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2 - Christian Leaders Magazine | July 2016
Christian Leaders Magazine | July 2016 - 3
July 2016 Founder & Publisher
Bernard S. Harrison, Jr. Art Director
Tara Billups Haynes
Sales Director
Roderick Chappell
Distribution
John Blassingame
Editorial Board
Willie T. Butler Tee Coker Terri Hannibal Ramon Mayo Christian Leaders Magazine Hampton Roads is Published by
Please send all letters and media request: Christian Leaders Magazine HR 259 Granby Street, Suite 250 Norfolk VA 23510
www.christianleaders-online.com Christian Leaders magazine is published bi-monthly by Seven City Media Group LLC. Copyright@2016 all rights reserved. reproduction by any means, either whole or in part, is strictly forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
Contents Contents
Departments Departments
Money MoneyMatters Matters 1010 AnAn Economic Economic Paradigm Paradigm Shift Shift in in Investing Investing
Christian ChristianBusiness BusinessSpotlight Spotlight 2020 Money Money growing growing onon the the tree, tree, the the EZEZ way. way.
16 16 Features Features
Special SpecialReport Report 2222 1010 Commandment Commandment ofof Social Social Media Media forfor Christians Christians
Cover CoverStory Story
Faith FaithininLaw Law
1616 Lead Lead byby Extraordinary Extraordinary Faith Faith and and Discipleship Discipleship - Dr. - Dr. Shelton Shelton Murphy Murphy
2424 Christian Christian Rights Rights in in the the Workplace Workplace
Publisher’s Publisher’sPen Pen
Ministry MinistryatatWork Work
66
2828 Adundant Adundant Life Life Ministries Ministries
AA Personal Personal Message Message from from the the Publisher Publisher
Special SpecialFeature Feature 1212 Kemba’s Kemba’s Story: Story: Another Another Perspective Perspective Christian Leaders Magazine | July 2016 - 5
The Publisher’s Pen A Personal message from the Publisher
You Are A CHAMPION!!! 6 - Christian Leaders Magazine | July 2016
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he most famous battle described in the Old Testament was not fought between two armies but between two men, David and Goliath. We find their epic battle recorded in 1 Samuel chapter 17. David defeated Goliath not because he had superior weapons or military strategies, but because he had supreme confidence in the Lord God to give him the victory! This account reveals how the adversaries we face try to defeat us. This story also tells us how we can defeat the Goliaths in our lives. All of us face Goliaths of various sorts. Some have financial giants, while other struggle to defeat health issues giants. Christians are always in a spiritual battle and as a result we face the Goliath of satanic attacks and intimidation. We also face Goliaths of an internal nature. We face the Goliaths of fear and anxiety and a host of other Goliaths because we live in a world that is often hostile to Christian faith. The good news is that whatever Goliath you face you can be the victor. You can be the champion! Describing the Goliaths 1 Samuel 17:1-3 “ …And the Philistines stood on a mountain on one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.” This passage describes the setting for the battle between David and Goliath. The Philistines were on one side of the valley and the Israelites were on the other side. The Philistines were the perennial enemies of Israel. We to as Christians have a perennial adversary who constantly opposes
us and the kingdom of God - Satan caused him distress. He saw that his people were being humiliated. himself. All of sudden at the front lines Israel’s adversary is described in 1 there is a loud booming cry from Samuel 17:4-11. Notice what the Goliath (17:23). It’s time for Bible says about Goliath. We are Goliath’s daily intimidation time. told his height was 6 cubits and a This time Goliath moves a little span. This translates into about 9’ bit closer to the Israelite camp as 9’’ tall. The NBA would love this if to say, ‘’I can walk right into guy! Truly a replacement for Kobe your camp if I want to and you on the Lakes! But it wasn’t just his can’t stop me.’’ David knew that size that was impressive. He had he was walking with God and on him a ‘’coat of mail.’’ Literally, Goliath was just a mere man of he had scaled body armor on. flesh and blood. His faith was This guy was a walking tank! To more powerful that the words top it off he had a spear, the head Goliath echoed. of which weighed roughly 25 pounds! Goliath of Gath, was As we move through this year, considered to be the champion of let us recognize “The Profile of a Champion.” What is a spiritual the Philistines camp. champion? What does a spiritual Goliath must have been an champion look like? Of course in intimidating sight. But more II Timothy 4:7-8 we see a spiritual than that he spoke words of champion wearing a crown of intimidation and apparently was righteousness. As Paul wrote” I equipped to back his words up. have fought a good fight, I have Goliath issued a challenge to the finished my course. I have kept armies of Israel (1 Sam. 17:8-10). the faith.” What is significant is that he didn’t just make this challenge once and I’m reminded of a story about walk away. This bullying went on Mohammed Ali, the 3(x) world for 40 days (17:16). Isn’t that how heavyweight boxing champion of the giants seem to work in our several years ago, the person who lives? They come relentlessly. They has been on the cover of Sports come day after day to intimidate Illustrated more than any other individual, and a self proclaimed us and defeat us. Superman “A Bad Man.” Ali Apparently, Goliath’s intimidation boarded a plane one time and was tactics worked (17:11) because all sitting in the first class section. As Israel was afraid of ‘’his words.” the plane was preparing for takeoff, the flight attendant asked Dealing with the Goliaths Mohammed Ali if he would please fasten his seat belt. He said to the Enter the real giant of the story, flight attendant, “Superman don’t David! We are told that David’s need no seat belt” to which she father sent him to check on his replied, “Superman don’t need no brothers who were in the battle. airplane.” David was too young to be in Israel’s army. He had been out God isn’t looking for some taking care of the family’s sheep. supermen or women. God isn’t What David saw on the front lines looking for some bionic woman Christian Leaders Magazine | July 2016 - 7
or some fanatical Rambo for his Kingdom. He is looking for and wants to use ordinary people, people like you, people like me. God has always wanted to use ordinary men and women, people who have made mistakes, had their own set of problems and quirks . . . normal people like you and me with a champions heart. In the Bible we see some other than normal people that God used in a fantastic way. They were people like you, people like me. They had their own problems but had a champion’s heart. The Apostle Paul, to me, is the man to whom we should look besides the Lord Jesus if we want to see the profile of a spiritual champion. In Sports Illustrated several years ago they published The Seven Characteristics of an Olympic Champion. Later that year I was in Virginia Beach when they announced that Gabby Douglas had won the Gold Medal. There was a spirit of electricity that just went throughout that city. There is something about us as a people; we love to be identified with the champion. In the Olympics, men and women come from all over the world, places where they are already champions but their longing, their desire is to be a world champion, to win the gold medal, to win the highest prize. They have spent all of their life preparing for that, training for that. Sports Illustrated said there are seven characteristics that are true, that are a profile of these Olympic champions. Let me just share those with you briefly. 8 - Christian Leaders Magazine | July 2016
Number one, they all have a dream. They all envisioned years before of becoming that Olympic champion. And if you are going to be a spiritual champion you have to have that vision of being all God can make you to be, being that person that God can use in a way to glorify Himself.
