The Old Black Church

Let me get this right, several of the nation's more conservative Catholic bishops on yesterday took to social media to express their disapproval of Pope Francis' meeting with President Joe Biden at the Vatican. Are these some of the same one's that perpetrated and hid sexual abuse of children? They lost their moral authority a long time ago and have become irrelevant.  What a stunning difference between Biden and trump when meeting the Pope. The Pope really seems to like Biden. He knows good when he sees it. When the trumps visited, it was like he was being held hostage. No smiles. No love for them. He must know evil when he sees it too. Let's Go Biden!   

What do we expect? Most churches have hired entrepreneurs, CEOs, and type A personality for these roles - and I am not sure those personality type does well in the midst of uncertainty.  LifeWay Research has completed a new study that finds pastors are experiencing new levels of stress. 63 percent of the pastors surveyed say they “frequently” feel overwhelmed, a jump over the same question asked in 2015. Pastors said their top three reasons for leaving the pastorate are burnout, church conflict, and “a change in calling.”Pastors told LifeWay that the top things that stress them out are church conflict, the feeling of being on-call 24/7, and other unrealistic expectations, and a general sense of isolation. Since the 2015 survey didn’t ask about COVID-19 and researchers wanted comparative data, this year’s survey avoided pandemic questions. That said, there are no doubt questions around socially distanced church and vaccine questions contributed to pastoral stress points. Pastors cited

Church the United States has issued its first passport with an “X” gender designation, marking a milestone in the recognition of the rights of people who do not identify as male or female, and expects to be able to offer the option more broadly next year, the State Department said Wednesday. The department did not identify the passport recipient, but Dana Zzyym of Fort Collins, Colorado, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview it was their passport. Zzyym, who prefers a gender-neutral pronoun, has been in a legal battle with the government since 2015 over a passport. Zzyym (pronounced Zimm) said the fight for the passport with an accurate gender designation was a way to help the next generation of intersex people win recognition as full citizens with rights.  In my opinion, this is all well and good but how’s it gonna work when leaving other countries? I’m thinking of places like the Middle East where there is a distinct difference in the treatment of men and women. BREAK

People are so confused about what prophecy is. Prophecy is not speaking over someone their future. The prophets of the New Testament Church are to admonish and edify the church and to teach the deeper truths of God. Prophecy is not for soothsaying, divining, and fortune-telling. Many of these so-called prophets are operating in witchcraft. The Lord can indeed give us a word of knowledge or a deeper understanding. But when you start to speak over someone what they "should do" or are "called to do" as far as the events of their life, that is between them and the Lord in prayer. Anyone who operates in controlling guidance speaking a future over a person is operating in witchcraft.

Liberty University threatened to punish students who came forward with reports of being raped for violating the school’s code of conduct, according to a new report published Monday by ProPublica. ProPublica spoke to more than 50 former students and staffers at Liberty University and reviewed records from more than a dozen cases, which accused the school of discouraging and dismissing students who came forward with allegations of rape, reporting that in some cases they said they were threatened with punishment for breaking the school’s moral code, known as the Liberty Way. Three students who spoke to ProPublica said they were asked to sign forms upon reporting their rape incidents recognizing that they could be penalized for breaking the school’s ethics code. Potential infractions at the evangelical university included underage drinking and premarital sex. ( yall can read about it here)

Officials in Atlanta have approved Dallas megachurch pastor Bishop T.D. Jakes’ plans for a multi-use development on a former U.S. Army base. Jakes, the founder of The Potter’s House Dallas Texas, bought nearly 95 acres of what was formerly Fort McPherson army base in Fulton County, Georgia, four months ago for $29 million. The Fort Mac Local Redevelopment Authority approved T.D. Jakes Real Estate Ventures LLC’s initial master plan for the development Oct. 21. A community engagement meeting to discuss the plans will be held on Oct. 30, the Atlanta Business Chronicle reported.   Jakes became interested in the site after noticing while hosting his yearly Megafest gospel festival in Atlanta that gentrification was driving people out of lower-income neighborhoods, and that the Fort McPherson area lacked basic amenities, per the Business Chronicle. The new development is set to include mixed-income housing, restaurants, a grocery store, a pharmacy, hotel rooms, and public spaces. “We

