Category: Ministry

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Vote for the Choices Made by God

woman conflictedI just finished listening to Hillary Clinton interview on the “Today Show.” No, you are not privy to my political views in this post. In fact, seldom in my activism will you find me focused upon politics; secular activists will tell you that change can only come at the voting box. I say change must come to hearts that have heard the messages, and then voting at the political box will reflect that. I place matters of righteousness above matters of the state. Balancing righteousness is one of the jobs the Lord expects me to do expertly.

So, Hillary Clinton speaks of one of her admired feminist heads that said race, as in the matter of the election of President Obama, is much more likely to stir voters to that side, when compared to gender. While I suspect that claim is probably true in the secular world, I know with total confidence that I can speak about female leadership in relationship to the things of God associated with faith.

Most of the churches are filled with women; you would be hard-pressed to find one that had a majority of men. Yet, most of the churches are led by the leadership of men. There are many qualified women that have sacrificed a great deal to receive the highest level educations in religion, yet, confined to leadership of a Sunday School for children, or one the worship team; seldom are they promoted to the place of leadership in the major denominations of Christianity.

This problem of ignoring legitimately “called-by-God” Christian leadership by the separation of women from men in the eligibility of application is active.  What do “called-by-God” educated women do? At this time, there are just a few options:

  1. Go to an Independent Church that sometimes restricts the conservative Word of God from being preached, and where the congregation controls every aspect of the leader’s management.
  2. Find a denomination that liberally accepts everyone, of every religion. Universalism is their mantra, the Word of God loses its authority, and the issues of activism and politics are usually focused upon more than the shepherding of God’s people.
  3. Reject churches and stay away, while trying to ignore the compulsion of God that is forcing you to move toward, rather than away from the establishment of His Word.
  4. Demand a platform opportunity, stand strong in the midst of hatred and ridicule, and do the job given to you by God. If it is His Will, He has prepared the path. If it is not, move on.

The rejection of Christian woman leadership is real, especially in the conservative branches of religion. It seems very, very wrong to me that women are forced to quiet their conservative belief in order to fulfill their God directed works by moving to a liberal Methodist or United church.

If you are a conservative woman, and God is moving you to ministry, and you have received your Master of Divinity degree, email me. I’m going to start a list of conservative ministries that are seeking educated leaders; let us start applying even if it means rejection.  When the Lord senses your commitments and sees your dedicated effort to break that glass ceiling, I suspect it will fall.

Email me! As our list of job opportunities grow, I will forward those to strong Christian female leaders who have been prepared for that important job. Keep looking, applying, and praying for your chance to assume the leadership role that God has chosen for you to accomplish. Christian conservative, called by God, women leaders, you have my vote!

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We teach that too!

Today friends, I am going to illustrate our teaching goals as we are training Christian leaders at Becker Professional Theology Academy.

The Traditional Sunday Worship Experience

Traditional worship

The Sunday services that joins together like-kind people in neighborhood churches. Usually a generational church with people that have been there a lifetime, as had their parents and grandparents before them. Pastors preach a steady program of basic Christian messages that their parishioners can apply in their lives during that week. It gives the congregation a chance to remember God and pray to him once a week at least. This type of church is often exclusionary and sometimes cruel and rejecting of believers that do not look or live like them.

Never fear, part of our Academy teaches our Pastor recruits on how to conduct neighborhood churches, with a focus on traditional hymns and the benefits of pot-lucks. Really! Church pot-lucks are the best; it not only feeds the people and gives a chance for sharing amongst themselves, but, the food is always good as the women in the church bring their foods that they have perfected over the generations. Fellowship is fueled perfectly! So we teach our Pastors about tradition and hymns and neighborhood fellowship; but, we do it a bit differently by insisting that all people, even those that are ornery, ugly, lonely,  different, or just plain weird are welcomed to the table.

The Spirit-filled Worship Service

Hoply Spirit worshippers

How wonderful these services are when the Holy Spirit surges through the congregation of believers and all worshipers lift their hands to praise the Lord! Members excitedly attend most services and expect to see His wonderful presence always. Church services often leave members refreshed and spiritually restored; exhaustion from unlimited praise to God justifies the sharing of food after the service. It is good also! Raised hands, singing, and sometimes-supernatural activities such as Spirit-guided talking in tongues and healings happen regularly in these type of churches. Though Holy Spirit churches are all over the world, the South gathers a good deal of them together in the places where black worshipers can join their neighbors and praise their Lord. I have never experienced an exclusionary attitude amongst Holy Spirit worshipers and have seen countless instances of inclusion, fellowship, and Christian love greeting newcomers.

We seriously teach every student the importance of the Holy Spirit presence in worship and in daily activities. We insist upon His inclusion in every part of their ministries, and will not accept exclusion of His presence in their works; thus, we teach them how to make contact with God, and be a conduit of His moving to the people they are ministering to. Though we focus less on the worship service, and more on the day-to-day activities and works for the Lord, our students are fully equipped to lead the revival of Spirit worshipers.

This is us!

Perfect Coaching

 

This illustration reflects perfectly our primary focus in training up Pastors and Chaplains at Becker Professional Theology Academy.  Check out this apparent “oneness” of the coach and his assistant. How great would it be if Pastors and Chaplains in this world did their jobs with perfect reflection of Christ? Watch the assistant reflecting the actions of the coach, right down to the tiniest of motions. This assistant duplicates his main coach’s actions with unceasing “oneness.”

There is little focus placed in teaching the preparation of Sunday best or waiting upon the Holy Spirit in planned times. It is about being so well trained, and so confident of their Lord’s expectations, that it gives our students a different perspective on ministry. Rather than being limited by traditional Christian expression or celebrating in a church building once or twice a week, we are training up our Pastors and Chaplains to reflect the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ perfectly, with attention to details and practice, practice, practice of the Lord’s ways.

Becker Professional Theology Academy teaches its Pastors and Chaplains how to do ministry outside the four walls of a church. We teach them how to reflect Christ’s movements perfectly, and confidently complete the works given to them with a precision so apparently Christ, that it is recognized by all.  We believe that Christ’s works are not limited to the exclusive religions or perfected worship services behind four walls.  We believe that unchurched believers can have supernatural contact with God given the chance, and it is the job of our Pastors and Chaplains to bring Christ to them in the way He would respond, perfectly.