the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Is your spiritual aim high? Number five, they planned for trouble. They improved continually in the contest. They knew that things would not always go as planned and they were subject to change..
Nearly two years ago there were a handful of people who met in my living room and began to pray for God’s direction regarding the start of a media venture to become Christian Leaders Magazine. That handful grew into a core group of about 10. The enthusiasm and vision of those few brought along many more as well as a staff to help implement the vision. The vision was to create a local Christian magazine devoted to telling God’s stories, stories about CHAMPIONS! The first magazine was published in the spring of 2014 and then on June 1, 2015, Seven City Media Group of our life, to play at the level of LLC unveiled a new look for CLM. championship in God’s Olympics, This month we are going to not the game of life only look back on the past year Number three, they bounce back. and thank God for what He has Many times on their road to the done and look ahead to the great Olympics, they face difficulties, things God has in store, but we disappointments, but they always want to look at some key elements let those disappointments make of vision. What does it really take them stronger and better and more to have a vision, and see it become determined. Paul was that way. a reality? So we can become the He had a lot of disappointments champion we were created to be. along the way. He had a lot of difficult ties but every time he God Bless and I will see you had a difficulty he said when I am next month in the next issue of weak then I become strong. And Christian Leaders Magazine. he always came back. Secondly, they are all fired up! I mean that Olympic torch that is passed is a symbol of fire that burns within their bosom to become the champion. And you and I have the fire of the Holy Spirit. And that fire has to be allowed to be fanned, fueled, and to burn in our heart to make that the one burning desire
A Personal message from the Publisher
Number four, they aim high. My father always encouraged me to aim for the stars. Paul said I press toward the mark for the prize of
Bernard S. Harrison, Jr. Bernard S. Harrison, Jr.
Christian Leaders Magazine | July 2016 - 9
MONEY MATTERS
An Economic
Paradigm Shift in Investing By Willie T. Butler
Time to Evaluate Your Economic Outlook
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here are three economic trends in America that have begun to shift dramatically into less favorable territory. They are better known through the personal goals of buying a home, securing education funding for college and investing for retirement. For the past 45 years these three areas of financial planning provided relatively safe saving and investment options while allowing us to apply standard planning practices that were based on long-term investing trends. Since the recent economic recession of 2008 – 2013, the financial markets and consumer behavior have dramatically shifted away from a more predictable, relatively stable investment environment to inducing a more uncertain and less confident approach to investing. And why not? Anyone who suffered financial losses in the appraised 10 - Christian Leaders Magazine | July 2016
and resale value of their home along with reductions to their IRA, 401(k) or other pension plans have legitimate reason to be skeptical about dipping their feet in the water again. Staying out of the stock market or, at the very least, shifting their investments to more secure but lower-yielding products such as capital preservation mutual funds, or even money-market mutual funds, meant earning almost nothing as a consequence of their flight to safety. Now add to these the increased debtload that parents and their children have incurred using federally guaranteed student loans offering 10-year repayment terms at interest rates between 5.5% 7.5% on average. Recent government and watchdog group statistics tell us that student loan debt is currently in excess of $1 trillion, or about .5% of GDP. And that is just the amount that has been borrowed from the federal government.
The Impact of Long-term Debt Can Be Devastating Many students today must also pursue financial aid through their school, grant and scholarship funding programs or, in the alternative, commercial lenders or from family and friends, to meet the high cost of education. It is the reason Senator Elizabeth Warren (D.MA) and many other elected officials are lobbying to reduce, even forgive, some percentage of the student loan debt owed the federal government. In lieu of these facts, Americans must rethink their current goals and the impact they might have on their future. Is saving to own your own home versus choosing to rent and invest the difference—assuming a mortgage payment will be higher than rent—still a viable American dream? And, if someone wants to become a computer programmer or cybersecurity specialist, is pursuing a four-year college degree the best education option when two-year certification programs produce graduates that land good paying jobs with less education debt? And, how realistic is it to plan your retirement around attaining a specific age, such as 62, 65 or 70 when you do not have the economic means to truly retire and continue your current standard of life? Answer. There is no one-size-fits-all strategy or advice that anyone can offer you. Each individual and their circumstances are unique and require highly personal and thoroughly customized life planning. Here in the 21st century, there are great automated tools, such as robo-advisers and software applications like Mint, which are designed to help you plan your future. But that is only partly true.