A Georgia pastor has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to stealing thousands of dollars in COVID-19 assistance funds and using some of the money to buy a luxury car. Mack Devon Knight, 45, is accused of lying to the Small Business Administration in applications for Economic Injury Disaster Loans, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia. ( you can read it here )

Church this is 110% antithetical to what the Scriptures teach. 2 Cor 5:17, LSB: “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” Steven Furtick missed the mark here. Steven Furtick the founder and senior pastor of Southern Baptist Church (SBC) Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, has drawn theological criticism for statements he made in a recent Facebook post. The post has since been deleted from Furtick’s social media channels. “ Following Jesus doesn’t change you into something else, it reveals who you’ve been all along. What would it be like to see the you that God sees…, ” Furtick wrote in the post.  Furtick has a Master of Divinity from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and 6.3 million followers on Facebook. His post was liked over 18,000 times and had more than 2,500 shares. The quote was taken from a sermon Furtick preached on Sunday (Oct. 24) entitled “Yes You!” While preaching through Luke 5,

Church it's a doggone shame that the hate for women pastors is still taking place in 2021. I cannot believe this has been allowed to go on since June. This is the Rev. Ratona Stokes-Robinson, Pastor of Saint James AME Church, Thorofare, New Jersey. She was assigned in June 2021 and has not been given keys to enter the Church or set foot in the pulpit of the Church. As hard as it is to believe in 2021, she is being denied access to the Church or even given keys to the Church because she is a WOMAN. She also has not been paid since she was appointed to serve that congregation.  

  A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Joshua Olatokunbo Shonubi, age 50, of Bowie, Maryland, for a federal charge of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and visa fraud and for presenting false documents to a federal government agency, in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain permanent resident status for foreign nationals by arranging marriages to U.S. citizens. The indictment was returned on October 20, 2021, and unsealed upon the defendant’s arrest. According to the seven-count indictment, from at least January 2014 through January 2021, Shonubi, pastor of NewLife City Church, Inc. in Hyattsville, Maryland, engaged in a conspiracy to fraudulently obtain immigration benefits for foreign nationals by arranging their marriage to United States citizens who served as their sponsors for permanent residence in the United States. The indictment alleges that Shonubi received thousands of dollars from foreign nationals in exchange for connecting them with U.S.

 Church congrats to Pastor Kimberly A Bulgin on her historical ordination as the 1st woman ordained in her conference in the Seventh Day Adventist Church. She’s also the 1st woman pastor at her church, New Beginnings. Praise God for this 1st. My prayers are with her as she continues ministry at another level! To God be the glory! Let’s keep her in prayer as this decision to be obedient to God has caused division, hatred, and conflict among other things.  

Church Tye and Shanté Tribbett join Trump supporters Matt and Laurie Crouch on TBN's Praise, Trinity Broadcasting Network's new flagship program, which in my opinion will do exactly what the old program "Praise The Lord" did and that is bilk the black community for rating. Anyhow, the couple shares their testimony of healing after the threat of divorce, and how God used their weaknesses to make their marriage stronger than ever. The following is a comment from underneath the clip, what do you all think? " Now I think it’s great that they were able to work out their differences, but we need to stop attaching struggle love to God’s will. Why is it that so many (black) men put their women through difficulties before they decide to act right? Then the church leads the wife to believe that she has to fight through his issues because there is an “attack on Godly marriages”, and if they get back together, it’s some sort of reward? We need to normalize healthy relations

Samuel Phillips Jr., a Florida pastor who just last month launched a new church near Tampa, has been arrested and charged with solicitation to commit prostitution. He’s one of 125 people arrested in Hillsborough County after a 20-day sting named Operation Round-Up. At a press conference Monday, Sheriff Chad Chronister shared information about the sting, which led to the rescue of five females, including one teenager. He also emphasized that the county is determined to “eradicate human trafficking.”

