This is our November cover

In this issue

Refugee church

Some months ago refugees fled their homes in Rwanda, Burundi and Eastern Congo to make the long trek through Tanzania or Uganda to a kind of freedom in Kenya, reports James Henderson.

Among them were six adults and eight children who decided to form a church when they were resettled in Kenya. Page 3.

Personal

The events of Sept. 11 deeply affected the American psyche, writes Pastor General Joseph Tkach in his Personal.

There was a sudden upsurge in patriotism, a sudden willingness to allow God in the public sphere. When people feel helpless, it is natural for them to seek supernatural help. Page 6.

A city mourns

Carl Molinaro, a New York City firefighter, was last seen descending into the basement of the South Tower of the World Trade Center, writes Craig Bacheller, Queens, New York, pastor.

Carl’s mother commented that her son "marched into that hell only to end up in heaven." Page 8.

Response to terror

Members around the world continued to respond to the terrorist attacks against the United States Sept. 11.

Pastor General Joseph Tkach received messages from church leaders in various countries. Churches had prayer services and donated to relief agencies. Page 9.

Gospel is Good News

When Americans gathered in churches around the nation on Sept. 14, a day of mourning, they came to hear words of comfort, encouragement and hope, writes Mike Feazell in The Gospel is Good News.

Instead, a number of conservative Christian leaders proclaimed a message that amounted to despair, hopelessness and fear for everybody whose loved ones died in the terrorist attack without having first professed faith in Jesus Christ. Page 12.

Reconciliation

Curtis May, director of the Office of Reconciliation Ministries (ORM), continues to conduct mentoring sessions around the United States.

In this issue, Mr. May reports on mentoring sessions that took place in Charlotte, North Carolina; Livonia, Michigan, and Dallas, Texas.

Mr. May said that ORM named five new chapters and chapter leaders. Page 17.

Colombia

Hector Barrero and his wife, Paulina, have a radio program in Colombia that has brought many people to the Worldwide Church of God. Page 20.

Christian Beliefs

Salvation is a rescue operation, writes Michael Morrison in his Basic Christian Beliefs column. To understand salvation, we need to know what the problem was, what God did about it and how we respond to it. Page 24.

Financial Report

Regular mail and special offering income for September closed at just over $1.6 million, reports controller Ronald Kelly. An estate donation brought the overall income from all sources to close to $2.4 million. Page 29.

God is good when all is bad

By James R. Henderson

NAIROBI, Kenya—When you are suffering, it is easy to forget that God loves you. Jesus, even when he was in agony on the cross, pointed to the goodness of God, and gave a message of hope to the thief who was in pain and dying with him.

I visited some believers Sept. 1 who have experienced rejection and destitution in a way that most of us cannot imagine. They are our latest church in Africa, a church of refugees.

Some months ago refugees fled their homes in Rwanda, Burundi and Eastern Congo to make the long trek (sometimes two months or more) through Tanzania or Uganda to a kind of freedom in Kenya.

Among them were six adults and eight children who formed a church when they were resettled in June in the township of Kangemi on the outskirts of Nairobi. On the journey some were robbed again, most were malnourished, and some of the children had died.

Before fleeing, some had seen relatives callously slaughtered. They couldn’t flick the channel or tune into another station or turn the page. The second by second hard reality persisted day after day.

Now they were strangers in a strange land. All they had in common with their new neighbors were the Swahili language and poverty. Unable to get work, they relied mostly on the good will of others and on small handouts from the United Nations. But they were anxious to start a church, initially in the shanty dwellings assigned to them.

Two men, John and Peter, had been associated with the WCG where they lived previously. They tried to get in touch with us, but failed. One day they discussed this with a Catholic priest who knew of us, and he put them in contact with our Nairobi office. Our churches assisted the group with food, blankets and clothing. To this day the refugees still cannot get work. They rely on charity for physical assistance.

Amazingly, this group has grown into a full-fledged congregation. More refugees and some Kenyans have joined them. The group embarked on an evangelism campaign. Most days teams were to knock on four doors and begin talking to people about God, and then invite them to church. The day I saw them, six were attending for the first time. From June to late August they have gone from 14 to 86 in attendance.

They sang and danced and praised God with emotion. Sometimes you could see a tear in a worshiper’s eye, perhaps in remembrance of a lost one, some unspoken pain.

What do you say to such a group? They have more to teach me about life than I them. Their faith has been tested beyond the limits of my endurance. All I could think of saying was that Jesus suffers with them, that through their experiences Jesus can touch others, that the kingdom of God is here now with them, that Jesus will return and rescue all of us from the evil around us; to proclaim the goodness of God in the midst of their suffering.

I felt a sense of shame. I can sit in my ceiled house and argue over nonessential things while the temple of God—the body of Jesus—suffers.

Have we lost the picture of the kingdom of God? The vision of our Lord as he ministered to the poor and healed the sick? We are so consumed with our own concerns, our own spiritual needs, that we have neglected love, mercy and justice.

Perhaps all of us have from time to time gone down this selfish spiritual route, turning a blind eye to the needy not just far away in places such as Africa and Asia but also in our community. May God forgive all of us.

If I, as a Westerner, had gone through such tribulations as our refugee brothers and sisters have experienced, I would probably now be in therapy or be seeking some space to recover. But they don’t have such luxuries. They just have Jesus. And each other. And us. They need our heartfelt prayers—please, please pray for them.

REFUGEE CHURCH—Members in Kangemi.

LEADERS—Kangemi leaders and their families. [Photos by James Henderson]

EVANGELISM—Newcomers in Kangemi Sept. 1.

SEP: impossible
dream comes true

By Sheila Talley

My husband, Phillip, and I came into the WCG in the early ’60s. After learning about the Summer Educational Program, I dreamed to attend. However, as we were past the acceptance age of 18, plus being newlyweds, we were ineligible on two counts. I put my dream aside.

We sent each of our three children to either SEP or a Winter Educational Program. That was a partial fulfillment of my dream. At least I was the parent of campers and looked at the experience through their eyes. But God had other plans!

In 2001, the dream came true when we were accepted to attend SEP Higher Ground II. The fact that we were the oldest campers there only added to the adventure. We drove from Oklahoma to Orr, Minnesota, arrived on July 20 and unpacked.

That we were regular campers was soon evident. My husband of 39 years was assigned a dorm on boys point, and I stayed in a dorm on girls point with about a dozen other women—both staffers and campers. We were ready for the experience of a lifetime!

The heart of the camp was how God’s Spirit permeated the atmosphere. It was so evident in the daily chapels, praise and worship, fellowship and testimonies of the campers.

Jesus was at the center of our worship. His love was evident in the faces and actions of the young people we met. It spilled over on us, as we older adults were accepted and loved as much as anyone else.

It was inspiring to see the commitment that these young people have to Jesus and to our denomination, and to see the growth that took place there. It was difficult to see the camp end. We left Aug. 2, after my husband participated in a three-day canoe trip.

As these enthusiastic youths of our church return to their local congregations, eager to serve and filled with hope for our denomination, we older members have an obligation to them. They deserve our support and our involvement in their ministries. We can help their dreams not to be impossible either.

DREAM FULFILLED—Sheila Talley, Higher
Ground II participant, delivers a pitch at SEP
in Orr, Minnesota.

Festival coverage

Articles about the Come Celebrate Christ festival will appear in the December issue.

Facilities cuts
budget by 35 percent

Mark Kersh

Bernell Michel

PASADENA—Twelve Facilities Department employees were terminated and three were retired in September, reducing the department’s budget by 35 percent, according to Dale Trow, Facilities administrator.

"The Facilities Department played a key role in clearing buildings of surplus items to prepare the headquarters facility for the close of escrow, and they assisted with auctions," Mr. Trow said. "Most of that work is now complete."

Mr. Trow noted that almost one third of Facilities’ expenses are general operational expenses for headquarters and cover such things as telephone, utilities and property tax.

In addition, Facilities must ensure that the property is in compliance with regulatory agencies and remains a safe place for employees and visitors.

"We’re not taking on any new projects," Mr. Trow said, "but with 80 buildings on 50 acres, we must perform minimal maintenance tasks to protect the value of the property."

Facilities also assists Legacy engineers, architects and other consultants with information about the physical plant to facilitate planning. Facilities employees have briefed Legacy on existing infrastructure, conducting behind the scene tours and providing drawings and other documentation necessary for Legacy’s project planning.