Man Plans His Goals, But God Directs His Path
to help you navigate your course in life than the Lord Himself, which too means the Spirit of the Lord, or, on a practical basis, someone who truly represents His Kingdom’s perspective. Jesus said it best when He said we are to “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all other things will be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33) This implies that we can be properly guided through our life’s journey if we choose to seek God and live according to His will for us. I named my company the Life Planning Institute, Inc. because financial planning is merely a sub-part of life planning. It is good to understand and apply financial principles to one’s saving, investing and spending strategy. But it is even more significant to first discover who you are in Christ, what special and unique endowment He has given to you for Kingdom service in the earth, and how that correlates into your career and personal living goals and objectives. Someone desiring and gifted to teach, for example, will most likely not earn what a medical doctor or engineer might earn over the course of their career. So it would not make any sense to plan to live the lifestyle of someone who will likely earn 3-4 times more than you as a professional.
Let Us Help You! There are companies like the Life Planning Institute that have your best interest at heart. In Part Two of this article I will share the various services and educational approach we provide for those seeking to live their lives for Christ, but needing to understand how to live it in a material-oriented world. In the interim, please visit our website at www.MyLPI.org and our blog at http://blog.mylpi.org.
Life requires regular and specific choices be made at various intervals along life’s highway. And for that there is no one better Christian Leaders Magazine | July 2016 - 11
SPECIAL FEATURE
Kemba’s Story: Another Perspective
By Tee Coker
“In this long-awaited memoir, Kemba Smith shares her dramatic story, as it has never been told. Poster Child: The Kemba Smith Story chronicles how she went from college student to drug dealer’s girlfriend to domestic violence victim to federal prisoner. Kemba shares her story of how making poor choices blinded by love and devotion can have longterm consequences.In 1994, Kemba was sentenced to a mandatory 24 1/2 years in federal prison, with no chance for parole, despite being a first-time, non-violent offender. Fortunately, she regained her freedom when President Clinton granted her executive clemency in December 2000 after having served 6 1/2 years…”- Amazon.com
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bove you have a synopsis of Poster Child: The Kemba Smith Story through the eyes of Amazon.com, who happens to be one of my favorite retail websites for books and gadgets. Reading it you see that it gets straight to the meat of what the Kemba’s story is about. Below you
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will find The Kemba Smith Story shared from a totally differentperspective. It’s totally different; a story within a story of sorts. I think you will find it quite honest and provoking. Enjoy… When I first walked into the office of Bernard Harrison, Founder and Publisher of Christian Leadership Magazine, for what would be our first
meeting, I had no idea that I was about to embark on a life altering journey that I will forever consider, “the” turning point of my life. I thought this meeting was just about God giving me the opportunity to take what I love to do, which is write, to a whole “nother” level. Which of course He did. But His purpose was much greater than just hooking me up with an opportunity. Taking my writing to another level turned out to be part of a package deal, a perk if you will. After having canceled this meeting twice before, I was on the verge of doing it yet again, but God wouldn’t allow me to do it. You see, He needed me to be in this particular place, at this particular time, on this particular day, instead of in this particular place, at those particular times, on those particular days. As Mr. Harris and I greeted each other I caught a glimpse of Poster Child, Kemba Smith’s memoir, in the corner of my eye. It was laying atop a stack of other books on the outskirts of his desk. For some reason seeing it there, I was surprised and explained to him that I had a personal connection with her. Not only did I also attend Hampton University, although several years before Kemba, but I also had the privilege of getting know her mom while teaching in the Richmond City school district, during initial stages Kemba’s ordeal. With this being the case, I was fairly familiar with Kemba’s overall then situation, but could only speculate on the more intimate details. So, when offered the opportunity to write this article I was more than happy to accept.
I asked to borrow Bernard’s copy of Poster Child wanting to become more familiar with the story before beginning my assignment. After reading Kemba Smith’s memoir, Poster Child, all I can say is that it’s one of the most powerful reads that I’ve ever read. It’s got to be one of the best examples of Jeremiah 29:11 that I’ve ever encountered here on earth. This is where God declares that, He knows the plans He has for His people. Plans to prosper them and not to harm them, plans to give us hope and a future. As I read the book, totally enthralled, I grappled with what perspective I would write the article from. I really didn’t want this one to read like many already written. Meaning, from a legal, analytical, or statistical point of view, outlining the judicial injustices that plague the African-American community today. I don’t say this to down play the importance of being aware of what’s going on in our society, but my feeling like there was and is that there’s something more to this story than what meets general eye. Something more ethereal was buried in the details of the larger picture. Something that was itching to be brought up and exposed to the light. Therefore, what should have taken me a few days to read, and another few to write about, ended up taking two weeks to read and another six to write. Why so much time, one might ask. The answer would have to be that Kemba was so honest in her presentation of the details of her experience, that I couldn’t help but feel what she described going Christian Leaders Magazine | July 2016 - 13
