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Vote NO – March 7 – Oklahoma State Question 820 – Legalization of Recreational Marijuana

Posted by :admin On : February 28, 2023
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Category: Archives, Culture Wars, Government

Oklahomans must not ignore the lessons learned from the approval of Medical Marijuana in 2018.

In 2018, sixty percent of Oklahoma voters overwhelmingly approved legalization of marijuana for medical purposes (SQ 788). Just four years later Oklahoma leads the nation with 2,300 marijuana dispensaries and is also the leading source of marijuana trafficking nationwide due to cheap land, cheap licenses, and the most lax regulations on marijuana in the country.[1]

Beth Wallis, writing in State Impact Oklahoma, call’s Oklahoma the “Wild West” when it comes to marijuana policies and regulations.

With the relatively low cost of starting a business, few regulations on facility placement, and the ease of obtaining a medical card, the Sooner State has become a prime destination for businesses looking to cash in on the Green Rush. Compared to Colorado — a state with legal medical and recreational marijuana — Oklahoma has nearly seven times the number of grow licensees.[2]

Escalation of the carnage by legalizing Recreational Marijuana

Like the 2018 legalization of medical marijuana, 2023’s State Question 820 to legalize recreational marijuana was written by individuals in the marijuana industry and presented through the petition process for a vote. Over $3 million has been spent by organizations and individuals in the marijuana industry to promote SQ820. The complete language of SQ 820 is found at the Oklahoma Secretary of State Website.[3]

Proponents of legalization of recreational marijuana point to the large amount of tax and licensing revenues projected to be generated through sales of recreational marijuana. However, these revenues are dwarfed by the massive societal costs due to loss of life, declining mental and physical health, increased criminal activity, and increased cost of public services (police, judicial system, over-burdened infrastructure and health systems, etc.).

Dumbing Down America

The Center for Disease Control has reported that marijuana is the most commonly used federally illegal drug in the United States, with an estimated 48.2 million people using it in 2019. Marijuana use may have a wide range of health effects on the body and brain. The cannabis plant contains more than 100 compounds (or cannabinoids). These compounds include tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is impairing or mind-altering, as well as other active compounds, such as cannabidiol (CBD). CBD is not impairing, meaning it does not cause a “high”.[4]

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration of the United States Department of Health and Human Service presents a frightening picture of the destruction of the mental and physical health of a growing number of Americans using marijuana:

Contrary to popular belief, marijuana is addictive. Research shows that:

• 1-in-6 people who start using the drug before the age of 18 can become addicted.
• 1-in-10 adults who use the drug can become addicted.

Over the past few decades, the amount of THC in marijuana has steadily climbed; today’s marijuana has three times the concentration of THC compared to 25 years ago. The higher the THC amount, the stronger the effects on the brain—likely contributing to increased rates of marijuana-related emergency room visits. While there is no research yet on how higher potency affects the long-term risks of marijuana use, more THC is likely to lead to higher rates of dependency and addiction.[5]

Even though the proposed law restricts usage of recreational marijuana by persons under age 21, the ease with which marijuana will be obtainable and used by minors will markedly increase if recreational marijuana usage is approved. Minors are the ones most prone to long-term mental and physical declines due to marijuana use.

Marijuana use can have negative and long-term effects:[6]

• Brain health: Marijuana can cause permanent IQ loss of as much as 8 points when people start using it at a young age. These IQ points do not come back, even after quitting marijuana.

• Mental health: Studies link marijuana use to depression, anxiety, suicide planning, and psychotic episodes. It is not known, however, if marijuana use is the cause of these conditions.

• Athletic Performance: Research shows that marijuana affects timing, movement, and coordination, which can harm athletic performance.

• Driving: People who drive under the influence of marijuana can experience dangerous effects: slower reactions, lane weaving, decreased coordination, and difficulty reacting to signals and sounds on the road.

• Baby’s health and development: Marijuana use during pregnancy may cause fetal growth restriction, premature birth, stillbirth, and problems with brain development, resulting in hyperactivity and poor cognitive function. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other chemicals from marijuana can also be passed from a mother to her baby through breast milk, further impacting a child’s healthy development.

• Daily life: Using marijuana can affect performance and how well people do in life. Research shows that people who use marijuana are more likely to have relationship problems, worse educational outcomes, lower career achievement, and reduced life satisfaction.[6]

Oklahoma must not compound the damage already done to the citizens of Oklahoma by approving recreational marijuana. However, those promoting recreational marijuana are also encouraging a get out the vote campaign in order to pass SQ 820. The Tulsa County Election Board has reported that there has been a significant jump in new voter registrations in the last two months presumably to vote yes on the state question.[7]

Your Personal Action Plan to stop the legalization of Recreational Marijuana in Oklahoma

• Vote on Tuesday – March 7
• Get your family and friends to vote against SQ820
• Use Facebook and other social media to send this post to your contact list.
• Contact your pastor and ask him to publicly encourage congregational members present on Sunday, March 5, to vote against SQ820 on Tuesday – March 7 (Some pastors have given lengthy resentations two or three times to their congregations of the reasons to vote against SQ820.)
• Pray daily for the defeat of SQ820

