Click the link below for a full recap of last weekend’s tournament!
http://goeclions.com/sports/archery/2017-18/releases/20180523hqvodp
The Emmanuel Archery team traveled to Newberry, FL last weekend where they competed against the top archery programs in the nation for the U.S. National outdoor Championship. For the second consecutive year, Emmanuel came home with the silver team finish – finishing the season ranked #2 in the national behind Texas A&M.
Click the link below for a full recap of last weekend’s tournament! http://goeclions.com/sports/archery/2017-18/releases/20180523hqvodp
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After Elisha watched Elijah ascend into heaven, the prophet went to the city of Jericho and performed his first miracle. The men of that city faced an environmental crisis: Their water was toxic, most likely because of the sulfur and other chemicals that had rained down upon nearby Sodom and Gomorrah years earlier. This poison had made the land barren (see 2 Kings 2:19-22) and it was affecting people and animals as well as plant life. So Elisha performed a bold, prophetic act. He threw salt in the water and proclaimed: "Thus says the Lord, 'I have purified these waters; there shall not be from there death or unfruitfulness any longer'" (v. 21, NASB). His proclamation brought immediate cleansing. This obscure story in the Old Testament offers us a picture of the gospel's power. The message of Jesus Christ heals us. The Holy Spirit brings life where death has reigned. He neutralizes the poisons that cause spiritual barrenness. He balances the pH level in our hearts and our churches so that spiritual growth and vitality is possible. All of us would like to enjoy a healthy spiritual life. And we would love to see our churches thriving and growing. But the sad truth is that many of us are barren because of hazardous additives. We have embraced a gospel laced with legalism, performance-based religion and salvation by works—when Christ alone is our only source of life. Jesus Himself referred to these toxins as "the leaven of the Pharisees" (Luke 12:1b). He told us that the Pharisees' brand of religion, which looked good on the outside, was deadly—and contagious. Have you been infected? You can take your own pH test by examining these eight characteristics of a religious spirit.
J. Lee Grady was editor of Charisma for 11 years before he launched into full-time ministry in 2010. Today he directs The Mordecai Project, a Christian charitable organization that is taking the healing of Jesus to women and girls who suffer abuse and cultural oppression. Author of several books including 10 Lies the Church Tells Women, he has just released his newest book, Set My Heart on Fire, from Charisma House. You can follow him on Twitter at @LeeGrady or go to his website, themordecaiproject.org. Isaiah 40:28-31
Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, 31 But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. NKJV Working at the post office, I'm used to dealing with a moody public.
So, when one irate customer stormed my desk, I responded in my calmest voice, "What's the trouble?" "I went out this morning," she began, "and when I came home, I found a card saying the mailman tried to deliver a package, but no one was home. I'll have you know, my husband was in all morning! He never heard a thing!" After apologizing, I got her parcel. "Oh good!" she gushed. "We've been waiting for this for ages!" "What is it?" I asked. "My husband's new hearing aid." Written by Michael Brown . . .
In light of the latest tragic school massacre, I want to make a simple proposal. It was prompted by a phone conversation with my dear friend James Robison. We were talking on the day of the tragic, Santa Fe school massacre, and he said, "Forget about trying to get prayer back in schools"—by which he meant, "Let's not put all our efforts into trying to change these laws right now." "We need to start praying in our schools," he exclaimed. Then the light went on inside of me. So simple! To be clear, this is not a substitute for a discussion about school security or gun access or family life or mental disease or violent video games or anything else that is practical or relevant. This is in addition to all the other conversations we need to have. That being said, this topic is as important as anything we can discuss. Simply stated, I want to encourage committed Christian young people on our campuses throughout America to join together for a few minutes each day for prayer. Focused prayer. Faith-filled prayer. United prayer. A simple cry to heaven for God to come and touch each school. "God, save our school!" It can be before classes start. It can be during a lunch break. But let it be at the same time and same place every day, joining together in faith and asking God to move powerfully in each school. Whether it's three students standing side by side or 30 students in a big circle. Let it be done in simple faith every day, and we will see the results together. I'm aware that many young people have been doing this for years. I'm aware that there are formal prayer movements already advocating this very thing. I'm aware that I'm saying nothing new. I simply want to add my voice of encouragement, offering testimony as well. I'm also confident that, as Christian young people do this on a regular basis, they'll be more to prone to share their faith as well. They'll be more aware of "divine appointments" and more overflowing with love for their fellow students. All this is a natural extension of prayer. Some might say, "God is sovereign, and He doesn't need our invitation or permission for anything He does. If He wants to 'invade,' our schools, He will." There's much truth to that, but it's also true that, "Whether we like it or not, asking is the rule of the Kingdom" (Charles H. Spurgeon). Or, in the classic formulation of Matthew Henry, "When God intends great mercy