through, not only at the hands of the man she loved, but also those of the injustice system. The details were so very compelling and intense at times I had to put the book down, and take a walk, while at the same time gathering my thoughts, trying to wrap my mind around how this young 20 year old woman, who happened to be the same age as my daughter right now, endured what she did and has lived to talk about it. Several times throughout the story I found myself going before God, often repenting for iniquities in my life such as, whining and complaining about things I have been required to walk through; stuff I thought would surely kill me or for not trusting God. On hind sight, compared to this young lady’s story, none of what I have gone through can even come close to what Kemba has gone through. Truth be told, as big and as bad as I use to think I was, I don’t know if I would have had her strength. I believe y’all would’ve had to come get me. I thank-you Father that you know how much we can bear. You knew Kemba Smith was born to do this. That she would go through bearing this affliction and victoriously emerge on the other side. Saints of God and future saints, WE ARE AT WAR. We are in a spiritual battle against the powers and principalities of this present age. And, we have to cover ourselves lest there be causalities. Thank God we have Protector, who He has a remedy for this. By the power of the Holy Ghost through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ we are victorious and can be set free and delivered from effects of war. In the mean time we have to gird up and be ready for whatever comes our way. Getting back to the story…when it was all said and done, I girded myself up for the battle that was to ensue, initiated by my simply agreeing to take on this assignment. There was no turning back. I was committed. Hence forth, I got myself together and finished reading the book. In the end coming to the conclusion that buried deep down in Poster Child, lies a hidden treasure for anyone 14 - Christian Leaders Magazine | July 2016
and everyone who is willing to bravely enter in. For me it was discovering [the] seed, which had produced “the” root of years and years of pain and suffering in my life, which left unattended, had developed into a serious stronghold. One that boldly stood between me and the ability to receive full revelation and manifestation of the promises of GOD for my life. But finally, thank-you Jesus,“the” seed - resulting from years of childhood emotional abuse manifested through traumatic bonding, has been unearthed. Trust and believe the enemy was/is not happy about this. Why? Because now armed with a specific name and description of the device he’d been using against me all these years I was ready for war. Ready to call out and rebuke the spirit of this thing. Ready to boldly command Satan to get thee behind me. Deliverance was now at hand. Because of someone else was brave enough, and obedient enough to share their story, I am able to proclaim without a shadow of a doubt that the root has been cut, and cast into the fire. Kemba, I know that exposing your life in this way was no easy feat for you. But for this reason we are called to testify. Real testimonies are meant edify the body and gives us hope. They should give us the confidence we need to get in the face of the enemy and his little minions, and shout “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today!!!” We are coming out of our circumstances!!! The bible says in 1st Peter, “And the God of all grace, who called us to his glory in Christ…” wait a minute now, this is the part that gets me…that “after we have suffered a little while, will Himself restore us and make us strong, firm and steadfast.” (NIV). The New Living Translation says He will restore, support, and strengthen us, and He will place us on a firm foundation. This is exactly what happened to Kemba, and is happening you and me right now. People of God, if you haven’t already read
Poster Child I encourage you to do so. Then after you have finished reading, pass it on your son’s and your daughter’s, your nieces and your nephews. Generation Y really needs to know that, “it ain’t no joke” out here. We are in the beginning of the end of times. And, I don’t know about you, but I want to see as many souls as possible, young and old saved, set free, and delivered. Kemba’s story of how she became the Poster Child for the war on drugs has been shared hundreds, if not thousands of times. It is a story that should encourage us to diligently seek the face of God and trust Him in all things. For He really and truly does know the end from the beginning. He has already declared great things for us at the foundations of the world. He said in His word. “Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass”. Only the one wise One knows the plans He has for our lives. Plans to prosper, plans to give us hope, and a future. Can the church say, amen? Kemba currently resides in Virginia with her husband and two children. As founder and CEO of The Kemba Smith Foundation, she collaborates with the National Alliance of Faith and Justice’s “What’s Love Got to Do With it” youth mentoring initiative, under its’ Pen or Pencil program, which is a curriculum based initiative centered on her story. Working with various organizations such as the NAACP, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, ACLU, FAMM Sentencing Project and Advancement Project, a long side of the Drug Policy Alliance as a consultant/speaker, Kemba is an advocate for drug policy reform, an end to mass incarceration and successful reentry of the formally incarcerated.She was recently honored with a four year appointment to the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission by Governor Terry McAuliffe. Kemba continues to share her story on college campuses, high schools, and churches, as well as, national and international conventions.As always, she credits her parents for their hard work, love and dedication for not giving up until justice was served. Contact for speaking engagements: info@kembasmith.com and 877-781-8800 ext. 101 Christian Leaders Magazine | July 2016 - 15
COVER STORY
Dr. Shelton Murphy and Mount Gilead Missionary Baptist Church are
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Lead by Extraordinary Faith and Discipleship
Dr. Shelton Murphy is the pastor of Mount Gilead Missionary Baptist Church located in the Oakwood section of Norfolk Virginia. For more than 15 years, he has led, taught, and inspired a congregation that now numbers above 1,000 members. In addition, to the church service on Sunday and Bible Study on Wednesday morning for the Senior Saints and the (S.G.D.A.) Spiritual Growth & Discipleship Academy on Wednesday evening, Mount Gilead houses several other community-based ministries. These ministries serve the homeless, those in need of medical assistance, substance abuse and those who need food or clothing. Dr. Murphy, who is active in the Hampton Roads Community, serves on various Christian leadership boards.Dr. Shelton Murphy was born in Smithfield, North Carolina on December 19th, 1958 to the late Sam and Louise Murphy. He is the youngest of seven boys and four girls. In 1981, Dr. Murphy married Doris Annette James. They have been married for 35 years and from that union God blessed them with one son, Shelton Josiah Murphy, age 27. Dr. Murphy committed his life to Christ in the summer of 1977. His faithfulness to God is displayed in the numerous positions he has held. Some of which include Campus Pastor for the United Student Fellowship, N. C. State University, Raleigh, N. C., Chaplain at the Harnett Correctional Institution, Lillington, N. C. and Chaplain at the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Petersburg, VA. From there he completed a Chaplain’s Residency at the University of Virginia Medical Center and later served as a Rehabilitation Counselor at the Haynesville Correctional Institution, Haynesville, VA.