Larry G. Johnson

Sources:
[1] Karen Hardin, SQ 820 Recreational marijuana vote March 7, Tulsa Beacon, February 23, 2023, 1.
[2] Beth Wallis, “Where does medical marijuana stand in the state legislature?” State Impact Oklahoma, February 17, 2022, https://stateimpact.npr.org/oklahoma/2022/02/17/where-does-medical-marijuana-stand-in-the-oklahoma-legislature/
[3] Oklahoma Secretary of State website: https://www.sos.ok.gov/gov/questions.aspx (Click in the search box 820 and then click on the number to download the document.)
[4] “Health Effects of Marijuana,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/marijuana/health-effects/index.html (accessed 2-27-2023).
[5] “Learn About Marijuana Risks,” Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, https://www.samhsa.gov/marijuana (accessed 2-27-2023).
[6] Ibid.
[7] Karen Hardin, Tulsa Beacon, 1.

Owasso School Board Election 2-14-2023 – Vote for Vincent Donaldson

Posted by :admin On : February 13, 2023
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Category: Archives, Education, Government

For Those of you in the Owasso School District, it is very important that you vote in tomorrow’s election! If you are a Christian and/or a support of the nation’s founding Christian values of morality, you should vote for Vincent Donaldson.

School board elections have a low voter turnout. This means your vote carries a lot of weight. The following Voter Guide was supplied by Chris Wills [chris@votebible.com]:

VINCENT DONALDSON – OUR PICK

Vincent believes our school board needs an overhaul. He upholds biblical values and desires to bring morality back int our school systems. Transparency and accountability are extremely important to him.

NEAL KESSLER

Neal has served on the owasso School Board for the past five years. The current board lacks transparency with its decisions. Neal voted unanimously with the rest of the board to ban a concerned parent from the campus. The parent wanted pornographic material removed from the school library. The case went to court, where the judge ruled for the parent and his right of free speech.

KRISTY MOON

Kristy agrees that our school board needs to be transparent and accountable for its actions. At the same time, she believes teachers should be able to choose and create their own curriculum instead of being decided by the school board. She does not believe our nation’s founding Christian values of morality are necessary.

—————————————–

If you want to know more about the about the issues and occurrences surrounding the pornography found in the Owasso Public Schools’ library, please read my two articles by clicking the following links:

Pornography in Owasso Public Schools – Will local churches remain silent? https://www.culturewarrior.net/2022/11/08/pornography-in-owasso-public-schools-silence-of-the-local-churches/

Pornography in Owasso Public Schools – How it happened and what is being done about it https://www.culturewarrior.net/2022/12/17/pornography-in-owasso-public-schools-how-it-happened-and-what-is-being-done-about-it/

Larry G. Johnson
​

Pornography in Owasso Public Schools – How it happened and what is being done about it

Posted by :admin On : December 17, 2022
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Category: Archives, Culture Wars, Education

This is the second article on pornography in the Owasso Public Schools. The first article may be found at CultureWarrior.net website: “Pornography in Owasso Public Schools – Will local churches remain silent?”[1]

Events leading up to Owasso Public Schools change in library policies that deal with pornography

The story began when a Tim Reiland opened a book his 14-year old daughter had randomly checked out from the Owasso Public Schools library. He discovered its contents were blatantly pornographic and lodged a complaint about the offending book with school officials. Reiland attended a school board meeting on October 10th and spoke at the meeting with hope that the board would establish a district policy that addressed his concerns about pornographic materials in the school’s libraries. The board did not establish a policy with regard to the presence of pornographic materials. Reiland was subsequently banned from all Owasso Public Schools’ grounds following his contact with a board member in the parking lot following the meeting. On October 17, 2022, KTUL Channel 8 aired a story about Reiland’s banishment because of his efforts to have the graphic novel removed from the school library.[2]

Reiland obtained legal counsel, and on November 1st, U.S. District Judge John F. Heil issued a temporary restraining order that prevented the Owasso school district from barring Reiland’s access to the campus. Heil wrote, “While it is true that injunctive relief is an extraordinary relief, this Court finds that the First Amendment is an extraordinary right, deserving of extraordinary relief.”[3]

The Owasso school board subsequently met on November 9th and altered Reiland’s ban so it was no longer tied to his interaction with board member Brent England. Instead, the ban was kept in place because of Reiland’s interaction in the parking lot with Art Haddaway of the Owasso Reporter. Subsequently on November 14th, Judge Heil converted the restraining order to a temporary injunction that prevented Owasso Public Schools’ efforts to ban the Reiland from attending school board meetings, dropping off and picking up his children from school, and attending parent-teacher conferences and other extracurricular activities. The judge noted that it “is clear” that Owasso’s ban was “substantially motivated as a response to Plaintiff’s criticism of the Board’s decision and his petition for a redress of grievances” which is protected under the First Amendment.[4]

On that same Monday night, November 14, 2022, the Owasso School Board unanimously approved an update of the school’s library policy and specifically addressed the presence of pornographic books and other associated materials found in the school library. A copy of this policy may be found on the Owasso Public Schools website.[5]

The OPS Board is to be commended for its changes to the School Library Book Selection Policy #1.86 [6]

1. The opening paragraph of the amended policy includes the following statements:

The library media program shall be reflective of the community standards for the population the library media center serves when acquiring an age appropriate collection of print materials, non-print materials, multimedia resources, equipment and supplies…All students shall have access to age appropriate material from any collection in the district, however parents or legal guardians shall have the right to restrict access to library materials for their student(s). [emphasis added]

2. Just as important as the additions may be, the deletions are often just as important.
The following are representative of the deletions:

• Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be prescribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

If continued, this deleted policy statement would have allowed the inclusion of materials promoting Marxism, socialism, critical race theory, and sexualization of children through the radical LGBTQ+ agenda, all of which do not reflect the “community standards for the population the library media center serves.”

• Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.

If continued, this deleted policy statement would have allowed OPS administrators to continue to allow pornographic materials in OPS libraries. Likewise, if a state law passed in 2021 had not prohibited teaching and promotion of critical race theory, this policy would have allowed OPS administrators to challenge those who wished to prohibit teaching and promotion of critical race theory (including library and classroom books and materials).

• Materials shall be selected in accordance with the principles established by the School Library Bill of Rights as approved by the American Association of School Libraries. The American Association of School Librarians affirms that all libraries are forums for information and ideas, and that the following basic ideals should guide their services…

The removal of this policy statement effectively replaces the selection principles of the American Association of School Librarians with selections reflective of local community standards. It is highly doubtful that the leadership of any national secondary or university-level education association or organization reflects the community standards of parents and citizens of Owasso, Oklahoma. For decades academia in America at all levels have been indoctrinated with a liberal-progressive-socialist worldview by the vast majority of American colleges and universities which stands in stark contrast to the Judeo-Christian values and worldview of most Americans.

3. The Criteria for OPS’s School Book Selection Policy #1.86 include two
commendable changes:

Paragraph 2. As school library media center resources are finite, the library media program shall be reflective of the community standards for the population the library media center serves when acquiring an age appropriate collection of print materials, non-print materials, multimedia resources, equipment and supplies… [emphasis added]

Paragraph 5. Materials are selected for validity, currency, and appropriateness of content. This includes an inspection of every graphic novel, prior to placing in the collection, for potential material involving sexually explicit content and extreme vulgarity. [emphasis added]

Significant Problem remains with OPS Policy #1.86 as amended 11-14-2022

The problem with OPS Policy #1.86 as amended resides with the person(s) charged with the Responsibility for Selection. Those responsible for book and materials selection remain unchanged. The board of education is the governing body of the school district and is legally responsible for selection of instructional materials including library books and materials. This authority is delegated to the professional personnel of the district for the selection of these books and materials. The policy states that the books and materials for the library are primarily selected by the Library Media Specialist with input from the Selection Review Committee composed of a minimum of three certified staff members which may include the Library Media Specialist, principal, counselor, and classroom teachers(s).[7]

Yet, these are the same people charged with selecting or rejecting library and classroom books and materials under the prior policy that now must select books and materials that reflect community standards (discerning, understanding, and interpreting the community’s values, moral standards, and worldview).

Although the board and professional personnel may or may not personally approve of pornographic material, nevertheless, they allowed significant amounts of pornographic materials to be available to Owasso students. One wonders how many years has this been happening. The enormity of their malfeasance becomes clear when the perniciousness of pornography is understood. Pornography is widely defined as depicting erotic behavior and intended to cause sexual excitement, and is morally reprehensible, offensive, and insidious. Pornography distorts a child’s understanding of healthy human relationships.

Establishment of a Community/Parent Oversight Committee to interact with the OPS Selection Review Committee with regard library and classroom books and materials

The policy continues to state that, “However, no stakeholder has the right to determine the reading material for students other than his/her own children.”[8] Here, stakeholder implies parents of children at OPS. However, given the reference to community standards, the stakeholders must include members of the local community at large.

The only means to insure that pornography does not creep back into the libraries of Owasso Public Schools over time is to establish an oversight committee comprised of parents and community members. Representatives of this committee would interact with the school’s Selection Review Committee. The structural and operational parameters of such oversight committee have been successfully developed and implemented in many other school districts across the nation.

• The Parent/Community Committee will review all books and materials presented to the Selection and Review Committee and make comments and recommendations.
• Although the Parent/Community committee may not always agree with the decisions of the Book Selection Committee, in some cases of significant disagreement, the Parent/Community Committee may appeal to the Superintendent and subsequently, if necessary, to the Board of Education.
• The Parent/Community Committee should be allowed to annually examine the books and materials available to students in the OPS libraries.

An election to select a representative for Owasso School Board Office No. 3 will be held on February 14, 2023. Three candidates are running to fill the position that has a five-year term of office: Vincent Donaldson, Neal Kessler (incumbent), and Kristy Moon.[9] All voters in that ward are encouraged to examine the candidates qualifications, views, and especially their position with regard to recent events surrounding the pornography in OPS libraries. Each candidate should be asked if he/she will support the establishment of a Parent/Community Book Selection Committee to have input and a degree of oversight in selection of books and materials for OPS libraries and classrooms that reflect community standards.

