Death Announcement - Barry Johnson

Barry (Gilman) Johnson fell dead today with an apparent heart attack. Pastor Johnson was the son of long-time Church of God of Prophecy pastor-parents (deceased). He pastored several churches in the Church of God of Prophecy. He was currently pastoring a Baptist church near Rainsville, Alabama.

He leaves behind a wife, two children, and several grandchildren.

Arrangements will be announced as soon as they are known. The W.T. Wilson Funeral Home in Rainsville, Alabama will be in charge of the services.

National Day of Prayer, May 7, 2009

The theme for this year's National Day of Prayer on May 7 is Prayer ... America's Hope! It's based on Psalm 33:22, which says, "May Your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in You."

This is an extremely critical time in America's history. From economic pressures, to the ongoing threat of terrorism, to the unraveling of our culture's moral fabric, many people are dealing with a deep sense of uncertainty and apprehension.

However, we can be confident that when we come to God in humble prayer, He hears us and stands ready to respond to our cries for help. Our forefathers sought the Almighty for guidance and safekeeping; and we, too, can depend on His divine intervention if we will turn to Him in repentance and prayer. That will be our purpose as we gather with other people of faith across the nation on May 7th.

There are many ways you can get involved:

• Join a LIVE online prayer room every Thursday at Noon CST
• Find local events
• Connect with volunteers in your area
• Request free devotionals
• Download prayer resources
• Join the Online Prayer Rally
• Sign-up for weekly prayer tips via email
• Support Regan Smith, driver of the NDP and Furniture Row race car at NASCAR's Talladega event on April 26th
• View GOD TV's LIVE webcast and television coverage of the National Observance from Washington D.C. from 9-noon EST on May 7th.

Visit http://www.nationaldayofprayer.org/ to learn more.

Again, I hope you will join with millions of other Americans on Thursday, May 7th, to observe the 58th annual National Day of Prayer.

Leading Your Family

It is easy to think that if you provide your family with food, clothing, and shelter, we are leading our family successfully. The problem with this is that God already promises this to each of us in His Word. So, if God takes care of this, what is left?

Leading our family requires that we:

• Help each family member discover and become more like Christ
• Love (verb) them by serving them (action)
• Help each family member lead themselves and others
• Correct foolish behavior
• Pick up your family when they are feeling down

Sound like a lot? You bet! The beautiful thing is that God brings the husband and wife, two separate people, into one-ness with Him. Each spouse has a God-given role within the marriage, just as each person of the Trinity has a role within the Godhead. Each spouse has a role in the raising of children. And, each spouse has a role in caring for each other’s parents as they grow older.

Family requires leadership. It requires time. It requires being God-focused. It requires love in action.

[from Agile Ministry by James Higginbotham]

Influence: Connecting with People

As a train's source of energy and direction, the locomotive plays a vital role. However, unless a locomotive connects to other cars on the track, it is relatively useless. A train's value comes from its ability to transport massive amounts of cargo, and doing so requires the locomotive to link up with dozens of freight cars.

Traveling by itself, a locomotive would arrive at its destination empty-handed. In that case, its journey would be nothing more than a waste of fuel.

Leaders are like locomotives in that they're blessed with drive, energy, and vision. However, until leaders learn the art of connection, their influence remains minimal. In isolation, their talents accomplish little, and their efforts are squandered.

Let's look at 8 practical ways whereby leaders can make meaningful connections with others ...

Read the full article...

Leading Yourself

Our leadership of others depends fully on how we lead ourselves.
Leading ourselves requires:

• Being led by Christ, not by our own desires
• Understanding God’s direction for our lives
• Being willing to change when God redirects us
• Valuing others above ourselves
• Accepting stewardship and accountability for those that we lead

These five points are a simple summary of what the Bible tells us. We are given skills and spiritual gifts that God wants us to use to be stewards over others while making a difference in the world. If we are not willing to lead ourselves by following our Lord and Savior, how are we to lead others?

[from "Agile Ministry" by James Higginbotham]

Today's Quote

"Each time you raise the standards for leadership, you bring everyone else in the church along a little bit. As the phrase goes, ‘A rising tide raises all the boats in the harbor.’" - Rick Warren

Beware of Burnout

Burnout often goes unnoticed. Often people are afraid of talking about the stress in their life and feeling burned out because it makes them appear weak and not a team player.

Burnout effects all areas of health. Burnout will effect us relationally, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Burnout is contagious. Often times you will not just see one case of burnout. There are cultures that create burnout and you will see it in multiples.

Burnout leads to death. Burnout can lead to the death of relationships; the death of faith or the death of a dream.

Insights About Burnout ...

"Burnout is the accumulation of stress over time" - Archibald Hart

Type-A personalities burn out from over engagement.

Type-B personalities burn out from having people walk all over them.