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As a Naval Officer & missionary, he was selected for promotion to the rank of Lieutenant Commander in August 2000. On November 9th, 2000, Pastor Murphy answered the call of God to be the Servant Pastor & Under Shepherd of Mount Gilead Missionary Baptist Church. Pastor Murphy’s love for preaching and teaching the Gospel has become evident with increased congregational attendance during the Sunday morning services. Pastor Murphy continues to lead by example and uses cutting edge methods to spread God’s word. Christian Leaders magazine recently spoke with Dr. Murphy about his vision for the church and community. CLM: What does it mean to be a Christian Leader? Dr. Murphy: Being a leader simply means being someone who leads! Being the lead car doesn’t not necessarily make someone a leader. Having a title, a position, or a certain rank doesn’t necessarily make someone a leader either. In a nutshell, leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less! Now, the leader’s influence can be used for good or bad. For instance, a manipulative leader usually uses his or her influence for the benefit of him or herself, but a Christian leader is more inclined to use his influence for the betterment of the entire group he or she is leading. And last, being a Christian Leader is one who leads for the glory and honor of Jesus Christ. His aim, goal, and purpose in leading is to encourage, empower, and equip the followers in such a way that they come to know Jesus Christ, become empowered leaders themselves, following Christ passionately, that they may one day use their influence to bring others along this Christian journey to the glory of God CLM: Being one of the largest churches in the Oakwood area
Dr. Shelton Murphy, First Lady Doris Murphy, and Dr. Jeremiah Wright
of Norfolk, Mount Gilead Missionary Baptist Church is often looked upon as a “Leader” in the community. What are your thoughts and vision for the future of the community? Dr. Murphy: First, let me define the term “disciple.” A disciple is a committed, growing, learning, obedient, faithful, and fruitful follower of Jesus Christ. And discipleship is the process by which a new born Christian enters in hopes of growing, learning, and maturing spiritually to become a faithful and committed disciple of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28 He also said, “Go ye therefore and teach (make disciple) all nations…”Matthew 28:19Thus, our goal in making disciples is to intentionally and systematically grow new born babes from spiritual infancy to spiritual maturity and from membership to ministry. And
as soon as an individual commits his or her life to Jesus Christ the process begins. The new born babe in enrolled in a yearlong discipleship course called the Basic Discipleship Studies Training (B.D.S.T.). The new babe is also connected to a ministry of their choosing based on their spiritual gifting. This allows him or her to now be in at least two small groups for teaching, learning, nurturing care, and relational fellowship which is so very important. People may join church or come to Christ because of the dynamic preaching or awesome music ministry, but they are more like to stay, grow, and mature in that church because of the relationships they make along the way. And once the new babe has completed the B.D.S.T. course they get to graduate with honor and congregational recognition. From there, they are strongly encouraged to continue their spiritual growth by enrolling and registering for one of our many free Spiritual Growth Discipleship Academy (S.G.D.A.) and Leadership courses taught on a semester basis. At this point, this growing disciple has a Spiritual Growth Membership Transcript on our computer system in the main
office. This transcript tracks the disciple’s Christian Education, Spiritual Growth Development, and Ministry involvement. Thus, when this disciple applies for a leadership position in the church the Pastor and Leadership Team can take a look at the disciple’s Membership Transcript and get a clear picture of this disciple’s spiritual growth, progress, and development. And of course, the ultimate goal is to transform every disciple into a discipler, every student into a teacher, every follower into a leader, and in so doing the spiritual growth and process of discipleship proves to be more fruitful than ever to the glory of God. CLM: Seeing that God has blessed Mount Gilead to pay off the Family Life Center’s 30 year 2.9 million mortgage in just 11 years, what is the next project or phase of construction? Dr. Murphy: To God be the glory for the great things He has done and continues to do!!! However, our next project is to complete and pave the entire block next door to our church for additional parking and make it very beautiful, safe, and Christian Leaders Magazine | July 2016 - 17
secure for parking. As you know, parking is a premium for any church. And it can also be a ceiling and inhibitor to church growth. If parking becomes too much of a hassle, many people will simply choose to go to another church where parking is not such an issue. Furthermore, people would like to not only get a good parking space, but they also want the assurance that their car will be kept safe. There’s nothing worse than leaving a great worship experience only to find out that your car has been vandalized. So upgrading the parking is next on the agenda! CLM: What are you most passionate about in regards to ministry? Dr. Murphy: I have many passions, but I would say that the passion of my heart and soul that trumps all others is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ so that men and women are saved and delivered from the penalty, power, and, one day when Jesus returns, the presence of their sins. Without question, I am burdened for the downcast, the outcasts, the marginalized, and the disenfranchised people of our society. I am burdened for those who are poor, uneducated, sick, and afflicted. I am burdened for the homeless, the incarcerated, the lame, and the addicted. But by the grace of God I have come to realize that the forgiveness of sin is the absolute greatest gift that heaven has to offer. Yes, God can heal the sick and raise the dead! Yes, God can deliver from prison and help the man to get ahead. Yes, God can take away all manner of sickness and give man wealth and richness. But what is all of this if the man dies and his sins have not been forgiven. Yes, you got it, “What shall it profit a man if he should gain the whole world and lose his soul? Mark 8:36” My greatest passion is the saving of the soul! For this reason, Jesus hung, bled, died, and rose again that “…whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but shall have everlasting life! John 3;16b” Preach! Preacher, Preach! CLM: What should visitors expect when 18 - Christian Leaders Magazine | July 2016
