The Old Black Church

What yall think? For me peace of mind and ADULTS running this country. Normalcy, a man who values others, a family man, honesty, integrity, and a President who can speak above the level of kindergarten. You can read the article here:

According to the Julie Roy's report,  a longtime pastor of a Christian campus ministry at Baylor University has been arrested and charged with sexual abuse of two boys. The crimes allegedly involved convicted sex offender Daniel Savala, who’s at the center of a widening sex scandal involving Chi Alpha Campus Ministries. On Tuesday, authorities in Waco, Texas, arrested Chris Hundl, director of Chi Alpha Campus Ministries, USA at Baylor University. Hundl was charged with continuous sexual abuse of a young child, a first-degree felony in Texas. The crime carries a penalty of 25 years to life in prison without parole. According to the arrest affidavit, a victim said in a forensic interview that Hundl drove the boys to Savala’s residence in Houston where Savala, 67, abused both children in his home sauna multiple times. The victim said Savala and Hundl told the children not to tell anyone about what happened.

Congratulations! The Governing Board of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC) is pleased to announce that Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie has been elected to serve as President and General Secretary of the ecumenical organization. She is the first African American woman to serve as both President and General Secretary of the organization. The Governing Board made the announcement during its annual Spring meeting, held in Washington, DC, May 15–16.

 

 

 

 

What yall think? Just when we thought Florida's racist governor couldn’t get any worse. I live in Florida, a beautiful State, the people are great.  But Florida now is turning into the State of the illiterate and ignorant because of @GovRonDeSantis ! Banning books, Amanda Gorman's poem and God knows what else! What a shame! A Florida school limits access to Amanda Gorman’s 'The Hill We Climb' poem that she read at President Biden’s Inauguration. We will still be reading it over here. An elementary school in Miami has removed the poem that Amanda Gorman wrote and recited at President Biden's inauguration called 'The Hill We Climb' after a single parent complaint. The panel discusses the move and whether one parent should have this much control over what is available to students.

 A true legend has passed. Tina Turner has died at the age of 83. She was our River Deep and our Mountain High, the Private Dancer in our hearts. She showed us that love really does have everything to do with it and that we really did need another hero. And she was it. Rest now, Proud Mary. Raise your voice high in the heavens. You were always simply The Best.

 

 

 

 

The United States has filed a lawsuit in federal court, attempting to seize Word Network president Kevin Adell’s $4.4 million Bloomfield Hills, Michigan home, alleging the radio and TV broadcaster owes almost $18 million in estate and gift taxes, following the death of his father, Franklin Adell in 2006. The case has received little news coverage outside of Michigan. The Detroit Free Press and Crain’s Detroit Business have covered the story. Journalists reporting on Adell’s legal problems have missed a bigger story: Adell has exploited a loophole in the law, crafted for churches, to avoid disclosing millions of dollars in compensation.   Source Here:

 

 

 

 

What yall think? Starvation for Salvation - Pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie appealed more than 200 people killed themselves in the hope of meeting Christ 😢 He was arrested twice before - in 2019 & in March/2023-in relation to the deaths of children. The government of Kenya is urging locals to seek an understanding of religious books instead of blindly following pastors. Meanwhile, authorities searching for victims of the Shakahola doomsday cult discovered 22 more bodies on Saturday, which brings the death toll in one of Kenya's worst tragedies to at least 201. President William Ruto has apologized to the nation over the massacre. The discovery last month of mass graves bearing the bodies of more than 130 people near the popular tourist town of Malindi has shocked Kenyans. Self-proclaimed Pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie faces terrorism charges over what has been dubbed the 'Shakahola Forest Massacre' and is accused of inciting his followers to starve themselves to death.

What yall think about this? Our awesome President Joe Biden denounced white supremacy as the “most dangerous terrorist threat” to the nation in his commencement address to Howard University’s graduating class. “White supremacy … is the single most dangerous terrorist threat in our homeland,” Biden said. “And I’m not just saying this because I’m at a Black HBCU. I say this wherever I go.” Addressing the 2023 graduates of the university at the Capital One Arena in D.C., Biden depicted the U.S. as a nation roiled by internal conflict and alluded to the core messages of both his 2020 and 2024 campaign platforms. Invoking the battle cry he used to galvanize voters in the 2020 election cycle, he called on his audience to “fight for the soul of the nation.” Biden continued by telling the soon-to-be-grads that they represented the future of America — a future with the opportunity to put the “strength of our diversity at the center of American life,” and one that “celebrates and learns from h

What yall think? Kirk Franklin claims that he’s still dealing with the effects of his oldest son’s decision to leak a private phone conversation between the two....which I call bull!  In March 2021, Kerrion Rashad Franklin shared a recording on Instagram of the conversation between himself and his father. In the shocking clip, the gospel award-winning artist can be heard yelling, cursing, and threatening his 35-year-old son. He also said things such as “I will put my foot in your a–” and “I will break f––g your neck.” Kirk later apologized for the remarks that still haunt him today, calling it the “worst two years of my life.”  “It traumatizes me to this day,” he told Page Six. “It is very difficult, and my wife will tell you.” In my opinion, he wouldn't be so upset about the leak if he wasn't presenting himself one way in public but differently in private. If you practice what you preach and sing your response to the situation would have reflected it. Character and integrity

What yall think? Little Richard was interviewed by David Letterman. He was known as the architect of rock and roll. He was extremely flamboyant and grew up in the South which was deeply racist at that time. He got caught up in Fame, hard drugs, and a very dangerous lifestyle. Imagine what it was like back in the '60s coming out and saying he was gay. Our country was very different way back then. He got sober, and everything about his life changed. If you listen to the full interview it's very interesting, the song at the end "one day at a Time" brought me to tears. Little Richard left us with a legacy of music and others that he helped along the way. His sober demonstration and faith were incredible!

