Connecting Older and Younger Pastors to Address the Millennial Faith Crisis

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Few would argue that there’s no disconnect between generations when it comes to matters of faith. And this is true of pastors from different generations as well, which is why the American Pastors Network (APN, www.americanpastorsnetwork.net) is embarking on a new initiative to bring together millennial pastors with those who have spent 20 or 30 years, or more, in ministry.

APN President Sam Rohrer recently talked with The Christian Post about the plan to bridge the gap between these pastors, noting that connecting biblically faithful pastors across generations is crucial both for the church and for millennials who are leaving the faith.

“If we believe, which we do, that the Scripture holds the answers to all issues of life, then in fact, the confusion of the day does not need to remain confusion of the day but it can be brought to clarity and purpose when biblical principles are applied to the issues,” Rohrer told The Christian Post.

“The Christian life, biblical truth is real,” he continued. “It changes lives, it affects everything, everything that we do no matter our station in life. So if that’s the case then we believe that God’s model is that the pulpit is the place from which that needs to come.”

So far, the response to the “bridging the gap” project has been overwhelmingly positive.

“There is a desire from many who are younger to learn from those who are older,” Rohrer said, “but there’s no bridge.”

Read the entire Christian Post article here. Read more about the American Pastors Network and its “Stand in the Gap” radio ministry here.

To interview Sam Rohrer from the American Pastors Network, contact Beth Harrison at 610-584-1096, ext. 104,Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, or Deborah Hamilton at 215-815-7716 or 610-584-1096, ext. 102.

American Pastors Network Connects Older, Younger Pastors to Tackle Millennial Faith Crisis

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Originally published on Christian Post HERE.

A network of American pastors is aiming to connect the older generation of ministers with younger ones to address the vast numbers of millennials and youth who are not only leaving the faith but don’t have a biblical worldview.

In light of a recent American Culture and Faith Institute study, led by veteran researcher George Barna, which revealed that only 10 percent of Americans — and only 4 percent of millennials — hold a biblical worldview, Sam Rohrer, president of the American Pastors Network believes a crisis for the Church and society is upon us.

And unfortunately, when it comes to engaging the issues of the day, most pastors have been “astoundingly silent,” Rohrer, who is also the host of the radio broadcast “Stand in the Gap Today,” told The Christian Post.

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Because pastors have failed to speak here, an “abysmally low” number of young people know how to bring their Christian convictions to bear on public life, and the cultural manifestations of this lack of knowledge threatens the future of American democracy, he added.

Absent the passing down of truth to the next generation, “this nation cannot preserve the freedoms that we have enjoyed under our constitution and a republic,” Rohrer said.

The older generation of pastors and Christian leaders who have been contending for the Gospel and God’s righteousness in the public square is looking down at the next generation and are asking, “Who is following, who is coming up?”

And the answer, according to Rohrer, is “not very many, not as many as need to be.”

But all too often, older pastors are not running in circles where they are interfacing with the younger generation, Rohrer noted.

To that end, the American Pastors Network is establishing a platform that deliberately connects younger pastors who have responded positively to the content in Rohrer’s radio programs in mentoring relationships with seasoned, biblically faithful elder ministers who have been hard at it for many decades.

“If we believe, which we do, that the Scripture holds the answers to all issues of life, then in fact, the confusion of the day does not need to remain confusion of the day but it can be brought to clarity and purpose when biblical principles are applied to the issues,” he said.

Rohrer, a former member of the Pennsylvania state house of Representatives, is passionate about bringing his convictions to bear on all spheres of life, particularly in the realm of government.

“The Christian life, biblical truth is real. It changes lives, it affects everything, everything that we do no matter our station in life,” he said. “So if that’s the case then we believe that God’s model is that the pulpit is the place from which that needs to come.”

So far, the response he has received has been overwhelmingly positive.

“There is a desire from many who are younger to learn from those who are older,” Rohrer said, adding that, likewise, the older generation is concerned about the rising generation of leadership.

“But there’s no bridge,” he said.

CP asked Rohrer what theological criteria exists for participation in this endeavor given the theological differences within evangelical denominations.

The APN is based on three key truths, Rohrer told CP: “belief in the authority of scripture, belief in salvation by faith in Christ alone, and thirdly, have the courage to preach it.”

“The agreement to those things, is the unity of the historic Christian faith. It is the unity that brings together old and young, black and white. It’s the great leveler,” he stressed. “It was our intent to say, ‘let’s establish the purposes of providing a framework for biblically faithful pastors to stand together.'”

At present, 10 states have chapters of pastors networks, and plans are in the works to launch six more.

APN’s website notes that their purpose is build “a dynamic network of Biblically faithful pastors and citizen leaders who are committed to the Truth, who believe in the Authority of Scripture, who boldly preach the whole counsel of God with a disciplined application of a Biblical World-view to public policy, and who are building a permanent infrastructure of Biblically faithful pastors and lay leaders.”

