 100,000 births in Cebu City, 200 mothers will die.

Overton said GRO has outgrown her apartment, and she hopes they will soon be able to purchase a facility for the ministry. Support comes mostly from churches and individuals, though GRO (www.gloryreborn.com) hopes to receive a grant soon.

Ron Acton, pastor of 300-member Jesus Chapel West, said God is using Overton “in a mighty way.”

“She is able to do so much with so little,” Acton, 54, said. “She is able to train others to do what they never thought they could do. She gives the glory to God.”

Overton’s mother, Sharon Walker, echoed his point. “At the age of 24, Hilary experiences daily what many of us will never experience in a lifetime,” said Walker, 50. “There are great joys and deep sorrows. Hilary literally handles life and death daily. Even if I was not Hilary’s mom, it is so utterly amazing to see someone so young with such unwavering passion.”
Eric Tiansay

Organizer Cindy Jacobs hopes the event will empower Christians to engage in healing and deliverance ministry

The time has come for all Christians to be anointed to do healing and deliverance. So says prayer leader Cindy Jacobs, who is leading a 40-day prayer and fasting event that she hopes will encourage believers to step into this ministry.

“The days of the traveling evangelist being the only person flowing in healing and miracles are over,” said Jacobs, who founded Dallas-based Generals International with her husband, Mike. “With all of my heart I believe that we have entered into the time of the ‘saints movement,’ the time when every believer can lay hands on the sick and see them recover.”

Jacobs’ 40 Days of Prayer and Fasting is to be held in Dallas Sept. 22 through Oct. 31 at the campus of Christ for the Nations Institute, which was founded by healing evangelist Gordon Lindsay. Participants will pray, fast, worship and give to the poor. “Miracle services” will be held the last 10 nights-from Oct. 22 to Oct. 31-and people will be able to bring in the sick to receive ministry. Keynote speakers include Morris Cerullo, John Kilpatrick, Ché Ahn, Guillermo Maldonado, Dutch Sheets, Steve Hill and Mahesh Chavda.

Jacobs said she believes the event will impact Christians around the globe. “The Lord impressed upon me during a time of prayer that we were to set aside 40 days to seek Him,” she said. “He revealed that we should go to a major well of revival for intense prayer, fasting, spiritual warfare and worship that would result in a tidal wave of signs and wonders sweeping the globe.”

Jacobs said Dallas is one such well, noting that pioneering healing evangelists such as Lindsay, F.F. Bosworth, Maria Woodworth-Etter and Oral Roberts ministered there before becoming prominent.

Steve Hill, pastor of Heartland Fellowship Church in Dallas and a former leader in the Brownsville Revival, agrees. “Never in my life have I seen hunger like I have seen here in Dallas,” Hill said. “Hunger is the prerequisite to a move of God.”

The late Ruth Ward Heflin also identified Dallas as the next epicenter of revival. During a 1997 conference held at Brownsville Assembly of God in Pensacola, Fla., Heflin said, “I know this may come as a surprise to those of you who live in Pensacola, but a much larger revival than this one will be coming out of Dallas.”

Jacobs considers hosting the event at Christ for the Nations an integral part of tapping into a “major well of revival.” The ministry has reached out to 120 nations in the last 54 years through its Bible schools, churches and Christian materials.
Renée DeLoriea