The Old Black Church

Just shaking my head in amazement. This is why we have a separation of Church and State for a reason. From my understanding of history, the "founding fathers" and the original English colonizers came here in part to escape the imposed Church of England so they could practice their own faith. Anyhow, against the backdrop of ever more Republicans espousing far-right Christian nationalism foolishness a new Pew poll showing 45% of Americans say the United States should be a “Christian nation” might be eye-popping evidence of a shift in public attitudes about government and religion.  Among the 45% who want the United States to be a “Christian nation”: - 28% want the federal government to declare the country a Christian nation, while 52% say the government should never declare an official religion - 24% say the federal government should promote Christian values, while 52% say it should promote moral values shared by many faiths.  Source Here

My condolences to the Butts family and the entire Abyssinian Baptist Church family, on the transition of their pastor, Reverend DR. Calvin O. Butts III, who has gone from labor to reward. Rev. Dr. Calvin Butts, the longtime politically and socially active pastor of Harlem's historic Abyssinian Baptist Church has died, the church announced Friday. The church did not release a cause of death, but several officials indicated Butts was battling cancer. Mayor Eric Adams ordered all flags on all city buildings, as well as stationary flagstaffs throughout the five boroughs, to be lowered to half-staff, beginning at sunrise Saturday "as a mark of respect for the memory of Reverend Butts."      

  The level of hypocrisy coming from some is astounding. Bishop Jakes did not give the future governor of Texas a platform. From the photos I saw it doesn't look like he was given a platform, he looks like he just went to church, met Bishop Jakes and took some pics with folks in the pews. Unless there are other photos or videos floating around. Any how the racists are mad and upset with their britches in a big old knot....because of Bishop T.D.Jakes the founder and senior pastor of the Potter's House Church, Dallas Texas, had the nerve to invite (not platform) the next hopeful governor of Texas Beto O’Rourke to worship services last Sunday. But it's ok for them to give a platform to a man who brags about s*xually assaulting women? Source Here

Kanye West’s private school, the Donda Academy, closed down, effective immediately. According to reports, families are wondering how to get their tuition money back from the California Christian private school after an email to parents informed them that the school will shut down for the remainder of the year. Kanye West's controversial $15,000-a-year school has abruptly shut its doors, reports say, amid a backlash over his antisemitic comments appeared to confirm the closure in a since-deleted Instagram post. Students at the $15,000-a-year school, Donda Academy, wear uniforms designed by Balenciaga.

Bishop T.D Jakes is currently facing some more backlash, this time for the way he condemned a church visitor in a viral video making rounds online. Bishop Jakes Potter's House is one of the most popular mega-churches in the world. The new video clip trending has since been met with mixed reactions. In the clip, Bishop Jakes appears to be talking to a church visitor who seems possessed by an evil spirit. However, many people don’t understand the context of the video, so they’re having issues with the way Bishop Jakes handled things.  A post shared by The Neighborhood Talk (@theneighborhoodtalk) seemingly shows Bishop Jakes conducting a deliverance for the woman. “Look at me,” he told her. “No power can stop this.. no power can stop this.” Then he suddenly said “No no.. you have my attention you will have to respect me. You will have to respect it.” “Which means you gonna have to stand up like a grown woman.. you got it go..” “Yes sir,” she responded. “Cause I’m a grown man filled

Former Alabama Megachurch pastor, Micahn Carter, has sued his former secretary, who alleges Carter raped her. Micahn Carter, who resigned from Church of the Highlands (COTH) last year amid accusations he had raped his former secretary, is now suing that secretary over defamation. In a lawsuit filed in July in the Circuit Court of Jefferson County, Alabama, Carter alleges that Mary Jones defamed him by “falsely” claiming he had raped her in 2019. Carter is asking for $500,000 in damages.