2018 Israel Tour | Save the Date!

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Dear Pastors and friends of APN,

You’re invited to join us in Israel for a tour like no other!

Plan now to join me and our special host, Dr. Jimmy DeYoung of Prophecy Today, in March of 2018 for the trip of a lifetime as we travel together through the Holy Land. Regardless of whether you’ve experienced Israel before, this trip will be like no other! We’ll see and experience the sights and sounds of the Holy Land while we look at Israel’s past, examine current events in light of biblical prophecy, and understand God’s plan for the future.

The importance of Israel to today’s Christian leaders cannot be overstated.

Pastors who take a pilgrimage to the Holy Land find the experience to be personally rewarding and those rewards flow into their ministry. Imagine returning to your congregation with new passion, a deeper spiritual relationship with Christ and a Bible that went from black and white to color! Now imagine traveling with members of your congregation or leadership team and connecting with your spiritual family at a whole new level. The spiritual bonding that occurs when a church travels together to Israel can easily start a revival in your ministry. We believe that traveling to Israel is an incredible opportunity for every Christian. We know God draws people to this Holy place, and it is here that people draw near to Him. Hearts are touched and lives are forever changed.

Cost:

***Trips include airfare, luxury hotel accommodations, breakfast and dinner meals, tips and much more!

Basic Israel Trip Tour: March 7-17, 2018  Cost: $4,325 per person

Israel Trip Tour plus Petra and Red Sea Extension (4 days extra): March 7-21, 2018  Cost: $5,990 per person

Take a look at the tentative itinerary:

Itinerary

Register with your initial deposit to ensure your place on the Israel Tour!

Register

Don’t miss this chance to spend time with Stand in the Gap Radio hosts , and Dr. Jimmy DeYoung with Prophecy Today!

Standing in the Gap for Truth,

Hon. Sam Rohrer
American Pastors Network

Jimmy DeYoung Jr.
Prophecy Today

‘Sneak Peak’ at Israel Tour

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Tour Israel with Petra Extension
Joshua Travel, Hon. Sam Rohrer,  and Jimmy DeYoung invite you to join them on Joshua Travel’s tour of the land of Israel and Petra.
Day 1You’ll depart from the US for your flight to Israel arriving at Ben Gurion Airport the next afternoon.

Natural Beauty

Day 2

We will meet you and board our large airconditioned bus to make a heartwarming trip up to Jerusalem. We will visit the shepherds fields, the Biblical location of the birth of Jesus, then we will make our way to the promenade for a magnificient panoramic view of both the Old City of Jerusalem and the new City. We will overnight in the first of the deluxe hotels.

Day 3

Today we will visit Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum, which will make us aware of the persecution that has confronted the Jewish people over the centuries. At the Shrine of the Book, we will have the opportunity to view the Dead Sea Scrolls. We will see the giant Menorah, the symbol of the state of Israel, as well as listen to an explanation of the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament. A visit to the Second Temple model will give the understanding of Jerusalem at the time of Christ. We will end this day by going to the Western Wall.
Day 4

There will be a special meeting this morning with pastor Meno Kalisher. He is the pastor of the church that Jimmy DeYoung helped to establish in Jerusalem and he will address our group on a believer’s life and evangelism in Israel. We’ll then depart for a trip up the Medditerranean Coast to Caesarea, built by Herod the Great. It is the site where the Gentiles were first converted to Christianity. from Caesarea we travel up to Mt. Carmel, the site of the contest between the prophet of God, Elijah and the prophets of Baal. We’ll visit a replica of the village of Nazareth at the time of Jesus and if time allows we will stop by Cana of Galilee, the site for the first miracle of Jesus. We will overnight on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.

Day 5

Our Lord spent almost 30 years of His earthly life in the Galilee region and we plan to spend our day in this region tracing His footsteps, beginning at the city of Capernaum, the headquarters for the ministry of Jesus Christ. We’ll visit Caesarea Philippi in the area where the transfiguration took place. Travleing through the Golan heights we’ll understand better the discussion going on between the Syrians and the Israelis. We’ll have lunch on the Sea of Galilee; the menu will include St. Peter’s fish. As we travel across the Sea of Galilee to Beth Saida on the “Jesus Boat” we’ll study together the story of the feeding of the 5,000 and see the Mount of Beatitudes. Our day will end at the museum at Nof Ginnosar where the 2000-year-old Jesus boat is displayed.

Sea of Galilee

Day 6

We start this morning traveling through the Jezreel Valley on our way to Megiddo. With Bible in hand we’ll visualize the Battle of Armageddon. On the way we’ll visit one of the most interesting archaeological digs in Israel, beth She’an. Further down the Jordan Valley we come to Gilgal, the site where Joshua and the children of Israel first camped as they entered into the Promised Land.