Larry G. Johnson

Sources:
[1] Larry G. Johnson, “Pornography in Owasso Public Schools – Will local churches remain silent,” culturewarrior.net, 11-08-2022. https://www.culturewarrior.net/2022/11/08/pornography-in-owasso-public-schools-silence-of-the-local-churches/
[2]Burt Mummolo, “Owasso parent banned from school grounds after asking for pornographic book to be removed,”
KTUL Channel 8, October 17, 2022, https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/owasso-parent-banned-from-school-grounds-after-asking-for-pornographic-book-to-be-removed/ar-AA134R0f
[3] Ray Carter, “Court prevents Owasso school from banning parent critic,” Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs,November 2, 2022, https://www.ocpathink.org/post/court-prevents-owasso-school-from-banning-parent-critic
[4] Ray Carter, “Parent reaps second court victory against Owasso schools,” Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, November 15, 2022, https://www.ocpathink.org/post/parent-reaps-second-court-victory-against-owasso-schools
[5] Owasso Board of Education Regular Meeting, November 14, 2022 at 6:30 PM – Attachment to Agenda item VII.D. Selection of Library materials Policy #1.86 (4), https://meeting.assemblemeetings.com/Public/Agenda/601?meeting=537856
[6] Ibid.
[7] Ibid.
[8] Ibid.
[9] “Tulsa County Municipal and School Board filings,” Tulsa Beacon, December 15, 2022, 1.

Pornography in Owasso Public Schools – Will local churches remain silent?

Posted by :admin On : November 8, 2022
1

Category: American Church, Archives, Culture Wars, Education

On October 17, 2022, KTUL Channel 8 aired a story about an Owasso parent’s efforts to have a graphic novel removed from the school library. The book had been randomly checked out by his 14-year-old daughter. The parent described what he found in the book.

There was children with their penises showing that were urinating in each other’s faces. There was scenes, and this is graphic, images of ejaculation. There are scenes of teen sex. There are also scenes of a child, a child being raped in the book, and all in graphic depiction.[1]

The parent stated that when he first told school officials about it, they didn’t pay him much mind until he brought copies of the pages to the assistant superintendent who then, he says, pulled the book for review. The parent stated that he was very happy with that and thanked him and sent emails thanking them.[2]

The parent then attended a school board meeting on October 10, hoping the district would establish a policy that addressed his concerns about pornographic materials in the school. Apparently other parents in attendance voiced similar concerns to the board as well. According to the parent, those wanting pornographic materials removed from the school were accused of “just trying to ban books or burn books” in spite the parents claims that they were just trying to protect their children from pornography. In spite of their efforts, the board took no action to address a policy change on what books would be allowed in the school.[3]

After the meeting the parent spoke to school board member Brent England in the parking lot about the concerns of the parents. Within three or four days after the meeting the parent received a letter from Owasso School Superintendent Margaret Coates informing him that he had “committed one or more acts” that interfered “with the peaceful activities on District property.” Specifically, the letter stated, “You are hereby directed to leave the Owasso Public Schools and all of its grounds including sports events, sports venues, and not return.” The Channel 8 news reporter asked the parent if he could pick up his kids. The parent responded that, “I cannot pick up my children without written permission from Margaret Coates. It feels very retaliatory.”[4]

Subsequently, U.S. District Judge John Heil issued a temporary injunction that prevents Owasso Public Schools’ efforts to ban the parent from attending school board meetings, dropping off and picking up his children from school, and attending parent-teacher conferences and other extracurricular activities. The judge noted that it “is clear” that Owasso’s ban was “substantially motivated as a response to Plaintiff’s criticism of the Board’s decision and his petition for a redress of grievances” which is protected under the First Amendment.[5]

Pornography in Oklahoma’s K-12 schools is widespread and deeply embedded

Owasso Public Schools is not the only school system that has been found to have pornography in its libraries and classrooms. The State Board of Education recently voted to sanction Tulsa Public Schools, Oklahoma’s second largest district, by significantly reducing its accreditation status to “accreditation with warning” for violating the provisions of House Bill 1775 passed by the Oklahoma legislature in 2021. HB 1775 prohibits the promotion or teaching of critical race theory (CRT) in Oklahoma K-12 classrooms. The recent vote to sanction Tulsa Public Schools for violation of HB 1775 occurred the same week that the Twitter account, Libs of Tik Tok, highlighted two books available to Tulsa students in the school library—“Gender Queer” and “Flamer.” The Twitter account reported that the books contain sexually explicit and pornographic content. When the sexually-explicit images from the books were posted on Facebook, the tech giant quickly shut down the post citing its graphic content.[6]

Oklahoma Senate Pro Tempore Greg Treat, called the news “appalling and nothing short of deplorable.” Further, he stated,

It is indefensible to have children exposed to images and material that is the definition of pornography. It makes no difference whether its same sex, opposing sex, or anything in between, children should never be able to view the images in a public school sanctioned library setting.[7]

State Representative Sherrie Conley, a former teacher and school administrator, warned that “materials such as these are not just in Tulsa Public schools but in other school libraries throughout the state.”[8]