listening to your sermon? Dr. Murphy: Visitors should expect to hear and experience a clear, concise, insightful, revelatory, practical, applicable, and relevant presentation of the gospel and Bible passage read. No doubt, there will be celebration during the preaching moment. But before the celebration, there will be some insightful teaching and illumination to the Biblical text. They should expect to receive a good & clear understanding of the passage or scripture text read. The passage will be explained from its historical and cultural context. But then, we will answer the question as to what can we learn from this passage for our learning and instruction today? From that point we will share insights or nuggets of truth that can be applied to our ever day living. In this way, the preaching becomes more than a history lesson or a lesson on Bible culture. But when the preacher is able to skillfully bring the Biblical text to his or her current context and allow the Biblical text to speak to the persons in our time, good preaching has occurred. And in so doing, the preaching moment has not just become a moment to dispense information, but a moment to give the Holy Spirit an opportunity to provide some real genuine & spiritual transformation. I say, “Expect the Best, and Nothing Less!” CLM: How do you manage the business of the church versus the spiritual component of the membership? Dr. Murphy: First of all, leadership is the key! Everything rises or falls on leadership! The Associate Ministers, Deacons, Deaconess, and Trustees Ministries are my top Leadership Ministries. I personally meet monthly with these ministries and I provide intensive training for them. They each have ministry job descriptions and they know their duties and responsibilities. Furthermore, I train them before they are allowed to take office. In short, the
Associate Ministries are trained to help the Pastor provide excellent teaching for the membership via discipleship, academy, and Sunday school classes. The Deacons and Deaconess are trained to help the Pastor provide congregational care for every member of the church. They are over our Tribal Ministries. Members are placed in tribes based on their birth month. And the Tribal Ministries of the Deacons & Deaconess are responsible for calling and checking on every member of their tribe on a monthly basis. The Trustees are trained in their fiduciary dutiesto help the Pastor take care of the property, buildings, grounds, and financial resources of the church.Each of these ministries are trained well and held accountable to the Pastor for fulfilling and executing their duties and responsibilities in the spirit of excellence. Other ministry leaders are also trained via our Quarterly Leadership Conferences held at the church. As Pastor, I also work very closely with our Finance & Budget Ministry to ensure the proper management and allocation of funds. And last, I also work very closely with the Personnel Ministry in order to provide oversight and management for the employees of the church. CLM: What are the three most important words that describe your church? Dr. Murphy: Loving! Prayerful! Giving! CLM: What inspires you every Sunday morning before you enter the pulpit? Dr. Murphy: I am thankful, energized, motivated, and inspired by the fact that once again, by the rich mercy and grace of God, He has spoken His Word to my heart and now by His grace, strength, and anointing, I have been given this awesome, grand, and glorious opportunity to share this good news of the gospel with His precious people for His Glory and for our eternal good! Yes! That’s my inspiration!
Christian Leaders Magazine | July 2016 - 19
CHRISTIAN BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
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A SPECIAL REPORT
Just over ten years ago, most people hadn’t heard of Facebook. Myspace was just taking off and the world of social media was uncharted territory. Now it’s pervasive in everything that we do. You can’t buy dog food or gas for your car without seeing an invitation to like the product page on Facebook or follow the Twitter handle. So how do we as Christians engage this brave new world of social media? After looking online and seeing so many faux pas and mistakes made by those who name the name of Christ, I’ve come up with “10 Commandments” of social media for Christians.
Kemba’s Story:
3. Improve your offline to online ratio
BY: RAMON MAYO
1. Pause before you publish
The one thing you must do before you do anything else in the world of social media is to stop and think before you click “Enter” and send that post or tweet or Instagram photo. Think through the ramifications of what you are about to send to the entire Internet. Your friends and people you don’t even know have a window into this part of your world. Where most communication is private, this is public in a way that wasn’t public 20 years ago.
I see some people on Facebook no matter what time of day it is. The phone is probably the first thing they pick up in the morning and the last thing they hold at night. I wouldn’t be surprised if some people slept with their phone. These are the kind of folks who obnoxiously text and tweet while having dinner. This is not the person you want to be.
Another Perspective
More often than not, we forget that the words and pictures we send are going into a vast public record and open to the peering eyes of our bosses, co-workers, church members, potential employers, family, and friends. Think about the words that you are about to type and send. It can go a long way in maintaining your online and offline reputation.
2. World Star Hip Hop is not a credible news source One of the things to think about is whether you are passing
on credible information. Sometimes our hearts are already open to something that is more than likely a lie. We see the latest expos and what it really exposes is the bent of our heart. Newsflash: Celebrity gossip is not news. So many rumors can be circulated in a matter of hours, and no one stops to check the facts but just publishes this stuff like it came from the mouth of God. We have snopes.com now. There is no excuse. In this age where a story can spread faster than you can say “Ferguson,” we need to discover whether or not it is true. Sometimes a story is just satire. Sometimes it’s for real. We need to know the difference. 22 - Christian Leaders Magazine | July 2016
As a follower of Jesus, you must place a higher value on your offline relationships than online. Your online relationships are flat and cannot see into the depths of who you are, and vice versa. Technology has the privilege of giving you the ability to edit the parts of your life you don’t want others to see. Not so with real-life flesh and blood relationships. The more time you spend with others, the more time you see their real authentic selves, and the more time they see your real authentic self as well. This is a good thing. This is why God created Eve for Adam. This is why the “one anothers” of the church exist. We are called to live in community together, and online interaction cannot replace that.
4. Would you want your grandma to see this? For some reason, people are bolder online. It’s not just the anonymity. This sometimes happens when people know each other. I think it has to do with the lack of proximity. By being far away from each other physically, we are emboldened to say things we wouldn’t say if we were looking at someone directly in the eyes. Remember this: If you can’t say it in person, don’t say it. There is nothing courageous about being an online prophet and an in-person yes-man. Just because you get an amen corner online doesn’t make you bold. Real boldness is speaking the truth even when you don’t have an amen corner at all.