I was utterly disgusted and VERY disappointed in her. Condi we want the truth taught not guilt. Anyhow, some people are shocked by some of the comments made by Condoleezza Rice on The View yesterday. Why do people always think a leopard will change its spots? Some things never change. Condi was on The View throwing around right-wing republican false narratives about CRT. First off CRT is NOT taught in K-12. Teaching real history does NOT make white kids feel bad. If Black kids, Spanish kids, and Asian kids can experience racism at an early age then white kids can learn about it. Making white kids feel bad is her concern. Our kids are made to feel bad every day. Our kids are being suspended at a much higher rate than white children.   Condoleeza Rice had been in the sunken place for a very long time. Wow, and to think all this time I admired her.  I thought she was representing and inspiring me, as an intelligent black woman, but, in reality, she was just another puppet for white supre

Pastor Randy Free and his wife Michelle have been indicted and enjoined by a state district court in Texas from engaging in any financial transactions related to the property or assets of Cedar Cross Country Church in Alvarado, as first reported by the Cleburne Times-Review .  The husband and wife couple face related criminal charges as well, both having been arrested and indicted on 10 counts each including misappropriation of fiduciary duty, tampering with evidence, as well as several counts of theft of property and money laundering. Johnson County Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace Jeff Monk recently set their bonds at $100,000 each. Johnson County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested the couple on Sept. 24 and both bonded out the next day.   Randy Free, according to the petition by the plaintiff church members, told members of the congregation at the conclusion of the July 11 Sunday morning service that the Alvarado church’s “next-door neighbor” approached him about buying the churc

Talk about repackaging, Sarah Davis, Ravi Zacharias’ daughter and the former CEO of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM), has left RZIM to launch a new apologetics ministry. Two weeks ago, Davis filed articles of incorporation with the state of Georgia for a new nonprofit corporation, called Encounter, Inc. The stated purpose of the organization is “carrying the Gospel invitation to individuals,” “engaging their questions,” and “training and disciplining messengers of Christ’s love for their spheres of influence.” Davis was appointed CEO of RZIM in 2019. And she has remained at the helm of the organization throughout the unfolding scandal of her father’s sexual abuse, and allegations of abusive and deceptive leadership at RZIM.

Church oh my goodness, sad news to share this morning…Colin Powell, the first Black US secretary of state has died from complications from Covid-19. Powell’s leadership in several Republican administrations helped shape American foreign policy in the last years of the 20th century and the early years of the 21st. His family, noting that he was fully vaccinated, made the announcement on Facebook:  

Let me get this right, online white conservatives are mad and upset because starting today till November 2 more than 300 Black churches across VA  will hear a video message from Vice President Kamala Harris, that will air during morning services as part of an outreach effort aimed to boost Terry McAuliffe governorship run. Now mind you Mike Pence gave a campaign speech in person to the whole SBC in 2018 in Dallas touting the Administration’s accomplishments. That was in an election for midterms.    NEW -- More than 300 Black churches across VA will hear from @KamalaHarris btwn Sun. and November 2 in video message that will air during morning services as part of outreach effort aimed to boost @TerryMcAuliffe . #VAGOV Video first obtained by CNN https://t.co/vaefXtWqUe pic.twitter.com/l8re0KUkN1 — Eva McKend (@evamckend) October 16, 2021

Chruch some good news, Dr. Fauci has given the green light to all Christians and non-Christians alike that's it ok to celebrate Halloween after more than 18 months under the dark cloud of the pandemic. That's a refreshing change from last year's celebrations that were largely canceled due to high cases of COVID-19 and no vaccine yet available. Thanks to the Mandates and vaccines pushed by the Biden Administration we are coming out of this thing looking good. Thanks to Dr. Fauci for his guidance, wisdom, and expertise during this dreadful Coronavirus pandemic. We all need to do our part to reset the economy and fight the Pandemic.  

