The Power of the Pulpit
As shared to Bishop Lowe by Mark Gonzales of the Black Robed Regiment, San Antonio Example: May/June 2015
Back drop: There were 14 candidates running for Mayor of San Antonio. We needed to make sure that we got the Biblical candidate into the runoff election. In a liberal city like San Antonio with 65% Hispanic & 7% Black demographics we were able to make a difference. By reaching out to the churches in the area we got the first Black Female Mayor in the history San Antonio elected. She is a Christian Conservative, prolife, pro traditional marriage, the only one against the non discrimination ordinance (bathroom ordinance; males could go into the female bathroom). Which so happen to be our anchor issue on the voter guide & church turnout. We mobilized 2100 churches, distributed 400,000 voter guides. Increased the voter turnout from 7.6% to 12%. Then on the runoff election, which is normally half of the general election turnout, so the turnout should of been 6%. The runoff elections turnout was 14.2%. More than doubled it. We have had 30,000 new evangelicals voters to vote for the first time in San Antonio. The same thing can be done in Birmingham if the churches engage.
The power of the pulpit is clearly reflected in the life and practices of President Barack Obama. Many pastors failed to understand the power of the messages that they preach to the members of their congregations on Sundays and Wednesday night. Review this article that was written by David French and see how much President Obama’s pastor influenced him and then consider how much his pastor’s influence changed America. Source: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/415266/obama-really-christian-david-french
Adapted from an article by David Barton
I just wanted to supply some documented information regarding the United Church of Christ, the denomination of the church of President Obama. See how his pastor’s teachings had an influence on him as well our nation. No pastor should ever say he does not have any influence.
The United Church of Christ (UCC), is the denomination of church where Rev. Jeremiah Wright is Pastor. President Obama spent over 20 years as a member there. This denomination was the first denomination to ordain an openly gay minister and to call for recognition of homosexual marriages in 1976, [i] Currently there are some 200 openly homosexual UCC clergy serving in its various ministries or pastorates.
[ii] The UCC is also a strong advocate of abortion, openly endorsing abortion-on-demand a full two years before the Roe v. Wade decision of 1973; [iii] they even oppose the ban on partial-birth abortions. [iv] The UCC also holds positions that favor Palestinians above Jews (the Jewish Anti-Defamation League is uncomfortable with their position toward Israel), [v]and the UCC doesn’t celebrate the “sexist” God of the Bible but instead uses gender-neutral images of God that can be either “he,” “she,” or whatever the individual wants Him to be. [vi] Believing that “God speaks in new ways every day” and that “doctrine and the intent of the Bible are affected by culture and context,” [vii] the UCC does not embrace fixed absolutes from the Scriptures (especially on moral issues) but rewrites the Bible to match whatever position they embrace at that time. Clearly, this denomination, while officially considered Christian, is certainly not Biblical; there unfortunately are other Christian and Jewish groups and individuals that have also rejected traditional Biblical truths and standards.[i] “About Us: UCC Firsts,” United Church of Christ (at:http://www.ucc.org/about) See also Shaila Dewan, “United Church of Christ Backs Same-Sex Marriage,” New York Times, July 5, 2005 (at: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/05/national/05church.html). [ii] W. Evan Golder, “Bill Johnson reflects on his historic ordination, 30 years later,” United Church of Christ, June 2002 (at: http://www.ucc.org/ucnews/june2002/bill-johnson-reflects-on-his.html). [iii] Hans Holznagel, “Fact Sheet: Reproductive Choice, HR 1833 and the United Church of Christ,” United Church of Christ, April 1996 (at: http://www.wfn.org/1996/05/msg00749.html). See also John Brown, Jr. “The Struggle for Life Within the Church of Christ,” National Right to Life, 1999 (at:http://www.nrlc.org/archive/news/1999/NRL199/brown.html). [iv] Hans Holznagel “Fact Sheet: Reproductive Choice, HR 1833 and the United Church of Christ,” United Church of Christ, April 1996 (at: http://www.wfn.org/1996/05/msg00749.html). See also “Denominations and their stand on the issue of Abortion,” SpiritRestoration, 2008 (at:http://www.pewforum.org/2013/01/16/religious-groups-official-positions-on-abortion) [v] “United Church of Christ’s Israel Divestment Action ‘Troubling’; Contravenes Months of Interfaith Dialogue,” Anti-Defamation League, June 26, 2007 (at: http://www.adl.org/PresRele/IslME_62/4749_62.htm). See also “ADL Assails United Church of Christ for Ignoring Israeli Suffering in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict,”Anti-Defamation League, June 26, 2007 (at: http://www.adl.org/PresRele/ChJew_31/5058_62.htm); “ADL Welcomes Effort by United Church of Christ to Give Israel a Fair Hearing,” Anti-Defamation League, June 26, 2007 (at: http://www.adl.org/PresRele/ChJew_31/20070626_31.htm); John H. Thomas, “The Church, the Synagogue, and the Dilemma of the Middle East,” Boston College, September 19, 2006 (at:http://www.ucc.org/john-thomas-the-church); J. Bennett Guess, “Thomas: Synod policy on Israel-Palestine ‘remains today what it was before,’” United Church of Christ, June 29, 2007 (at: http://www.ucc.org/news/thomas-synod-policy-on.html). [vi] “About Us: UCC Firsts,” United Church of Christ (at: http://www.ucc.org/about). [vii] Brad A. Greenberg, “Church Deems Unions Equal,” San Bernardino Sun, July 5, 2005 (at: http://musclys.blogspot.com/2008/07/ucc-deems-gay-marriages-equal-before.html).
