WANTED: CHRISTIAN ADVOCATES

 

The basketball game with preteen boys was over. A player from the opposing team observed that one opponent was good with handling the ball, but unable to move quickly on his feet. Actually, he moved with a limp. He had seen enough. He began to taunt his opponent and invited his team-mates to join him. His behavior was tantamount to bullying.

The mother of the limping player confronted the bully after the game. She reprimanded him for his bullyism and informed him that he was taunting a player who had gone through five surgeries on one leg within the last year. At that moment, my daughter-in-law assumed the posture of an advocate. She saw injustice and confronted it.

Her reaction was no different from Pastor Kendall Lankford. He applied to a Massachusetts Public Library, requesting a room to host a “Pastor Story Hour”. His request was approved. However, the library went on to cancel the event because of an uproar from opponents in the community.

The pastor was subject to a number of abusive, angry comments on the phone as well as on social media. He was accused of homophobia, trans-phobia, and bigotry. People demanded that he cancel the event and his church was branded as a “hate group.” Lankford was even compared to Hitler. Others claimed that by teaching biblical Christianity, his church was engaging in child abuse.

 

The day before the story-hour was to take place, Lankford received an email notifying him that it was cancelled. He was told it was due to “violations of the library’s meeting room and acceptable behavior policies,” which states that “proselytizing” is not allowed.

 

After hearing about the attacks on the pastor, the Massachusetts Family Institute (MFI) offered its services. MFI refuted the charges calling them “patently false.” MFI proceeded to send a demand letter to the library contending that the center had violated its own policies by allowing anyone to book public meeting rooms. The group also asserted that the library violated Lankford’s federal, and state constitutional rights related to free speech and religious liberty. Less than four hours later, the pastor was notified that the event was on again.

 

The event went off without a hitch and was well-attended. Christian parents and children say they look forward to more “Pastor Story Hours,” according to Lankford. He intends to rent the room every month, but he is concerned the library may block him from doing so.

 

Cases like these with my daughter-in-law and Pastor Lankford are not twenty-first century phenomena. In Genesis 18, Abraham advocated on behalf of the people of Sodom. In Exodus, Moses advocated in defense of an enslaved people. Esther pleaded with a Persian king to free the Jews from annihilation. The Hebrew Bible is replete with persons standing up for the marginalized. Those advocates obeyed the Proverbs 31:8-9 injunction – “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”

 

Echoing Isaiah in Luke 4, Jesus declared that his public ministry was to be about good news to the poor, freedom for the prisoners and sight for the blind. His preaching of the kingdom was meant to encompass economic systems (teachings on day laborers, wages), societal and religious structure (interacting with Pharisees, Sadducees and the Temple) and political powers (engaging Herod and Pilate).

 

As Christians, we have a rich tradition of advocating to challenge systems and powers for the common good. Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the Wittenberg church, calling for change. In 1663, Christian minister Roger Williams pioneered advocacy for religious liberty for all and specifically for the rights of Native Americans. Christian abolitionists advocated for an end to the slave trade and for women’s right to vote.

 

In my lifetime, perhaps the most well-known and universally lauded work of advocacy is the Civil Rights Movement, led by Pastor Martin Luther King, Jr. Today, fifty-five years since his assassination, his words still ring true -  “If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority.”

 

From current trends in our secular society, there is a growing need for Christian advocates. We need a movement of mothers, pastors and everyone within our faith communities. Jesus’ call for His followers to be salt and light is as relevant today as when that call was uttered in the first century.

 

CHOOSING A CHURCH

 

I am often confronted with the question, “which church would you recommend?” Usually, the question comes from persons relocating to an unknown area. Years ago, such enquirers would simply look for a church within their denomination. That posture has changed. Today’s enquirers are more diverse in their choices.

Younger families include children services in their quest for a church. Single adults often include styles of music and ministry to young adults. Now that we have retired from pastoral ministry and live in an area where there are no churches from within our denomination, we find ourselves asking the question many have asked us over the years. Recently, one of our son’s in law was blunt with his question – “Pops, exactly what are you looking for in a church?”

In the first place, the church must reflect an evangelical position in its beliefs. Such beliefs must include the centrality of Jesus, the Holy Spirit and the Scriptures. These priorities must be reflected in the evangelistic and missional emphases of the church.

Since returning to the United States from our five-year period of ministry in Jamaica, we have been carefully observing practices among vibrant evangelical churches in South Florida. Much of their vibrancy is as a result of intentional, focused programs, to reach the unchurched. Despite the negative impact of COVID on many churches, the churches we examined maintained vibrancy and grew. They continue to host baptisms and structure discipleship sessions for new converts. In each case, these vibrant churches utilized contemporary methods in their services.

Vibrant churches utilize top-of-the-line technology to enhance their impact. They reach many more persons through their online outreach. Their online banking options enable more persons to share in the financial support of ministry. Their music is contemporary and usually theologically sound. They offer variety in their small-group gatherings. They provide attractive programs to engage young people socially, athletically and spiritually.

Vibrant churches are particularly aware of the communities in which they are located. We have participated in health clinics, providing back-to-school supplies, feeding the homeless and community prayer-walks. We have witnessed many babies dedicated in church. Extended family members and friends often accompany mothers for these special moments where certificates and tangible expressions of love are given to the families of the dedicated infants.

The vibrant churches we have been observing are committed to excellence in their outreach. When necessary, they engage the services of professionals. It is not unusual to find among paid church staff – videographers, graphic artists as well as digital and sound technicians. Traditional  roles among youth and adults continue. However, family and crisis counselling is often referred to para-church ministries. Increasing security and legal challenges have warranted this referral practice. The traditional emphasis on dress-code is de-emphasized and replaced with cultural appropriateness and elegance.

One of the stronger areas of ministry among vibrant churches is the pulpit. The pulpit furniture has changed, but not the focus. Rigid expository preaching has been replaced by topical sermons. Preachers often ably exegete both the preaching texts and the audiences to which they are ministering. Traditionally, preachers would preach for 30 to 35 minutes in a ninety-minute service. Some of the vibrant services we observed would run for 75 minutes, and the preaching would take about 45 minutes of that time. Utilizing appropriate technology, preaching texts would be projected. At times video clips would be inserted. There is more judicious use of time.

In some cases, the traditional altar for public response  has been augmented by inviting persons under conviction to complete easily accessible contact or connect cards. This information allows pastoral personnel to contact enquirers during the week. With this arrangement, both online and on-site listeners are able to respond to the sermon.

Vibrant churches engage in corporate prayer and Christian missions. They intentionally support missionaries and missions projects. They provide opportunities for their members to participate in local and global missions. They engage in overseas projects, constructing buildings and communities. Their budgets reflect their commitment to ministry and missions.

At the moment we are attending a vibrant church. It is within our community – ten minutes from our home. This allows us to be available to the church to impact the community. This proximity allows us to participate in the life of the church. Weekly, more than seventy nationalities are represented at worship services. We find it attractive, not only because of what we can get, but mainly because of what we can give. And, as a bonus, four of our seven grandchildren and their parents play active roles in this congregation. We believe by now, our son-in-law is satisfied with what we are looking for in a church.