Obama Administration Claims the Defense of Marriage Act Discriminates Against Homosexuals

The Obama Justice Department today filed court papers claiming the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act discriminates against homosexuals.

Gary Bauer, president of American Values, says President Obama is committed to repealing DOMA -- but does not want to take the political flak that would come along with it.

"What the White House wants is for a court to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act so that the White House and the president don't have to take the political damage for undermining a law that protects normal marriage," he explains. Bauer argues Obama is contradicting a campaign pledge. "President Obama ran promising he would be open and transparent, and no longer practice the usual politics of Washington, DC," he notes. "Millions of people voted for him because they thought he would be more honest and more open in the way he governed."

According to Bauer, that is not happening. "What we're seeing here is something more reminiscent of the way they do politics in the wards of Chicago -- saying one thing and then doing something else behind the scenes," he states. If the Defense of Marriage Act is overturned by White House maneuvering or a federal court, every state would be forced to recognize same-sex "marriages" that are now legal in states like Massachusetts.

1 in 7 Church Background Checks Uncover Criminal History

Since LifeWay Christian Resources teamed up with http://www.backgroundchecks.com/ last year to offer discounted background checks to ministries around the nation, some 450 churches have requested for more than 5,000 background checks.

While most of those searches returned clean records or minor traffic-related offenses, 80 screenings reportedly uncovered serious felony offenses, and more than 600 people had some type of criminal history that may have disqualified them from volunteering or working at a church.

That means around 13.6 percent, or roughly one in seven, of applicants were found to have a criminal history.

“Good guys don’t wear superhero capes, and bad guys don’t always have shifty eyes and devious-sounding chuckles. In real life, discerning the heroes from the villains often requires more than a visual assessment,” commented Brooklyn Noel Lowery, a spokesperson for LifeWay.

“That means you can’t know whether someone is ‘good’ or ‘bad’ by looking at them when they walk through the front door of your church and volunteer to serve,” she added. “That’s why LifeWay Christian Resources entered an agreement with Backgroundchecks.com to provide discounted screenings for churches.”

According to a 2005 study conducted by researchers at the University of New Hampshire and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, one in 12 (82 of 1000) youth aged 2 to 17 nationwide experienced sexual victimization, including sexual assault (32 per 1000) and attempted or completed rape (22 per 1000).

"Of all the crimes against children in the U.S. every year, thousands will occur within the walls of churches and youth centers," commented Matthew Robbins with Backgroundchecks.com. "With crime and abuse at an all time high, churches must develop hiring programs that work to prevent dangerous situations before they occur."

When LifeWay entered into the agreement with Backgroundchecks.com, its affiliated denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, was under pressure to fight child sex abuse amid a few high-profile allegations against Baptist clergy.

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) began lobbying the SBC about three years ago after having been a key advocate for victims of clergy sexual abuse in the U.S. Roman Catholic Church, which was rocked by abuse scandals starting in 2002.

Though the SBC has witnessed far fewer cases of abuse, SNAP has been calling on the nation’s largest Protestant denomination to establish an independent review board to hear molestation reports and to institute a national zero-tolerance policy.

During the SBC’s annual convention last year, however, the denomination’s executive committee opted against establishing an office to field abuse claims and against creating its own database to help churches identify predators.

While the committee decried sexual abuse as reprehensible and a sin, it said the Southern Baptist principle of local church autonomy means it's up to individual churches - and not the church body - to screen employees and take action against offenders.

The committee did, however, urge churches to vigorously conduct background checks using a U.S. Department of Justice database of sexual offenders.

In its report, "Responding to the Evil of Sexual Abuse," the committee also urged local congregations to share information when warranted with other churches.

Continue

[By Joshua A. Goldberg, Christian Post Reporter]

Earl Paulk's Former Church Sold

The 51-acre campus of an Atlanta-area megachurch that used to be home to one the nation's most influential charismatic congregations has been sold.

The Cathedral at Chapel Hill, founded by the late Earl Paulk Jr., was purchased by Greater Traveler's Rest Baptist Church in Decatur, Ga., for $17.6 million, according to CNL Specialty Real Estate in Orlando, Fla., which brokered the deal that closed on Monday.

CONTINUE READING ARTICLE

[Charisma News Online]

Cry Out America

General Overseer R.E. Howard Announces Church Seminary Affiliation

Following talks between the Tomlinson Center Board of Directors and the Church of God Theological Seminary Board of Directors, Bishop Randall E. Howard, General Overseer of the Church of God of Prophecy, has announced a formal affiliation between the Church of God and the Church of God of Prophecy making the Pentecostal Theological Seminary the graduate school of choice for the Church of God of Prophecy.

