Diane Knippers Dies
Diane Knippers, president of the Institute for Religion and Democracy, a conservative think-tank in Washington, D.C., died April 18 of complications from colon cancer. She was 53. Named by Time magazine as one of the nation’s most influential evangelicals, Knippers was an outspoken critic of liberal moves within mainline Protestant churches, especially the Episcopal Church, and was an advocate of persecuted Christians around the world. She is survived by her husband, parents and brother.

Florida Pastor Clint Brown Faces Legal Battle
Dennis Leonard, pastor of Heritage Christian Center in Denver, has filed suit against Florida minister Clint Brown, saying Brown has refused to repay a $100,000 loan he sought to help buy a building for his church, the Orlando Sentinel reported. Leonard’s attorney, Howard Marks, said the pastors made a verbal agreement that FaithWorld would repay the loan. The suit claims that Leonard has not received the money and seeks compensatory damage and interest, the Sentinel said. At press time, neither attorneys for FaithWorld or Brown had commented on the suit. Brown also has been sued by a former member who claims he owes her $200,000. Brown says the money was a gift.

Gospel Artists Recognized At Dove Awards Show
A cross section of Christian music artists were recognized April 13 at the Gospel Music Association’s 36th annual awards show in Nashville, Tenn. Among the Dove Award recipients was Casting Crowns, which was honored with seven awards, including Group of the Year and song and songwriter of the year awards for lead singer Mark Hall. Switchfoot received four awards, including Artist of the Year. Jeremy Camp and Nicole C. Mullen were awarded male and female vocalist of the year awards respectively. The Crabb Family received four awards, including recorded song of the year honors in the Southern Gospel, country and traditional gospel categories. Awards show co-host Israel Houghton received Doves for best contemporary gospel song and album.

‘PREACHER BUSH’ SHARES FAITH WITH REPORTERS
President Bush talked to the seven reporters traveling with him on Air Force One about Jesus after attending the pope’s funeral in Rome April 8. For 47 minutes, Bush and the journalists had an intimate, friendly chat largely about the pope, his legacy and Bush’s own “walk with Christ,” The Washington Post reported. Bush said attending Pope John Paul II’s funeral strengthened his faith, his belief in a living God and in how religious faith is a lifelong journey. “I think a walk in faith constantly confronts doubt, as faith becomes more mature,” Bush said. “And you constantly confront, you know, questions. My faith is strong. The Bible [says] … you’ve got to constantly stay in touch with the Word of God in order to help you on the walk.” Bush told the pool of reporters who travel with the president that it is necessary to find ways to strengthen one’s faith. “It’s called a ‘walk,'” he said “It’s not called a moment or a respite. It’s a ‘walk.'”

PASTOR SPEARHEADS CAMPAIGN AGAINST HUGE GAY EVENT IN JERUSALEM

Joining forces with ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel and rabbis from the U.S., a charismatic pastor has launched an international campaign against the 10-day WorldPride Parade scheduled to take place in Jerusalem this summer. Leo Giovinetti, who leads 2,500-strong Mission Valley Christian Fellowship in San Diego, is seeking 1 million signatures for a petition () against the mid-August gay-pride festival, the Associated Press (AP) reported. Jerusalem’s ultra-Orthodox Jewish mayor, Uri Lupolianski, opposes the event but said he is powerless to interfere because the police, not city hall, license public events. Giovinetti planned to hand-deliver the petition to each member of the Knesset. Meanwhile, the Jerusalem Prayer Team () has also started a petition against WorldPride.

OREGON SUPREME COURT NULLIFIES GAY MARRIAGE LICENSES
In a unanimous ruling the Oregon Supreme Court nullified nearly 3,000 marriage licenses issued to same-sex couples by Multnomah County in Portland last year, the Associated Press (AP) reported. In its April 14 decision, the Court said a county cannot defy state matrimonial law, which bans gay marriage, and noted that voters approved a constitutional amendment that prohibits same-sex unions even more explicitly. Democratic Gov. Ted Kulongoski said April 13 that he will push to allow same-sex couples to form civil unions, giving them many of the legal rights of marriage. The Oregon Court’s ruling came a day after Connecticut became the second state to offer civil unions to same-sex couples. Massachusetts is the only state that permits gay marriage.

AMERICAN FAMILY ASSOCIATION ENDS PROCTOR & GAMBLE BOYCOTT
The American Family Association (AFA ) has suspended a four-month boycott of Proctor & Gamble (P&G) products, claiming the company has backed off efforts that were supportive of homosexual lifestyle. The AFA reported that 400,000 people signed pledges to boycott P&G after the campaign was launched in November and endorsed by Focus on the Family. “Insofar as we can tell by our monitoring, P&G has stopped their sponsorship of TV programs promoting the homosexual lifestyle, such as Will and Grace, and they have stopped their sponsorship of homosexual Internet sites,” AFA chairman Donald Wildmon said. His organization claims P&G has sponsored gay pride parades and gay workshops, and has required its employees to participate in sensitivity training that promotes acceptance of homosexuality.