Owasso is just one of many school boards across the nation that has tried to prevent parents and other critics from participating in school policy actions and decisions. Although present for years, these efforts significantly increased in 2021 with school administrators’ inclusion of critical race theory in classroom instruction. The National Association of School Boards in a letter to the Biden administration sought to label parental resistance as being equivalent to “a form of domestic terrorism and hate crimes” and requested that federal law enforcement officials investigate protestors under federal anti-terrorism and hate—crimes laws. This was quickly followed by Attorney General Merrick Garland’s memorandum to the FBI to meet with state and local officials to develop “strategies for addressing threats against school administrators, board members, teachers, and staff.” Many state school boards associations across the nation denounced the NSBA’s actions and announced their departure from the NSBA. However, the Oklahoma State School Boards Association has never publicly denounced NSBA’s action and has continued its affiliation with the group.[9]

Pornography is just one of several weapons used by the purveyors of the liberal-woke-Marxist agenda aimed at the overt sexualization of elementary and secondary school children throughout the nation. In addition to inclusion of pornographic materials in libraries and classrooms, this overt and well-organized sexualization process includes legitimization and promotion of the LGBTQ philosophy and lifestyle. The LGBTQ agenda for K-12 schools includes promotion and use of cross-sex hormones, surgical procedures, and puberty blockers, all based on their perceived gender identity. Parents of K-12 students must be on constant alert for these and a host of other issues that have infiltrated many public school systems such as Marxist/socialist indoctrination and criteria race theory.

How can local communities once again gain control of their local schools boards and administrators?

The first step is to elect school board members who respect and reflect the Judeo-Christian values and morals upon which the nation was founded. But when the local school boards actions or lack thereof no longer represent or reflect those values and morals, the parents and local citizenry have a powerful voice residing in almost every community. This powerful group is comprised of the local churches which means, first and foremost the pastor, followed by their staff and board of deacons, and backed by the congregations.

Unfortunately, the voice of the church in America became silent during the last half of the 20th century as most pastors and their churches have substantially ceased to speak into and influence their community beyond the walls of the church. For several decades the silence of the church has extended far beyond silence about local affairs. This is the foremost cause of the nation’s moral, social, political, and cultural turmoil and decline. It appears this failure to speak into the various spheres of American life has infiltrated into a large majority of Owasso’s churches.

“Silence in the face of evil is evil itself. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act. God will not hold us guiltless.”

Many believe the above quote originated with Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the World War II German pastor who resisted the Nazis and was martyred on the direct order of Adolf Hitler at the end of the war in 1945. Although not directly attributable to Bonhoeffer, “it so well sums up what he desperately tried to communicate to those who believed they could safely stand on the sidelines in the battle of that time.”[10]

If we are not actively living out our faith by fighting the wickedness in society and the culture of our time (in the schools, government, business, popular culture, arts, entertainment, media, and so forth), God will view our inaction (neutrality) as participation in the enemy’s wicked cause. In other words, God will not find us guiltless. Here we speak of collective and individual guilt.

Eric Metaxas in his new book, Letter to the American Church, captures the essence of how the church has become silent in the face of evil.

…those who behave as though there is really nothing to worry about, who seem to think—as such prominent pastors as Andy Stanley and others do—that we ought to assiduously avoid fighting these threats and be “apolitical” are tragically mistaken, are burying their heads in the sand and exhorting others to do the same …Do we not realize that no good ever can come of such silence and inaction, that human beings whom God loves suffer when His own people fail to express boldly what He has said and why they fail to live as He has called them to live?[11]

Such silence has led American schools to where they are today.

The very youngest of children in schools are being fed pernicious ideas on the subject of sexuality—ideas with which their young minds are quite unable to cope, and to which their own parents object. Older children are being so confused by sexual activists that they agree to have their bodies mutilated, so they can never become the men and women God has created them to be.[12]

We cannot help but wonder where are all of the leading American pastors today on the issues of sexuality and transgender craziness. Are they afraid to speak? Like lemmings, it appears that local pastors across the nation have also lost their voices and backbones as well. The question I have for Owasso pastors is this, have you regularly spoken to your congregations about these issues? God calls us to speak truth to power. John the Baptist spoke truth to Herod, and it cost him his head. Jesus spoke truth to the religious leaders of his day knowing they would bring about His crucifixion.

Plan of action for Owasso pastors

Pastors must organize, speak, and act for Owasso’s K-12 students who are unable to defend them themselves from the vicious attacks from the enemy of our souls.

1. Preach frequently and frankly to your congregations with passion fired by the Holy Spirit about the evils of pornography, the LGBTQ agenda, Marxism and socialism, and other evils facing our children in the public schools?

2. Pastors should deliver formal notifications of their churches’ opposition to any policies and practices that allow, tolerate, or encourage the presence of pornographic materials in Owasso Public Schools. This document should be signed by the pastor and every congregational member willing to do so and delivered to the Owasso School Board and Superintendent.

3. Encourage like-minded pastors willing to break their silence to come together as a group and attend an Owasso School Board with spokespersons prepared to demand changes to school’s policies and practices that would eradicate pornographic materials from K-12 classrooms and libraries, both now and in the future.

