Does History Repeat Itself?

In this unique election year, political analysts, the media and even voters are looking to the past to see if history will repeat itself. While some things never change, this presidential election is certainly proving to color “outside of the lines.”

At the upcoming “U-Turn” conference for pastors, ministry leaders and engaged believers, headline speakers social science researcher George Barna and WallBuilders leader and historian David Barton will address the pressing topics on the minds of many as they head to the polls.

Biblical, not political, the daylong event, “U-Turn: A Roadmap for Renewal—A Conversation with Pastors on Society, Culture and Leadership,” offered by the American Pastors Network (APN, www.americanpastorsnetwork.net) and the North Carolina Pastors Network (NCPN, www.ncpastors.net), will equip, empower and educate attendees about the essentials to impact culture, especially now, when the church and Christian voters have the potential to make a real difference.

“We are honored to again welcome George Barna and David Barton to the ‘U-Turn’ stage,” said APN President Sam Rohrer. “These two powerful speakers are an inspiration to pastors and church leaders, and their motivating words will be deeply embedded on the hearts of all who attend ‘U-Turn’ in North Carolina on April 14. Pastors, church leaders and engaged believers are ready to take their ministries to the next level, and ‘U-Turn’ will be a catalyst for that change.”

Set for 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. April 14 at Southern Evangelical Seminary (SES) at 3000 Tilley Morris Road in Matthews, N.C., “U-Turn” will feature Barna speaking on “The Necessity of Engagement: A Statistical Perspective” and Barton addressing the topic of “When Pastors Stand for Truth: A Historical Perspective.”

George Barna has filled executive roles in politics, marketing, advertising, media development, research and ministry. He founded the Barna Research Group in 1984 (now The Barna Group) and helped it become a leading marketing research firm focused on the intersection of faith and culture before selling it in 2009.

Barna currently serves as the Executive Director of the American Culture and Faith Institute (a division of United in Purpose), and is President of Metaformation, a faith development organization. He has written more than 50 books and his work is frequently cited as an authoritative source by the media. Barna also serves as a speaker at ministry conferences around the world, on the faculty at several universities and seminaries, and as a pastor who helped start several churches.

David Barton heads WallBuilders, a national pro-family organization that presents America’s forgotten history and heroes, with an emphasis on America’s moral, religious and constitutional heritage. He is the author of numerous best-selling books, with the subjects drawn largely from his massive library-museum of tens of thousands of original writings, documents and artifacts from early America. He also addresses well over 400 groups each year. Barton’s exhaustive research has rendered him an expert in historical and constitutional issues.

Additional “U-Turn” speakers in North Carolina will include:

  • Former NFL star and pastor Paul Blair, president of Reclaiming America for Christ
  • Gary Frazier, biblical writer and founder and president of Discovery Missions International
  • Jeff Mateer of the First Liberty (formerly the Liberty Institute), who has argued significant religious liberties and marriage cases
  • Pastor, pilot and author Steve Scheibner, who tells his gripping story from 9/11
  • Bryan Smith, senior manager for biblical integration for BJU Press
  • Sammy Tippit of Sammy Tippit Ministries

Said a pastor who attended the Pennsylvania “U-Turn” event, “I was really blessed by the U-Turn Conference. … This was truly life-changing and transformational. I don’t remember the last time I have been so inspired to want to make a difference in the kingdom of God after attending a conference with such great impact. I was thoroughly energized to know what, how and why we should take back our country for Jesus Christ.”

The “U-Turn” early bird rate of $29 for adults ends March 24. The student rate (with an ID shown at the door) is $21, and the group rate (with five or more individuals) is $25. To register online, click here, or for more details, click here.

Protecting the Pulpit: What Every Pastor Needs to Know

On March 8th, the American Pastors Network recently held their monthly conference call designed to answer questions for Pastors and Church Leaders relating to current topics and events affecting  our churches and nation. The theme of this call was “Protecting the Pulpit: What Every Pastor Needs to Know”.  Senior Counsel Justin Butterfield, with First Liberty, and Dr. David Whitney with The American View, joined the call as guests to answer the following questions:

  1. What do pastors need to understand regarding their freedoms and limitations as a 501c3  entity when it comes to participating in the political process?
  2. Can pastors endorse a political candidate personally?  How about from the pulpit?
  3. How can a church protect themselves from lawsuits on certain issues like homosexuality and same-sex marriage?
  4. Should churches incorporate or not?
  5. How can a church “unincorporate” if they no longer want to have 501c3 status

U-TURN: THE RECIPE FOR RETURNING GOD’S BLESSING ON AMERICA

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW!