Could they be headed back to Dallas Texas for the big takeover of the Potter's House Church? Sarah Jakes Roberts and her husband Touré Roberts....who are co-pastors of two branches of The Potter’s House church in Los Angeles and Denver have put their $9.5 million dollar two-year-old mansion up for sale.  ( You can read about it here )

Being a black Trump supporter has paid off big times for CeCe Winans.....CeCe Winans being the first black female to win artist of the year, made Dove Music Award history Tuesday night......winning the artist of the year award......heck, I thought Tasha Cobbs Leonard would have been the first to win that award......I guess CeCe does deserve it when you consider her crossover in the late '90s from her black Gospel sound to Christian Contemporary Music.....you can bet your bottom dollar on this she would have never won this award had she not shredded her black Gospel sound.  ( you can read about it here )

Rumors are spreading online that this incident might have been an insurance hit. Either way, sad news. LaShunda Heath-Ellison, the wife of pastor Mac Ellison, died last Monday after she was hit in the head by a stray bullet as she slept. Pastor Ellison, is the pastor at Temple Faith Ministries in Dekalb County GA. The shooting happened last Wednesday. The Ellisons were asleep in their bed around 12:30 a.m. when Pastor Ellison woke up and found his wife unresponsive. Ellison shook his wife but got no response. He then called in his children to help turn her over in bed. When Ms. Ellison arrived at the hospital, doctors found a bullet in her head. The family later found a hole in the wall from the gunshot. The bullet through the headboard into the top of Ms. Ellison's head and stopped in her sinus. Mystery: Georgia Pastor Says He Woke Up to Wife, 'Perfect Angel' Next to Him in Bed With Gunshot Wound to Head https://t.co/eFSgsvefc8 — #TheResistance (@BoneKnightmare) Octo

This week a Georgia pastor on trial in the rape of two underage girls has taken his life. The pastor, 51-year-old Christopher Daron Smith, was pronounced dead on Tuesday, ABC affiliate WTVM reported. Smith was the pastor of Word of Truth Outreach Ministries in Columbus, Georgia. He reportedly took his life during a brief recess in his trial. Smith’s lawyer, Shevon Thomas II, told WTVM that he had found his client dead and was in “total shock.” According to Thomas, Smith on Tuesday asked the judge to use the restroom after being denied a motion for a mistrial. When Smith didn’t return from the break, Thomas said he asked the judge for a few minutes to locate his client.  That’s when Thomas found Smith’s body. “I am just going to continue to pray,” Thomas told WTVM. “This is only the second trial that I have had. And for it to end this way, I just couldn’t see it coming.”Smith was arrested in 2019 after an hours-long standoff with police at his home, WTVM reported. When U.S. Marshal

As the son of TBN's founders, the late Jan and Paul Crouch Sr. Paul Crouch Jr. tell in detail of his dad's alcoholism, his mom's adultery, and more on his wife's podcast, "Inside Voice." In all honesty, the Crouch family were pioneers in Christian TV. But they never claimed to be holy or super spiritual but they helped launch others who blessed us spiritually. Anywho, Paul Jr. was expected to take over as heir apparent, but amid growing controversy and numerous allegations, they parted ways in early 2016. Paul tells of the events leading up to his departure and finally shares what really happened in those final days. He and his wife Pastor Brenda Crouch does an excellent job separating fact from fiction and showing how God uses the most broken people to shine a light on His glory. Good interview, the truth of what really happened inside one of the world's largest television networks, TBN.   

A renowned Baptist minister in Louisiana has acknowledged stealing nearly $900,000 from his church, rental properties, his congregants, and a charter school.  Charles Southall III, who for more than three decades led First Emanuel Baptist Church in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to charges of money laundering. Court records state that Southall supported the minister's acceptance of contributions from churchgoers intended to support charitable endeavors and building renovations. 