[by Anne Jackson, from her new book Mad Church Disease]

The 2009 Pastoral Ministries Survey

Are you a full-time or bi-vocational pastor?
- Full-time - 77.6%
- Bi-vocational - 22.4%

Which of the following best describes the average number of hours you work as a pastor?
- Part-time (less than 20 hours per week) - 3.6%
- Part-time (20-29 hours per week) - 12.1%
- Part-time (30-39 hours per week) - 7.6%

- Full-time (40-49 hours per week) - 28.5%
- Full-time (50-59 hours per week) - 32.7%
- Full-time (60+ hours per week) - 15.5%

What is your gross annual salary from your church (not including benefits)?
- None - 9.9%
- $19K or under - 16.4%
- $20K-$39K - 30.8%
- $40K-$59K - 27.8%
- $60K-$79K - 11.3 %
- $80K+ - 3.9%

What benefits does your church provide?
- Auto - 20.7%
- Housing - 51.3%
- Medical - 55.5%
- Dental - 21.8%
- Life Insurance - 18.4%
- Retirement - 45.4%
- Paid Vacation - 69.1%
- None - 16.4%

How many days do you actually take off each week?
- 0 - 17.4%
- 1 - 58.6%
- 2 - 19.5%
- More than 2 - 4.5%

[from Focus on the Family]

Five Road Signs of Abusive Leadership

The rise of abusive leadership in Christian circles has not only led to more examples of failed leadership, but also overall shame on the body of Christ. Though identifying abuses of power within the church seems easy to do, stopping the injustice of abusing others isn't as simple. Yet for church leaders willing to deal with abuses of power — even their own — this could be the most important task they ever tackle.

My personal experience and theoretical inferences have revealed five indicators of those who abuse power. Think of it in terms of road warning signs. The more often we ignore the warning, the closer danger approaches. Here are five relational road signs to keep you on track.

1. Blind Curve Ahead — Lack of accountability: When church leaders compromise and ignore accountability, they tend to withdraw from partners, making solo decisions without counsel. Surrounding yourself with supporters unwilling to confront or challenge you is a great setup for failure. If not brought back on track, you'll continue to engage in compromising behavior that eventually leads to isolation and disaster.
2. Danger Zone — The rules no longer apply to you: Leaders who repeatedly compromise have decided their own rules of accountability no longer apply to them. They hold a higher standard for others than for themselves. And when others fail, they rarely show compassion and want those failing to "pay the price." In contrast, if the leader's actions are questioned, those questioning may be portrayed as disloyal or accusatory.
3. One Way — My way or the highway: The next step on the downward spiral is a pious mentality and overpowering leadership. When leaders and followers are in disagreement, the failing leader is tempted to embrace a "bully" mentality, placing intense pressure on the follower to conform or walk the plank. In some cases, the abusing leader sets a tone of "my way or the highway," severing the relationship with followers and colleagues.
4. Road Closed — Compulsive control of information: Information is power, and those controlling the process and distribution of information control the environment. It is common for abusive leaders to hold information as bargaining chips to manipulate or oppress followers. In some cases, they will dangle baited conversations to test others' loyalty, intending to sabotage them.
5. Dead End — Paranoia: This is a crippling syndrome, often robbing leaders of potential and opportunity. With a constant fear of the resurrection of dead bodies known as unconfessed failures, paranoid leaders spend good energy looking over their shoulders hoping not to be caught in their sins. The results of covered sin include loss of sensitivity, poor judgment and hypocritical living, as seen in David's failure with Bathsheba.

Christian leaders often display the psalmist David as a poster child of good leadership, highlighting his freedom in worship, valor in battle, influence in leadership and notoriety as "a man after God's own heart." Yet we know of his failures and often recite his prayers of confession and repentance. Those hoping to espouse David's repentant heart and overcome their failures, should apply these five truths: (1) submit to godly counsel; (2) abide by godly rules; (3) deny your flesh for godly desire; (4) share godly insight within community; and (5) allow God's grace to restore your brokenness.

Although victorious, shame also marked David's life. Which will mark yours?

[by WILLIAM LAMB, Lee University]

Most American Christians Do Not Believe that Satan or the Holy Spirit Exist

The latest Barna report is based on interviews conducted with a representative national sample of 1,871 adults who described themselves as Christians. The study examined people’s beliefs about spiritual beings, the influence of faith on their life, views of the Bible, and reactions to faiths other than their own.

The findings reveal that Christians have a diverse set of beliefs – but many of those beliefs are contradictory or, at least, inconsistent with other beliefs they possess or with the Bible’s teachings. To find out what people in the American Church believe, read the entire report.

click here

Clergy at Risk

A Texas congressman who is a former judge warns that the "hate crimes" legislation reintroduced in the U.S. House could potentially lead to the arrest of Christian pastors who speak out against sexual immorality.

Representatives John Conyers (D-Michigan) and Mark Kirk (R-Illinois) are sponsoring the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (H.R. 1913), also known as the "Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act." The bill would add sexual orientation to the list of categories covered under federal hate crime law. When Democrats passed the bill in 2007, they were divided over whether to add "gender identity and expression" to the list.

READ MORE ...

What can/should denominations do?

As we watch the shift from denominational affiliation to congregational governance in some churches, the question seems to be coming up more and more … what do denominations do? What should they do?