Day 7

As we make our way through the Judean Desert to the Dead Sea, we’ll stop at Qumran, the location of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. We will take a quick hike up to the waterfalls of En Gedi, where David hid from King Saul. A highlight of our trip will include a visit to Masada. The history of this magnificient fortress is moving. Make sure you bring your bathing suit because just before returning to Jerusalem we’ll take an opportunity to try and swim in the Dead Sea.

Dead Sea

Day 8

Early this morning we’ll start on the Mount of Olives and make our way down to the Temple Mount walking the same route that Jesus would have taken on His Triumphal Entry. I will give you a 3rd Temple Seminar at the Temple Mount area, the site of the First and Second Temples. We’ll visit a special section of the Western Wall, the location where Jewish men are studying in preparation to be Priests in the next Temple and the Temple Institute where they are preparing for the 3rd Temple. In the afternoon we will go to the Garden of Gethsemane, then stop at Pilate’s Judgment Hall, wlak the Via Delarosa and end our journey at the Garden Tomb.

Days 9 & 10

Today we can sleep late and then get up to a day of light touring. In the evening we’ll meet for a Farewell Banquet that should be a gourmet’s delight and rehearse the highlights of our trip. After the banquet we make our way to Ben Gurion Airport to board the plane for your return flight to the US.

Day 10

Early this morning, we will leave Jerusalem and travel to the Valley of Elah. It was here that God used young David to sly the mighty Goliath and Israel defeated the philistine Army. Afterwards, we will proceed through the fascinating Negev Desert to the southern resort town of Eilat. Here is where we will stay for the next three nights. On our way into the desert proper, we will come to Kibbutz Sde Boker, which is the home of Israel’s first Prime Minister David Ben Gurion. We will also pass through the storied Wilderness of Zin! Then we will find ourselves at the city of Avdat. This is an ancient Nabatean city which supported a population of 100,000 people in the fifth century AD. Archaeologists are trying to reconstruct the ancient systems of irrigation, because today’s engineers do not know how to replicate the results. We will stop in the town of Mitzpe Ramon where there is a magnificient view of the Great Crater. Then we will travel on to Eilat and our hotel for the night.

Day 11

Today we will enjoy a full day tour to the exciting Rose Red City of Petra in Jordan. Petra is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. We cross the border at Eilat and drive up to Petra where we will spend the whole day, exploring this magnificient biblical site, a city carved out of a desert mountain range. Petra not only has a stunning physical beauty, unique and ancient architecture, and an amazing past – but it has a stunning prophetic future as well. At the end of this magnificient day, we return to Eilat.

Petra

Day 12

We will be privileged to visit the world-famous Underwater Observatory. We will also take a one-of-a-kind cruise on the Red Sea in our private schooner, where we will have the opportunity to enjoy some swimming, snorkeling, and lunch! The remainder of the day is at leisure in what has been voted the top winter resort for Europe and Israel, the city of Eilat.

Day 13

This morning we will be able to sleep in and relax in Eilat. After which we leave for Tel Aviv, where we will enjoy a delicious farewell dinner, and then our evening flight home.

Day 14

Early this morning we will arrive back in the US.

*This itinerary is subject to change and taken from this website: www.joshuatravel.com

Bridging the Generational Gap Between Pastors

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Distinct generations are attending Christian churches across the nation, and while one commonality—faith in Jesus—brings them together, they may have different reasons for attending church, becoming involved, giving, serving and growing in Christ.

The American Pastors Network knows that the pastors of these churches are also from distinct generations. It’s for this reason that APN is embarking on a new initiative to bring together millennial pastors with those who have spent 20 or 30 years, or more, in ministry.

“Over the past several months, we leaders at the American Pastors Network have had a real heart, longing and passion to connect biblically faithful older pastors with biblically faithful millennial pastors,” said APN President Sam Rohrer. “We know that most older pastors do have a concern for their younger counterparts, but don’t necessarily know how to connect with them. And some millennial pastors know there is value in learning from the generations who went before them. Conversely, pastors who have been in the pulpit for decades realize they can also learn from younger pastors as well, such as about how millennials think and act, what they are looking for in a church and how they see themselves fitting into the culture.”

Rohrer added that APN will be looking for ways to “bridge the gap” between these generations so they can “stand in the gap for truth” together, such as mentoring experiences, events with relevant speakers and resources to help pastors share their knowledge with each other.

The APN president also said he has asked millennial pastors about their needs and found that APN’s “Stand in the Gap” radio ministry and the network itself are both helpful resources for both church leaders and congregations, especially as they consider the culture from a biblical and constitutional perspective.