Jordanian Islamic Court Grants Child Custody to Christian Widow
A court of Islamic law in Amman ruled in favor of Christian widow Siham Qandah, revoking the legal guardianship of her children’s Muslim uncle. On April 12, the court removed Abdullah al-Muhtadi from his court-designated guardianship and ordered him to repay misspent funds, Compass Direct reported. Al-Muhtadi, who had 30 days to appeal the ruling, has been fighting a seven-year legal battle to wrest custody of his niece and nephew from Qandah. Qandah and her children live in the northern city of Husn, where they attend the Husn Baptist Church. Under Jordanian law, once the children turn 18, they are allowed to choose whether their official identity will be Muslim or Christian.

Eritrean Christians Jailed For Viewing Home Video
Eritrean police arrested 16 members of the Kale Hiwot Church on March 13 after they were found watching a Christian video together in the town of Adi-Kibe, Compass Direct reported. Two older women were released the following day after paying fines, but at press time the other 14 remained jailed, though no official charges had been filed. In September, the northeast African nation was added to the U.S. State Department’s list of “countries of particular concern” for its religious freedom violations. Eritrean officials deny ever-increasing reports of a severe government crackdown under way against Protestant churches, Compass said.

Pentecostal Pastor Still Missing in Indonesia
The family of Pentecostal pastor Jokran Ratu, kidnapped Dec. 3 on the remote Indonesian island of Buru, still does not know whether he is dead or alive, Compass Direct reported. “We always ask the police whether they have made progress or found Mr. Jokran’s body,” the Rev. Henry Lolaen, a pastor from nearby Ambon island, told Compass. Meanwhile, police were preparing for the April 25 anniversary the Maluku Sovereignty Front’s failed attempt to gain independence. Last year, an illegal flag-raising ceremony led to violence between Muslim and Christian groups in Ambon, leaving at least 20 people dead and dozens of buildings destroyed, Compass said.

BOOKS

Changing the World Through Kindness
By Steve Sjogren, Regal, hardcover,
224 pages, $.

With a simple but powerful message, author Steve Sjogren challenges Christians to use the oft-forgotten weapon of kindness to win unbelievers to Christ and help transform lives. In his latest book, Changing the World Through Kindness, Sjogren puts a practical handle on this spiritual principle.

Using colorful illustrations and vivid examples, Sjogren, who founded the Vineyard Community Church in Cincinnati, writes that kindness is every bit as important in spiritual warfare as casting out demons or praying earnestly for others. Kindness can penetrate the spiritually darkened hearts of people with God’s love.

The author leads Christians to witness to nonbelievers in unconventional ways such as cleaning toilets at bars and stores, feeding expired parking meters and washing cars. “By serving in kindness we’re building bridges to the unchurched that will transport them toward a relationship with God,” Sjogren writes.

This book is a must-read for anyone who has ever thought they “weren’t spiritual enough” to engage in spiritual warfare, or for those who are looking for ways to influence others with their faith. The author is simply challenging Christians to be available to be used by Christ in word and in deeds.
Tracee N. Mason

Launching Your Kids for Life
By Bob and Cheryl Reccord,
W Publishing Group, softcover,

240 pages, $.

All good parents want their children to grow up to be happy, productive and effective adults. And for Christian parents, they add to this determination the desire to see their children bringing glory to God by fulfilling His purposes for their lives. A daunting task, but with God’s grace and wisdom–and with the insights Bob and Cheryl Reccord offer in their newest book, Launching Your Kids for Life–families can have more direction, vision and success.

The Reccords offer mental pictures, poignant parallels and practical steps to help parents create childhoods that lead to meaningful adulthoods. Consulting with NASA executives and astronauts, the authors weave an inspiring comparison between child “launching” and space-shuttle launching–both “launches” have similarities–from mission control (parents) to ground crews (grandparents, teachers, church staff and others).

The authors challenge parents to have the humility and the spiritual fortitude to “abort” a mission; in other words re-evaluate situations and begin again. For example, if extracurricular activities are distracting children from school or causing negative attitudes, parents need to stop the activities, decide what is best and then start again on a new, adjusted course.

These are tough decisions, but “it comes down to [parents] having the guts to make judgment calls, regardless of the criticism and hurt feelings that may result,” the authors write. It’s not easy to “abort” a mission. But regrouping can help parents learn what they did right, how to do better and what has to change in order to help their children become all that God created them to be!
Kristi D. Shores

MUSIC

Great River Road
By Jason Upton, Gotee Records.