Should a Christian Ministry charge $1000 a ticket to hear the worship and a sermon? Who's insane enough to pay such an unchristian amount of money. The Apostle Jude warned about this. In Jude 1:11 he warned against this for-profit kind of non-Christian practice; "Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion."   Elevation Church’s chart-topping music group, Elevation Worship, is going on a West Coast tour, which includes stops in San Diego, Las Vegas, Oakland, Sacramento, Seattle, and Los Angeles. Called “Elevation Nights,” the tour will feature appearances from Elevation Church senior pastor Steven Furtick. “It’s gonna be me, Holly, Elevation Worship…Unbelievable, these nights,” Furtick said as he stood alongside his wife, Holly Furtick, in a promotional video. But some Elevation Worship fans may experience sticker shock when they look for tickets. A front-row seat to see Ele

Yall are invited to an exciting, historic evening planned for Pastor Benny Hinn’s 70th Birthday Gala! Your presence is cordially requested for this exclusive, invitation-only, reservation-required, limited 500-seat event to be held on December 3, 2022. Register now to bring your family and friends for this once-in-a-lifetime experience as we commemorate the memorable milestone spotlighting seven decades of Pastor Benny’s life as well as the celebration of his 48 years in ministry! Total attendance is limited by space to 500 guests, so it is crucial for you to select your registration preference now.  Lord have mercy it’s not cheap. While you can get a seated meal for $150, he’s also offering $250, $1000, $2500, and $5000 up.   Source Here

A man presenting himself as an Orthodox monk — and who had taken a “vow of poverty” — is accused of manipulating the COVID relief grant system to make off with nearly $3.6 million, which the feds say he spent on luxe items like $40,000 in Swiss watches. Brian Andrew Bushell, 47, along with his attorney Tracey M.A. Stockton, 64, was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and unlawful monetary transactions by the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney’s Office Oct 14. They face up to 20 years in prison for the first charge and up to 10 years for the second. “Today, we arrested a purported Orthodox Christian monk and his attorney for misdirecting millions of dollars in federal emergency assistance from businesses struggling to survive, to line their own pockets for their own personal enrichment,” said Joseph Bonavolonta, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston office.  ( You Can Read About It Her)

A new survey of U.S. Protestant pastors by LifeWay Research asked pastors, "If a pastor commits adultery, how long should they withdraw from public ministry?"  Most of their fellow pastors believe they should withdraw from public ministry for at least some time, but how much time is not known. In my opinion, forever. If you as a leader commit adultery, especially with one for whom you are supposed to lead then you are forever disqualified to lead, in my opinion. God is very hard on adulterers for a reason. It's wicked. "If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. Leviticus 20:10 ESV "He should take up to a year off"-- Modern American Church has let the culture of sexual rebellion inside the Church.    

Now yall, I watched this new podcast of John gray and Aventer, and it's kinda disturbing. Most of all of John's responses were very dark & angry...he's cussing...he admittedly said he doesn't have gratitude for being alive now. She actually cuts him off a lot & at one point he got upset about it. I don't think this is the time for this convo. John has a lot of work to do, heck both of them do. I do hope his attitude is not like this when he's up preaching.  In all honesty, he needs to be on a sabbatical, in therapy and working on healing all this trauma that's so heavy on him. Anyhow, Aventer Gray's 30 min podcast, "Ave Unfiltered" is an invitation to an intentionally candid, enlightening, and humorously unfiltered yet heartfelt conversation that infuses faith with practicality.  You Can Listen Here:

Christian Youtuber and Influencer Allen Parr are doing a series of videos called "The Church Gone Wild." In the said video, Allen Parr makes an interesting observation that nobody wants to call themselves a servant.’ I agree that many of these names describe a function rather than being an actual title. However, this is just a symptom of a bigger issue in Christendom, which is the tendency to glorify the individual rather than glorify God.  Should Christians have titles such as bishop, prophet, apostle, elder, or even pastor? Is it okay to address people by these titles? Is there a biblical precedent for such titles? What are your views on the various titles that Christian leaders give themselves like Prophet, Apostle, Bishop, etc? Allen Parr Christian Influencer and YouTuber doesn't think they are necessary or biblical. I don't mind the term Pastor, not too enthusiastic about modern titles especially the prophet, prophetess, or Apostle. I do however believe there ar

