A testament to a true leader

Today I witnessed something very cool, that very few leaders are ever able to do. Dr. John Greene (my pastor) who pastor's Harmony Hill baptist church in Lufkin Texas admitted something vulnerable today. Dr. Greene is 59, and he admits that by the time he learns a new piece of technology it's old. He expressed his frustration, and admits that he has a hard time staying current on technology. The issue at hand was that our reports were saying that our monthly newsletters were for the most part ineffective. For the time and money spent it was suggested to kill the newsletter. Dr. Greene is a very personal pastor, who wants to be connected to his flock, and this idea scared him. He was worried that the people wouldn't feel connected because they couldn't read his thoughts on the ministry here anymore. Our technology pastor suggested that he start writing a blog. After some explaining he agreed, and he killed the newsletter. This is super big! and I want to explain why.

Most pastors who are over the age of 45 don't ever have another original idea (Andy Stanley). The problem is leadership is often associated with the person who brings the most to the table. The "old school" view on leadership was that the most talented person is the leader. Which as we know if often time not the case. In church leadership is probably even more evident because of the nature of the size of a churches staff compared to a big business. So what happens most of the time is the pastor starts getting older and is more and more out of touch with the general population, and technology. Well anybody born before 1995 has seen drastic changes in media and communication. So most of America's churches are attempting to do things that worked back when the pastor was 45 years old. Now nothing is being taken away from the success that happened 14 years ago (1995), but most pastor's fail to realize that we live in a very different world today. 14 years ago every church member didn't own a cell phone, and they definitely were not connected by the Internet.

So why is this big? what happen today was that Dr. Greene let one of his young staff members bring an idea to the table. The idea met the needs of the current situation, and allowed our pastor to better connect with today's generation. The cool part was that pastor did like the change. This is cool because even though it took him out of his comfort zone, he was more willing to do what it took to reach his people, rather than doing what made him feel more comfortable. Essentially he's doing the same thing; typing his thoughts about the church. The format is the only thing that has changed. But I admired this move because he let younger talent bring something of value to the table and didn't feel threatened because it wasn't his idea, and he was willing to learn and adapt, instead of defending the newsletter. Most pastors would rep remand the younger generation about not taking to time to read anything on paper, or they would complain that were too dependent on computers, but instead of excuses he did what it took to stay relevant.

30 years from now when ministry looks much different than what I am use to, I hope I will have the leadership and guts to do what Dr. Greene did today.

My encounter with Mormons

(if you don't care about the theological discussion scroll to the end to see where I owned them speechless)

So last Friday at 9:00am before I had shaved or showered or anything 2 Mormon missionaries rang my door bell. I spoke with them for just a second and tried to get rid of them, and they really wanted to talk, so i asked them back for next Friday (so I'd get a chance to look at their theology and what all they believe). This is how our conversation went...

(I'll set the stage first) They were making chit chat and I just said we both know why you are here so let's get to it. This gave them an uneasy look in their eye's. Last week when I told them I was a Southern Baptist Minister they seemed not so happy (I'm guessing that they have met some of us before :) So this week they showed up with a third guy. He did no talking and generally looked uneasy but was huge so I'm guessing that made them feel better...you see last week they took me by surprise, let's face it most people don't usually have their doorbell rung unless they are expecting it...so I grabbed my pistol and stuck it in my pocket just in case. Maybe they saw that and thought "gun toting redneck". The second guy who was definitely the learner was eager to participate but was not very knowledgeable. Anytime I had a question that stumped them he was the one who said "wow, that's a good question". And then there was the leader who was the one who most of my conversation was directed to.

(some dialogue) I go straight to the problem. "The restoration". (Mormons believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet who restored the church after a magical meeting in the forest with God where he was given these golden tablet's that had the book of Mormon on them and the way to restore the church from the great apostasy...and then they eh...were taken away lightening or fire or something from Heaven) I said "the only restoration is when Jesus comes for his church and ever knee bows and every tongue confesses that Jesus is Lord. Joseph Smith has nothing to do with any of that." As you would guess they disagreed. Then I went to the Great Apostasy. I asked them to explain on what basis could they even say that there was a great apostasy. I challenged them to reread Jude, and acts. They Tried hard to glaze of chronological order to make their case. The said all had turned away from the gospel which is why Christ was crucified. Well I can end that debate right now Christ wasn't killed by Jews or Romans, the Bible said that he laid down his own life for us. They insisted this was the reason. So I asked them about the day of Pentecost "was the gospel of Jesus null and void on that day?" I don't remember how but they changed the subject, and we got on the the subject of priesthood.

Priesthood deals with lots history, I don't have much more than an elementary understanding, but even that was enough to shut them down on this point... I went to the fact the Jesus didn't have priesthood while he was on earth and here's why: uh the Bible says so! Hebrew's 8:4 "now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law." Why is this important! because they claim that in Matthew 16:18 when Jesus hands the keys of the church to Peter, that this was when Jesus was giving priesthood authority to the disciples...well that's problematic because Jesus was not acting as high priest at the time, Caiaphas was! We see in numbers (3:10) and in Exodus (29:28-29) that the priesthood was in the line of Aaron and his sons. Jesus was descendant from the tribe of Judah! He was not acting as the high priest, I returned to Heb. 8:4 again. He disagreed and quoted his version (kjv) and it took out the word "not". So his argument was that Jesus was acting as high priest. He didn't let me see his Bible, but as soon as they left I looked it up and the KJV definitely has the word "not" in Heb 8:4...he was lying so that his 2 learners would think he got owned. So I return to my argument" Jesus was high priest after he atoned for our sins, so he could have never given priesthood to the apostles, furthermore apostles and prophets are not the same thing (which they use interchangeably). They kept using the fact the the apostles could baptize and that was a sign of their priesthood. I again returned to Hebrews chapter 7 where it clearly explains that the high priest was responsible for the sacrifice of the atoning of sins, never baptism. I told him to reread Matthew 29:19 "go ye therefore and mike disciples of all nations baptising them in the name of the father, son, and holy spirit". I told him Christ after the Resurrection commanded the apostles to make disciples and baptise...it had nothing to do with with priesthood. After having really nothing to respond with he mentions that he has to go soon, and he pulls out the book of Mormon...and so begins the ownage.