Worship leader Jason Upton’s new release, Great River Road, is a collection of introspective acoustic worship tunes. Upton’s voice blends well with the low-key musical experience, which mixes elements of folk, pop and world music.

Upton fuses many flavors of international music on songs such as the orchestral “King’s Way,” “Chop Down the Tree,” which features spoken-word Scripture, and the melodic title track. “When It Thunders” speaks lovingly of a paternal relationship with God, and the romance of “Return to Me” parallels the far-reaching love of Christ. “Trust Again” is a solemn message of healing for the hurting.

Because Upton has been compared to music pioneer Keith Green, a fitting track to end on is a new pop version of the late singer’s “You Are the One.”

Great River Road is an intimate journey that will help create a unique, relaxed time of personal worship.
DeWayne Hamby

It’s My Time
By LaShun Pace, EMI Gospel.

LaShun Pace, a former member of the Anointed Pace Sisters, has provided inspiring gospel music for years. With an unbelievable vocal range and a powerful delivery, she has released a number of independent, top-five-charting albums.

She now offers her EMI Gospel debut, It’s My Time, her first project in four years. During her absence, she endured the sudden death of her daughter Xenia, a divorce and illness. Songs such as the power ballad “For My Good,” the catchy up-tempo “Hey” and the urban-touched title tune carry a special poignancy in light of her recent trials.

Other great church tracks include the traditional “Emotions” and the choir-backed “I Trust You.” She also includes a tasteful remake of the church classic “The Lord Will Make a Way.” One of gospel’s best voices is back.
René Williams

Pressing On
By various artists,
Discovery House Music.

The apostle Paul receives a musical homage with the release Pressing On: Songs Inspired By the Journey of the Apostle Paul. This album features songs rooted deeply in scriptural references and a lineup of skilled vocalists, including Larnelle Harris, Michael O’Brien (NewSong), Travis Cottrell and a reunion of the original First Call lineup: Bonnie Keen, Marty McCall and Melodie Tunney.

First Corinthians 13 gets a musical retelling courtesy of Harris, who belts out an inspiring call for brotherly love on “The Greatest of These.” The title song displays O’Brien’s vocals with a message of faithful determination. First Call fans will be thrilled to hear the trio’s return on “Living Sacrifices” and “Nothing Can Separate Us.”

Though the inclusion of musical pioneers and an “easy-listening” soundtrack make this release sound somewhat dated musically, it still proclaims timeless truths.
DeWayne Hamby

NEWS

Filming of Left Behind: World War III Wraps Up

Cloud Ten Pictures is in post-production of Left Behind: World War III. The movie, which is based on the popular Left Behind series by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye, is the third installment in the film series and stars Kirk Cameron (Growing Pains), Lou Gossett Jr. (An Officer and a Gentleman) and Gordon Currie (Left Behind II: Tribulation Force).

Directed by Craig P. Baxley (Storm of the Century), the film is based on the last part of the book Tribulation Force. It follows the story of the U.S. President (Gossett) who works against those who oppose the self-proclaimed messiah (Currie) until a surprising discovery forces him to change sides.

“There are two reasons I came back [and one] is that the script was really good,” said Cameron, who plays the role of Buck Williams. “It got better as we began working on it together. The second reason is that I’ve gotten so much positive response from normal, everyday people on the streets who like the Left Behind movies and say [the films] really brought some of the things from their childhood faith back to life. If the third movie can plant more seeds along those lines, then I think it’s worth it to give it our best shot.”

At press time, Cloud Ten Pictures was still in discussions regarding the film’s theatrical release date. Left Behind: World War III will be distributed on DVD and video by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment this fall or next spring.
Margaret Feinberg

When worship leader Paul Wilbur travels overseas, he often brings doctors, dentists and medicine–but not because he’s a hypochondriac. Wilbur believes that ministry to the poor is an integral part of true worship, and he makes sure his outreaches include not only music but also mercy.

On recent tours to Ghana, Nigeria, Nicaragua and El Salvador, for example, Wilbur’s team examined the sick, counseled with them and prescribed medicine. At each clinic 1,200-1,500 people were treated and had an opportunity to hear the gospel.

“We work with local pastors and leaders who meet with each person individually and share a salvation message,” Wilbur explains. “As a result, there is a huge number of salvations. If we could double the number of doctors, we could double the number of salvations. … We’re believing God for an increase of $50,000 a month so we can do six outreaches this year.”

Wilbur, who is a Messianic Jew, recorded his latest CD, The Watchman (Hosanna! Music), live on Yom Kippur at Cornerstone Church in San Antonio. “The timing is significant,” Wilbur says. “Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, was the one day of the year that the high priest was allowed to come into the presence of God with blood, making atonement for himself and all Israel.