for His people, the first thing He does is set them a-praying." Or, to quote John Wesley, "God does nothing but in answer to prayer." Let us, then, give ourselves to prayer for our schools. In the fall of 1997, I met with the superintendent of schools of Escambia County, Florida. Pensacola was the largest city in the county, and there had been a remarkable spiritual outpouring that had been taking place there since June, 1995, called the Brownsville Revival. Ultimately, when it ended in late 2000, more than three million people had attended services there (this is the rough, cumulative total), traveling from more than 130 nations. And every night, hundreds of young people were there, many from the local area. I met with the superintendent to ask him about the impact the revival had on the schools. Did something tangible happen to the students? Were lives visibly and dramatically changed? He was quite happy to speak with me, saying he could testify firsthand to the extremely positive results. He had also served as a local principal and saw many young people changed before his eyes. He was glowing with praise for what the Lord had done. But I mention this story here because these students were praying students. When they got touched at the revival—delivered from addictions, set free from violent or self-destructive behavior, transformed in their attitudes and lifestyle—they immediately wanted to share their faith with others. And they began to gather in prayer for their schools. The fire quickly spread! Richard Crisco, now a pastor in Rochester, Michigan, was the youth pastor at the church where the revival took place, and he carefully charted what was happening to these kids. In September, 1995—so, just a few months into the revival—there were about 300 kids who gathered in early September for the See You at the Pole prayer meeting. One year later, 2,000 kids joined in prayer on that day. And at quite a few of the schools, these young people would gather for daily prayer, often with tears, saying those simple words, "God, save our schools!" Of course, it was a sovereign visitation that sparked this prayer movement in the schools. But it was the prayers of these young people that helped deepen and sustain the movement once it started. All the more, then, should we pray if there is no sign of revival in our region. All the more should we pray for rain in a time of drought. I'm not saying this is the cure-all. I'm not saying that we do not need to take other, practical steps to protect our schools. I'm not saying that overnight, everything will change. I'm just putting out a simple call for young people across America to gather daily in prayer for their schools. And I'm encouraging parents to encourage their kids to do so. Schools are letting out now across the country, but why not start while you can, with plans to pick up in September? Our kids (and grandkids and great-grandkids) are hurting right now. They're having to put up with things most of us never even thought about. Let's believe with them for God to come and touch their classmates and teachers. Let's believe with them for the Spirit to invade their schools. Let's believe together and pray, "God, save our schools!" Dr. Michael Brown (www.askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. His latest book is Playing with Holy Fire: A Wake-up Call to the Pentecostal-Charismatic Church. Connect with him on Facebook or Twitter, or YouTube. What is it like to be separated from your wife and children for a year? You will have to ask Air Force Chaplain, Lieutenant Colonel Chad Bellamy that question. He has served at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea for almost 12 months. During this remote assignment he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. Chad Bellamy is one of our highly favored Air Force chaplains. He has excelled in every assignment given him and furthered his education, both Professional Military Education and Ecclesiastical Education. He has earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Erskine Theological Seminary. Chad and his beautiful and talented wife, Jeri, have three remarkable children: Parker, a student at Emmanuel College, Daisy, and Asher. Chaplain Bellamy is entering the final stage of the year long separation from his family as he will soon begin the leadership transition phase with his replacement. Chad's travel plans have been finalized and he will return back to South Carolina at the end of June. He and his family will take a few weeks of vacation and then he will begin work at Shaw AFB around the end of July where he will be assigned to the 20th Fighter Wing and will serve in the position of Wing Chaplain and lead a team of 18 regular Air Force and Reserve Chaplain Corps members and additional GS and contract employees. When you pray please call the names of Chad Bellamy's family to the Lord of Heaven: Chad, Jeri, Parker, Daisy, and Asher. Missionary James R. Eby's book, The Pathway to Knowing and Loving God, is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, from Westbow Press, or it can be ordered directly from James Eby at 11434 Ryan Ct., Conroe, TX 77304. The price is $13.95. I, Hugh Morgan, the editor of Hugh's News, have read this book and I can highly recommend it to you. "Every now and then I find a book that strikes a deep chord in my heart. That's how I felt when I read The Pathway to Knowing and Loving God. It should be required reading for young leaders and it should be a refresher course for all ministers. With simplicity and courage, the author calls us higher –- to character, to purity, to integrity and intimacy with God. Pastors should read it, and then they should encourage their churches to study it. If we take this message seriously we will get serious about making disciples." (J. Lee Grady, Author, and Director of The Mordecai Project) Whether they are toddlers, teens or adults, your kids need prayer.