5. If you can’t say it in person, then don’t say it Have you ever seen these posts that are directed to someone and no one at the same time? These are called “sub-statuses” or “subtweets,” and they are full of bitterness, anger, sometimes sarcasm. They point out anonymous people’s faults. Sometimes they make you wonder if their online temper tantrum or cutting remark is targeting you. That’s not how saints of God air their grievances. Private grievances need to be handled in private. Public grievances need to be handled in public. Even if you are going to express your frustration, you at least need to name the person you are frustrated with. The Bible commands us to speak the truth in love. Being passive-aggressive in your posts is anything but truthful or loving.
6. Pass on being passive-aggressive Have you ever seen these posts that are directed to someone and no one at the same time? These are called “sub-statuses” or “subtweets,” and they are full of bitterness, anger, sometimes sarcasm. They point out anonymous people’s faults. Sometimes they make you wonder if their online temper tantrum or cutting remark is targeting you. That’s not how saints of God air their grievances. Private grievances need to be handled in private. Public grievances need to be handled in public. Even if you are going to express your frustration, you at least need to name the person you are frustrated with. The Bible commands us to speak the truth in love. Being passive-aggressive in your posts is anything but truthful or loving.
7. Leave the doomsday prophets in the Old Testament As followers of Jesus, we are called to share good news. Often when I look at people’s Facebook pages and tweets, I am surprised
when I see the latest gloom-and-doom prophecies about how the nation is going down the tubes or how Black America is doomed to fail. A lot of what I see is just negative events or news articles. Yes, there is a place for being realistic, but spreading negativity shouldn’t be our default. Our default is joy. Our default is peace. Our default is hope. The things we repost and retweet need to be aligned with what we value as the people of God. They should speak to the wider world of our orientation toward the kingdom and the hope we have in Christ.
8. Bible thumping doesn’t work (in person or online) Have you ever talked to someone and the answer to every question was a Bible verse? These are the kind of people who figure out what kind of cereal to get with a Bible verse. And if it’s a religious question, they don’t actually answer the question, but just spew out Bible verses. Don’t be that person. Yes, we believe the Bible to be true in all that it affirms, but we also need to be aware of the world we live in. Commenting on people’s posts with Bible verses that are most of the time out of context does nothing to win people over to Christ or a Christian perspective. It’s best to meet people where they are and then explain what the Bible says about a subject than to proof text verses and expect to persuade people to your perspective.
9. Respect the Internet The Internet has specific guidelines when it comes to communicating. ALL CAPS USUALLY INDICATES ANGER. Now I wasn’t angry there, but sometimes we put all caps on things where we shouldn’t and unintentionally communicate anger. Because Internet conversations are in writing, they don’t always convey the intended meaning. What we intended as a joke can potentially be seen as a threat or an insult. Emoticons can help. The key is that as followers of Jesus, we don’t want to look like noobs on the Internet, and most importantly, we don’t want to offend people unnecessarily. The Gospel is already offensive, and if people know that we are Christians, they may be offended by our very beliefs. We don’t want to offend them unnecessarily any other way.
10. Keep Jesus at the Center Last but not least, keep Jesus at the center of everything you do online. If being on Facebook or Twitter is becoming more of an addiction and less of a purposeful conversation tool, then drop them. If you are unsure of whether to post something or respond to a comment, then think about the person and the work of Christ. You will never go wrong by keeping Jesus as a model for your social media interaction. Reprinted with permission from Urban Faith
Christian Leaders Magazine | July 2016 - 23
FAITH-IN-LAW
in the
Christian Rights
Workplace The American Center for Law and Justice.
Most employees work for private employers and these employees are primarily protected only by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. They may also be protected by laws in their State similar to Title VII. State laws protecting the religious freedom of employees may provide more protection than Title VII, but generally they are very similar to the federal law. This article does not attempt to describe individual state laws therefore employees should consult an attorney who is licensed in their particular state to determine if state law provides them with added protection. Here, we explain how employees of private organizations are protected by Title VII. The rules of law stated also apply to government employees, but focus on private employees because Title VII is usually their only remedy. Can I share the Gospel with co-workers at work? If required by their religious beliefs, an employee’s religiously motivated expressions of faith are protected by Title VII. For instance, in conversations with other employees, you may refer to Biblical passages on slothfulness and “work ethics.” Employees can engage in religious speech at work as long as there is no actual imposition on co-workers or disruption of the work 24 - Christian Leaders Magazine | July 2016
routine. Generally, no disruption of the work routine will occur if an employee’s witnessing takes place during breaks, or other free time. If other employees are permitted to use electronic mail and screen savers for speech that is not related to work, an employee who has a sincerely held religious belief to communicate their faith with others should also be able to use these modes of communication.
To ensure that their religious speech is protected by Title VII, an employee should first of all be able to honestly say that their religious beliefs require them to share the Gospel whenever possible with willing co-workers during breaks or other free time. The employee must then inform the employer of this religious belief (preferably in writing). At that point, the employer must attempt to accommodate this religious belief unless it will cause the employer “undue hardship.”
attitude.
Can I keep my Bible or other religious items at my desk?
The employer’s affirmative duty to attempt to accommodate the employee’s request for time off is not limited if the employee asks for more than one accommodation. For instance, an employee who belongs to the World Wide Church of God requested time off in view of two sincerely held religious beliefs: (1) attending a religious festival during her normal working shift, and (2) refraining from all work during the religious festival. The employer argued that accommodating one of these religious beliefs satisfied their duty under Title VII. But the Court ruled against the employer, refusing to “condone an employer’s entire lack of effort to accommodate a given conflict merely because the employer offered to accommodate other ones.”