“I believe this recording will carry that anointing in a very special way and will sweep many into the kingdom of God.”
Elisabeth Farrell

I fear that charismatics are fitting in more and emphasizing the Holy Spirit less.
When my son Cameron graduated from Oral Roberts University in 1998, the speaker was Atlanta pastor Creflo Dollar. His topic was unusual for a commencement address–he talked about the importance of praying in tongues and interpreting the message.

It wasn’t unusual to hear someone talk about speaking in tongues at ORU. Oral Roberts has testified that when his campus was just a pasture he prayed in tongues and God showed him how to build a great university.

In the early days of the charismatic movement it seemed that every week I heard another story about someone being baptized in the Spirit and speaking in tongues. The joke back then was that after someone was filled with the Spirit we needed to lock them up for months because they were so crazy for God!

The late Jamie Buckingham, my longtime mentor, described the first time he spoke in tongues. In his 1976 book Risky Living he wrote: “From the very depths of my inner being, I heard the Holy Spirit Himself beginning to speak. … I was speaking the language of the angels. It was an unforgettable moment. Sheer ecstasy.”

Jamie often joked that trouble was the evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. That’s because entire congregations were being swept up in the charismatic renewal during the 1960s and 1970s, and many churches split over it. Today, churches that once opposed the gifts of the Spirit are open to renewal.

The charismatic experience was also a bridge builder. Christians who argued about how to take communion or perform water baptism were swept up in this renewal movement. As more and more Christians experienced the intoxicating power Jamie described, it became more difficult for us to argue about secondary doctrines.

One of the most surprising bridges between denominations was built when charismatic renewal erupted in the Roman Catholic Church. Before the 1962 Vatican II reforms, Catholics believed anyone outside their church was lost. But after Pope John XXIII called for a “new Pentecost,” they began viewing Protestants as “separated brethren.”

A few years later, in 1967, a group of Catholics at Duquesne University received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The fervor spread to Notre Dame, where my colleague Bert Ghezzi was then a graduate student. I’ve enjoyed listening to Bert’s stories of how a group of Catholic students spoke in tongues and prophesied for hours after some businessmen prayed for them in South Bend, Indiana. The renewal in the Catholic Church has now touched an estimated 60 million Catholics worldwide.

One of the first leaders of the Catholic charismatic renewal, Ralph Martin, wrote a feature in this issue on Pope John Paul II, who endorsed the renewal (see page 46). Martin and others believe the pope himself was charismatic.

Catholics, in fact, were the first to use the term “charismatic”–deriving it from the Greek word charism, or spiritual gift. The word was mentioned in a Vatican II document, which called on the church to “embrace charismatic gifts … with thanksgiving.” When we chose to name this magazine Charisma in 1975, the term had become widely used by Protestants.

The charismatic movement has evolved and changed since then. Charismatic churches are growing. The entire evangelical church seems more open to charismatic worship styles.

But at a time when the media pays more attention to evangelicals, I fear that charismatics are fitting in more and emphasizing the Holy Spirit less. Many people are still baptized in the Holy Spirit, but hardly anyone talks about it. It seems our fervor has waned.

God poured out His Spirit at Pentecost to empower the church. He did it again during the Azusa Street Revival in 1906, and again during the charismatic movement, to renew and empower us all.

I believe we need to heed the words of Pope John Paul II, who said these words in 2004, less than a year before he died: “Whenever the Spirit intervenes, He leaves people astonished. He brings about events of amazing newness; he radically changes persons and history.”

Let’s pray that the Holy Spirit will again intervene in our lives, empower us afresh and astonish our generation.

Two Atlanta ministers hope to unite clergy who disagree on which issues should take priority
An Atlanta pastor and the daughter of a slain civil rights leader are seeking to build bridges between black ministers who have expressed divergent views on the overall agenda for black America and how vocal African-American clergy should be in opposition to gay marriage.

Bishop Eddie Long, senior pastor of New Birth Baptist Church, and the Rev. Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. and a member of New Birth, are taking active steps to build open communication in the black church. In April the pair hosted the first Kingdom Summit, a closed-door, invitation-only meeting aimed at fostering honest dialogue between veteran, civil-rights-era pastors and prominent charismatic ministers in hopes of bringing unity between the two groups. A second meeting was to be held in May.

Long declined to name the summit participants in hopes of keeping the dialogue confidential. Since the November presidential election, there has been increased public disagreement among black religious and civic leaders about which issues are most critical to the African-American community.

Some younger leaders–the majority of whom are charismatic or Pentecostal–have expressed opposition to gay marriage, many supporting a constitutional amendment banning same-sex unions. Other veteran, mostly mainline clergy say arguing about amending the Constitution draws attention away from more pressing moral issues, such as ending the Iraq war and creating a more equitable health-care system.