You may not have kids, but you might have nieces, nephews or friends' kids who desperately need prayer. Or you might have "spiritual children" you have mentored. Are you willing to take time to cover them in prayer? One of the best practices you can cultivate in your prayer life is the power of praying Scripture. When you pray God's Word over those you love, you have an instant guarantee that you are praying in His will. As you faithfully claim Scripture over the lives of those you love, you'll see God work miracles. To help you get started in this practice, I've chosen three passages I love to pray over my kids and grandkids. I know you'll have more ideas, so I'd love to hear from you. My Top Three Scriptures to Pray over My Kids and Grandkids: Psalm 149:6 – "Let the high praises of God be in their mouths, and two-edged swords in their hands." I love to put my kids' and grandkids' names in this verse and ask God that His praise will be in their mouths always and that they will learn to use the Word of God—the double-edged sword—to defeat the enemy. Satan wants to discourage and defeat the work of God in our kids' lives. I pray that they will use the two most powerful weapons to defeat him: praise and Scripture. Related Articles Cindy Jacobs Recommends Praying These Powerful Scriptures Every Day 5 Wonderful War Room Prayers for the Weary Woman in You Joshua 1:9 – "Have not I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." With graduations right around the corner, this is a great verse to pray for those you love. The world is a scary place, and to follow Jesus takes courage. We need a generation of courageous Jesus-followers who are willing to take up the cause of Christ regardless of the opposition they face. Ephesians 3:17b-21 – "[And I pray] that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we ask or imagine, according to the power that works in us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." Kids and adults alike need to be deeply rooted in the love of Christ. I pray that my kids, their spouses and my grandkids will know categorically how deeply Christ loves them; I pray that their identity will sink down so deeply into the love of Christ that no matter what comes their way, they'll be able to stand firm in their value as one who is deeply and unconditionally loved by Christ. Becky Harling, an author, certified speaker, leadership coach and trainer with the John Maxwell Team, is an energetic and motivational international speaker inspiring audiences to overcome their greatest life challenges and reach their full God-given potential. Her most recent book is How to Listen So People Will Talk. Her husband, Steve Harling, is the president of Reach Beyond, a nonprofit organization seeking to be the voice and hands of Jesus around the world. Connect with Becky at beckyharling.com, Facebook or Twitter. Rodney Callahan has just posted a comment on your blog post, Women in Ministry By Dr. Vinson Synan5/22/2018 An excellent summary of this topic. I know two women in the Georgia Department of Corrections who served as ordained Southern Baptist Chaplains. They were assigned as chaplains to female prisons where they did not have authority over men.
I often listen to recognized church pianist David Carnes, son-in-law to Lonnie and Betty Rex, on Pandora Radio right on my computer.Their daughter Tricia married him. He served at a Baptist church in Atlanta as their ministry of music for some thirty years.
Tonight as I was listening to David play the piano my spirit was deeply moved as I heard him play, "When I survey the wondrous Cross." Listen now to Mel Tunney, Larry Ford, David Phelps, Tanya Goodman Sykes, Terry Blackwood on the Bill Gaither Southern Gospel Singing. Just Click here to listen to this soul stirring and inspirational hymn of the church. WHEN I SURVEY THE WONDROUS CROSS (TRADITIONAL) TEXT: Isaac Watts MUSIC: Folk Tune 1. When I survey the wondrous cross On which the Prince of glory died, My richest gain I count but loss, And pour contempt on all my pride. 2. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, Save in the death of Christ my God; All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to His blood. 3. See from His head, His hands, His feet, Sorrow and love flow mingled down; Did e’er such love and sorrow meet, Or thorns compose so rich a crown? 4. Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small: Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all. [Editor's Comment: Do we love God enough to give Him our soul, our life, our all? What do you think - believe? Are you willing to commit your all to God and His Kingdom, and serve Him wherever He may place you? If so, do it now. Don't delay!] 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."