America’s safety, both from threats here at home and abroad, is on the minds of many citizens and leaders. Some surround physical dangers, but others threaten the spiritual and moral fiber of the nation.

Therefore, the American Pastors Network and the North Carolina Pastors Network (NCPN, www.ncpastors.net) are planning the next “U-Turn” event for pastors, ministry leaders and engaged believers on April 14, 2016 at Southern Evangelical Seminary (SES) in Matthews, N.C. (To learn more and to register for the conference, click HERE)

Biblical, not political, the daylong event, titled “U-Turn: A Roadmap for Renewal—A Conversation with Pastors on Society, Culture and Leadership,” will equip, empower, and educate attendees about the critical role of pastors, as well as equip pastors, ministry leaders and engaged believers with the essentials to impact culture particularly during an important election year when the church and Christian voters have the potential to make a real difference.

“We live in a world now where marriage is no longer sacred, where a person’s God-given gender is questioned, where Americans are losing their homes, businesses and hundreds of thousands of dollars for standing up for their religious liberties,” said APN President Sam Rohrer of the U-Turn event. “This is not a time for churches and pastors to be silent. It’s a time to stand, and to take a drastic turn from where we currently find ourselves—and head for much higher ground.”

Added Dave Kistler, president of NCPN, “Our world—and the church—desperately needs leaders who will stand bravely to be a catalyst for change in society, to return our culture to the biblical and constitutional principles on which it was founded, and to make a ‘U-Turn’ from our present state to a place that glorifies God.”

Headlining the April 14 event from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at SES will be social science researcher George Barna and WallBuilders leader David Barton, who were also featured speakers at the inaugural “U-Turn” conference in Pennsylvania in 2015.

Barna has filled executive roles in politics, marketing, advertising, media development, research and ministry. He founded the Barna Research Group in 1984 (now The Barna Group) and helped it become a leading marketing research firm focused on the intersection of faith and culture before selling it in 2009. Barna currently serves as the Executive Director of the American Culture and Faith Institute (a division of United in Purpose), and is President of Metaformation, a faith development organization. He has written more than 50 books and his work is frequently cited as an authoritative source by the media. Barna has also serves as a speaker at ministry conferences around the world, on the faculty at several universities and seminaries, and as a pastor who helped start several churches.

Barton heads WallBuilders, a national pro-family organization that presents America’s forgotten history and heroes, with an emphasis on America’s moral, religious and constitutional heritage. He is the author of numerous best-selling books, with the subjects drawn largely from his massive library-museum of tens of thousands of original writings, documents and artifacts from early America. He also addresses well over 400 groups each year. His exhaustive research has rendered him an expert in historical and constitutional issues.

Additional “U-Turn” speakers in North Carolina will include:

• Former NFL star and pastor Paul Blair, president of Reclaiming America for Christ
• Gary Frazier, biblical writer and founder and president of Discovery Missions International
• Jeff Mateer of the Liberty First (formerly the Liberty Institute), who has argued significant religious liberties and marriage cases
• Pastor, pilot and author Steve Scheibner, who tells his gripping story from 9/11
• Bryan Smith, senior manager for biblical integration for BJU Press
• Sammy Tippit of Sammy Tippit Ministries

Said a pastor who attended the Pennsylvania “U-Turn” event, “I was really blessed by the U-Turn Conference. … This was truly life-changing and transformational. I don’t remember the last time I have been so inspired to want to make a difference in the kingdom of God after attending a conference with such great impact. I was thoroughly energized to know what, how and why we should take back our country for Jesus Christ.”

The “U-Turn” early bird rate of $29 for adults ends March 24. The student rate (with an ID shown at the door) is $21, and the group rate (with five or more individuals) is $25. To register online, click HERE , or for more details, visit the event site HERE. For more information on SES (Southern Evangelical Seminary, 3000 Tilley Morris Rd., Matthews, NC 28105), click HERE.