"I’m constantly amazed at the talent, dedication and work ethic of the men and women in the department," Mr. Trow said. "You would be hard pressed to find a more versatile group of experts under one roof. The average tenure for Facilities employees is 18 years, so our staff has come to know this property inside out. Everyone has been flexible and helped in whatever ways have been necessary. We’ve accomplished many seemingly impossible tasks by partnering for team days to combine limited resources into an effective work group."

Mr. Trow continued: "Even though we’ve known for six years that the Facilities Department would be phased out, it doesn’t make these mass terminations any easier. We’re a tight-knit group, a family. Departing employees received the news graciously and many expressed their appreciation for the opportunity they’ve had to serve over the years."

The retired employees, their job functions and years of service to the Worldwide Church of God are Bernell Michel, recreation supervisor, 47 years; Mark Kersh, patrol supervisor, 37 years; and Peter Spiroff, equipment mechanic, 16 years.

The following employees were terminated: Eric Alvarez, groundskeeper: Dirk Brewster, custodian; Dale Coker, lead groundskeeper; Michael Coker, groundskeeper; Jeffrey Eisen, plumber; Amelia Flores, custodian; John Lyons, lead painter; Robert Lyons, painter; Socorro Martinez, custodian; Allen Miller, moving crew staff; Nathan Naquin, Maintenance Services dispatcher; and Philip Smith, warehouse coordinator.

Church Administration also announced that David Clark, pastor of the Austin and Waco, Texas, churches, left the full-time ministry to make a career change, and that Delores Schroeder, secretary in Church Administration, left the employ of the church for health reasons.

24-7 Community
Church host 
to inner-city block party

NEWARK, New Jersey—Having prayed and fasted for direction in planning an inner-city block party Aug. 4, members of the 24-7 Community Church (the Newark WCG congregation), introduced themselves to the surrounding diverse community where it conducts church services.

They went in teams handing out and posting flyers about the event. They introduced themselves to their neighbors, and some requested prayers.

At the block party they spread the gospel of Jesus Christ through prayer and music. Games and toys were available. By the end of the day, 65 people had registered. Thirty of them were unchurched.

"We are praying that God will guide and direct us through and by the Holy Spirit to develop real relationships with those in the community, especially those who are unchurched," said Pastor Frank Howard.

Personal from Joseph Tkach

God Bless America

The events of Sept. 11 deeply affected the American psyche. There was a sudden upsurge in patriotism, a sudden willingness to allow God in the public sphere. When people feel helpless, it is natural for them to seek supernatural help.

It is tragic that some people use violence to further their own causes. It is also tragic that some Christians have used the results of this violence, and the fears it caused, to further their own religious agenda. They have proclaimed it a specific fulfillment of "end time" prophecy, a reason for people to join and support their particular group or cult.

Although disasters do indeed serve as reminders of our mortality and our need for God, it almost seems that some groups have responded to the terrorist attacks with something more akin to delight than to sorrow—more a chance to say "I told you so" than to grieve with those who grieve.

Few of us will quickly forget the images of planes striking buildings, of the huge fireball, of the dramatic collapse of buildings and the enormous rubble pile that killed thousands of people from scores of nations. Those horrors have left an indelible impression on the American and the Free World psyche.

Though the most visible and greatest tragedy was in New York, we do not forget the horrible crimes that killed hundreds in Pennsylvania and at the Pentagon. We do not have a convenient symbol or label for these multiple acts of terrorism; we are left with the ungainly expression "the events of Sept. 11." We are left with a dispersed enemy—pockets of criminals scattered in any number of remote nations.

And, distressingly, we are left with certain mixed feelings about some Free World values, such as our respect for individual rights. Today, it seems, if three Arabic men try to fly on the same plane, other passengers have mixed feelings about the concept of equal treatment for all. They’ve been taught to treat everyone equally, and yet now they find themselves fearing some people more than others. They want certain people to be given a more thorough security check than others. Their values are being tested.

Another area of mixed feelings is the separation of church and state. Many Christians mix their religion with their patriotism, and I suppose that this is to some extent unavoidable. Nations have done that for millennia. Armies going to war always have religious leaders to assure the troops that their god(s) are on their side.

But it seems to me that Jesus and Paul don’t give any support to a blend of faith and politics. The goals of the gospel are quite different from the goals of a nation. One stresses justice, the other stresses grace and mercy. One stresses material prosperity, the other focuses on spiritual reality.

Governments try to make this world better, and indeed it is their God-given responsibility to do so. But when they succeed, people often begin to trust in the government instead of in God. In times of prosperity, people tend to focus on material blessings instead of their spiritual needs. And sometimes churches get distracted by dreams of national greatness (Nazi Germany is one example, but we must not forget that religion was also used to justify slavery, colonial expansion and American massacres of Indian tribes).

Christianity tells us that this world is fallen and sinful, and it won’t be fixed by better laws, better armies or religious wars. We are not going to usher in the fullness of the kingdom of God through human effort. We need the return of Christ, and until then, the Bible tells us, we live as aliens and strangers on earth (Hebrews 11:13). We are looking for a nation with foundations laid by God himself (verse 10). Our primarily allegiance, our primary citizenship, is in heaven (Philippians 3:20).

Nevertheless, we are also citizens of earthly nations, and we have responsibilities in and for these nations. At a minimum, it means that we pray for our nation’s leaders so that we might have peace and freedom to worship (1 Timothy 2:1-2). We pray that God would give these leaders wisdom in the way they seek justice for criminal acts. This is by no means easy—that is why we pray for supernatural guidance.

But we need to distinguish between religion and government. The bombs falling on Afghanistan are not Christian or Kingdom of Christ bombs—they are American and British bombs, and there will always be a difference between the kingdom of God and national governments. Nations have the God-given responsibility to punish evil-doers (Romans 13:4), but they remain nations as they do it; they do not become the kingdom of God. When Paul wrote, for example, Rome spoke and acted for Rome, not for God, even though God often used what Rome did in its own interests for his purposes.

Of course, the terrorists do mix religion with military action. They do portray the conflict as a holy war between Islam and the West, and that is another reason why we need to keep our faith and our patriotism clearly distinct. America is not representing a religion—it is fighting for legitimate national interests. As Americans, we support those legitimate national interests. As Christians, we trust in God for mercy, safety and courage.

As Christians, we want God to bless Afghanistan, too. Those people also need the gospel. But bombs are not the best way to preach Christ. Bombs might be the best way for America to seek justice for criminals hiding in Afghanistan, but they are not a means of spreading the gospel. We have mixed feelings. We pray for justice, and we pray for grace.

There are no simple answers to the problems we face. In this fallen world, we will always have problems that can’t be solved. There will be troubles if we act, and troubles if we don’t. One problem will lead to another, and another, and yet another, until Christ returns.

But let me leave you with some good news:

Our hope in is Christ, and in him we are secure. "We are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken" (Hebrews 12:28). Our future cannot be threatened by planes, bombs or anthrax. Even if we die, we win.

Christ has shown us how to conquer adversity: through faith in God. When we trust in him, we win. "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul" (Matthew 10:28).

Even if in some way-out scenario, religious fanatics take over our nation, the gospel "is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes" (Romans 1:16). Even if they declare Christianity illegal, we win. That is because we do not measure success by political power, but by faith.

The gospel gives us the most secure platform possible. Not even death can separate us from the love of Christ (Romans 8:38-39).

The really good news is that God wants everyone to hear the gospel and to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4)—and it is for that reason that we pray for our national leaders (verses 1-2). We pray for peace, not merely for our own benefit, but especially for conditions that help spread the gospel.

Friends, pray for America—not because America is a better nation than others, but because America needs the gospel. We, like all nations, are a sinful nation, and like the citizens of all nations, our citizens need repentance, humility and forgiveness. Pray that in one way or another, people might see the gospel as what they really need.

As Christians, we are free in Christ to patriotically support our nation in all its legitimate endeavors, and as Americans, we are free in the Constitution to worship and believe as we see fit. That is, I think, the greatest blessing God has given America, and as loyal Americans, I believe, it is our worthy duty to defend that freedom.

How Does God Bless America?

Many are singing or saying "God Bless America." But have they stopped to consider how God blesses America? What are the truly good things that God has given America?

Does God bless America by giving us more money and goods, so that we can trust in money and goods? Does he bless us with luxuries that distract us from thinking about the purpose of life?

In the old covenant, God promised to give Israel national blessings for obedience, and national curses for disobedience. Israel broke her covenant with God, and the land was taken over by outsiders.