7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. NKJV Doctor Bloomfield, who was known for extraordinary treatment of arthritis, had a waiting room full of people when a little old lady, almost bent over in half, shuffled in slowly, leaning on her cane. When her turn came, she went into the doctor’s office and, amazingly, emerged within 5 minutes walking completely erect with her head held high.
A woman in the waiting room who had seen all this rushed up to the little old lady and said, “It’s a miracle! You walked in bent in half and now you’re walking erect. What did that doctor do?” The little old lady replied, “He gave me a longer cane.” It was a long, exhausting, and tiring day. I knew I needed more medical help with my unrelenting build-up of fluid in various parts of my body. I made the decision to check in at the emergency clinic of St. Mary's Hospital in Athens, GA. We are blessed to have some of the finest doctors and hospitals in the nation. The professional staff of St. Mary's is exception. They are caring, compassionate, and competent. More tests like, blood work, EKG, X-rays, sonna imagining, IV therapy, and much more. Dr. Patrick Eagleson is an outstanding 39-year-old medical doctor who is endowed with knowledge and wisdom, the science of medicine and the art of medicine. He is through in his examination. He discovered things about my body I did not know, and he has prescribed just right medication to remove the excess body fluid and has prescribed special compression stockings to press the fluid from my legs and ankles. He contacted my urologist, Dr. Gary Walton, a prince of a man, and a very fine specialist. I am to call Dr. Walton on Tuesday morning to make a follow-up appointment. We have gotten his attention. God is using all these doctors and nurses to help me get well. Then, so many of you are praying for my healing. I believe God is using the medications, treatments etc. to bring about my healing. In four sovereign acts of divine power, God massively intervened in Israel in the first thirty years of the first century, and changed the course of human history. These interrelated interventions were so massive they required a fresh start in a new testament. These four became the launching pad for Jesus’ vision for an international spiritual kingdom, a kingdom-of-the-heart that has the church as its visible expression. But without these four, there would be no church or New Testament. The first was the incarnation of Jesus. The second was Jesus’ death and resurrection. The third was the Lord’s ascension. The fourth miraculous and historic act of God surrounded the gift of the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity, whose essence is equal with the Father and the Son in the Godhead. This great event birthed the church. It occurred on the fiftieth day after Jesus’ crucifixion. “Suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:2-4, NKJV). The Apostle Paul said the Holy Spirit was actively involved in raising Jesus from the dead (Romans 8:11). The Apostle Peter said God raised Jesus from the dead (1 Peter 1:21). Jesus said His life belonged to Him; He would lay it down and take it up again. That authority was a gift to Him, He said, from His Father (John 10:17-18). The Holy Spirit’s role in the Godhead is multi-faceted, and I offer here a very limited list of the Spirit’s service. Obviously, the Trinity was actively involved in the resurrection of Jesus. The Spirit birthed the church and remains its administrator to this day. His role in the Trinity includes comforting in sorrow, convicting of sin, and bringing people to the New Birth. He is the power of God for miracles. He reveals wisdom and teaches all things about Jesus. He endows Christ’s followers with spiritual gifts, and empowers them for service. The bodies of the Lord’s followers are the temples the Holy Spirit fills and indwells with His Presence ((1 Corinthians 6:19-20). The world would be a very different place today, if these four miracles had not happened: the incarnation of Jesus, His death and resurrection, and His ascension, climaxing with the gift of the Holy Spirit. A dimension of the Spirit’s ministry that is often taken for granted and overlooked now follows. For Jesus to grow His church worldwide and build his international kingdom-of-the-heart, He had to launch a new communication system to stay in intimate relationship with His followers. Requiring them to go to Jerusalem for seven annual feast days would be a hopeless effort for a worldwide church. The Holy Spirit is the divine genius of this incredibly powerful plan that all modern computers combined-and-linked-together worldwide, cannot even approach. Facebook, with all its complexity and its more than a billion subscribers, is like children playing in the marketplace when compared to the Holy Spirit’s system of communication. The Holy Spirit has the marvelous capability to be in a warm, personal relationship around the clock, simultaneously with each of the Lord’s multiplied millions of followers. Each and all at the same time have His full and undivided attention. This is true wherever believers are, anywhere in the world. He knows their names and addresses, and never makes a mistake with a name or a location. He fluently speaks the language of each of Jesus’ followers, and does it with words that fit each person’s vocabulary. Even the hairs on their heads