Church COGIC Bishop Patrick Wooden of North Carolina is a viciously anti-LGBTQ right-wing pastor. So it's no surprise that Wooden is close allies with North Carolina’s Christian nationalist Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, who is likewise vehemently opposed to efforts to promote LGBTQ rights and equality. With Robinson under fire over a clip Right Wing Watch posted of him ranting that Christians must take control of public schools because “there’s no reason anybody anywhere in America should be telling any child about transgenderism, homosexuality, any of that filth,” Wooden is predictably coming to Robinson’s defense.  On Thursday, Wooden posted a video on his YouTube channel in which he praised Robinson’s comments, asserted that those who have criticized Robinson are racist, dismissed local LGBTQ leaders as “losers,” and reported that Robinson’s right-wing supporters had gathered with him Wednesday to hold “a big prayer meeting” amid the controversy. Source Here:

A South Florida pastor was arrested Monday and faces charges for domestic violence after an incident in North Lauderdale, authorities said. The Broward County Sheriff’s office says Damion Orlando Archat, 39, struck and pushed the victim to the ground. Investigators say Archat even choked the victim to the point where she almost passed out. An arrest report states Archat grabbed the victim by the hair and violently pulled her out of a car and threw her to the ground. After deputies arrived at the scene, the report said Archat started to pull away from them as they tried to detain him. Archat was booked into a Broward County jail and is facing several charges, including domestic battery by strangulation, battery, and resisting an officer.   Archat is married to North Lauderdale Commissioner Regina Martin, who was sworn into her position in December 2020. The police report has redacted the victim’s identity and the exact address of the incident. The city manager for North Lauderdale re

Church Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving really doesn't care that not being vaccinated will lead to people losing their lives, not just their jobs. Just like he was wrong about the earth being flat, he's once again wrong and doing a grave disservice to those who admire his basketball skills. To framed his decision to not get vaccinated as standing up for people who lose jobs to mandates, and also claiming that there were exemptions promised from the vaccine mandates. Wednesday night Kyrie Irving did an Instagram live saying the following:  "I’m standing with all those that believe what is right. Everybody is entitled to do what they feel is what’s best for themselves. Seeing the way this is dividing our world up...it’s sad to see...People are losing jobs to mandates." His right, his choice... but employers have them too and they trying to protect their employees and their fans...He is a narcissistic contrarian that’s addicted to attention. No work, no pay. Who is

Church personally, I don't give a rat butt. Superman's love interests have always been female (10 of them!). Makes no sense that he woke up one morning wanting to pursue men. DC has already done a multiverse concept with various Supermen before. This is fine. When a different writer takes the helm they may redo it again. For me, it's the great Lois Lane stories that contribute to Clark Kent's Superman that are interesting.  Source Here:  

Church if not mistaken isn't this the church with the pastor who prayed for evil to happen to those who voted for Biden? Evangelical Christian television network is suing a Louisville church for more than $1 million, saying the money is owed for services rendered. The lawsuit says Evangel World Prayer Center and its pastor, Bob Rogers, contracted to have the church’s programming broadcast on the Daystar Television Network, which is owned by the Word of God Fellowship. However, Evangel amassed $1.1 million in invoices over eight years that it failed to pay despite receiving more than 40 overdue notices, WDRB-TV reported. The lawsuit says Rogers told representatives of Daystar in June 2018 the church was suffering from cash flow issues and that it would sell off assets including land to pay the bill. Evangel also offered to settle the bill by broadcasting Daystar’s programming on Evangel’s Israeli network, Holy Land Broadcasting and giving Daystar some personalized Bibles. The

Church nine years ago, Right-wing pastor Perry Stone was selling the same stuff he's selling now.  Now Stone claiming that he's spent 175,000 hours studying the Bible (which equals 8 hours a day for every single day of his life) and declares that he's 100% certain "that we literally have entered the last of the Last Days." But all Bible readers know that actually, Peter had already said these are the last days, Caveat as there’s no way to tell how long the last days are. Perry is speaking a bunch of foolishness. He also was 100% certain that Trump would win a second term in 2020 and Biden would never be president. ... because, you know, prophecy and stuff. How can one claim they spent so many hours reading the Bible and yet come to the wrong conclusion?  Right-wing pastor Perry Stone claims that he's spent 175,000 hours studying the Bible (which equals 8 hours a day for every single day of his life) and declares that he's 100% certain "that we lit