What is the New World Order and Who’s Involved? Why Do They Fear a Trump/Cruz Potential Presidency?

Sam Rohrer, President of the American Pastors Network, defines the New World Order and who’s involved, as heard on the Stand in the Gap Today radio program from 2/11/16. To listen to the entire program, please click HERE.

Why would proponents of the NWO fear a Donald Trump or Ted Cruz in office? Sam Rohrer, APN President answers this question from the Stand in the Gap Today radio program on 2/11/16.  Please click on the link above to listen to the entire program.

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What’s the difference between Socialism and Capitalism and What Is the Appeal behind Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders?

Attorney David New gives a concise definition of the fundamental differences between socialism and capitalism, as heard on the Stand in the Gap Today radio program from 2/11/16.  To listen to the entire program, please click HERE.

Attorney David New comments on the appeal that Bernie Sanders has for the younger generation, as heard on the Stand in the Gap Today radio program from 2/11/16.  Please refer to the link above to listen to the entire program.

Christian Pastor: Have You (We) Done Your Duty?

Political commentator and devout Christian Todd Starnes has hit the nail squarely on the head. The absence on the part of Christians from the process, plus the stunning unwillingness on the part of pastors to lead their people to register and vote, has placed us at a critical crossroads! (the article by Todd Starnes) I want to offer two comments of challenge, first to my brothers/sisters in Christ, then to my dear friends who co-labor with me in the ministry.

Brethren, this is our time to let our voice be heard. If you are not registered to vote in the primaries, then GET YOURSELF REGISTERED! There is no more direct, uncomplicated way I can say it! We cannot/dare not sit this one out.  The future of our nation is at stake, most specifically our religious liberty and 2nd Amendment rights! If we (who profess Christ) are not willing to do the right thing, then we will get what we deserve—more loss of liberty, more government intrusion, more restrictions on our ability to live, profess, and promote our faith, and more godless secularism/socialism/Sharia complicity. The antidote for all of this is a believing community that is willing to stand courageously and vote Biblically—as much as is possible!

To my dear pastor friends, thank you for the many of you who have been/are willing to lead your people to register and vote. Thanks for being willing to have a table in your church building where your people can actually register (which is NO violation of the law) to vote in both primary and general election. Thank you for courageous and unequivocal leadership!

To those men of God who’ve been reticent to lead in this fashion, I plead with you to reconsider your course. In our state of North Carolina, the deadline for registering to vote in the primary is this Friday, February 19. Though it should have been done prior, we have one final opportunity to encourage our people to do the right thing as a citizen of these United States. This coming Wednesday evening will afford the opportunity for one final appeal. Again, it is no violation of the law to have registration forms available for completion. A knowledgeable person in the congregation can oversee people as they register, then get the registration forms to the election board. This is nothing less than appropriate citizen response to what is actually a constitutional and Biblical responsibility—voting! To fulfill that responsibility, individuals must be registered.

I trust that Todd’s outstanding remarks that follow will be the needed impetus for engagement by both pastor and pew. I love you my dear friends—enough to speak forthrightly the truth! And, I love the country God has graciously given us—the United States of America! Thirty-one years of traveling the world has proven to me that we, in America, are uniquely blessed. We cannot/dare not allow our country to be taken from us! We must stand tall, speak up, and refuse to succumb to that which would make us fearful—ven the faces of those in our congregations who are unaware of the precipice on which America currently teeters!

Dave Kistler
President, HOPE Ministries International
President, North Carolina Pastors Network (NCPN)
Co-host, Stand In The Gap Radio

Unveiling Islam: What Pastors Must Know and Preach

On February 9, 2016, the American Pastors Network held a conference call with pastors to discuss the inroads of Islam in our local schools, churches, and communities. Joining the call were guest speakers:

Some of the questions discussed were:

  • Is there any such thing as a ‘moderate Muslim’?
  • Why is it so critical that this current ‘Chrislam’ mentality of saying that we all worship the same God is so dangerous – politically – as well as, of course, to the preaching of the Gospel?
  • How should the Church balance the literal increasing physical war that is ensuing against Christianity with loving our Muslim neighbor next door’?