are numbered. As the Holy Spirit ministers to Jesus’ followers, He shows Himself time after time to be the greatest counselor of all history. He knows exactly what to say to give perfect guidance in the moment of need, and no situation is ever too small or too big for His focused attention. We live in a world in which communication moves at the speed of light. But no electronic system has ever been built that can match the capability of the Holy Spirit to make Jesus Christ known. Billions of people, all at the same time, can be very aware of the Lord’s personal, one-on-one presence to bless them day and night, even the lonely hours after midnight. The Spirit does it day-after-day-after-day. Jesus “never slumbers nor sleeps” (Psalm 121:4), and needs no computer powered by electricity to communicate. The Holy Spirit makes it possible for Jesus to be present and perceived in each-and-every worship service anywhere in the world, even if they are all meeting at the same hour. People routinely walk away from their places of worship knowing Jesus was there with them. The Lord also goes with His followers into the streets of life, and lives with them around the clock. This divine genius of Jesus’ presence 24/7 continues to this day, and is indescribably wonderful. This reality guarantees loyalty so strong between Jesus and His followers that persecution unto death cannot break it. It is a dangerous choice indeed for so many in our generation to treat the Holy Spirit as a mere Force, pushing Him into the background as the stepchild of the Trinity. Not to fully acknowledge and appreciate His presence and power in the earth is nothing short of foolhardy. This kind of understanding alone, of the marvelous grace of our Lord that has provided such an infinitely unlimited communication system, should be enough to call us all back to our Jerusalem to wait again for the Holy Spirit, the promise of our Heavenly Father. As we do so, we must never forget that the God Who is love has also “set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising [Jesus] from the dead" (Acts 17:31; 1 John 4:8, 16, NIV). “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31). The moral man came to the judgment, But self-righteous rags would not do. The men who had crucified Jesus, Had passed off as moral men, too. The soul that had put off salvation, “Not tonight; I’ll get saved by and by, No time now to think of religion!” At last he found time to die. And oh, what a weeping and wailing When the lost are told their fate. They’ll cry for the rocks and the mountains, They’ll pray but their prayers are too late. “The Great Judgment Morning,” by Bertrand Shadduck Tricia Rex Carnes has just posted a comment on your Blog Post, the Editor explains why Hugh's News has not been published
Hugh! We are praying for you dear friend! Bless your heart. Prayng for your healing and the doctors who are attending to you. Tricia and David Carnes, Atlanta, Georgia Others . . . Lee Fuerst and Alfreda Simmons indicated they are praying for Hugh Morgan and for his healing. On November 11, 1992, the world was shocked by the news from Britain that had nothing to do with wars, the economy or the troubled affairs of the Royal Family. The headline news: The Anglican Church had voted to allow women to be ordained as priests of the Church of England. This action, as reported by Time magazine, amounted to a “second reformation” that was “sweeping Christianity.” Leading the pro-women’s forces was the Archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey--an acknowledged charismatic--as well as the 500,000 charismatics of the English church. Only a week after the Anglican bombshell, the American Roman Catholic bishops voted to shelve a pastoral letter that, under pressure from the Vatican, completely rejected the idea that women could ever be ordained to the Catholic priesthood. The Time article also stated that feminism is emerging as “the most vexing thorn for Christianity." The role of women in ministry is currently a subject of hot topic of debate in many sectors of the church. While most Protestants have opened the way for women’s ordination, the lines are still clearly drawn in the Roman Catholic and Orthodox world, as well as among many fundamentalists and Southern Baptists who still hold vigorously to traditional views that exclude women from leadership in public pastoral ministry. Adding confusion to the scene has been the rise of militant feminism that, from a non-Biblical base, calls for women’s equality in all areas of life, including the ministry. The motive and spirit behind this militant stance, rejected by the majority of Pentecostals and Charismatics, has caused many to question anew the role of women in church ministry and leadership. KEEPING SILENCE For almost 1800 years the debate did not exist. Both Eastern and Western churches held to the idea of an all-male priest hood in which women were to “keep silence in the churches (I Cor. 14:34) and not “usurp the authority over the man.” (I Tim. 2:12). This tradition was so pervasive that women’s voices were not only absent from the public liturgy of the churches, but they were excluded from church choirs (young boys sang the soprano and alto parts). In spite of this, some inscriptions from fourth century Rome depict women as bishops with the feminine title of Episcopa. To be sure, in past centuries women who felt called