The Party, Person, Pocketbook, or Principle?
Democrat, Republican, third party or independent? Hillary Clinton, Ted Cruz, Bernie Sanders or Donald Trump for President of the United States? How should I vote? Who should I vote for? Do I vote based upon the political party, how popular the candidate is, how my pocketbook is affected, or based upon who most closely aligns with my personal values and deeply held principles?
The question is, what will be the greatest determining factor that influences your decision?
Is it political party affiliation or loyalty? Let’s break that down briefly. First of all, most quickly identify the two major parties here in America, Democrat and Republican. However, according to Jeffrey M. Jones on January 8, 2014, citing a 2013 Gallup poll, after 18,000 interviews were conducted, 42% of Americans identified as independents, while 31% identified as Democrats and 25% as Republicans. See link for full article: http://www.gallup.com/poll/166763/record-high-americans-identify-independents.aspx. Therefore, though conventional wisdom still asserts the two major party control, increasing numbers show the trend toward political independent thinking Americans is growing.
Let’s be real. How many of us can even name 2 or 3 platform positions on key issues for the either of the parties? National Democratic Party link to positions on issues: https://www.democrats.org/. National Republican Party link to positions on issues: https://gop.com/platform/. Are you voting Democrat because Mom and Grandmamma told you to? Are you voting Republican because Daddy said the Democrats are coming to take your guns away? Let us be encouraged to use the beautiful mind of Christ God has given to each of us to research all political party platforms including third parties and dig deeper into their positions and subsequent policies that will affect us all so greatly. In Hosea 4:6 God warns, “My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge.” Politics is defined as the process whereby groups of people make decisions. Duty and responsibility press upon us to know the mindset and motives of the groups we place in power over ourselves, our families, our children and our neighbors. “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice. But when the wicked rule, the people mourn,” teaches Proverbs 29:2. I am ready to rejoice! How about you?
Does popularity most impact your decision? It’s true, as found in Proverbs 11:14, that “without wise leadership a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers.” Therefore, we should seek out who is popular among family, trusted friends and other credible sources as we pray, study and formulate our candidate selection process. However, in the end, it’s you and God in that voting booth. I know you don’t take that lightly and neither do I! That is why this was written, to challenge us toward a more thorough intellectual voting personal thought process. We must avoid falling into the trap of simply voting for the most popular candidate, the one whose name we must recognize, or the one whom the media pushes upon us. Equally, we must not vote against the person the media tries to disparage in front of us because of their own selfish agendas. For the sake of our children, let’s choose “capable men and women, such as fear God, lovers of truth, haters of greedy gain and place them to govern, or serve, over us.”- Exodus 18:21.
I understand the following applies to an individual’s aspirations, but indulge me a moment as I allow it to help our candidate selection methodology – “a good name is to be chosen rather than great riches.”- Proverbs 22:1. We often tend to vote based upon who promises to put the most “riches” into our pocketbooks rather than who has a “good name.” Jesus Himself, the One upon Whose shoulders government will rest completely one day, stated in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon.” We cannot serve money and morality. However, we can choose a morally based honest steward of resources. Now, I am not contradicting myself here. I just made the argument against voting simply for a popular name, not against voting for one with a “good name”, a name synonymous with character, integrity, experience, skill, qualifications, strong values and principles that align with our biblically based beliefs.
So, will we cast our ballot in favor of a political party, a popular person, our personal pocketbook, or a principles based candidate with a backbone to lead according to biblical righteousness and justice rather than a puppet with a wishbone being pulled in every direction by those funneling finances and desiring favors that only benefit themselves and not the people as a whole? My decision has been made. Has yours?
Original Article By: Jody Trautwein