In the new covenant, God takes away our sins and gives us his righteousness through faith in Immanuel, God with us—Jesus Christ, the perfect human. Our inheritance is not land and it is not a great nation—it is eternal life.

Perhaps what Americans need is the courage, integrity and unity to defend its Constitution, which guarantees our freedom to worship and believe as we see fit. And perhaps what we need is faith—faith that God loves us even when we hurt, even when death is at the door. And maybe what America needs is the gospel—good news that in the midst of human sin and pain, God holds out the gift of pardon and new life in Jesus Christ.

Indeed, God bless America!

Booklets

The Gospel: Your Invitation to the Kingdom

Finding Peace in Christ

Good News for Bad people

What is the gospel? a series of Bible studies

1. The Message of Jesus

2. Parables of the Kingdom

3. Preaching in the Early Church

4. What Jesus Said About Himself

5. The Gospel According to Paul

6. The Good News of Salvation

7. Relationship With Christ

Articles

New life in Christ: the Gospel in One Page

How to Become a Christian

Peter’s Story: Coming to Christ

Good News in an Alabaster Jar

Standing in Christ Alone

Grace to the Gluttons

Faith

Believing the Gospel

A Simple Matter of Trust

Our Adoption as God’s Children

On Being a Child of God

How Baptism Pictures the Gospel

Should Believers Be Baptized?

The Present and Future Kingdom of God

Justification and Righteousness by Faith

Getting a Grip on Repentance

Trusting God With the Problem of Sin

Obeying God

What Are Human Beings?

Will Humans Become Gods?

Only One Name

What About "Eternal Security"?

Discovery groups for new Christians—a series of studies

Foundations of Christianity

Jesus

Assurance

The Bible

Learning to Pray

The Holy Spirit

Christian Fellowship

Defeating Evil

Serving Christ

 

Articles about being born again

The Breathtaking Miracle of Being Born From Above

You Must Be Born From Above

Born of the Spirit

The Context of John 3

Conception and Resurrection

Born Again

What Does Gennao Mean?

"From Above" or "Again"?

The Meaning of Gennao in Matthew 1:20

Birth and Life in the Gospel of John

A city mourns its heroes

By Craig Bacheller

Craig and Mary Bacheller

REMINDER OF HEROISM--Destroyed firetruck towed away. [Photo by Bill Louw]

STATEN ISLAND, New York—The call came into the Foster Avenue engine house in Brooklyn, New York. Staten Island resident Carl Molinaro had just finished his shift and was awaiting his relief. The time was 8:54 a.m., minutes after the first plane smashed into the World Trade Center Tower No. 1.

Carl jumped to duty on Ladder Co. No. 2 of Engine Co. No. 8, of Battalion No. 8. They raced over the Brooklyn Bridge to begin fighting the fire in the North Tower. When Ladder Co. No. 2 arrived on the scene they were assigned to the South Tower or World Trade Center Tower No. 2. Their orders were to go into the basement and begin evacuating the South Tower in case there was to be any collateral damage from the North Tower.

Shortly afterward, Carl was last seen descending into the basement of the South Tower with the rest of Ladder Co. No. 2. That was the last time that anyone saw Carl alive. Carl and Ladder Co. No. 2 of Engine Co. No. 8 of Battalion No. 8 all perished shortly after 9:59 a.m. when the South Tower collapsed.

Carl’s body was not found until Oct. 6. Like many of his fallen comrades, he was carried out on a stretcher draped by the American flag.

I first met Carl when he attended a few classes at a school my wife, Mary, founded to teach college accredited American Sign Language and train sign language interpreters for the deaf. His mother, Joan, is one of our faculty members.

On Friday, Oct. 12, more than 2,000 family, friends, New York’s Bravest and Finest, along with representatives of the governor’s office as well as representatives from Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s office, laid Carl to rest. He was sent off with the greatest of grandeur and honor a grateful city can bestow. The firefighters Fife and Drum Corps led the procession from the funeral home into the church. From the church the corps led the antique Ladder Co. No. 2 truck, which bore Carl’s coffin draped by the firefighters’ flag to the cemetery.

Ladder Co. No. 2 led the way to the largest rescue effort in New York City history. When Carl and his comrades descended seven stories into the basement of the South Tower, they evacuated more than 25,000 people, according to Deputy Borough President James Molinaro during his eulogy of Carl.

Before this grand display of bagpipes, drums, flags and firetrucks honoring one of their fallen, the family had to wait and wonder about the fate of Carl. Donna, Carl’s childhood sweetheart and wife of five years, waited with their children, Sabrina, 3, and Carl Jr., five weeks. Joan and Eugene (Carl’s father) waited in agony. My wife and I spent many an hour with them praying, crying, mourning and hoping.

During this time, Eugene and I shared a special moment. Eugene is a large man with calloused hands. His trade is carpentry. For years he created display cabinets for Cartier Jewelers. Eugene is a man’s man. But he lost his business after it had fallen on hard times.

Eugene was not much of a churchgoer. Joan, however, attends an evangelical church called Gateway Cathedral, pastored by Richard Mercaldo. (I attend prayer summits with him and the rest of the evangelical ministry of New York City. He and his church are members of the National Association of Evangelicals and sat on the board when the WCG was accepted into the organization.)

Eugene and I had developed a special relationship over the past five years. I could relate to his immense pain, not directly, but vicariously, through my father. It was in 1981 that we lost my sister, Terry, to leukemia. The heartache my father experienced lasted for a long time. I believe it was one of the events that led to his acceptance of Jesus Christ, and my officiating at his baptism in 1995.

Eugene and I prayed. I asked him about his relationship with Jesus. He said with tears in his big blue eyes, "We are not on very good terms." I replied that this would be a good time to "mend your fences" with Jesus. We prayed, with tears streaming down our cheeks. We prayed a prayer of recommitment and rededication. After we prayed, he looked at me and said, "When you move to Staten Island, you have to start a church, because I want to be a part of your ministry." I was deeply moved.

I could only think of the song from Lamentations 3 about God’s faithfulness and how it is new every morning. Eugene’s son, Carl, was a Christian. He and Donna worshiped at Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church, where he was married and mourned. I can only imagine that Carl’s greatest joy as he lives in the presence and power of Jesus, is that his father Eugene has returned home to Christ through his selfless act of bravery.

Joan, Carl’s mother, said it best: "On Sept. 11, 2001 you marched into that hell only to end up in heaven in the arms of our Lord. My greatest joy is that when my journey rounds that final bend, that you will be there to greet me with our Lord and Savior, Jesus, my son, my son."

If the murder of 6,000 people is what it takes to bring this nation into the power and presence of Jesus, we can only marvel at God’s ability to turn horrific events into powerful moments of spiritual recommitment.

Carl did his duty heroically on Sept. 11. His act of selfless bravery makes us proud and thankful that a man with Christ residing in him, lived as Christ did, giving his life for others. What a powerful testimony to all of us who have him residing in our hearts.

Members respond
to terrorist attacks

CANINE RESCUER--Jen Louw aids rescue dog. [Photos by Bill Louw]

NEAR GROUND ZERO--New York rescue workers.

GROUND ZERO WEST--Salvation Army gives aid to rescue workers.

SALVATION ARMY--Queens and Nassau canteens, where Bill Louw worked

CHURCH STREET--No. 2 and No. 4 World Trade Center

Following are additional messages received by Pastor General Joseph Tkach from international areas expressing sympathy and encouragement in the wake of the terrorism that occurred Sept. 11. Other comments from international areas appeared in the October issue.

My deepest condolences are with the American people. The shock and loss of what happened in New York and Washington is tremendous. In Europe we are shocked, knowing full well that Western values and freedom are also under attack. I pray that God may give President Bush great wisdom in taking the right decisions.

The brethren in south India, my family and I were shocked at the terrible attack on your great country. The loss of life and property of the innocent is inexcusable.

We were inspired by the acts of bravery and love shown by many in your hour of trial. One Indian from Bangalore who was working in the World Trade Center when the first plane hit it, and who managed to escape just before the tower collapsed, related how he was helped to reach the place where his wife was waiting for him, more than 30 miles away, by two young American women in a car who were ready to risk their lives to help him. He, a Hindu, was deeply moved by this act of kindness.

In spite of the devilish acts of violence perpetrated by the few, God’s light shines through the lives of many. We are all praying for your country in this sad hour. May God give you peace.