In January the four oldest black Baptist denominations–the National Baptist Convention USA Inc., the Progressive National Baptist Convention, the National Missionary Baptist Convention of America and the National Baptist Convention of America–held a first-ever joint meeting in Nashville, Tenn. Though they expressed opposition to gay marriage, they said ending the Iraq war, reforming President Bush’s education plan and calling for more funding to fight AIDS in Africa and the Caribbean were more urgent concerns.

Days later, the newly formed High Impact Leadership Coalition unveiled its Black Contract With America on Moral Values, which expresses support for a federal marriage amendment alongside calls for education, health-care and prison reform, and small-business development.

Affiliated with the conservative Traditional Values Coalition, the group is hosting a series of summits aimed at mobilizing black clergy to support a ban on same-sex marriage. The first was held in January at Crenshaw Christian Center in Los Angeles. A second was held at The King’s College in New York in April.

The Rev. Eugene F. Rivers III of Azusa Christian Community in Boston said the divergent views represent a larger trend in which Pentecostals and charismatics are emerging as the dominant political force in the black church.

“We’re coming to the end of an intellectual age,” said Rivers, who supports an amendment banning gay marriage and plans to announce his own document, God’s Gift: A Christian Vision of Marriage and the Black Family, during a Washington, D.C., press conference this month.

“The paleo-liberal civil rights industry leadership has come to an end,” he said. “They no longer have political, moral or intellectual traction. Rev. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are good men who represent a philosophically and intellectually exhausted political paradigm.”

Though he represents the emerging leadership, Long hopes his summits will help build a bridge. He said honest dialogue could benefit everyone involved. “That’s a good thing because now we’re stirring each other to search the Scriptures and to really dig into why they believe what they believe,” he said.

In December Long and King led a march in downtown Atlanta to advance a moral agenda for the nation. Media coverage targeted their opposition to gay marriage, but Long said his purpose for the march was to mobilize the church.

“The church has been silent for so long and not really giving a clear voice in the community about what we stand for and why we stand for it,” he said. “So often we stay in our sanctuaries and … never really [get] out in the main conversation of what [is] really going on in the world, and we become irrelevant.”

Neither Long nor King supports a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. They say changing the Constitution should rarely be done and that other legal remedies exist to ensure gay marriage is not legalized.

Though Coretta Scott King has been an advocate for gay and lesbian rights, Bernice King said her mother also does not support same-sex marriage. “Her view has been twisted by the majority media,” King said. “My mother does not believe in same-sex marriage. However, she is very concerned and is an advocate for preserving the Constitution and not tampering with it.”

Long said he and Coretta Scott King communicate regularly, adding that she, Bernice King and Martin Luther King III visited New Birth for a prayer meeting in 2002. “They laid hands on me in reference to moving forward in that which her husband had started,” Long said.

Since then, Long has appeared more outspoken on sociopolitical matters. He said the December march was a means of issuing a challenge to African-American Christians. “When we put the call out, they were able to break camp from their groups, break camp from their associations because they knew in their spirits it was God calling them to this move,” he said. “I believe it is a time now that people are drawing a line and God is saying ‘choose this day who you’re going to serve.’ At least you have to come out and say something.”

The Republican Party has made strides in wooing black voters, with President Bush getting 2 percent more of the black vote in 2004 than he did in 2000. But King says neither party truly connects with the black church or the church in general.

“Because you take a biblically based stance does not mean you are necessarily Republican; that’s the tragedy of our times,” King said. “At the end of the day, morality is not just confined to homosexuality and abortion. The Republican Party has been able to hone in on these two things and get the support of those in churches across America.”

King said a pastor from New Zealand has begun an alternative political party in his country. “I believe this is something we need to look at in the body of Christ in America,” she said. “Honestly, there are truths that come out of both parties.”

Long said there will always be people who choose homosexuality, but he believes a nation cannot avoid consequences when it promotes this lifestyle. “History has proven that that route will destroy a nation,” he said. “The issue really grabs us at our foundation of being in the very image of Christ.”

Long said he knows there are practicing homosexuals in his and other churches. Many are coming to church because they don’t want to remain in the lifestyle, he said, but even if they don’t change their ways his message to them centers on God’s love, not man’s hate.
Richard Daigle in Atlanta

Detroit pastor Keith Butler announced April 12 that he will run for U.S. Senate in Michigan’s 2006 election.

“With all that I have seen, heard and felt in my soul, running for the United States Senate at this time and place in Michigan’s history is not a mere opportunity,” said Butler, founding pastor and bishop of 21,000-member Word of Faith International Christian Center, the Associated Press (AP) reported. “It is something much more important: a responsibility.”

A longtime Republican and former Detroit city councilman, Butler said he believed he had a moral obligation to oppose Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow, citing such issues as gay marriage and challenges to religious freedom as motivation for his run, the AP said.