to the religious life could enter convents, become nuns, and spend their lives in prayer and devotion. Yet they received the sacraments from male priests who alone could model the New Testament ministries of Jesus and the Apostles. Although women could not be priests, many became great saints or even, like St. Theresa of Avila, a “Doctor of the Church.” Meanwhile the development of increasing devotion to the Virgin Mary gave women a sense of importance -- not only in the church, but in the plan of salvation and in daily intercessory prayer. The Protestant reformers ultimately rejected the Catholic doctrine regarding Mary; yet, generally speaking, they continued the traditional view of women in ministry. Neither Luther nor Calvin permitted the ordination of women. Indeed, even radicals such as the Anabaptists agreed with the Catholics and Reformers on this point. Traditional Baptists to this day will not ordain women to the ministry. It was only in the 1700s, when evangelical revivals under John Wesley and George Whitefield began to sweep across England and America, that the traditional views of women in ministry were first challenged. Wesley’s attitudes were almost certainly influenced by his mother Susannah, who spent hours each week teaching basic Christian doctrine to her children, and who preached to over 200 persons weekly in prayer meetings that she conducted in her husband’s parish. Later, when Wesley’s Methodist societies began to flourish, he appointed women as class leaders, explaining that since “God uses women in the conversion of sinners, who am I that I should withstand God?” With the spread of evangelical revival to America, the role of women in ministry increased. Under revivalist Charles Finney, women were allowed to pray and to speak in public worship. As president of Oberlin College, Finney admitted women as students—making Oberlin the first co-educational college in America. In fact, it was a former student of Finney, Antoinette Brown, who was the first woman to be ordained in America. This took place in 1853 in the Congregational Church in South Butler, New York. The actions of Wesley and Finney led later historians to conclude that in most great spiritual awakenings, women are accepted as ministers in the early stages—but often are later bypassed in favor of male leadership when the revival begins to institutionalize. THE DEBATE The Biblical debate over what the Bible says about a woman’s place in ministry has filled volumes. Opposition to women in public ministry is usually based on the apostle Paul’s statements in 1 Corinthians 14, “Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak” (vv. 34-36, NKJV), and 1Timothy 2, “I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man” (vv. 11-12). Without reference to other Scriptures, these passages seem to forbid a woman to prophesy, teach, preach or even say the Lord’s prayer or sing hymns aloud in a church worship service. Defenders of women’s ministries, on the other hand, begin with a charismatic hermeneutic based on Peter’s Pentecost sermon in which he quotes from Joel 2: “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My spirit upon all flesh; your sons and daughters shall prophesy…Also on My menservants and maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days” (vv. 28-29). An appeal is also made in Galatians 3, where Paul states that in Christ “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (v. 28). All other Scriptures are then interpreted in the light of these overarching promises of an all-inclusive ministry in the last days involving both men and women. A number of Bible passages do, in fact, describe women in important ministries in the early church. Phoebe was a deacon of the church of Cenchrea who Paul said “has been a helper of many and of myself also” (Rom. 16:2). The word here in Greek is “deacon” (“minister”)—not “deaconess” as it is often translated. Furthermore, Philip the Evangelist had four daughters who prophesied (Acts 21:9). Indeed, the list of “apostles” in Romans 16:7 includes Junia, whose feminine name indicates that she was in all probability a female apostle. THE HOLINESS MOVEMENT One of the first women to point out the Scriptural argument for women’s ministry in the church was Phoebe Palmer, an important 19th-century Methodist leader in the Holiness movement. In her book, The Way of Holiness, which appeared in 52 editions by 1867, Palmer pointed to the foregoing Scriptures and concluded that women had as strong a warrant for ministry in Scripture as did men. Standing with Palmer was Hannah Whitall Smith, author of The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life (1875) who played a prominent role in the British Keswick “Higher Life” movement. Because of the fervor of Palmer and Smith, both the Holiness and Keswick movements took pioneering positions favoring women’s ministries. Other Holiness movements and churches, agreeing with this new theology, began to license and ordain women in the ministry. One of the first was the Wesleyan Methodist Church which ordained their first woman in 1863. When former Methodist William Booth organized the Salvation Army, he immediately recognized women as ministers equal to men. In the Salvation Army, both husbands and wives were “commissioned” (ordained) as ministry teams. When the Church of the Nazarene and other Holiness churches were organized after 