What yall think? The long, slow decline of the nation’s largest white Protestant denomination continues. Membership in the Southern Baptist Convention was down by nearly half a million in 2022, according to a recently released denomination report. Nashville-based Lifeway Research reported Tuesday (May 9) that the SBC had 13.2 million members in 2022, down from 13.68 million in 2021. That loss of 457,371 members is the largest in more than a century, according to the Annual Church Profile compiled by Lifeway. Once a denomination of 16.3 million, the SBC has declined by 1.5 million members since 2018, and by more than 3 million members since 2006. The COVID-19 pandemic played a role in the downturn, as did the reality that as older members die off, there are fewer young people to replace them.

What yall think? I think some things should not be named among the Christians. "Despite marrying his son’s ex-wife, and allegedly grooming and dating her while she was still married to his son, a Minnesota pastor remains in his position. The pastor’s son, however, is now going public with the 14-year-old, shocking story on TikTok—and his videos are going viral. "Andrew (Drew) Matthews told The Roys Report (TRR) that he shared his story on TikTok to warn others about spiritual abuse at his father’s approximately 200-member, word-of-faith church—Solid Rock Church in Elk River, Minn. Drew’s father, Bill Matthews is the lead pastor at Solid Rock. And Drew’s former wife, now his father’s wife—Ana Lorena Matthews—also serves as a pastor at Solid Rock."

  What yall think? In my opinion, there is no place for Non-Disclosures in God's work. I may be beating a dead horse here because I have written on this before on this blog, but I continue to read how churches and Christian organizations, when someone leaves the ministry or is let go, are asked to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). Sometimes, the refusal to sign an NDA has financial consequences if the person is owed a severance of any type. But my question, as always, is this - why should a church or Christian organization demand people to sign an NDA? Churches should be transparent. We should have nothing to hide. Part, but not always, of the reason behind the pressure for people to be quieted by signing these NDAs is to not make known to the public issues within the ministry, in fact, in some cases, hiding poor behavior (bullying, mismanagement of funds, people questioning how a church or ministry is doing things).  Source Here 

What yall think? Did your favorite preacher, teacher, televangelist, or aka 'PROFIT' make this "rich & famous" short list of living off people hard earned donated money?   I always question lists like these......especially to a great extent; and very much when you don't see many right-wing pastors like Franklin Graham is not on the list.....he's worth $10 million. How did he not make the list? Profiting off of “non-profits” is a lucrative business!   According to this link ( https://tinyurl.com/2mxsms23 ), the following is a list of the richest pastors in the world:  1. Kenneth Copeland (Net worth estimated at $300 million)  2. David Oyedepo (Net worth estimated at $150 million)  3. Pat Robertson (Net worth estimated at $100 million)  4. Joel Osteen (Net worth estimated at $80 million)  5. Benny Hinn (Net worth estimated at $60 million)  6. Chris Oyakhilome (Net worth estimated at $50 million)  7. Creflo Dollar (Net worth estimated at $39 million)  8. EA A

What yall think? Ruslan asked a very interesting question on his Facebook page, was Billy  Graham A CELEBRITY Pastor? Billy Graham never held a public office of any sort, he was an American evangelical Christian pastor who had a net worth of over $25 million at the time of his death in 2018. Billy Graham was also a Southern Baptist who rose to celebrity status as his sermons were broadcast on radio and television.  " With this new wave of celebrity pastors, could Billy be considered one of the FIRST celeb pastors? Or was the way he conducted himself more along the lines of a well-known servant? "   In my opinion, according to today's modern language Billy Graham was, an influencer, he was NOT a CELEBRITY. Most celebrities are self-absorbed. One could never accuse Billy Graham of that. People came because of the truth he imparted. He was an example for all to follow.... he lived his faith...

What yall think? Some on the internet are questioning this Wells Fargo deal....asking if there were no Non-Profit housing organizations in need of funding? The last time these banks worked with churches, they trapped Black folks into subprime home loans (Housing crisis/Great Recession 07/08).  In my opinion, anything with Wells Fargo is a scam. The fact that they made this partnership with T.D. Jakes makes the deal sketchy to me, especially from the article: Wells Fargo's bad reputation isn't a recent acquisition, either. Back in 2013, the bank paid a $175 million settlement in response to allegations that it offered higher rates and mortgage fees to Black and Hispanic candidates. You Can Read About Here: Bishop T.D. Jakes’s multiple-enterprise holding company has announced a 10-year, billion-dollar partnership with Wells Fargo & Company to revitalize neighborhoods, foster economic opportunity, and create long-term change in communities in need across America. The partners