4. Using both social and print media, the Owasso ministerial alliance should publicly addressed the dangers of pornography and other philosophies and practices that promote sexualization of our children in public schools.

Removal of pornography from Owasso Pubic Schools is just one tiny skirmish in the culture wars. Fellow Christians and other defenders of the Judeo-Christian worldview are called to soldier in a much larger ongoing conflict which I described eight years ago in my book Evangelical Winter – Restoring New Testament Christianity.

Apart from the apostate church, there is also a faithful but mostly silent church in America that is content to preach the gospel and ignore the culture. Erwin Lutzer wrote, “whether in Nazi German or America, believers cannot choose to remain silent under the guise of preaching the Gospel…we must live out the implications of the cross in every area of our lives. We must be prepared to submit to the Lordship of Christ in all ‘spheres’.” Yet, as we live out the implications of the cross in every area of our lives, we must understand that the culture wars in which we soldier for Christ are not about maintaining the American dream however one may define it. Rather, the culture wars are about restoring the biblical understanding of truth in all spheres of our national life. To do so one must speak the truth in the face of lies, stand on biblical principles when others compromise, and take right actions in spite of consequences.[13]

Larry G. Johnson

Sources:
[1] Burt Mummolo, “Owasso parent banned from school grounds after asking for pornographic book to be removed,”
KTUL Channel 8, October 17, 2022, https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/owasso-parent-banned-from-school-grounds-after-asking-for-pornographic-book-to-be-removed/ar-AA134R0f
The video version of this telecast may be viewed at: https://ktul.com/news/local/owasso-parent-banned-from-school-grounds-after-asking-for-poronographic-book-to-be-removed
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ray Carter, “Court prevents Owasso school from banning parent critic,” Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs,
November 2, 2022, https://www.ocpathink.org/post/court-prevents-owasso-school-from-banning-parent-critic
[6] Ray Carter, “Concerns over racism, porn lead to Tulsa school sanction,” Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs,
July 28, 2022, https://www.ocpathink.org/post/concerns-over-racism-porn-lead-to-tulsa-school-sanction
[7] Ibid.
[8] Ibid.
[9] Ibid.
[10] Eric Metaxas, Letter to the American Church, (Washington, D.C.: Salem Books, 2022), p. 51.
[11] Ibid, pp. xiii, 51.
[12] Ibid, p. 84.
[13] Larry G. Johnson, Evangelical Winter – Restoring New Testament Christianity, (Owasso, Oklahoma: Anvil House
Publishing, 2016) p. 265.

Church, Inc. – Part VII – The modern lukewarm evangelical church

Posted by :admin On : October 19, 2021
0

Category: Archives, Christianity, Evangelical Church

Series on the Modern Lukewarm Evangelical Church – No. 12

Many Protestant churches succumbed to the secularizing modernist culture during the first sixty years of the Laodicean period (1870 to the soon-coming Rapture of the faithful church). They became known as the liberal-modernist-progressive Protestant churches that have a strong history of following the episcopal form of church government (e.g., top down rule of the pope through church hierarchy to the local priest, and the laity at the bottom) or the presbyterian form (committee rule). During those sixty years, the Roman Catholic Church continued its 1,700 years of corrupt church government. Together, the Catholics and the liberal Protestant churches are false churches that claim to be Christian but are apostate.

Those faithful Protestant churches that came into the Laodicean period were generally described as conservative, fundamentalist, or evangelical and almost all kept their allegiance to the first century congregational model of church government. However, a disturbing trend began to emerge among evangelical churches in the 1950s and 1960s. Even though evangelical churches generally retained the congregational form of government in their constitutions and bylaws, many began adopting a CEO-corporatist style of church leadership which in many respects contains significant elements of the authoritarian episcopal and presbyterian forms of church government. This drift away from the first century model has significantly contributed to the emergence of a modern lukewarm evangelical church.

Congregational form of church government before its demise in the last half of the twentieth century

In the not too distant past, most evangelical churches had a preaching pastor leading the church, whether a seminarian, Bible school graduate, or self-taught. The first qualifications of pastors of that era were that they were God-called and had a leadership gifting as a preaching pastor. Seminary or Bible college degrees did not determine their gifting or call, but many sought training either before or thereafter. In Greek, the word “pastor” means to be a shepherd. The shepherd tends his flock by which is meant that he pastors the flock, gently rules them, associates with the flock as a friend and companion, keeps company with them, and feeds the flock.

Standing at the side of the preaching lead pastor in the pre-1960s were the elders of the church. Elders were men and women who had been given a leadership gift (sometimes more than one) as an evangelist, prophet, teacher, and possibly as an apostle being sent out and supported by the local congregation, i.e., missionary. As was the case in the first century church, most elders were not professionally trained or degreed in their gifting, but they functioned in their leadership gifts with equal status with the other elders of the local church. Their leadership gifts were just as important to the shepherding of the local church body as that of the lead preaching pastor. Otherwise, those churches could not have survived in the first century or the present day.

