Category Archives: Church

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Is Pastor Joel Osteen’s Star-Studded Easter Service (i.e. Kanye West, Mariah Carey & Tyler Perry) Appropriate This Easter?

Hello World,

By now, you may have have heard that Pastor Joel Osteeen, leader of one of the largest megachurches in the country Lakewood Church, has a lineup on Easter that is sure to bring the masses. Stars such as Kanye West and his Sunday Service Choir (how they gon social distance?), the Mariah Carey and hometown hero and media mogul Tyler Perry (Y’all heard how he blessed senior citizens with free groceries here in the A & Nola, right?) will be in the house for the online service! While I love all three of these celebrities (well, at this point, my opinion of Kanye is fluid…), I wonder if the celebrity approach is the move on THIS Easter…

I don’t know about you, but this will be the first time that I know about that I haven’t darkened the threshold of a church building on Easter Sunday. Although this will be the fourth Sunday I think I haven’t been in church since the COVID-19 pandemic forced us to quarantine at home, I’m still struggling with it. And this Easter Sunday, I don’t just want to do Bedside Baptist as what is becoming normal. I need a way to celebrate the resurrection of my Lord and Savior that feels befitting of the occasion. I need a WORD from some pastors who know the Lord in special way that can give me some divine strength to continue walking by faith during this strange season. God bless celebrities, but their star power isn’t the power that I need…But at the same time, I recognize that stars may be seeking strength as well and whatever shine they may get from this appearance may be secondary to their need of the Son to shine…

One of my Facebook friends pointed out that the names of the stars are larger than than the word Easter and that Jesus is not mentioned at all on the flyer. She is calling the service “Eastertainment.”

What say you? Will you be tuning on Sunday? How you will celebrate Easter at home?

Any thoughts?

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Pastor Jamal Bryant & New Birth Missionary Baptist Church Postpones COVID-19 Testing Event Previously Scheduled for Today…

Hello World,

In this Coronavirus Crisis, we are learning to be flexible, if anything, particularly when it comes to previously scheduled events. According to the AJC, “the Stonecrest megachurch said New Birth Missionary Baptist Church and Texas-based RoweDocs  planned to provide drive-thru coronavirus testing for 1,000 people this weekend on the church’s Stonecrest campus. The testing was planned to be split evenly over Saturday and Sunday and those tested should know the results in about 24 hours.”

Additionally, according to the AJC, “established in 2014, RoweDocs is African-American owned telemedicine company. Bryant  said there are so many people of color  living on the margins without adequate access to health services or little or no health issues, that this was the right thing to do.”

However, if you live in Georgia, you know that Gov. Brian Kemp recently issued an executive order for the state to shelter in place and so Pastor Jamal Bryant and New Birth Missionary Baptist Church have had a change of plans, according to its Facebook page. See the announcement below.

I applaud the church’s effort though. Y’all, we gotta keep praying that this Coronavirus Crisis will come to an end and soon…Have mercy on us Lord…

Any thought?

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Pennsylvania Pastor Jonathan Shuttlesworth Ignores Social Distancing Recommendations, Plans ‘Outdoor Easter Blowout Service’

 

Hello World,

As today is Palm Sunday, pastors throughout the country and possibly the world are and have been altering their Easter Sunday service plans due to the spread of COVID-19. Many will likely have online services or as I noted in a previous post, drive-in services. However, Pennsylvania Pastor Jonathan Shuttlesworth is ignoring social distancing recommendations and having an “outdoor Easter blowout service,” according to The Hill.

“A Pennsylvania pastor earlier this week announced plans to hold an “outdoor Easter blowout service” that he compared to the likes of Woodstock, despite federal guidelines urging the public to avoid large gatherings and practice social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.

Jonathan Shuttlesworth, a televangelist based around Pittsburgh and founder of the Revival Today ministry, made the announcement in a video he posted to his YouTube page on Monday titled “The Rodney Howard-Browne Tribute Special.”

The program was named after the Florida pastor who was arrested earlier this week and charged with unlawful assembly and violation of the public health rules for hosting two large services amid the outbreak at a megachurch in Tampa on Sunday.”

Read the rest HERE.

Any thoughts?