Republican state Sen. Alan Cropsey is endorsing Butler and said he believes his chances of winning are strong, though the primary will likely be a tough race. “He’s a staunch conservative on fiscal issues; he’s a staunch conservative on moral issues,” Cropsey said. “But he’s more than a conservative. He’s a spokesman. He’s a leader.”

Butler is not as well known among Michigan Republicans outside the Detroit area, and Cropsey said white conservatives might not immediately see why they should vote for a black man from a densely urban part of the state. But he says Butler will win their support when they realize he shares their values. They also will likely be impressed with his business acumen, Cropsey said, as Butler has built the state’s largest church, which has 15 branches in the U.S. and abroad.

He added that Christian voters–a block that Cropsey said “will swing any [Republican] primary”–likely will not be deterred by Butler’s affiliation with the Word-Faith movement. “I take a look at Keith Butler, and I say, ‘This man holds my values. On the key issues, this man believes as I believe,'” said Cropsey, a Christian who has known Butler since the early 1980s. “I may disagree on some of the charismatic issues, but I know this is a man of God.”

Observers say if Butler wins the Republican primary, he could unseat Stabenow if he gains the typical percentage of Republican votes and at least 20 percent of the black vote. Butler supporters from Cropsey to Traditional Values Coalition founder Lou Sheldon to former National Religious Broadcasters chairman Glenn Plummer say he could win at least that percentage.

Cropsey said he believes Butler is called to this race. “In my spirit I sense there is a strong anointing from God on Keith Butler,” he said.
Adrienne S. Gaines

Thousands of Christians across the nation are supporting pastor Dino Gentile’s appeal for clemency
Thousands of Christians nationwide have written letters expressing support for a Pentecostal pastor serving a 41-year sentence for a crime he said he was coerced into committing.

Pastor Dino M. Gentile of Chatsworth, Calif., is seeking clemency from President Bush for his role in a 1998 bank robbery in Pensacola, Fla.

The 49-year-old former pastor of The Ark, a Chatsworth congregation affiliated with the Apostolic World Christian Fellowship Inc., said he was forced to drive the getaway car at the threat of harm to his wife and two children in California.

“Dino was in terrible fear [that] he and his family [would be] executed,” said his mother, Emila Gentile Medeiros.

Gentile said he became involved in the robbery when Jeffrey Durham, now serving time for the Monsanto Employees Credit Union robbery, asked if he could accompany Gentile on a cross-country evangelism and fundraising trip.

Durham, who first represented himself as a mild-mannered Christian man and an agent with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, was eager to participate in church activities and interacted closely with the Gentile family. By the time Durham revealed his plan to rob the Pensacola bank, Gentile trusted him.

“Gentile embraced society’s throwaways, an aspect of his personality that spilled into his ministry,” said Jennifer Elise Chase in a master’s thesis she wrote about Gentile’s case, which she titled “The Preacher Who Trusted Too Much.” “Dino believes everyone has redeeming value.”

But as he sat outside in Durham’s getaway car with a bomb on the seat behind him and a threat of death if he did not cooperate, Gentile said he was forced to make a decision. “He turned from a model saint in my church for eight months to this absolutely possessed young man,” Gentile told Charisma.

So instead of running to the police the minute he got the opportunity, Gentile drove Durham back to California. “He was screaming at me the whole time we drove back to Los Angeles,” Gentile said. “I had to wonder what he was capable of.”

Durham was arrested for the robbery in 1998, and FBI agents later linked Gentile to the crime, charging him with aiding and abetting. Gentile claims his attorney failed to introduce evidence that would have supported his version of the events. Within 15 minutes, a Pensacola jury convicted Gentile. He received 30 years for his alleged use of an automatic weapon, and 11 years for the abetting charge.

Since then, friends, relatives, former parishioners and members of his 3.2 million-member denomination have written some 3,000 letters and faxes requesting clemency. Supporters repeatedly describe Gentile as a man of integrity and devotion.

“This good and decent man has suffered enough,” wrote Bishop Samuel L. Smith of the Apostolic World Christian Fellowship. “His community work has been exemplary. Helping the poor, the down and out, was a particular passion of this humble man.”

Linda Oakland, senior pastor of The Well Foursquare Church in Northridge, Calif., agreed. “All of his life and his work reflect the testimonials, one after another, of people who came out of difficult circumstances, who now serve as vital people in our community,” she wrote. “…We are anxious to have Pastor Gentile back serving our community in Southern California where he is so desperately needed.”

Among those who received letters and petitions are California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Senators Mark Montigny and Bob Dole, the U.S. Department of Justice, former President Clinton and now President Bush.

In 2001, Justice Department pardon attorney Roger C. Adams sent a letter to Sen. Dole, saying Gentile’s request for a reduced sentence was being processed. Four years later, the process is still not complete. Gentile is praying for a miracle.