Greetings again and hope you all are coping with the heartbreaking situation. We share your grief and sorrow, even as one Dominican is on the missing list. Sept. 15 we had a special service of prayer and intercession on behalf of all Americans and victims’ families.

For maximum personal participation, we divided into three groups—men, women and youths—and followed the guidelines from the National Association of Evangelicals and the book of Habakkuk.

We will continue our prayer vigil through the days ahead. This tragedy seems to be on us in the Caribbean as much as the United States.

We are still stunned, and everyone here is deeply affected by the terrorist attacks. Seeing the events unfold live on television blurred the border between fictional movies and reality.

I get the feeling that it has undermined everyone’s feelings of security in a way that few events have produced, perhaps since World War II.

The emotional turmoil—the close escapes so many experienced—mixed with the tragic grieving of those still missing family members—has hit home everywhere. So many nations, including Australia, have been deeply and directly affected. Families here have lost loved ones too.

Ian Thorpe, our world-record swimmer, was in New York City on holidays and was heading out from his hotel nearby to go to the observation deck of the World Trade Center and missed death by 15 minutes.

It will surely be recorded as another day in infamy. Our deepest sympathies are with our friends throughout the United States.

The Canadian people were shocked and profoundly saddened by the tragic events of Sept. 11. Many travelers stranded when planes were redirected to Canada because of the U.S. airport shutdown were taken into homes and looked after until they could get on their way. There have been fund-raising efforts all over the country on behalf of the families of the victims.

There is a growing realization, as the days pass, that these events are going to have a deep and long-term effect on our world. No one is safe from this sort of attack. The evil of these events is stark and clear. It is all the more evident that mankind has such desperate need for the forgiveness, comfort, transformational power and hope in the gospel.

We pray for the families and loved ones of the dead. We pray for all world leaders to use wisdom in how they respond. We pray that out of this terrible series of acts some good may yet come, as people turn to God in their sorrow and vulnerability, and learn to love and care more for one another.

America—our prayers and support are with you in this time of suffering and challenge.

JERSEY CITY, New Jersey—Members John Hunter and Stan Daniel set up a ham radio to help emergency units communicate between Jersey City and Ground Zero, according to a Sept. 25 article by Michaelangelo Conte in The Jersey Journal.

Mr. Conte wrote that Mr. Hunter, a member of the Jersey City Amateur Radio Club, heard of the disaster from his car radio and jumped into action, as he knew that the collapse of the World Trade Center towers would disrupt area communications.

Mr. Hunter called Mr. Daniel and they gathered radio equipment, pipes, solder, tools, anything they needed. Mr. Hunter went to Hoboken, New Jersey, and bought a VHF radio for $259 and they went to the Hudson County Red Cross and started setting up.

There, club members took long shifts on the air organizing the influx of food and emergency workers by communicating with workers at Ground Zero. Mr. Hunter worked 48 hours straight from the time of setting up the station.

BELLEVILLE, Illinois—In response to the Sept. 11 attack on America by terrorists, the Belleville congregation took up collections totaling $727.25 for the disaster relief fund. This was in response to the America Prays appeal to all churches, and the offering was funneled through World Vision.

"This is above and beyond our regular weekly offering to the WCG for the preaching of the gospel," reported Pastor Jim Stokes. "We are small in numbers, but big on stewardship." Average weekly attendance for the Belleville congregation is less than 50.

Jim Stokes

GLENDORA, California—The Glendora church conducted its regular Bible study the evening of the attack. The study turned into an impromptu and meaningful prayer meeting for the victims and families and the country as a whole.

"I was impressed that a couple of members prayed that the United States would not be hasty in its reaction and that more innocent blood would not be shed," said Pastor Neil Earle. "We really are a loving people."

Neil Earle

That week the worship service included an open mike prayer session in which the congregation was invited to participate. Deacon Joe Wright, originally from the Greater New York area, expressed his fears for the safety of his good friend Serge Volpe.

"He’s all right. I have it here in Mr. Tkach’s update," Mr. Earle replied as he embraced Mr. Wright.

Longtime member Lorraine Feith, an ex-New Yorker, moved the congregation to tears at the mention that her late husband once worked at the World Trade Center and the memories that Tuesday’s attack evoked in her. It was evident to the congregation that this was a truly national tragedy, from sea to sea.

LOS ANGELES, California—Members of the Los Angeles church took part in a heartfelt service of messages and Bible readings, and singing and praying for the nation and our national leaders Sept. 15.

Individual and group prayers for forgiveness, deliverance and unity of the nation were raised up to God.

Members felt the service was comforting and gave them an opportunity to draw closer to God and at the same time to express their feelings and support for the nation and the victims of the attack and their families.

The Pasadena NewLife and Los Angeles congregations, both pastored by Bermie Dizon, donated more than $1,700 to the Red Cross for relief in New York.

A number of members commented about the service:

Felix and Melba Johnson: "As members of the Los Angeles congregation, we were sobered, yet uplifted and encouraged. The presence of the Holy Spirit was felt and welcomed. The small group and individual prayers were comforting and reassuring. The Spirit of God gave us spiritual energy and refueled us as a congregation to unify and also enabled us to stand in the gap for America and the world."

Candace Best, 16, said: "Today’s service was touching and reassuring. It relieved me of my fears, reminding me that God is always with us, and who could keep from crying after Mr. Campbell began to cry? I looked around and everyone was crying or teary eyed. It was just what I needed after this week’s tragedy."

Gloria Williams said: "The prayers, readings and music were moving yet encouraging. I felta sense of unity and togetherness that I have not felt in a long time. Everyone seemed deeply touched by the events of the past week."

Vanessa Best: "Songs of praise and reassurance mixed with the spirit of unity and outgoing love filled the hall. Prayers of concern for people of all nations and the victims of this week’s tragedy made the service heartfelt and comforting." John Campbell.

DALLAS, Texas—Numerous members of the Dallas Central congregation attending the Sept. 16 service came forward to offer prayers for the United States, its leaders and the victims and families of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The prayer portion of the service lasted about an hour.

Pastor Lynn Hebert said: "We are a people of faith. We must stand in the gap for peace. This is a time to lament, cry out and pray."

Mr. Hebert said that in the midst of the tragedy "people are seeking God. God wants this to be an opportunity for the gospel."

In his Sept. 16 sermon and those of the following two services, Mr. Hebert addressed questions many people may be asking, such as where was God in the midst of the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks. The answer, of course, is that God was there all along and is still here to encourage us. Mr. Hebert focused on a similar theme at the monthly teen Bible study and group discussion Sept. 28.

At the Sept. 23 church service the pastor read a number of scriptures about trusting in God and seeking refuge in him.

"God is especially present when we suffer," he said. "God is offering support, comfort and strength. God alone can give meaning to mayhem. God did not save Jesus from the cross, but he saves us through the cross."

After the sermon, Bruce Hard read a prayer written by Max Lucado following the terrorist attacks. Frank Lewandowski.

Evangelism in a time of terror

By Joseph Tkach

Some time ago, an initiative was launched by Christians to organize prayer for our President. Originally planned for starting in November, the need for this grass roots prayer effort was accelerated by the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11.

The Presidential Prayer Team is experiencing phenomenal response from around the world. So far, more than 100,000 Americans have already registered to pray daily for the President, his cabinet and the nation. That number is now rising by more than 2,000 new members per hour. It is easy to join the prayer team by accessing the website: www.presidentialprayerteam.org. For more information, you can call 1-800-295-1235.

The Lighthouse Newsletter offers information and some resources for evangelism as an appropriate strategy in response to people’s questions and concerns about terrorism. They write: "How do our neighbors and friends who don’t know Jesus respond? And, how can we point them to Jesus in the midst of this situation?

"We can pray for them. And, through our own personal conversations with them ... we can reflect on where our own personal stability lies. We can also use tools that many ministries are providing to help put the attacks into perspective.

"One of those resources is a new web site that has been developed to help Americans deal with their personal feelings and grief following the attacks. The web site—www. 911recovery.com—is a joint effort of Here’s Life, Inner City and The King’s College, in collaboration with hundreds of churches. The site offers the following options:

l Respond—By sending a note of thanks to firefighters, police officers and rescue workers in New York City.

l React—Words to help us heal.

l Reflect—Is there a God?

lRenew—Beginning or refreshing a relationship with God.

"In every area, the reader is pointed toward God and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Consider making others—particularly non-believers—aware of this web site. It offers a non-threatening approach in sharing the gospel."