1895, almost all of them made provision for women to be ordained and served as evangelists and pastors. Another pioneer was A. J. Gordon, the Baptist pastor who worked closely with D. L. Moody and other “Higher Life” Leaders near the end of the century. In his book, The Ministry of Women (1888), Gordon closed with Psalm 38:11; “The Lord gives the command, the women who proclaim the good tidings are a great host” (NASB). THE PENTECOSTAL MOVEMENT When the Pentecostal movement developed after 1901, it continued and even radically enhanced the place of women in ministry. Although primarily preoccupied with the gifts of the Spirit, Pentecostalism also strongly emphasized the imminent rapture of the church. Because time was short, everyone was needed to save as many as possible before the second coming. Female ministers flocked to the standards of new missionary-minded denominations such as the Pentecostal Holiness Church, and the Assemblies of God. In these churches, women were given unprecedented opportunities to evangelize, teach, pastor and serve as missionaries. The long list of female ministers in the Pentecostal movement includes Agnes Ozman, whose glossolalic experience in Topeka, Kansas, on January 1, 1901, led Charles Parham to formulate the Pentecostal doctrine of tongues as the “initial evidence” of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. When the Azusa Street revival broke out in Los Angeles in 1906, pastor William Seymour was aided by several female ministers including Lucy Farrow, Jennie Moore (his future wife), Clara Lum and Florence Crawford. When Crawford left Los Angeles in 1909, she founded one of the earliest Pentecostal denominations in America—Apostolic Faith—with headquarter in Portland, Oregon. Other women who spread the Pentecostal fire after Azusa Street included Rachel Sizelove in Missouri, Marie Burgess in New York City, Ethel Goss in Texas, and Ellen Hebden in Toronto, Canada. Added to this list was Holiness leader Maria Woodworth-Etter who became a Pentecostal soon after Azusa Street and held some of the largest evangelistic crusades in America until her death in 1924. One Pentecostal Holiness evangelist, Katie Campbell of Virginia, justified her ministry by noting, “A woman brought sin into the world, they ought to help take it out again.” Not long after the death of Woodworth-Etter, the most famous and important female minister of the century came on the scene: Aimee Semple McPherson. Born in Canada to Salvation Army parents, Aimee soon became a Pentecostal and, following a stint as a missionary in Hong Kong, founded the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel in 1923. After building the massive Angelus Temple in Los Angeles, “Sister” Aimee became a celebrity of the first magnitude, at times dominating the headlines of the nation’s newspapers. After her death in 1944, the Foursquare Church continued as one of the leading Pentecostal denominations in America and around the world. The next major female preacher in America was Kathryn Kuhlman, who began her ministry in Missouri in 1923. After preaching across the nation with moderate success, she settled in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1947, where she conducted a remarkable national healing and evangelistic ministry until her death in 1976. After the rise of the charismatic movement in the mainline churches after 1960, Kuhlman enjoyed a massive following among both Catholic and Protestant neo-Pentecostals. Kuhlman often said she was given her healing ministry because somewhere some man had refused to obey the call of the Lord. Not all Pentecostals have equally embraced all women’s ministries, however. From its beginnings in 1897, the Church of God in Christ, for example, has allowed women to evangelize but not to be ordained and serve as pastors of local churches. As a result, female ministers such as Earnestine Reems of Oakland, California, have had to leave the denomination in order to pastor. Interestingly, the COGIC’s longstanding policy was challenged by Bishop O. T. Jones of Philadelphia, who shocked the church in 1991 when he ordained 15 women and began to assign them as pastors in his diocese. The Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) also has not ordained women in its long history. THE CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT Unlike the Holiness and Pentecostal movements before it, the advent of the charismatic movement did not usher in significant breakthroughs for women in ministry. The new charismatics—participants in already established churches—were more intent on bringing renewal to their ranks than on championing “side issues” such as women’s ministries. Furthermore, the infiltration and rise of the radical feminist movement in mainline churches caused a conservative backlash among many charismatics. The 1970 publication of The Christian Family by Larry Christenson, a key leader in the Lutheran renewal, promoted a traditionalist view of women in ministry. Other independent charismatics influenced by the shepherding/discipleship movement, as well, took a hard-line stance against women in public ministry. Nevertheless, a number of women rose to ministry prominence in the latter part of the century. These have included Agnes Sanford, Aimee Cortese, Anne Gimenez, Marilyn Hickey, Iverna Tompkins, Freda Lindsay, Ruth Carter Stapleton, Roxanne Brant, Rita Bennett, and