For several years, Durham, who is serving a 120-year sentence in a Colorado prison, has been promising to exonerate Gentile. “Don’t waive your right to an appeal, Brother,” Durham wrote in a 1999 letter to Gentile. “That’s what’s going to get you out of prison–that and a statement from me. I have to wait until after my trial before I make any statements. I will do what I said, Brother. Just be patient and know that the truth will set you free.”

Durham has not provided a statement to authorities yet.

Gentile said his appeal process has been exhausted, but a presidential pardon may still be available. White House officials won’t discuss Gentile’s case. “We do acknowledge when we receive a petition or application that is under review,” said Justice Department spokesman John Nowacki, “but we don’t discuss anything during the interim process.”

Gentile has seen dozens of men saved since his incarceration, but he hopes his prison ministry will soon end and has asked supporters to keep writing and faxing the president on his behalf.
Michelle Lovato in Lompoc, Calif.

Pharmacists Challenge Order to Give ‘Plan B’ Pill
The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) filed suit on behalf of two pharmacists challenging Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s order requiring pharmacists to dispense medication even if the drugs violate their religious beliefs or conscience. The move came after two pharmacists refused to dispense morning-after birth control pills, invoking their “right of conscience,” which they believed was protected by the state’s Health Care Right of Conscience Act, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. The governor said the act does not cover the pharmacists and said refusing to dispense the pills denies a woman her right to health care. The ACLJ is asking a state court to declare Blagojevich’s emergency order null and void.

Lawsuit Against Jews For Jesus Dismissed

A second lawsuit filed against Jews for Jesus (JFJ) by a woman who claims she was wrongly said to have accepted Christ in a 2002 ministry newsletter has been dismissed. Liberty Counsel, which represented JFJ, said Florida Circuit Court Judge Catherine Brunson dismissed Edith Rapp’s claims that she had been defamed by the praise report her stepson wrote, in which he said she became a “Jewish believer.” A previous judge dismissed a lawsuit Rapp filed in May 2004, after her husband’s 2003 death. She later refiled portions of the suit. Those claims have also been dismissed. At press time Rapp had filed another lawsuit against JFJ. Liberty Counsel said it planned to file a motion to dismiss the third lawsuit.

School Board Sued for Praying at Meetings
The ACLU is suing members of a Delaware school board for opening monthly business meetings with prayer, AgapePress reported. The civil liberties group claims the actions of Reginald Helms, vice president of Indian River School District Board of Education, and his colleagues are unconstitutional. “I think there is Supreme Court precedent to say that these are legislative type prayers … so we’re hoping that in the end it will be upheld as constitutional,” John Whitehead, head of the Rutherford Institute, which is representing the board members, told AgapePress.

In order to see national revival, author Peter Marshall says the church must rediscover “why America is worth saving”
Peter Marshall is looking for a great awakening–the Third Great Awakening, to be exact; the kind of nation-shaking revival that would change America’s social and cultural fabric.

Well known for his books and lectures on America’s Christian heritage, Marshall says corporate prayer movements such as this month’s National Day of Prayer May 5 and the Global Day of Prayer May 15 are steps in the right direction.

But the son of former U.S. Senate Chaplain Peter Marshall and author Catherine Marshall says winning the culture war also requires that Christians remember why they’re fighting. “People don’t realize why America is worth saving,” Marshall told Charisma. We must rediscover our Christian roots, he added, “for without a vision the people perish.”

Marshall hopes to help cast that vision this month as he speaks at Maryland-area events commemorating the National Day of Prayer. But educating Christians about the nation’s spiritual foundation shouldn’t be limited to one day in the year, he said. Marshall believes U.S. churches should hold regular American heritage classes.

“This nation’s future is very much in doubt,” said Marshall, a Presbyterian minister who leads Restoring America Ministries () based in Orleans, Mass. “While abortion has been the major quarrel God has had with this nation, homosexual ‘marriage’ has become the galvanizing moral issue, for it’s the most blatant example of the rejection of God’s laws and intentions for humans. The continual onslaught of attacks aimed at the destruction of the family is unraveling our society.”

Last year, Mission Connecticut invited Marshall to speak at West Point and its first Greater Waterbury Civic Leader Prayer Breakfast. “He gave people the vision this country was founded on,” said the group’s president, Peter Scalzo. “He also stimulated them to a great deal of wonder–and anxiety–about where our country is and where it’s going.”

John Tomicki of the League of American Families in New Jersey uses Marshall’s books in his group’s seminars and church presentations. “His books show people the biblical foundations of our culture and our government,” Tomicki said.

With a clear understanding of America’s Christian roots, Marshall said, churches can begin to assess their own role in the nation’s downturn. “God is trying to get our attention, to turn us back to Him,” Marshall said. “We must come to a deeper repentance and let God change us.”