Conservative Solutions to Liberal Problems-Sam Rohrer Interviews with Colin Hanna

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APN President, Sam Rohrer, was recently interviewed by Colin Hanna on his radio program called, Let Freedom Ring. During the program, Sam talked about his testimony, his college years and time in public office, as well as his his current vision for the American Pastors Network.

To listen to both Parts 1 & 2 of the interview, please click HERE.

 

How Can Pastors Reach Millennials?

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Like many Christians, leaders from the American Pastors Network are surprised and concerned about recent research showing that the vast majority of millennials do not have a biblical worldview.

In fact, just 4 percent of millennials look at life through a biblical lens, according to the newAmerican Culture & Faith Institute (ACFI) Worldview Measurement Project, which considered how the core beliefs and behaviors of millennials compare to other adults.

This alarming discovery, coupled with the fact that the number of Americans with a biblical worldview in general is severely waning, makes pastors’ jobs even more difficult, says APN. It’s for this reason that the ministry is working toward ways to connect biblically faithful older pastors with biblically faithful millennial pastors.

“Most older faithful pastors have a concern for younger pastors but don’t always have ways to connect with them,” said APN President Sam Rohrer. “And younger pastors tend to be divided into two categories: those who don’t necessarily see the value with connecting with other generations, or those young biblically faithful pastors who do long for the opportunity and are honored to be in the presence of those who have sustained, perhaps, a 40-year ministry and have remained true. Many from all age groups who truly want to connect just don’t know how—and that’s where the American Pastors Network comes in.”

Rohrer said he has been in contact with millennial senior pastors, asking them about their needs and how APN and its “Stand in the Gap” radio ministry are helpful to their churches and congregations in looking at the culture from a biblical and constitutional perspective. In the coming months, Rohrer said, APN will consider that feedback to initiate programming so older and younger pastors can walk alongside each other.

“If we can’t connect the biblically faithful pastors in the pulpit,” Rohrer added, “how we can expect them to connect with their own people on the importance of having a biblical worldview and on the most pressing societal issues of the day?”

Social science researcher George Barna, who leads ACFI, is a frequent guest on “Stand in the Gap Today.” On a recent program, Rohrer and Barna talked about the ramifications of a declining number of millennials holding a biblical worldview.

“Most pastors realize our nation is in trouble,” Rohrer said on the program. “Without a doubt, it’s divided. The enemy is within the gate, trying to collapse our current administration and destroy our constitution, but when we learn that less than 4 percent of millennials hold a biblical worldview so necessary to supporting a constitutional republic here in the United States, the concern, in many regards, is even greater. This issue of millennials and millennial values is paramount in the country, and data from the American Culture & Faith Institute helps us focus on exactly where the problems are and where the opportunities are as well.”

Rohrer also noted that the ACFI research found that, besides millennials, the biblical worldview of Americans in general is deteriorating at an alarming rate. And Barna backed up this finding.

“Twenty-four out of 25 millennials don’t have a biblical worldview,” Barna said on the show. “But be that as it may, the point is that across the country, only 10 percent of American adults have a biblical worldview. What difference does that make? In order to get to that number, we asked 40 different questions about people’s beliefs or behaviors and looked at (the answers) in a number of different ways, including generationally.”

Barna and Rohrer observed that the world is becoming increasingly more secular, especially because a worldview is engrained during childhood and adolescence, and fewer younger Americans have the same worldview as their older counterparts, which means millennials—along with Generation Xers, of which 7 percent holds a biblical worldview—are not instilling these values and beliefs in their own children.

Discoveries from the ACFI study also included the following:

  • 72 percent of adults over the age of 30 call themselves Christians, but just 59 percent of millennials do.
  • Of those who say they’re atheist, agnostic or have no religious affiliations or beliefs, 18 percent are 30 or older, and more than 28 percent are millennials
  • One-third of older adults are born again Christians, stating that they will experience eternity in heaven with God after their death because they have confessed their sins and accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior, but far fewer millennials (20 percent) share that expectation.
  • A minority of adults 30 or older (43 percent) supports same-sex marriage, while nearly two-thirds of those under 30 (65 percent) support it.
  • Conservatives outnumber liberals by a 2:1 margin among adults 30 or older (28 percent vs. 12 percent), yet, the opposite is true among millennials—12 percent are conservative while 26 percent are liberal.
  • Millennials are the generation most likely to prefer socialism over capitalism (44 percent compared to 35 percent among older adults).
  • While just 6 percent of adults 30 or older claim to be in the LGBT community, two-and-a-half times as many millennials (15 percent) adopt that label.

Knowing these facts, Rohrer added, one of APN’s goals is to equip pastors with the tools necessary to preach about issues related to a biblical worldview. A separate study from ACFI found that just 10 percent of pastors are preaching about the most pressing cultural issues of the day.