The Lighthouse Newsletter suggested sharing the web site at www.911recovery.com with your e-mail list and encouraging them to visit the site. Follow up in a week or so asking for any comments or reflections. This lets your friends know you care about them and want to help.

"Also, go to www.evangelismtoolbox.com for resources in how to share your faith. On the left-hand side of the Evangelism Toolbox home page is a list of resources to encourage and equip you. Those resources also include materials to reach Muslims. Now is a wonderful time to reach out to those who are Muslim or of Arab descent in your workplace, neighborhood or community—showing them love and concern. Seek ways to demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ to them through acts of kindness, friendship and offers of help.

"Another good resource is The American Tract Society—www. gospelcom.net/ats. ATS has developed a number of new gospel tracts based on the tragedy. On their web site home page, click on Crisis Resources."

The Gospel is Good News

By J. Michael Feazell

When Americans gathered in churches around the nation on Sept. 14, a day of mourning, they came to hear words of comfort, encouragement and hope. Instead, a number of conservative Christian leaders proclaimed a message that amounted to despair, hopelessness and fear for everybody whose loved ones died in the terrorist attack without having first professed faith in Jesus Christ.

Many fundamentalist and evangelical Christians are convinced that upwards of 90 percent of all deceased humanity are in hell at this very moment, being hideously tortured in unimaginable agony by the God they ironically proclaim as compassionate, merciful, loving and full of grace.

"God loves you," some of us Christians say, "but if you don’t repeat after me the sinner’s prayer, then my merciful Lord and Savior will torture you forever."

The gospel of Jesus Christ is good news. It remains forever, good news, the best news imaginable, for absolutely everybody and everything. It is not merely good news for the few who came to know Christ before they died; it is good news for the whole of creation—even for all those who died before they ever heard of Christ.

You see, Christ is the atoning sacrifice not merely for the sins of Christians but for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2). The Creator is also the Redeemer of his creation (Col. 1:15-20). Whether people know that truth before they die is not the thing that determines whether it is true. It depends entirely on Jesus Christ, not on human action or human response of any kind.

Jesus said, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life" (John 3:16, New Revised Standard Version throughout). It is God who loved the world and God who gave his Son, and he gave him to save what he loved—the world. Whoever believes in the Son whom God sent will enter into eternal life (better translated "the life of the age to come").

The verse says nothing about that belief having to come prior to physical death. In fact, it says that believers will not perish, and since even believers die, it should be obvious that "perish" and "die" are not the same thing. Belief keeps people from perishing, but it does not keep them from dying.

The kind of perishing that Jesus is talking about here, translated from the Greek word apoletai, is a spiritual death, not a physical one. It has to do with utter destruction, with being abolished, put an end to, or ruined. Those who believe in Jesus will not come to such a final end, but will, instead, enter into zoe aeonion—the life of the age to come.

Some enter into the life of the age to come, or kingdom life, while they still live and walk on the earth, but in the grand scheme of things, this happens to only a few of those who make up the "world" or "kosmos" that God loves so much that he sent his Son to save it. What about the rest? This verse does not say that God cannot or won’t bring to faith any of those who die physically before believing.

The idea that physical death is a barrier to God’s ability to save, or to his ability to bring a person to faith in Christ, is a human interpretation; the Bible states no such thing. We are told that everyone dies, and then they are judged (Heb. 9:27). But let us remember that their Judge, thank God, is none other than Jesus, the slaughtered Lamb of God who died for their sins, and that changes everything.

Where do we get this crazy notion that God is only able to save live people and not dead ones? He conquered death, didn’t he? He rose from the dead, didn’t he? God doesn’t hate the world; he loves it. He didn’t create humanity for hell. Christ came to save the world, not to condemn it (John 3:17).

One Christian teacher told his Sunday School class on Sept. 16 that God is perfect in hate as well as perfect in love, which accounts for why there is a hell as well as a heaven.

He went on to explain, rightly, how dualism (the idea that good and evil are equal and opposite forces in the universe) is a false doctrine. But doesn’t he realize he had just taught a dualistic God with his explanation of God holding in tension perfect hate and perfect love?

God is absolutely just, and all sinners are judged and condemned, but the gospel, the good news, lets us in on the mystery that in Christ God took that very sin and its judgment on himself for our sakes! Hell is indeed real and horrible. But it is precisely that hell, the hideous hell reserved for the ungodly, that Jesus bore in humanity’s stead (2 Cor. 5:21; Matt. 27:46; Gal. 3:13).

All humans are under condemnation because of sin (Rom. 6:23), but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ (Rom. 6:33). That’s why it is called grace.

In Romans 5:15, Paul puts it like this: "But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died through the one man’s trespass [this "many" refers to everybody; there is no one who doesn’t bear Adam’s guilt], much more surely have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many [the same "many"—absolutely everybody]."

Paul is saying that as bad as our condemnation for sin is, and it is bad (it deserves hell), it can’t even hold a candle to the grace and the free gift in Christ. In other words, God’s word of reconciliation in Christ is incredibly louder than his word of condemnation in Adam—the one completely eclipses the other ("much more surely"). That is why Paul can tell us in 2 Corinthians 5:19 that "in Christ God was reconciling the world [that’s everybody, the "many" of Rom. 5:15] to himself, not counting their trespasses against them…"

So, then, what about the family and friends of those who died without yet having professed faith in Christ? Does the gospel offer them any hope and encouragement about the fate of their dead loved ones? Indeed, the Gospel of John records Jesus declaring, "And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself" (John 12:32). That’s good news, the gospel truth. Jesus didn’t lay out a timetable, but he did declare that he would draw everybody to himself, not just a few who find out who he is before they die, but absolutely everybody.

Then it is no wonder that Paul wrote to the Christians in the city of Colossae that in Jesus Christ, God was pleased, pleased, mind you, to "reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross" (Colossians 1:20). That’s good news. And it is, like Jesus said, good news for the whole world, not just for the limited few.

Paul wanted his readers to know that this Jesus, this Son of God raised from the dead, is not just some exciting leader of a new and improved religious concept.

Paul is telling them that Jesus is none other than the Creator and Sustainer of all things (verses 16-17), and more than that, he is God’s way of fixing absolutely everything that has gone wrong with the world from the beginning of history (verse 20)!

In Christ, Paul was saying, God has moved once and for all to make good on all his promises that he made to Israel—promises that he would one day act in pure grace to forgive all sins everywhere and make everything new (see Acts 13:32-33; 3:20-21; Isa. 43:19; Rev. 21:5; Rom. 8:19-21).

"But salvation is only for Christians," the fundamentalists howl. Yes, of course it is. I have no argument with that. But just who are "the Christians"? Are they only those who repeat after me the sinner’s prayer? Are they only those who are baptized by immersion? Only those who belong to the "true" church? Only those who are absolved by a duly ordained priest? Only those who have totally ceased sinning? (Have you? I haven’t?) Only those who come to know Jesus before they die?

Or does Jesus himself, the one into whose nail-pierced hands God has given all judgment, decide who is and is not ultimately to be included among those upon whom he will have mercy? And while he is at it, does he, the one who conquered death and grants eternal life to whomever he wants, decide when he might bring a person to faith, or do we, the all-wise defenders of the true religion, make that determination for him?

Every Christian became a Christian at some point, that is, was brought to faith by the Holy Spirit. The fundamentalist assumption seems to suggest, however, that it is impossible for God to bring a person to faith after that person has died. But hold on, Jesus is the one who raises the dead. And he is the one who is the atoning sacrifice, not for our sins only, but for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2).

"But the parable of Lazarus," someone will argue. "Abraham says that there is a chasm fixed between his side and the rich man’s side" (see Luke 16:19-31).

Jesus did not give this parable as a textbook on the afterlife. After all, how many Christians would want to describe heaven as "Abraham’s bosom" with Jesus himself nowhere in sight? The parable was a message to the members of the first century Jewish privileged class who rejected their Messiah, not a portrait of the resurrection life. And before we take even that too far, remember what Paul wrote in Romans 11:32.

In the parable, don’t forget, the rich man was still unrepentant. He still saw himself as Lazarus’ superior. He still saw Lazarus as existing only to serve his personal needs. Maybe it is not unreasonable to think that the rich man’s persistent unbelief is what kept the gulf fixed, not some arbitrary cosmic necessity.

Remember, Jesus himself bridges the otherwise impassable chasm from our sinful condition to reconciliation with God. Jesus underscores this point, the point of the parable—that salvation comes only through faith in him—when he says, "If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead" (Luke 16:31).