 Church on Oct. 9, former White House idiot held a rally at the Iowa State Fairground in Des Moines Iowa. People continued their over-the-top adulation of this clown. One of the rally attendees said that he came to the rally to give "documents" to Trump's legal team. "Our king, Jesus Christ, has spoken to put you back in your office at the White House now."   Among the revelers was T. Trump, a Vietnamese immigrant who traveled with other Vietnamese immigrants from California. T. Trump and others said they legally changed their last name to Trump out of respect for the ‘king.’  "’ When you have a king that really works hard…the people take over his name,’ T. Trump, 55 and wearing an American-flag-themed cowboy hat, said, ‘Wherever Trump goes. We came here for freedom. We don't want to lose this country. You were born free, you want to live free, you want to die free.’"   The Trump traitors want a civil war? This is why the DOJ absolutely must file

Church Houston megachurch Pastor Joel Osteen will return all the $4.4 million it received in a forgivable loan from the federal government last year through its Paycheck Protection Program, according to the Houston Chronicle...this after Osteen and his church received widespread criticism from those who felt the loan was unnecessary.“Like many organizations temporarily shuttered by the pandemic, this loan provided Lakewood Church short-term financial assistance in 2020 ensuring that its approximately 350 employees and their families would continue to receive a paycheck and full health care benefits,” the church said in a statement to the Houston Chronicle. The loans were designed to help businesses maintain existing staff through the pandemic, but several large businesses opted to return the loans after many blasted them as unnecessary.   Many were upset with Lakewood's loan given Osteen's lavish lifestyle, which includes driving a Ferrari sports car and living in a mansion rep

Last month ex-lesbian Jackie Hill Perry sat down with Matt and Laurie Crouch at TBN to talk about her first book “Gay Girl, Good God”. Jackie said if there’s any hill she'll die on, it’s the fact that the gospel is not a call to “change your orientation” but rather, to submit to Christ as Lord. By doing so, through the power of the Spirit, you are indeed changed (converted) but this change doesn’t make temptations go away, if anything, true conversion empowers you to flee them. Some say that they get where she is coming from, but think she needs to take a closer examination of what it means to be sanctified and given a new heart. Some think she is sending the wrong message to ex-homosexuals telling them that after conversion they will continue to struggle with homosexuality because it's not something God can cleanse them from.    

  Church Dino Rizzo works as executive director of ARC, associate pastor at Church of the Highlands Birmingham Alabama, oversees churches & travels nationwide, AND works 30 hours a week for Servolution where he makes $276,500 per year. The church of the Highlands in Birmingham Alabama is no stranger to this blog( You can read about it here) . According to AL.com, the associate pastor of The Highlands has been sued as part of a workplace sexual harassment lawsuit filed last week in federal court. Dino Rizzo, an associate pastor at the Birmingham-based Church of the Highlands, the largest church in Alabama and one of the largest in the nation, is named as a defendant in the lawsuit, which alleges Rizzo did not protect a church intern from sexual harassment by a lead pastor at a Mississippi church where Rizzo is an overseer. In the lawsuit, former Vibrant Church member Laura Eagan claims that while she was working as an intern at Vibrant, then-Lead Pastor Jason Delgado sent her unw

So, last week, a New York arbitrator ruled that the ex-White House idiot nondisclosure agreement with his former White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman is unenforceable—and it sounds like she’s ready to use that freedom. Speaking to Rev. Al Sharpton on MSNBC Sunday, the former Apprentice star hinted that Trump isn’t being honest about the state of his health and urged him to speak up. Asked if she thinks Trump will run in 2024, she said: “I’m really more concerned about the fact that Donald Trump hasn’t come forward and talked about his health... I don’t know if he will even be healthy enough to run in 2024. I think he needs to come clean to the American people about where he is on that before deciding to get into a very stressful and strenuous race for the White House.” Trump, who’s yet to announce if he’ll seek another term, will be 78 in 2024. Thank you @OMAROSA for joining me tonight on #PoliticsNation . pic.twitter.com/IH8Lk7BCKo — Reverend Al Sharpton (@TheRevAl) October 4, 2