Growth of the CEO-corporatist leadership style in church government during the last half of the twentieth century

Just as the episcopal form of church government created an unbiblical division between the clergy and laity within the Roman Catholic Church, so does the CEO-corporatist style of leadership create an unbiblical division between the pulpit and the pew in Protestant churches. The CEO style of church leadership grew out of the mega-church phenomenon beginning after World War II and eventually became known as the Church Growth seeker-friendly method of doing church. This movement profoundly damaged a multitude of evangelical churches of all sizes. The pastors of smaller congregations soon began to imitate the teachings, methods, and mindset of the mega-church gurus who promised that their methods were the best way to build a church in the modern age. The mindset of these pastors changed from shepherds to managers.

To quickly give an overview of the outworking of the CEO-corporatist leadership style in church government in the modern evangelical church, I quote from a 2013 interview of Glen Newman, author of Pastors Move Over – Make Room for the Rest of Us. Although the author does not agree with many of his prescriptions for a return to the first century model of church government, he has correctly diagnosed the reasons for the departure of the evangelical church from that model and the consequences thereof.

Ephesians 4:11, 1 Corinthians 12-14 shows a clear system of all believers ministering to one another and worshipping house to house. The elders were the leadership of that day and servant leaders at that. But they also recognized each other’s personal gift of ministry. In the New Testament there were no “CEO” type leaders and in fact there were multiple pastors within the flock, ministering and nurturing those that needed it…[Newman] attributes the origins of the senior pastor model to the Constantinian era in the fourth century and notes that it was later adopted as a part of the Roman Catholic tradition.

The pastor in that church (mega church) isn’t really pastoring anybody. What the people are doing is they are watching a show on the stage. When there is no service, behind the scenes the pastor is running the church like a business and his assistant pastors are like middle managers. I [Newman] believe that the elders should be leading the church. Not people who sit on a church board but spiritual leaders, and we have forgotten that the elders are the spiritual leaders…For many centuries the church has been run either like a monarchy or in the modern Protestant churches like a business.

This (the CEO led churches) have created passive, uninvolved congregations that in many respects are spiritually immature due to this dependency on the professional clergy to do what they should be doing themselves…the CEO-type approach to church government was of particular concern in megachurches where church members can easily be forgotten.[1]

Much of what Newman has said is correct. However, I believe that evangelical churches that emerged at the beginning of the First Great Awakening mostly followed the first century model in the context of modern times up to the 1960s. But adaptations of the first century model due to the “context of modern times” do not mean that gifts of leadership in the local church are to be deconstructed and refashioned to fit the demands of the modern world. Rather, the essentials of the five-fold ministry elements and their application in the local church must be retained but adapted to reach and minister to people in current cultural life (e.g., use of itinerant evangelists to preach in the local church on a periodic basis). The rise of the CEO style of leadership is an example of the deconstruction of the five-fold ministry elements and the local church model of government. CEO style pastors have significantly contributed to the decline or loss of the leadership giftings of other elder-pastors in the local church and a loss of the operation of the gifts of the Spirit in all believers because congregation members are transformed into spectators.

In the mega-churches and smaller churches led by want-to-be pastors of a mega-church, the church body is no longer a flock but a mega-herd or mini-herd as the case may be. Flocks are not driven but follow the shepherd for they know the master’s voice. Herds must be driven by their masters or seduced into following the goodies on the master’s hay wagon. The CEO style of pastoring is a complete distortion of the meaning of the word “pastor” and separates the office of pastor from its first century New Testament meaning of “shepherd” of the flock.[2]

Power and Control – The motivation for a CEO-corporatist style of leadership

The term “power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely” is generally attributed to nineteenth century British politician Lord Acton. As we have seen in our study, this proverbial saying seems to have been proven true by the behavior of a great majority of church leaders during the entirety of the history of the Church Age. The author would add an addendum to Lord Acton’s axiom: The greater distance there is between those ruled and those with power to rule, the greater the abuse and corruption of that power.

This is a picture of what is happening as the evangelical church transitions from an elder-led, congregational style (local control by local members of the body of Christ) to a CEO-corporatist leadership led by a single ruling pastor aided by a complicit staff of pastors and a docile board of deacons. Any threat to the leadership’s regime endangers their control and must be avoided at all cost. Things to be avoided include controversies, conflicts, voicing of inconvenient truths, and disruptions in the appearance of unity. Above all, they must control and control requires power.

Signs that signal a transition to a CEO-corporatist style of leadership

• Incorporation into the local church of Church Growth seeker-friendly methods and practices. As churches grow, the elders are replaced by paid professional staff members who receive job assignments and instructions from the CEO. The middle managers interact with the congregation and report back to the CEO. Thus, the CEO is effectively separated from his flock and is no longer a true shepherd. In elder led churches, there are multiple shepherds that interact with the entire church while fulfilling their leadership giftings.

• A gradual tightening of authority over the laity and leadership below the senior pastor. In effect, this is a gradual return to an episcopal, top down, style of church government which sharpens the distinction and widens the gulf between the pastor and the laity as happened with the Roman Catholic Church and most authoritarian and mainline churches of the Reformation era.

• Complete control over the message, the microphone, the platform, and the messengers allowed to speak to the local congregation.