God is in the business of saving people, not torturing them. Jesus is Redeemer, and whether we believe it or not, he is awfully good at what he does. He is the Savior of the world (John 3:17), not the Savior of a fraction of the world. "God so loved the world" (verse 16)—not merely one out of 10.

God has ways, and his ways are higher than our ways.

Jesus tells us, "Love your enemies" (Matt. 5:44). Surely we believe he loves his own enemies. Or do we believe that Jesus hates his enemies while he calls on us to love ours, and that his hatred accounts for why there is a hell? Give me a break. Jesus asks us to love our enemies precisely because he loves them. "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing," Jesus prayed of those who murdered him (Luke 23:34).

Certainly, those who continue to refuse Jesus’ grace even after they understand it receive the fruit of their own stupidity.

There is no place left for people who refuse to enter the Lamb’s banquet except outer darkness (another of the metaphors Jesus used to describe the state of alienation from God; see Matt. 22:13; 25:30).

Paul makes the amazing assertion in Romans 11:32 that God "has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all." And yes, the Greek words here do mean all, not some, but all. All are sinners, and in Christ all are shown mercy—whether they like it or not; whether they take it or not; whether they know it before they die or not.

And what can you say to such a thing, but what Paul says in the next verse: "O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? ‘Or who has given a gift to him, to receive a gift in return?’ For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen" (verses 33-36).

In fact, it would seem that his ways are so unfathomable that many of us Christians simply cannot believe that the gospel can be that good. And some of us seem to know the mind of God so well that we just know that the victims of the World Trade Center attack went straight to hell if they weren’t Christians yet.

But Paul’s point is precisely that the unbelievable extent of God’s mercy is simply beyond our ken—a mystery revealed only in Christ: God has done something in Jesus Christ that nobody would have ever guessed in a million years.

In his letter to the Christians at Ephesus, Paul says that this is what God had in mind all along (Eph. 1:9-10). It was the whole point of God’s calling of Abraham, of his choosing of Israel and David, and of the covenants (3:5-6). God is saving even the aliens and strangers (2:12). He is even saving the ungodly (Romans 5:6). He really does draw all men to himself (John 12:32). The Son of God has been at work underneath all of history from the very beginning, bringing about the redemption, the reconciliation of all things to God (Col. 1:15-20).

In short, Jesus Christ is the only path to salvation, and he draws absolutely everybody to himself—in his way, in his time. It might help if we could get our minds around the fact that there isn’t anywhere to be in the universe except in Christ, since as Paul said, nothing exists that isn’t created by him and upheld by him (Col. 1:15-17). Those who finally reject him do so in spite of his love; it’s not that he refuses them (he doesn’t—he loves them, died for them and forgave them), but that they refuse him.

C.S. Lewis put it this way: "There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done’ and those to whom God says, in the end, ‘THY will be done.’ All that are in Hell choose it. Without that self-choice, there could be no Hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek, find. To those who knock, it is opened" (The Great Divorce, Chapter 9).

As I listened to Christians preach about the meaning of the Sept. 11 attacks, I thought of the heroic firefighters and police officers who sacrificed their lives trying to rescue terrified victims of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. How is it that we Christians can call these people heroes and applaud their self-sacrifice on one hand, but declare that unless they confessed Christ before they expired they are being tortured in hell on the other?

The gospel declares that there is hope for those who died in the World Trade Center without yet having professed Christ. It is the risen Lord they will encounter on the other side of death, and he is the Judge—the one with nail holes in his hands—eternally ready to embrace and receive all his creatures who will come to him. He forgave them before they were born (Eph. 1:4; Rom. 5:6, 10). That part is done, just as it was done for us who believe now.

All that remains for them now is to throw down their crowns before him and receive his gift. Maybe some won’t. Maybe some are so committed to loving themselves and hating others that they will see their risen Lord as their archenemy. That’s a shame, no, it’s more than a shame. It’s a disaster of cosmic proportions, because he’s not their archenemy. Because he loves them anyway. Because he would gather them into his arms like a hen gathers her chicks, if they would only let him.

But it is safe to say, if you believe passages like Romans 14:11 and Philippians 2:10, that by far most of the people who died in that attack will jump into Jesus’ forgiving and merciful arms like a puppy running to its master.

"Jesus saves," Christians put on their posters and bumper stickers. It’s true. He does. And he is the author and finisher of salvation, the beginning and goal of all creation, including all dead people. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, Jesus said. Rather, he sent his Son into the world to save it (John 3:16-17).

Regardless of what some people say, God is out to save everybody (1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Pet. 3:9), not just a few. And guess what? He never gives up. He never stops loving. He never stops being who he is, was, and will always be for humanity—their Creator and their Redeemer. Nobody falls through the cracks. Nobody was created for the purpose of being sent to hell.

The few who wind up in hell—the tiny, meaningless, dark, nowhere corner of the eternal kingdom—will be there by their own stubborn refusal to receive God’s grace. It will not be because God hates them, because he doesn’t. It will not be because God is vindictive, because he isn’t. It will be because 1) they hate the kingdom of God and refuse his grace, and 2) God won’t let them spoil the fun for everybody else.

The gospel is the message of hope for absolutely everybody. Christian preachers don’t have to resort to threats of hell to coerce people to turn to Christ. They can proclaim the truth, the good news: "God loves you. He isn’t mad at you. Jesus died for you because you’re a sinner, and God loves you so much he has saved you from everything that is destroying you.

"So why should you keep on living as though this dangerous, cruel, unpredictable and unforgiving world is all you’ve got? Why don’t you come and start experiencing God’s love and enjoying the blessings of his kingdom?

"You already belong to him. He’s already paid for your sins. What are you waiting for? He’ll turn your sorrow into joy. He’ll give you peace of heart like you’ve never known. He’ll bring meaning and purpose to your life. He’ll help you improve your relationships. He’ll give you rest. Trust him. He’s waiting for you."

This message is so good that it has to bubble out of us. Paul wrote in Romans 5:10-11: "For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."

Talk about hope! Talk about grace! Through Christ’s death, God reconciles his enemies, and through Christ’s life, he saves them. No wonder we can boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ—we are already experiencing in him what we are telling others about. They don’t have to keep on living like they have no place at God’s table; he’s already reconciled them, they can come on home.

Christ saves sinners. It’s the best news anybody can hear.

Training sessions
get to the heart
of reconciliation

PASADENA—Curtis May, director of the Office of Reconciliation Ministries (ORM), continues to conduct mentoring sessions around the United States. The first session took place in Pasadena in May and was covered previously in the WN.

The second session was in Charlotte, North Carolina, June 22 and 23. The two-day, 16-hour session provided training for ORM chapter leaders Keith Brittain, Steve Brown and Randy Bloom.

Mr. May said, "Reconciliation cuts across all areas of discord around the world." He explained that training and designating chapter leaders is essential to meet the growing need as reconciliation becomes a vital topic across the United States.

In Charlotte, Mr. May cited a fourfold purpose of these mentoring sessions: 1) To review the mission, vision and goals of ORM, 2) To highlight the need for the ministry, 3) To share resources to serve as tools for enhancing our effectiveness, and 4) To remind us all that this ministry is a move of God.

The WCG established the Office of Reconciliation Ministries in 1999 to help the church model and teach reconciliation to the broader community.

Four nearby WCG pastors and some members from the Church of the Living Waters, Charlotte’s WCG congregation, attended all or part of the session. Each day began and ended with devotion consisting of prayer and songs of worship and praise. Between devotions came lectures, videos and open discussion. Then Mr. May shared a list of resources for further study. At the end of the second day, the group took communion.

This was the pattern for mentoring sessions conducted July 25 and 26 in Livonia, Michigan. Members and pastors from Chicago, Illinois; Cincinnati, Ohio; Detroit and Grand Rapids, Michigan; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Manhattan; New York; and Indianapolis, Indiana, met at the Sacred Heart Conference Center in Livonia.

Attendees were admonished to be honest and open with others with the love of Jesus as the basis for reconciliation. "True reconciliation with each other is possible only through our individual reconciliation to God," Mr. May said.

The final session ended with hands being laid on Sam Butler, Grand Rapids pastor, as he was commissioned as an ORM chapter representative. The communion service was led by Dan Bierer, pastor of the Manhattan and Westchester, New York, churches.

The fourth mentoring session began in Dallas, Sept. 10. Mr. May again led the discussions. Carn Catherwood, district superintendent, assisted him.