(((((((Here is the part where ownage happens, if that's all you really wanted to read)))))))))

Mormon: "well you have some great questions and I think that you'll find the answers in here. This book is a perfect testament to Jesus Christ. It will help you understand the Bible and how it pertains to the teachings of the LDS church"

Me: " I can't take that book, in 2 John I am bonded by the word of God that says if anyone comes to your house with some other teaching, that I am not to receive it, and I cannot welcome him into my house"

Mormon: "but this book will help you understand the Bible and the truth that was given to Joseph Smith, and sir you would be a fool not to read something that talks about Jesus Christ!"

This is where the intensity of my voice heightens

Me: "that is the most warped logic I have ever heard! basically I shut you down on the very basis of Mormonism, and you tell me that I need some other book that will basically agree with your warped theology, and then I'm suppose to take it read it and see that your heresy is true?" Then I asked "suppose I had a book that will explain protestant theology, even if you didn't agree with how I interpreted the Bible it's ok because once you read my book and it agrees with everything I just said you'll then know that I am right, do you see the logic in that. That's the dumbest thing I have every heard!"

Mormon: So your basically rejecting a book that speaks about the Lord Jesus?

Me" In the very end of the gospel of John it says that there will be so many book written about Jesus that the world probably couldn't contain them. So could I call you a fool since you don't take the gospel of Thomas? it speaks about Jesus why won't you take that?

Mormons: well we have another appoint, we've got to go "have a great day"

Me: it was nice to meet you but I can't bid you Godspeed, the word of God prohibits me of that.

This was my Mormon experience.

Inspired 2

The second church that has inspired me is First Baptist Church of Woodstock. I grew up in, and served on staff at Hopewell Baptist church. Pastor Norman Hunt is pastor Johnny Hunt's older brother. When I was with Hopewell we did some amazing things, God is still doing some amazing things at Hopewell right now. When I was there I lead a small college and career service. Across town FBCW lead one as well...and they ran 400 to 600 college/singles. It was always difficult to find people to reach that FBCW wasn't already reaching. It was a challenge to think about where to start because it always felt that no stone was unturned. Which is why I am so impressed by this ministry. Love him or hate him Johnny Hunt is a man that's hard to ignore. I once heard him preach at a Winter xtreme conference and he said "I don't want to leave this world the same way I found it". I was very impressed by that, because his heart was to simply do the best job that he could with the talents that God have him. Through the ministry of FBCW was birthed the Love Loud project. This is a series of projects where the church meeting the needs of the community with no expectation of anything in return ( including membership) simply because we are suppose to. This has been such a success that Dr. Hunt has taken this campaign to the SBC. I am modeling it here in Lufkin Texas because I was so impressed with it. In a world where churches are often lead by lazy preachers, Woodstock stands out as a rock in the north Georgia suburb's that's willing to go whatever it take to reach the lost.

Im inspired

There are 6 churches that really inspire my by the way ministry is done, and by how God has been blessing them. Craig Groeshel calls it the "It" factor. The following list seems to have "it" First Baptist Church of Woodstock, North Point Community Church, Lifechurch, Elevation church, Rolling Hills, and National Community Church.



Of course there are several other GREAT churches and are an inspiration to me and others, these are just the ones that have been on my mind lately, and I'd like to take some time and tell you why. I want to start with probably the smallest and least "known" church.

Rolling Hills: This church wasn't on anyone's radar until recently. They didn't have some conference that drew a multitude of people. They didn't have a sermon like Louie Giglio that swept across the Internet. They didn't have the biggest building, or the largest congregation. What they did have was a very biblical view on what the church should look like. This church had so many members in trouble of having their houses lost to the mortgage crisis they actually sold their church building and paid off the members mortgages! That's awesome! I have been apart of building campaigns where people are so fired up about stupid things what color's and structures. I have seen families leave the church during times of building because of disagreements. For this church to have the compassion, and biblical view to have done what they did astonishes me. I felt like this post was needed to applaud Rolling Hills church because that's a move that most people would have never even thought of, let alone if the did actually do it. I think Jesus was smiling in Heaven when they made this decision. I believe that's the kind of church that Christ died to set up. I'm not saying that everyone's called to sell their church, but it's a great example of the church is US and not our buildings. I want to leave you with a passage from Acts, and you decide for yourself if you think this church is seeking God's will. Acts 2:42-47 (ESV)

"42And they devoted themselves to the apostles’
teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43And awe
came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the
apostles. 44And all who believed were together and had all things in common.
45And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the
proceeds to all, as any had need. 46And day by day, attending the temple
together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad
and generous hearts, 47praising God and having favor with all the people. And
the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being
saved."