• Complete control over the dissemination of financial and attendance information. Financial reports to the congregation often lack important details, consistent standards of reporting, transparency, and in some cases accuracy. Voting membership rolls and the church’s constitution and bylaws are rarely or never disseminated to the membership.

• Suppression of descent by the implementation of “leadership agreements” whereby volunteer applicants are required to give unwavering allegiance to the leadership team and their decisions, plans, and direction of the church. To be part of any facet of church ministry (the team) applicants are required to agree to every aspect of the agreement. This is a new phenomenon sweeping through the evangelical churches, and there are numerous websites that promote and supply these agreements to churches. Many leadership agreement templates contain two key phrases placed among other relatively innocuous statements which in many cases are not the business of the church but must be checked in order to be a member of the “team.” The two key phrases that assure leadership’s power and control appear to be the heart of these agreements and are similar to the following:

(1) “Support the lead pastor, pastoral staff, and the direction of our church.”
(2) “Speak positively of our church’s leadership in public and private conversation.”

After checking all the boxes, the applicant must certify the application is complete, accurate, and not misleading in any way, and then sign the agreement.

This move toward ultimate control of what one does, thinks, and says in the church suggestive of the heavy hand of “big brother” found in a totalitarian society described in George Orwell’s book 1984.

• Tight control over the dissemination of contact information of congregation members that would allow direct communication between members, e.g., addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses.

• Removal from the local congregation of the “bother” of having to make decisions even if they have a congregational form of government. These congregations are seldom asked for guidance other than to vote for the propositions presented by the leadership. However, in the correctly functioning congregational model, ultimate authority resides with the local members of the church. The elected leadership roles are considered representatives of the entire congregation and subject to the local church.

• Minimize, disregard, or discourage operation of the gifts of the Spirit within the local body. Some of the gifts of the Spirit are regarded as having become unnecessary or non-operational following the first century apostolic age, e.g., divers kinds of tongues, interpretation of tongues, prophecy, working of miracles, and divine healing to name five of the nine gifts of the Spirit described in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11. Can there be any doubt as to why many evangelical churches have become lukewarm and powerless while being ridiculed and shunned by a hostile culture?

• Complete departure of the office of evangelist in the local church. There are people with the gift of soul winning in the local congregation, some by preaching and others by working with sinners around an altar or independently in other settings. One of the great disasters in evangelical churches over the last three decades is the almost complete removal of the ministry of the itinerant evangelist that in former times periodically came to local churches to preach to both saints and sinners with regard to their spiritual condition. The preaching of these evangelists often generated the spark necessary for the Holy Spirit’s revival of a local congregation. Supporting apostles sent out from the church (missionaries) are not a substitute for the office of evangelist in the local church.

• The office of prophet is no longer evident in most evangelical churches to deliver direct revelations from God; to expose sin, warn of judgments to come, uphold the righteous standards of God’s Word; battle worldliness and spiritual lethargy and false teachers; and to warn, challenge, comfort, encourage and build up God’s people. Prophets often point to sin in the camp that other elders do not quickly see. CEO type leaders fear prophets because these pastors do not want anyone to make waves or bring criticism which may reflect badly on their leadership and interfere with their goals of keeping the congregants uninformed but happy and supportive of the leadership and their agenda.

• Teaching from the pulpit by anyone but the preaching pastor is rare if non-existent unless that teacher is thoroughly vetted by the pastor as someone in substantial agreement with the pastor on almost any issue. There are many gifted teachers in full-time ministry or resident in the local church who are not allowed to exercise their leadership gift of teaching from the pulpit.

Repent, restore, and encourage

It is time for leaders and the body of Christ in the lukewarm evangelical church to repent for the abuse and corruption of the design, organization, and operation of the church as practiced by the first century New Testament church, the evangelical churches of the Philadelphian period, and those faithful evangelical churches thereafter. The congregational model of church government must be restored in full including the leadership gifts of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Also, the body of Christ must be encouraged to seek the gifts of the Spirit and to exercise those gifts in the local church and elsewhere under the direction of the Holy Spirit.
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The lukewarm evangelical church is interested only in its comfortableness, prosperity, and satisfactions in this life. But this present age is the end-time spiritual battleground between God and His children vs. Satan and the dark forces of this world. The ultimate prize in this battle is the souls of mankind. We know who the victor is, but the final score won’t be announced until the end of the Church Age which will occur at the moment the church is raptured. When that moment occurs, there will be a single individual known only to God who will be the very last to person to make his or her peace with God before He calls His bride home. We must ask ourselves, what could we have done in this battle to bring just a few more souls into His kingdom before that last person is saved?

Friends, we must expend every ounce of our being in His noble cause. Hold nothing back and when our life is over we can stand before Jesus knowing that we have left everything on the battlefield.

Larry G. Johnson

Sources:

[1] Leonardo Blair, “Megachurch Pastors Running Churches Like CEOs Unbiblical, says Former Pastor,” Christian Post, February 19, 2013. https://www.christianpost.com/news/megachurch-pastors-running-churches-like-ceos-unbiblical-says-former-pastor.html (accessed August 31, 2021).
[2] Glen Newman, Pastors Move Over-Make Room for the Rest of Us, (Acton, Texas: Glen Newman, 2010), p. 33.