Frances Hunter. Many of these women were—and continue to be—major speakers at large charismatic rallies. Some, such as Gimenez and Hickey, have been featured on nationwide TV programs. CATHOLIC CHARISMATICS The Catholic charismatic movement developed after 1967 during a time of conservative reaction to many of the liberalizing trends that were dividing the church—including the demand of radical feminists for the ordination of women to the priesthood. In general, Catholic charismatics stood apart from such militant efforts and supported the traditional view. Influential charismatic communities such as the Word of God in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and the People of Praise in South Bend, Indiana, also took a traditional stand on a woman’s place in the home and in ministry. At the same time, virtually all Catholic charismatics recognized the important role played by Elena Guerra, the Italian nun whose letter to Pope Leo XIII led to a major encyclical on the Holy Spirit in 1897. Furthermore, many outstanding Catholic women took leadership roles in the renewal—women such as Patty Gallagher Mansfield, Dorothy Ranaghan, Josephine Massyngberde Ford, Judy Tydings, Edith Difato, and Nancy Kellar. THIRD WAVE APPROACH Since about 1980, a charismatic movement called the “third wave” (evangelicals who manifest spiritual gifts but who disdain the labels “Pentecostal” or “charismatic”) has given birth to hundreds of congregations in America. A leading example of this movement is the Association of Vineyard Churches founded by popular speaker John Wimber. The Vineyard’s position on women in ministry may be typical of most third wave churches. According to Jerry Ward, pastor of the Oklahoma City Vineyard, the issue has by no means been settled within the Vineyard movement. Although some women have been ordained in the southeast region, the practice “has not been generally accepted,” Ward says. As of 1992, women are not allowed to exercise pastoral oversight in Vineyard churches, though “women’s giftedness in ministry is fully utilized.” Women are most often used in husband and wife teams that minister in small cell groups. WHERE ARE WE NOW? In 1990, the Assemblies of God adopted a position paper reconfirming the church’s historic stand in support of a significant role for women in ministry. Yet some recent observers such as Edith Blumhofer, an Assemblies of God historian, believe that the prominence of female ministers as experienced in the flush of early Pentecostalism seems to be fading into history. Paradoxically, while the number of licensed and ordained women in the major Pentecostal denominations has increased, the percentage of female pastors has diminished over the years. As of 1991, the Assemblies of God counted 4,604 women with ministerial credentials, the most of any denomination in the United States. This amounts to 15 percent of all ministers in the American A/G church. Of these, some 322 are listed as “senior pastors.” The percentage of women ordained in the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel has held steady at about 40 percent for several decades (37 percent in 1992). The percentages of ordained and licensed women ministers in the Pentecostal Holiness Church (17 percent) still exceeds those of any of the mainline Protestant denominations. But recent surveys indicate that fewer women are serving as pastors in these churches than ever before. So what does the future hold for women who feel called to minister in the church? Plenty, if current trends are any indication. According to the Association of Theological Schools (ATS), 18,103 women were enrolled in American theological seminaries in 1991, accounting for 30.1 percent of all theology students. These women constitute the largest unused pool of ministerial potential in the nation. But will they be used? Pentecostals and charismatics crossed that bridge almost a century ago by opening the door for anointed women to minister in the power of the Holy Spirit. In the future, much will depend on discerning leaders who are able to separate the voice of valid and balanced Biblical teaching on women’s ministries from the shrill cry of the militant feminists whose agenda is usually anything but spiritual. Missionary James R. Eby's book, The Pathway to Knowing and Loving God, is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, from Westbow Press, or it can be ordered directly from James Eby at 11434 Ryan Ct., Conroe, TX 77304. The price is $13.95. I, the editor of Hugh's News, have read this book and I can highly recommend it to you. "Every now and then I find a book that strikes a deep chord in my heart. That's how I felt when I read The Pathway to Knowing and Loving God. It should be required reading for young leaders and it should be a refresher course for all ministers. With simplicity and courage, the author calls us higher –- to character, to purity, to integrity and intimacy with God. Pastors should read it, and then they should encourage their churches to study it. If we take this message seriously we will get serious about making disciples." (J. Lee Grady, Author, and Director of The Mordecai Project) Romans 15:13 A trilogy of God's inward power--hope, joy, and peace
13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. NKJV Dating in your 30s is like looking for a parking spot.
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