This is a weird statement coming from a guy who is broadcast across the world each week. I feel bad for John MacArthur. Many aging "celebrity" pastors are losing touch with a changing world and have taken to railing against any sort of "new" technology, "new" ideas, and any critiques of church culture, which they see as an attack on Christianity itself. The physical gathering of the church was on the decline prior to the pandemic. Online platforms were a surprising solution during uncertain times. The church pivoted just as the early church met in "BLANK" (the point being that they figured out away). It does not replace the worth of being physically present. But to underestimate the worth of going online is shortsighted for future possibilities. Zoom has allowed the Church to reach farther and deeper than could be imagined. It's not the same, but it's not bad, actually remarkable for those who have engaged it. “There is no such thing as a

The former White House Idiot claims to have done more for Black/Brown people, women, immigrants, the poorly educated, poor, elders, veterans, active military, the climate, the ocean......is now lauding himself for the way he served religious communities in the U.S. during his time in office. "Nobody has done more for Christianity or for evangelicals—or for religion itself—than I have, [doing] so many different things," he said during a phone interview with host Gene Bailey on the show Flashpoint on Thursday on The Victory Channel. The former idiot referenced "getting rid of" the Johnson Amendment, legislation he described as "a very bad thing and very costly." Part of the U.S. tax code, the measure, which he weakened, bans nonprofits from supporting or opposing political candidates. In all honesty, he did a lot. A lot of damage. Maybe the most. I’d say huge. Big. So really, he’s not EXACTLY wrong. He just left out keywords. He did more DAMAGE.

This is a very interesting subject. Catholics are denouncing the Pope for his stance on vaccines. I'm curious if the LDS will back or deny their Elders? I am glad that the LDS Church is a voice of reason. Everyone 12 and up should be vaccinated against Covid. Protect yourself. Protect your families and community. Covid does not discriminate. Anyhow, the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints kicked off a twice-annual conference Saturday by urging members to listen to the faith’s leaders when they seek “pure truth." 

  So early in the week, Kirk Franklin gave an interview with the right-wing Christian Post in which he address the misconception by some who think that GOD exists to make people happy. I kinda agree with Kirk. This is the argument that doesn't make sense to me. Where do people get this idea that "if God exists", there would ONLY be good, everyone would be happy, and no one would face difficulty?  You can go and read the scripture and it doesn't say that. God literally says that these things are inevitable and that God "Will surely test you with a loss of wealth, loss of family, and hardships."  

A woman who came out as a lesbian was fired from her job at Ramsey Solutions, according to a lawsuit filed on Wednesday in federal court. Julie Anne Stamps claims in the lawsuit that when she told her supervisor that she was going to come out about her sexuality, her supervisor informed her that she had to give two weeks’ notice of her intent to resign and that an exit interview would be scheduled. Stamps informed the company she would be resigning and discussed with human resources to set her last day of employment as of June 19, 2020.   According to the article, “I’ve got a right to tell my employees whatever I want to tell them, he (Ramsey) said.” They freaking work for me." Ramsey has already been sued this year over allegations that his company fired a woman for getting pregnant outside of marriage and that he runs his company like a cult. He has also attracted attention over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic for proudly flouting public health guidelines.

CBN Founder Pat Robertson, America's longest-running TV host, is stepping down from his role as daily host of The 700 Club. He announced on the 60th anniversary of CBN's first broadcast that he is moving on to new projects. "Today's show will be my final as host of The 700 Club," said Robertson. "My replacement will be my very capable son, Gordon, who will take over as full-time host of the program." Robertson will turn his efforts to teaching students at Regent University, which he founded in 1977, and will also join in future CBN broadcasts as news warrants.