Also, with approval of the Seminary Board of Directors and the International Executive Council of the Church of God, the Church of God Theological Seminary has a new name: PENTECOSTAL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY.

Seminary President Steven Jack Land said, "This re-affirms our Wesleyan-Pentecostal theology and is a strategic broadening of our ability to serve across the entire span of the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement. The Seminary continues to enjoy international recognition as a benchmark Pentecostal school which demonstrates breadth of understanding, spiritual-academic excellence and a passionate commitment to mission."

He concluded by saying, "We are now what we have been since 1975 -- Pentecostal to the core!"

For more information, CLICK HERE.

Today's Quote

"While pride destroys self and others, humility serves and builds."

What About The Other North Korean Prisoners?

As the nation rejoices over the release of two U.S. journalists, a ministry working with persecuted Christians reminds the world that tens of thousands – if not hundreds of thousands – of innocent people remain trapped in North Korean prisons without hope of a special pardon.

“North Korea is suspected of detaining more political and religious prisoners than any other country in the world,” wrote Jerry Dykstra, media relations director for Open Doors USA, in a column Wednesday.

His organization estimates at least 200,000 people are detained in North Korea, including 40,000 to 60,000 Christians.

In North Korea, it is illegal to criticize the government, leave the country, fail to have a picture of Kim Il-Sung in one’s house, own a Bible, or practice Christianity. Leaving the country to search for food in China will result in imprisonment if the person is caught, and owning a Bible or being found to be a practicing Christian will result in imprisonment or public execution.

Just last month, Ri Hyon-Ok, 33, was accused of distributing Bibles and “spying” for South Korea and the Untied States. She was executed by the North Korean government. Her husband, children and parents were sent to a political prison camp the day after her execution, The Associated Press reported.

The North Korean regime is known for imprisoning not only the suspected “criminal,” but also three generations of his or her family to “root out” the bad influence.

Open Doors this year ranked North Korea as the worst persecutor of Christians in the world for the seventh straight year. Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department re-designated the rogue country as one of eight “Countries of Particular Concern” for systematic and egregious religious freedom violations.

For months, U.S. journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee had lived amid this lack of respect for human rights.

The two women were arrested in March while reporting on the border of China and North Korea. The North Korean government accused the women of illegally entering the country and carrying out a smear campaign.

In June, they were sentenced to 12 years of hard labor for the above charges.

“We feared at any moment that we could be sent to a hard labor camp and then suddenly we were told we were going to a meeting,” recalled Ling at a news conference Wednesday morning shortly after their plane arrived at a Burbank, Calif., airport.

“We were taken to a location, and when we walked through the doors, we saw standing before us President Bill Clinton,” she continued. “We were shocked, but we knew instantly in our hearts that the nightmare of our lives was finally coming to an end.”

Former President Bill Clinton made an unannounced visit to Pyongyang on Tuesday to discuss the journalists’ release. After several hours of discussion, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il issued a special pardon to the two Americans.

President Obama, former President Bill Clinton, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have all released statements expressing joy over the release of the American journalists.

“I think that not only is this White House … extraordinarily happy, but all Americans should be grateful to both former President Clinton and Vice President Gore for their extraordinary work,” Obama said.

Dykstra of Open Doors agrees that Americans should rejoice over the release of Ling and Lee who now have complete freedom in the United States. But he also urges people to pray and advocate “for those who have not received pardons; for those languishing in the ‘hell’ that is North Korea.”

[By Michelle A. Vu, Christian Post Reporter]

National Back to Church Sunday - September 13

Statistics show that three out of four formerly churched adults are willing to give church another try. More than a third feels a "gap" in their lives since they stopped attending. Almost half wish they could be "closer to God," and more than half would attend if they simply "felt like it was the right time" to go back.

In a new effort to reach the formerly churched, Outreach, Inc. offers a new resource series to churches specifically designed to bring people Back to Church . The program empowers current church members with the tools they need to invite neighbors, friends and loved ones who may have attended church before but have since stopped.