He said the church also must understand the concept of true Christian community. “We need to be involved in each other’s lives, so we grow in Christ,” he said. “In turn, we will find that ministry comes out of that shared life in Jesus Christ. Then we Christians will become more deeply involved as salt and light in our society.”

Marshall is co-author of The Light and the Glory, From Sea to Shining Sea and Sounding Forth the Trumpet, which describe the faith of the early architects of the United States. He said he plans to release a collection of his father’s famous World War II sermons, and is co-writing a series of historical fiction for youth.

But his passion is to see revival. “I believe the Lord is serious about bringing this nation alive in Him,” he said. “The situation is serious, but God still rules.”
Catherine J. Barrier

Organizers say the upcoming event in New York may mark the start of a new era in evangelism
Organizers of what may be Billy Graham’s final crusade believe the June 23-26 event carries prophetic significance and could mark the beginning of a new era in evangelism.

“The crusade symbolizes the end of one evangelistic period and the beginning of a new period,” said A.R. Bernard, chairman of the Greater New York Billy Graham Crusade executive committee and senior pastor of Christian Cultural Center (CCC) in Brooklyn. “We saw a greater significance than just a crusade. It’s the passing of the anointing to a new generation of leaders.”

He said this will begin to jell when Graham addresses key ministry leaders and pastors from around the world in a special service during the crusade. The result could launch a new global wave of evangelism, organizers say.

In addition to other evangelical denominations, the executive committee has a heavy concentration of Pentecostals, including Carlton Brown of Bethel Gospel Assembly in Harlem; Joseph Mattera of Resurrection Church in Brooklyn; and several Assemblies of God (AG) pastors.

“Pentecostal churches are having a tremendous impact on New York City,” Mattera said.

The AG in New York is gearing up to train volunteers, said Mark T. Gregori, pastor of Crossway Christian Center in the Bronx and AG presbyter for the Bronx and Manhattan counties.

The 2005 event signals Graham’s fourth crusade in New York. His most recent crusade, in 1991, attracted 250,000 people. Crusade director Art Bailey said the schedule is still evolving. Madison Square Garden in midtown Manhattan will be the main site, but he is trying to line up outdoor venues such as Central Park.

Bailey, a veteran of 34 crusades, leads a full-time staff of 25, evenly divided between members of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association team and local hires. Their plates are full, running 43 church-involvement seminars, 34 outreach seminars and 17 leaders meetings.

The crusade is recruiting 15,000 to 25,000 volunteers, including personal workers and counselors, ushers and a 5,000-voice choir. Discipleship responsibility will be passed on to participating churches. The Youth Outreach Committee, co-chaired by Jeremy Del Rio, pastor of Abounding Grace Ministries, and Dimas Salaberrios of Youth for Christ, is mobilizing teenagers and 20-somethings to invite friends to the special crusade service aimed at young people. The committee also proposes prayer walks around the city and “random acts of kindness.”

“We recognize that evangelism doesn’t stop with the proclamation of the gospel,” Del Rio said. “It’s as much about the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself.” Other special outreaches are aimed at the arts; police, fire and rescue personnel; and the business community.

Bailey paints the crusade as a walk of faith. Plans were delayed when Graham broke his hip in January 2004, and some still question whether the 86-year-old will be healthy enough to make it. “It is by faith that it happens,” Bailey said. “God will deliver us and give us victory. Like David, I’m standing in the stream picking up stones.”

He said thousands of e-mails offering prayers for Graham’s health and the crusade have flooded his computer. “The crusade site is the most prayed for spot in the world,” Bailey said.

The crusade has corralled an unusual mix of denominations. “Billy brings them to the cross,” Bailey said. “There is always more to agree on than separates us.”

The Council of Churches of the City of New York (CCCNY), representing 29 denominations and church agencies, endorses the crusade. Council members include diverse theological persuasions such as Baptist, Reformed, Episcopal, United Methodist, United Church of Christ, Moravian, Presbyterian, Disciples of Christ, and Russian, Greek and Armenian Orthodox churches.

“Our board of directors took a special vote to endorse the Billy Graham crusade,” said John Hiemstra, CCCNY executive director. “We have some people who are very excited about the crusade. We applaud the commitment to Jesus Christ.”

Bailey anticipates the crusade could thrust world evangelism into the spotlight for the future. “Not necessarily for Billy Graham, but for the body of Christ,” he said. “It could be the spark that ignites something bigger.”

The crusade will be a milestone in Graham’s illustrious career as the world’s most famous evangelist. But the question remains. Will this be his final bow on the evangelistic circuit? “We’ve been doing the last crusade for 10 years,” Bailey said. “God will make that call.”
Peter K. Johnson .in New York City