Also present were chapter leaders Chris Beam from Houston, Texas; Tom Pickett from Fort Worth, Texas; David Kaiser of Akron-Canton, Ohio; and Lynn Hebert of Dallas, Texas. They were commissioned as leaders at the end of the conference.

Others present were Sonny Parsons, San Antonio, Texas; Ester Reed Jr., Houston, Texas; Arnold Clauson and Leonard James, Dallas North; Dee Beam, Houston; and Adrienne and David Pickett, Fort Worth.

The first day of praise and worship was led by Murdock "Doc" Gibbs of the Dallas North congregation. Videos shown were Why Reconciliation?; A Message from John Dawson; Black History—Lost, Stolen or Strayed; Masters of Invention; and Face to Face.

The next morning the group was horrified at the terrorist attacks on America. The theme for the second day was to be on the subject of hate and the consequences of it. The group had plenty to talk about. They saw videos on The Shadow of Hate, Southern Poverty Law Center, and Reconciliation: A Move of God, produced by the WCG.

Mr. Beam led the group through an exercise of unaware racism. They concluded that if God hadn’t given them the keys to reconciliation, they would have never come up with the right answer.

Mr. May commented, "Reconciliation can occur only at the foot of the cross of our Savior, Jesus Christ."

COMMISSIONING—Lynn Hebert, Dallas,
Texas, Central pastor, is commissioned as
an Office of Reconciliation Ministries chapter
leader. [Photo by Ester Reed Jr.]

ORM adds five new
chapter leaders

ORM added five new U.S. chapters led by the following chapter leaders: Richard Parker, Randy Bloom, Sam Butler, David Kaiser and Lynn Hebert.

Below is a bio written by each new leader:

Richard Parker

In 1989 my family and I moved to Hawaii. Hawaii was a vast change for us. I particularly noticed the diversity of races and cultures there. I also noticed that many in Hawaii were trying to make tolerance work for the community. But I also saw that some were locked in prejudices. I also tasted the bitter fruit of prejudice as well as the sweet fruit of acceptance by others much different from me.

In 1993 when my family and I moved to Southern California, much to my surprise I noticed that the same issues of tolerance vs. prejudice were and still are being played out in this area. I realized that I needed to try to make a difference for tolerance and acceptance. My experience in Hawaii set me up for this challenge, and my life here in the Greater Los Angeles area has given me the opportunity to let Jesus live in me to help accomplish his mission to touch all peoples.

Randy Bloom

I have always held a strong belief that forgiveness and reconciliation are central to the gospel of Christ and the work of his church. Since serving as an elder and associate pastor in Atlanta, Georgia, I have been keenly aware of the desperate need for understanding, forgiveness and reconciliation between different ethnic groups. I see the church as an instrument of the Holy Spirit, as the only vehicle for bringing about true harmony between diverse people.

My first opportunity to contribute proactively to reconciliation ministry outside the church environ was while pastoring in Syracuse, New York. For five years I served on a religious task force for the Syracuse Domestic Violence Coalition. I helped develop and teach classes to help pastoral workers and Onondaga County employees to work with victims and perpetrators of domestic violence, with a special focus on forgiveness and reconciliation.

However, when I pastored the Memphis, Tennessee, church, the need to focus my efforts on ethnic reconciliation became more apparent. The community where the WCG congregation is located is extremely diverse—and divided along racial lines. When I pastored the Memphis congregation I included racial reconciliation efforts as a part of my vision statement for the church.

This year, as president of the Raleigh Ministerial Association, in the Memphis area, I led the development of a mission statement for the association, which included the goal of bringing racial reconciliation to the community.

I am coordinating the ministerial association’s efforts to conduct a racial reconciliation conference in early 2002, with the help of ORM and representatives of the Memphis City Council Office of Multicultural and Religious Affairs. My goal, as central district superintendent, is to continue promoting reconciliation in the Memphis community as well as to help other pastors and congregations in this district get involved in reconciliation ministries.

Sam Butler

I attended the Promise Keepers pastors conference in Atlanta in 1996. The theme dealt with reconciliation, and it had a profound impact on me.

When our fellowship began reconciliation training in conjunction with the Center for the Healing of Racism, I attended a workshop in Joliet, Illinois. I was never the same. The new awareness compelled me to get involved.

I work with the Racial Justice Institute of Grand Rapids, Michigan, helping them to coordinate reconciliation workshops. Currently I am working in three areas. I have volunteered for the past three years at an inner city elementary school working with the Family Support Team. This team helps families whose children are struggling with reading, attendance and homework.

A year and a half ago several members and I began Mustard Seed Ministry, which helps people take more of an interest in their communities. We have been involved in several projects that have improved the quality of life for people in the community.

The most recent project involves working with a group of pastors and lay leaders with the goal of providing a united front for the preaching of the gospel in our city.

David Kaiser

The Akron-Canton, Ohio, areas are manufacturing hubs and multiracial in population. Since the WCG congregation has always been a good cross section of the metropolitan area, we have a good representation of many cultures in our church. Many of the ministry leaders in our church are African-American.

I have a heart for reconciliation and a dream that the Akron-Canton church could become a magnet for reconciliation ministries for the metropolitan Christian community. Also, because it is now meeting in a predominately white suburban area between Akron and Canton, we hope to have the reputation of accepting and being hospitable to all cultures and races.

We are looking forward to becoming involved in initiating and promoting reconciliation activities in the Akron-Canton metropolitan Christian community, as the Lord opens up opportunities.

Lynn Hebert

As pastor of the Dallas Central congregation, I am active in the ministry of reconciliation.

I labor to seek reconciliation among ethnic groups, denominations and genders.

Copies of Reconciliation: A Move of God, a video produced by the Office of Reconciliation Ministries, have been sent to all U.S. churches and international regional offices.

The one-hour video features highlights from ORM workshops and seminars.

If you haven’t seen the video, check your congregation’s library.

Reconciliation: Not a Sidebar

By Keith Brittain

When I first heard that the WCG had established the Office of Reconciliation Ministries, I knew it was a good thing, but I thought of it as supplementary to our work of preaching the gospel. By being more involved with reconciliation efforts, I have come to realize this is not the case. ORM’s work is not an adjunct to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Reconciliation efforts are not a sidebar issue—they are the work of the gospel.

Jesus came to bring salvation, but to what end? The end was reconciliation. We were saved from our sins that we might be reconciled to God. And having been reconciled to God, to be reconciled to each other. The two great commandments—love of God and love of neighbor—reflect this.

In its simplest expression then, the gospel message has two parts: salvation and reconciliation.

But what more precisely is reconciliation to God? What is its ultimate intent? It is to have an ongoing relationship, a friendship with him, and after him, with our fellow humans—regardless of the color of their skin. "All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other…. We’re Christ’s representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them" (2 Cor. 5:18, 20, Message translation).

Before we can be reconciled to one another, we have to be reconciled to God. If it is to be of the heart and not just the intellect, it has to start with reconciliation to God. But for the gospel message to accomplish its goal, it cannot stop there. The church’s efforts at promoting reconciliation through ORM are a vital part of gospel work. Let’s get at it!

 

John McKenna
attends Reasons
to Believe conference

CYPRESS, California—John McKenna, special adviser to the WCG president, attended a conference titled "Beyond Genesis 1," presented by Reasons to Believe, June 28 to 30.

Led by Hugh Ross, this organization is devoted to understanding the relationship between the gospel of Jesus Christ and the nature of the universe.

The conference played host to more than 500 people from the United States and international areas seeking to become apologists for Dr. Ross’s Reasons to Believe. Sixteen lectures were presented laying down the fundamentals behind the organization’s belief in a testable creation model for the nature of the physical universe. Just as Billy Graham’s organization gathers people for training in evangelism, so Dr. Ross gathers them for training in apologetics.

"For the conferees, there was evidently something quite exciting about being able to understand the universe in such a way that the existence of its Creator cannot be doubted," Dr. McKenna said. For a discussion of these claims see http://www.wcg.org/wn/01november/mckenna.htm.

Cincinnati youths
help needy in Kentucky

By Ron Hickman

CINCINNATI, Ohio—Teens, youth leaders and others from the Cincinnati East and Central churches traveled to Corbin, Kentucky, as missionaries of Jesus Christ to serve needy people in the Corbin area.

The 15-person mission team, consisting of nine teens, two children and five adult youth leaders, painted the exterior of a mobile home and a house, and also the interior of another house, July 29 through Aug. 4.