 

 

APN Addresses Important Election News from Iowa on ‘Stand in the Gap Today;’ Examines CNN Analysis and the Missing ‘Biblical Evangelicals’

With the all-important Iowa caucus now in the rear-view mirror, presidential hopefuls are keeping up their efforts to court Christian evangelical voters, as the tone continues to be set for the 2016 race.

Through its daily one-hour “Stand in the Gap Today” radio program, the American Pastors Network (APN,www.americanpastorsnetwork.net) has been following election news closely, and discussing candidates and their stances on the issues important to Christians.

For example, in a report last week, CNN segmented American Christians to help better understand how they are making up their minds for the presidential ​primaries. “It’s an axiom in American politics, duly repeated every four years,” CNN reported. “Evangelicals are the country’s biggest and most powerful religious voting bloc, especially during the GOP primaries.”

Outlining splits in both the candidates whom evangelicals favor and the principles that will drive their votes, CNN categorized these voters into seven groups: 1) the old guard; 2) institutional evangelicals; 3) entrepreneurial evangelicals; 4) “arm’s length” evangelicals; 5) millennial evangelicals; 6) liberal evangelicals; and 7) and cultural evangelicals.

However, says APN President Sam Rohrer, there is one classification notably absent.

“The one missing but most needed category is that of ‘biblical evangelicals,’” Rohrer said. “This classification of evangelicals bases decisions on the word of God and the Bible’s teachings—and there is no foundation more solid. This eighth category of the ‘biblical evangelical’ should also be reflected by a public narrative, focusing on matters of candidate requirements such as fear of God, the opposition of bribery and corruption, a knowledge of the biblical definition of justice, a commitment to the Rule of Law as defined and embodied in God’s Moral law and our Constitution, and the demonstration of character and integrity. These qualities all stand apart from any determinations of a candidate’s chance to win the election based on pragmatic decisions.

“APN’s pastoral and biblical emphasis hones in on these beliefs and this emphasis,” Rohrer added. “Furthermore, pastors can help guide their congregations by first and foremost encouraging them to vote. Election analysts say that if more evangelical voters visited the polls and voted with their values in 2008 and 2012, the outcome may have been vastly different for our country. We must ensure that in this election, the Christian voice is heard loud and clear.”

Listen to the audio clip “Seven Evangelicals” from “Stand in the Gap Today”

Added Gary Dull, APN board member and executive director and vice president of the Pennsylvania Pastors Network (PPN, www.papastors.net), “The division among evangelicals is caused, in part, by a lack of solid voices to represent and lead them. Unity is crucial at this time—and going forward. But the goal is not unity alone. Unity must always be connected to and the result of biblical obedience. For the sake of pastors and the people in the pews, we must help them effectively, wisely and biblically sort through the confusion in order to elect the best leader for our nation, not just the one we think is most ‘electable’ but yet may not contain the solid leadership America desperately needs.”

Rohrer and Dull went on to say that pastors can do several things to help motivate and empower their congregations to speak their minds and stand up for biblical values at the polls:

  • Communicate the importance of the faith-driven vote in this election.
  • Educate parishioners about the position of the candidates on critical issues through an in-depth Voter Guide, such as the one from AFA Action, a division of the American Family Association.
  • Pray about which candidate to choose in the upcoming election.

Was the recent Harris, TX Grand Jury’s indictment of the undercover couple and letting Planned Parenthood of the hook an example of gross injustice?

Evangelist Dave Kistler, President of the NC Pastors Network, comments on the decision by a Grand Jury to let Planned Parenthood off the hook, and indict the couple responsible for exposing them. To listen to the entire program, please click HERE.

Are some pastors and religious leaders contributing to ‘confusion’ in the 2016 Presidential elections with the recent endorsements of Donald Trump?

Dr. Gary Dull, Executive Director of the PA Pastors Network, and Sam Rohrer, President of the American Pastors Network discuss the recent endorsements of Presidential Candidate Donald Trump on Stand in the Gap Today, a radio ministry of the American Pastors Network.  To listen to the entire program, please click HERE.