"People are busy. Their circumstances tend to control their schedules. Some had a bad experience in church," said Eric Abel, Vice President of Marketing Products at Outreach, Inc. "Sometimes people just can't decide which church to attend, and others are afraid there won't be anyone there like them. The Back to Church resources help churches to welcome these formerly churched folks with warmth and relevance” According to Lifeway Research, 38% of people are receptive or highly receptive to attending church. 82% say they would be open to attending church if a friend invited them. But, unfortunately only 21% of active church going Christians invited someone to church last year! The Back To Church Campaign was designed to encourage participation and empower church members to be inviters. Back to Church will include a variety of invitation styles and tools, including postcards, imagery, multimedia, sermon ideas and support, welcome signs and gifts, and other materials. All the resources focus on re-introducing people to the God who hasn't changed, even if they have, and who would meet them "just as they are" if they decided to return to Him.

More information about these resources is available at http://www.outreach.com/.

Over 30,000 Pentecostals to Assemble for 53rd General Council

Around 32,000 Pentecostals from around the world will be gathering in Orlando, Fla., this week for the 53rd Assemblies of God General Council, which officially opens Monday.

The five-day meeting of leaders from the 51-million-member body will be a time to conduct business, set policy for its ministers, elect officials, and allow the leadership to cast vision and set the course for where the largest Pentecostal movement in the world is going as a church.

“This fellowship was built with the philosophy that says collectively we really are stronger than individually. And that is so true,” says Doug Clay, general treasurer of the Assemblies of God.

“When you see how big we are globally, it’s motivational,” he adds. “So at General Council, you do get to hear reports from the world, you do get to see what God is doing in other parts – not only domestically, here in the United States, but around the world. And it sort of gives you a sense of belonging.”

In the United States, the Assemblies of God is one of a handful of denominations that has continued to grow in membership and influence in the past decade.

According to the recently released Annual Church Ministries Report, the Assemblies of God reported an increase in adherents for the 19th consecutive year and now claims more than 2.8 million followers.

Last year, the number of adherents went up by 1.3 percent – an increase that statistician Sherri Doty called a significant gain.

"The U.S. population grows by about one percent a year," she told the Assemblies of God News Service. "This is an indication that we are growing faster than the population. And in light of the steady declines in attendance by other religious organizations over the past years, this is encouraging news.”

Despite their growth, or perhaps as a result of it, Assemblies of God leaders this year will be making some adjustments to their General Council, kicking it off Monday with a first of its kind event – the Influence Leadership Seminar.

“’Influence: Leadership in High Definition’ was a desire to sort of morph General Council from just being a come-and-do-business to a come-and-learn experience,” explains Clay in a preview of the General Council.

“So we went after some of the premiere church leaders and persons that God’s using to expand His Kingdom through the local church today, and are bringing them to just equip, inspire ... to be catalysts for creating new ideas and new paradigms within our ministers,” he says.

Church leaders expected to speak during the Aug. 3-4 leadership seminar include Mark Batterson, lead pastor for National Community Church in Washington; Beth Moore, founder of Living Proof Ministries; and Ed Young Jr., founding and senior pastor of Fellowship Church in Grapevine, Texas.

At the conclusion of General Council, the hope of the denomination's leadership is that more will have been accomplished than simply the election of a new executive leadership team or the approval or disapproval of the some 26 resolutions that will be presented.

“Our leadership has been really praying that there would be a spiritual chemistry about Council that takes place in the hearts of our credentialed ministers,” says Clay.

“We really pray that people will leave Council motivated and inspired in terms of their calling, renewed to go back to the place where they’re expressing their calling – whether it’s in a local church or a para-church ministry or overseas ...” he adds.

The General Council concludes with the National Fine Arts Festival Celebration Service Friday night at the Orange County Convention Center, where much of activities this week will be held.

[By Joshua A. Goldberg, Christian Post Reporter]

Today's Quote

"A weakness of many leaders is not trusting their followers! Free Markets and Ministries unleash God-given creativity. Let go!" - Pastor Rick Warren

Today's Quote

“When you do the things you need to do when you need to do them, the day will come when you can do the things you want to do when you want to do them.” – Zig Ziglar

Church Shooting During Funeral

A church shooting occurred where six people were wounded at a Chicago area church on Saturday, August 1, 2009 during the funeral of an admitted gang member.

A man approached a group of people standing outside the west side church and shot one man. As he fled, he turned and was able to shoot five additional people.

Inner city churches face violence on a daily basis, and many have an informal church security plan. It is apparent the sacred place of a church is no longer protected from anyone bent on violence.