The mission trip was conducted in conjunction with Helping Hand, Inc., a nonprofit service organization led by Verna Wilson, who lives near Corbin. Verna, who became a widow a year ago, has committed much of her life to serving the needy in the Corbin area. She and her husband started Helping Hand not long after they moved to Corbin from Cincinnati. They were concerned about the needs of the poor in the area, especially the children and elderly.

Two of the people served by the mission team were Mrs. Reeves and Mrs. Parks. Mrs. Reeves lived in a mobile home next to an old house. She is a widow and the mother of five children. They moved into the mobile home when their house became uninhabitable because she was unable to afford repairs. The mission team painted her mobile home and weatherproofed the roof.

Mrs. Parks’ home is a small house just outside of Corbin. The mission team painted the house during two days of 95 degree heat.

During the mission trip, the mission team stayed at the youth center of the Corbin Central Baptist Church. In the evenings they had time for bowling, swimming at the pool at Cumberland Falls park, praising and worshiping God with the Central Baptist youth group, and a cookout with the Central Baptist teens.

Financial support for the mission team was provided by the donations of family, friends and church members. Teens were encouraged to write letters to family and friends explaining the nature of the mission trip and requesting such financial support as each person could afford. In addition, a donation box was set up at church services.

According to Becky Hickman, one of the adult youth leaders, "Our group focused on the needs of others and forgot about ourselves, and we bonded together in serving others."

Patty Orse, one of the teen members, said: "I really love these people. Working together, I got to know everyone so much better and appreciate them for who they are."

MISSIONTRIP—Mission team from left: Jenny Harrison, Ron Hickman, Erin Hart, Abby Butz, Patty Orse, Lindsay Newman, Kimberly Hickman, Lynsey Pope, Jason Hickman, Stephanie Hickman, David Hickman, Becky Hickman, Eric Hickman, Wane Creager, Julie Creager and Brittany Creager. [Photo by Russ Creager]

Barb Egbert,
SEP assistant director,
speaks in Dallas

By Frank Lewandowski

DALLAS, Texas—Barb Egbert, assistant director of the Summer Educational Program, spoke at Dallas Central’s youth service Sept. 2.

Mrs. Egbert noted several factors that make SEP special: God is intentionally invited into the camp, the staff and campers seek to honor God in everything they do, and all the activities point to Christ.

Daniel Fischelli sang a song about calling on God. Michael Lewandowski addressed the challenge of being a Christian when you’re not together with other Christians.

Chris Cameron, youth pastor, showed slides of teen activities. Nancy Newkirk, youth pastor, thanked the parents for their support. Each teen gave a flower and hug to their parents.

Chrissy Gordon, children’s church director, brought the children onstage and taught them about meeting others’ needs. She gave Jack Brunet, a visiting Caribbean minister, a check to help our members in Haiti and some gifts for the Haitian children.

Cathy Miller, 9, was honored for completing a God and Country study series through the Girl Scouts. Pastor Lynn Hebert prayed over Cathy and commended her parents, David and Cheryl Miller, for effectively teaching their children.

Clif Newkirk, who spent the summer playing trumpet with a drum and bugle corps, was commended for his corps tying for second in a national competition.

Holly Lewandowski was noted for appearing on the vice president’s honor roll at Eastfield College and for being named employee of the quarter at her office job.

Join Buffalo Teens
at River of God--
Niagara 2001

BUFFALO, New York—You are invited to join the Buffalo WCG teens for Niagara 2001, sponsored by Western New York Youth for Christ and Joshua Revolution, Dec. 27 to 30 at the Niagara Falls Convention Center in Niagara Falls, New York.

The Niagara youth event is about bringing students to the cross. The program is focused on lifting up the name of Jesus through praise and worship music, prayer and preaching of God’s Word.

Trainers will show students how to teach new believers the basics of Christianity, how to share their faith, lead an evangelistic campus club at their school and how to seek God through prayer.

Niagara 2001 will show youth workers how to build a strong local church youth ministry through establishing prayer, discipleship evangelism and campus ministry, and more.

Tickets are $79 before Nov. 30, and group rates and scholarships are available. Call the Western New York Youth for Christ at 1-888-415-KIDS or visit the Niagara 2001 web site at www.NiagaraTheEvent.org for more information and registration.

Contact Martin Koenig of the Buffalo youth group if you would like to get together with the Buffalo church by phone at 716-832-0922 or by e-mail at mjkoenig@juno.com

Basic Christian Beliefs

Salvation

By Michael Morrison

Rescue! Salvation is a rescue operation. To understand salvation, we need to know what the problem was, what God did about it and how we respond to it.

When God made humans, he made them "in his own image," and he pronounced his creation "very good" (Gen. 1:26-27, 31). Humans were a wonderful creation: made from dust, but energized by the breath of God (Gen. 2:7).

"The image of God" probably includes intelligence, creativity and power over creation. It also includes the ability to have relationships and to make moral choices. We are in some way like God himself. That’s because God has something special in mind for us, his children.

Genesis tells us that the first humans did something God had warned them not to do (Gen. 3:1-13). Their disobedience showed that they did not trust God, and it was a violation of his trust in them. By being faithless, they had broken the relationship and fallen short of what God wanted for them. They were becoming less like God.

The result, said God, was struggle, pain and death (vv. 16-19). If they were not going to follow the Maker’s instructions, they were going to end up doing things the hard way.

Humans are noble and crude at the same time. We can have high ideals, and yet be barbaric. We are like God, and yet ungodly. We are not the way we are supposed to be. Even though we have messed ourselves up, God still considers us to be made in his image (Gen. 9:6). The potential is still there for us to be like God. This is why he wants to rescue us, to save us, to restore the relationship he had with us.

God wants to give us eternal life, free from pain, on good terms with God and with each other. He wants our intelligence, creativity and power to be used for good. He wants us to be like he is, to be even better than the first humans were. This is salvation.

We need to be rescued. And God has done this—but he did it in a way that no human would have expected. The Son of God became a human, lived a perfect life, and we killed him.

And that, says God, is the salvation we need. What irony! We are saved by a victim. Our Creator became flesh so he could absorb the penalty of sin for us. But God raised him back to life, and through Jesus, he promises to resurrect us, too.

In the death and resurrection of Jesus, the death and salvation of humanity is represented and made possible. His death is what our failures deserve, and as our Creator, he paid for all our failures. Though he did not deserve death, he willingly died for our sins, on our behalf. (For more on this, see the article "Why Did Jesus Die?" in the July WN.)

Jesus Christ died for us, and was raised for us (Rom. 4:25). Our old self died with him, and a new person is brought back to life with him (Rom. 6:3-4). In one sacrifice, Jesus paid the penalty "for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:2). The payment has already been made; the question now is how we are to receive the benefits. We participate in the plan through repentance and faith.

Jesus came to call people to repentance (Luke 5:32). Peter told people to repent and turn to God for forgiveness (Acts 2:38; 3:19). Paul said people "must turn to God in repentance" (Acts 20:21).

Repentance means to turn away from sin and toward God. Paul told the Athenians that God overlooked idolatry done in ignorance, but "now commands all people everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30). They should stop their idolatry.

Paul was concerned that some of the Corinthian Christians might not repent of their sexual sins (2 Cor. 12:21). For these people, repentance would mean a willingness to stop their immorality. Paul preached that people should "prove their repentance by their deeds" (Acts 26:20). We change our attitude and our behavior.

Part of our doctrinal foundation is "repentance from acts that lead to death" (Heb. 6:1). But this does not mean perfect behavior—Christians are not perfect (1 John 1:8). Repentance means not that we arrive at our goal, but that we begin traveling in the right direction.

No longer do we please ourselves, but we live to please Christ (2 Cor. 5:15; 1 Cor. 6:20). Paul tells us, "Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness" (Rom. 6:19).

However, simply telling people to repent is not going to rescue them from their failures. Humans have been told to obey for thousands of years, but they still need to be rescued. Something more is needed, and that is faith, or belief. The New Testament says much more about faith than it does repentance—the words for faith occur more than eight times as often.

Everyone who believes in Jesus is forgiven (Acts 10:43). "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31). The gospel "is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes" (Rom. 1:16). Christians are known as believers, not as repenters. Belief is the defining characteristic.

What does it mean to believe—to accept certain facts? The Greek word can mean that kind of belief, but more often it conveys the sense of trust. When Paul encourages us to believe in Jesus Christ, he is not emphasizing facts. (The devil knows the facts about Jesus, but he isn’t saved.)