 So, Co-pastor Sarah Jakes-Roberts apologizes to a roomful of sinners on behalf of the “black church,” during IHeart Radio Mental Illness Awareness Month. How is it that the “church” is always apologizing on behalf of someone, mainly to and for sinners? When did sinners publicly apologize to the church for criticizing her, and judging her? When has the world apologized for their false religions that send people by the score careening into hell? When did JESUS apologize on behalf of the religious leaders of his day before healing or teaching people? This weak, spineless, attention-needing, validation-seeking, misguided, antiCHRIST body of so-called believers is sickening. I'm not a fan of her teaching at all because she has no substance in her teaching at all.    

The recent firing of Maitland Jones Jr. by New York University (NYU) has captured the attention of many quarters in higher education and science in the United States. Jones, a celebrated organic chemistry professor at Princeton University, who retired and became a contract professor at NYU, was dismissed after some of his students complained about their grades and the challenging level of the material in a large introductory class on organic chemistry. Even though the students never asked for Jones to be fired, NYU didn’t renew his 1-year contract and sent him on his way.  Universities would rather wash their hands of such matters than deal with all of the tough issues revealed by stories like this. So are saying until they do, many students will leave the courses disappointed and mistrustful of science, just at the time that science needs their support.  Dumbing down the sciences to allow certain students to pass is a reality. Some of these students will one day be standing over your

I think putting drugs into candy is an expensive proposition for a drug dealer. So Prophetess Tiphani Montgomery has taken to social media to warn the public of the possibility Halloween candy could be laced with fentanyl. Folks are pushing back against her warning and are calling her irresponsible for her post. Now, personally, I'm not a big supporter of Prophetess Tiphani Montgomery's ministry, for me, she leans too much toward the right-wing conservative agenda. I'm sorry but I'm just curious...what drug dealer would want to lace Halloween candy with drugs? What would the purpose be? They'd lose money...unless they were just trying to target and kill a certain community.  Every year I see breathless warnings about Halloween candy or fruit filled with drugs, needles, or razor blades. This year I've already seen countless memes warning about candy laced with fentanyl, Tiphani's post being one of them.  From my checking online, it appears there are actually

Bishop T.D. Jakes shared his testimony years ago on how God used Bishop Carlton Pearson and Paul Crouch to open doors for him to be on national and international platforms. One door can lead to another.  Bishop T.D. Jakes was part of America and he was a preaching machine, screaming at his voice but his membership was less than 3 - 4 hundred. He was screaming! Preaching powerful messages, he's a great man Preaching powerful messages, but something was covering. Until one time, a man called Bishop Carlton Pearson was organizing a program every year called Azusa. And he would invite different kinds of ministers to commemorate the Azusa street revival that manifested in the early nineteens and he would invite people. And at the end of their message, he would take that clip, and take 15 minutes of that clip, and put it on a channel called TBN. So that people who could not attend that night could see it and be challenged, and come the next night. So he would take 15 minutes of the guest

Lord have mercy, Kirk Franklin was on the B.E.T. Hip Hop awards last weekend doing a “freestyle” and said, “The Lion and the Lamb will bow to the Goat.” Kirk, Kirk, let’s just correct those words that got messed up. The goat WILL bow down to the Lion and the Lamb. All knees will bow and the Heavens sing HOLY HOLY HOLY is the Lamb of God. Now Kirk is under fire from the Christian community for the slip-up. In my opinion, his action was one of ERROR, therefore I wouldn't jump to judge him of not being a Christian. Let's pray for him🙏I honestly think he misspoke, and he shouldn't have defended those lyrics. Regardless if he said he meant himself being the goat or whatever. Jesus will NEVER bend a knee to anyone!!