At noon, the Gospel Truth Life Church at 5301 W. Madison was filled with an overflow crowd — with more funeral attendees standing outside when shots were fired, Chicago police said.

[from Church Security Member by Glen]

Obit - Bishop Larry Dotson

Larry J. Dotson, 66, Leesburg, FL passed away Monday, July 27, 2009 at Leesburg Regional Medical Center. He was born June 21, 1943 in Coeburn, Virginia son of the late William E. and Opal Dotson.

A local resident since 2000 from Alexandria, Virginia, he was the Presiding Bishop of Florida for the Church of God of Prophecy and was a member of Ocoee Church of God of Prophecy. He also served as Chairman of the Finance & Stewardship Committee of the International Assembly of the Church.

His brother Robert Dotson preceded him in death.

Surviving is his wife Frankie Dotson; son Larry J. Dotson, Jr., and his wife Heather and their daughter Skyler all of Minneola; siblings Phillip Lane, Billy Horton & Bonna Keeley all of Virginia and Jerry Dotson, Land O’ Lakes.

The funeral service for Bishop Dotson will be held at 1:00 PM on Saturday August 1, 2009 in the Wesley Center in Clermont. Interment will follow in Oak Hill Cemetery.

BECKER FAMILY FUNERAL HOME, Clermont, FL. Telephone 352-394-7121.

Bishop Dotson had accomplished the following:

ACADEMIC PREPARATION:
BA in Business Administration, Antioch University, 1976
Masters in Ministry, International Bible Institute and Seminary, 1982
Doctorate in Theology, Christian Bible College, 1987
Graduate Work, Liberty University, 1998

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
Air Force, Strategic Air Command, 1961 - 1965
Universal Communications Systems, 1970 –1981
Director of Field Operations for Eastern United States, 1977

Church of God of Prophecy:
Youth Pastor, Southeast, Virginia Church of God of Prophecy, 1969
Licensed As Minister, 1977
Finance and Appropriations Committee, Virginia and Ohio, 1979 – 2000
District Overseer, Roanoke, Virginia, 1979 – 1981
Alexandria, Virginia, 1995 – 2000
Ordained As Bishop, 1982
Pastor, Roanoke, Virginia, 1981 - 1984
Altavista, Virginia, 1987 - 1989
Brecksville, Ohio, 1990 - 1994
Alexandria, Virginia, 1989 – 1990, 1995 - 2000
Editor and Publisher, Wings Of Truth, State of Virginia, 1984 - 1987
New Field Director, Virginia, 1984 - 1987
State Treasurer, Virginia, 1984 – 1987
Missionary Evangelist, Holland, 1987
Cypress, 1990
West Africa, 1999
International Finance and Stewardship Committee, 1999 – 2006
Chairman, International Finance and Stewardship Committee 2006 – Present
State Overseer, Florida, 2000 – Present
President, Church of God of Prophecy State of Florida, Inc., 2000 – Present
President, Church of God of Prophecy, State Campground, Inc., 2000 - Present

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS:
Area Ministerial Association, 1987 – 2000
Civil Air Patrol, Chaplain, First Lieutenant, 1990 - 1996
FAA Licensed Pilot
AOPA Member

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE:
Certified Instructor of Hermeneutics, LDI, 1992 – 2004

PUBLICATIONS:
Profile Of The Church Of God In Virginia

HONORS AND AWARDS:
Executive Committee Employee of The Year, Universal Communications Systems, 1980
Oxford’s Who’s Who; Elite Registry of Extraordinary Professionals, 1992, 1993

Funeral Arrangements for Bishop L. J. Dotson

Becker Funeral Home (in charge of arrangements)
806 W. Minneola Avenue
Clermont, FL 34712

352-394-7121

The service will be Saturday, August 1 at 1:00 P.M.
The Wesley Center
950 8th Street
Clermont, FL (directly behind the First United Methodist Church of Clermont on Hwy 50)

There is not visitation prior to the service.

There is not a specific memorial fund being set up. Sister Dotson has expressed just whatever people want to do.

So You're a Leader - Inspire Others

As leaders, we have two options: we can inspire others or injure others.

When we inspire, we cause others to strive to be their best.

When we injure, we cause others to never be their best.

When we inspire, we listen to what others have to say.

When we injure, we force others to listen to us.

When we inspire, we do whatever we can to serve others.

When we injure, we see others only as people that can serve us.

So you are a leader? Which are you doing? Inspiring or injuring?