When the Church of God was smaller there was a desire to do more things together, to centralize efforts to evangelize our communities and the world, to care for orphans and provide for ministerial compensation. In fact, at one time within the church, all the tithe and offering receipts were sent to Cleveland and the General Overseer, then A.J. Tomlinson sent back to each pastor his salary and expenses for the church. It was a flawed system that ultimately created a fiasco within the church. That is not practiced any more, but many areas of corporate ministry are still shared through financial giving and participation.

At the present time, the Church of God is undergoing a significant realignment of resources in the denomination and as proposed, local churches will send 33% less funds to state and international offices than previously. This coming adjustment has generated a closer look at how ministry dollars are entrusted to leadership at both office levels. The evaluation is good and will help in being more effective in ministry productivity. The local church will retain more funds, assume more responsibilities and depend less on centralized funding for ministry ventures.

So, the question is – what should people want a denomination to do? How should ministry be funded on a denominational level and what areas are fundamental to the mission?

- WHO HAS GOD CALLED US TO BE?
- WHAT IS OUR SPECIFIC MISSION?
- HOW DO WE FUND THAT ASSIGNMENT?

What do you think?

[from forwardleadership.org by Bill Isaacs]

Putting Your Heart Into Leadership

Here are three tips for developing your leadership heart:

• Let Others - it takes a team, not an individual, to get things done in God’s Kingdom
• Give Credit - make sure your team gets the credit, not just you, when things go right or wrong
• Keep Focus - it is easy to think you are the reason the team succeeds. Don’t build a golden calf for yourself. Keep everyone focused on God not you.

Developing your leadership heart takes effort. It means spending time in God’s Word. It means spending time listening to God. It means spending time doing what God wants us to do (not what we want). It also means spending time helping others develop the same focus.

[from Agile Ministry by James Higginbotham]

Death Announcement - Anita Ruth Bailey Stubbs

Anita Ruth Bailey Stubbs, 84, a resident of Augusta, GA and formerly of Cleveland, Tenn., went to meet her Heavenly Father Saturday, April 4, 2009.

Mrs. Stubbs was the daughter of the late Zella Swanson Bailey and Clay Bailey. Her husband, the Rev. John A. Stubbs; and her brother, Henry C. Bailey also preceded her in death.

Mrs. Stubbs was a native of Rossville, GA and she lived most of her life in Cleveland, TN. She traveled with her husband as he served the Church of God of Prophecy as state overseer for California, Texas, Mississippi, Oregon and Alaska. She was a retired secretary and bookkeeper at the Church of God of Prophecy headquarters in Cleveland, serving for nearly 30 years.

Mrs. Stubbs stayed active after her retirement, serving as a Red Cross volunteer at Bradley Memorial Hospital in Cleveland, TN. She also stayed active in the Professional Secretaries Association where in the past she served as its president and she served on its board for a number of years. Mrs. Stubbs enjoyed traveling to see her family and traveling with her senior group. She enjoyed crocheting and she loved her dog, Sassy. Mrs. Stubbs enjoyed the friendships she made over the years and stayed in contact with her friends. She enjoyed being a grandmother and great-grandmother and was affectionately called “Grams” by her grandchildren. Mrs. Stubbs was a member of Peerless Road Church of God of Prophecy, and while she resided in the Augusta area for the last five years, she attended New Hope Worship Center.

Survivors include her daughters, Carole A. Stubbs of Atlanta, Sandy Dean and her husband Mike of Chatsworth and Kathy Dyer and her husband Steve of Grovetown; her grandchildren, Kim Moreland, Kelli Kendrick, Amber Flynn, Andy Dyer and Stephanie Mixon; her great-grandsons, Thomas Kendrick, John Alan Kendrick, Seth Moreland, Noah Strickland and Joshua Moreland.

The Remembrance of Life service was today (Wednesday) at 2 p.m. at Peerless Road Church of God of Prophecy with the Rev. Samuel Clements and the Rev. Rich Bowen officiating.

Burial followed in the Sunset Memorial Gardens with Andrew “Andy” Dyer, Justin Flynn, Alan Kendrick, John Moreland, Kevin Mixon and Terry Bailey serving as pallbearers. A dove release concluded the service.

The family received friends at the funeral home Tuesday.Jim Rush Funeral Homes, North Ocoee Chapel, Cleveland, Tenn., was in charge of arrangements.

The Stubbs family are life-long friends. As a teenager, Bishop Stubbs allowed me to mow his lawn on a regular basis. Later in Life, my wife Yvonne worked as his private secretary while he served as C.P.M.A. Director in the Visual Aid Department of the Church if God of Prophecy at Bible Place in Cleveland, Tennessee. Sister Stubbs was a precious lady. We will never forget her.

Pastor Found Dead at Church - Way To Go

A 46-year-old pastor has been found dead inside his Somerville, Alabama church, with his brother saying the death apparently was caused by a heart attack.

Pastor Eddie Rodney Bowling was found dead at Grace Point Baptist Church around 7 a.m. yesterday when a sheriff's deputy was summoned to check on him.

Investigators ruled out foul play. Bowling's brother, former Priceville High School Principal Guy Bowling, said Morgan County Coroner Russ Beard told the family he had a heart attack.

The coroner did not immediately return a phone message today.

[from the Associated Press]