Yes. As with witnessing to coworkers, an employee can bring his Bible to work and keep it at his desk if he is required to do so by sincerely held religious beliefs. To ensure that this religious belief of having a Bible or other religious items at work is protected by Title VII, an employee should first of all be able to honestly say that their religious beliefs require them to bring these items to work. The employee must then inform the employer of this religious belief (preferably in writing). The employer is then required to attempt to accommodate this belief. Do I have to work on Sundays if my religion prohibits it? Employers must accommodate requests by employees for absence on their Sabbath or other religious holidays. An affirmative duty arises under Title VII for the employer to make a good faith effort to arrange the employee’s schedule to allow the employee to have Sabbaths off. The employer will be in violation of Title VII if they have “made no real effort” or have taken a “don’t care”
For instance, courts have held that an employer is required to accommodate a World Wide Church of God employee who observed his Sabbath from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday. The reason for this decision is that the employer did not incur additional costs from the accommodation because they employed extra men at all times to cover unscheduled absences.
The same rule applies where an employee’s religious beliefs prevent him from working on Sundays, and prevent him from asking someone else to engage in this prohibited activity for him. Merely allowing the employee to swap shifts with someone does not constitute reasonable accommodation in this instance. In addition to allowing the employee to be off on Sundays,
the employer has an affirmative duty to arrange a swap for the employee. Employees must be careful to specifically inform their employer of this religious belief not to ask anyone else to work on Sunday either. In sum, employers must attempt to accommodate an employee’s need for days off due to religious beliefs. At a minimum, the employer’s duty to accommodate includes allowing employees to trade shifts, and may require the employer to arrange for the trade. Can I go to work dressed in the particular fashion required by my religion? Employers must accommodate religious beliefs requiring an employee to dress or groom in a certain manner, unless the rule prohibiting certain religious dressing is justified by a business necessity. The EEOC has ruled that a nurse whose Old Catholic faith required her to wear a scarf was unlawfully discharged for refusing to come to work without the scarf, because requiring the nurse to wear a cap instead of the scarf was “not so necessary to the operation of [the employer’s] business as to justify the effect that this policy has upon the religious convictions.” Title VII has also been found to protect an employee’s religious belief that she must wear a Pro-Life button at all times, even at work. An employer, however, does not discriminate against an employee by requiring him to shave his long facial hair and refrain from wearing a turban, if both of these religious practices result in safety hazards by preventing a hard hat and respirator Christian Leaders Magazine | July 2016 - 25
from being worn properly. Are there any types of religious beliefs or behavior not protected by Title VII? Generally, all sincerely held religious beliefs are protected by Title VII. When a Title VII religious claim fails, it is often because the employer is able to show the employee was discriminated against for inefficiency, bad work product, or an inability to get along with co-workers rather than because of the asserted religious practice. A frequent example is when an employee’s religious speech is couched in an argumentative, confrontational style that inhibits cooperation with other employees. In such cases, the court is likely to determine that the employee was not discriminated against because of his religious beliefs, but because of his offensive conduct in the office. Do I have to attend training if it violates my religious convictions? An employee cannot be required to attend training that will violate their sincerely held religious beliefs. The EEOC has ruled that an employer violates Title VII if it requires an employee to attend training containing a philosophy that conflicts with the employee’s religious beliefs. The EEOC found that the employer failed to show how accommodating the religious convictions of these employees by not requiring them to attend the training would result in an undue hardship. As a government employee, is all my religious speech at work protected by the First Amendment? A public employee receives greater 26 - Christian Leaders Magazine | July 2016
speech protection when speaking “as a citizen upon matters of public concern” than he does when commenting on employment matters of personal or internal interest. When evaluating these cases, the Supreme Court has traditionally utilized a test which balances the importance of the employee’s speech on a matter of public concern against the government’s need to run an efficient workplace. Religious speech will always be a matter of public concern. For example, in Tucker v. State of California Dept. of Education, a federal Court of Appeals found religious speech to be a matter of public concern, and used Pickering to protect the religious liberties of a state education department employee who believed that he was commanded to “give credit to God for the work he perform[ed].” He engaged in religious discussions, and kept religious material around his work area. Tucker prevailed when the court weighed the state’s asserted interests of efficiency, protecting the liberty interests of other employees, and avoiding Establishment Clause issues against the weight of a “broad ban on group speech.” The court rejected the employer’s contention that the religious speech reduced efficiency since other types of nonwork related speech were permitted. The court also rejected the argument that the employee’s speech violated the Establishment Clause because there was no way it could have been attributed to the state. Therefore, religious speech of government employees is protected so long as it does not significantly reduce efficiency in the workplace, and so long as it will not be attributed
to the government employer. As a government employee, can I advertise events at my church on the bulletin board at work? If a government employer allows employees to post non-work related material around the office, they cannot prohibit the posting of religious material. “[I]t is not reasonable to allow employees to post materials around the office on all sorts of subjects, and forbid only the posting of religious information and materials.” Religious speech is given the same expansive protections offered to secular speech inviting “employees to motorcycle rallies, swap meets, x-rated movies, beer busts, or burlesque shows.” Allowing this speech while prohibiting advertising for religious events “is unreasonable not only because it bans a vast amount of material without legitimate justification but also because its sole target is religious speech.” Can I require my employees to attend training based on Biblical principles? Employers can use training programs that are based on the Bible. For instance, requiring an employee to attend a management seminar put on by the Institute of Basic Life Principles which used scriptural passages to support the lessons it sought to promote did not violate a Massachusetts civil rights law. Employees cannot, however, be required to undergo religious training, participate in religious services, or engage in behavior that would violate their sincerely held religious beliefs.
Christian Leaders Magazine | July 2016 - 27
MINISTRY AT WORK
AbundantLife Ministries
A Small Church with a BIG Mission “One Person at a Time” By Terri Hannibal
N
into mature disciples of Christ, precisely Bible discipleship. Here there is Spiritual training and equipping each member to fulfill the Great Commission to seek and disciple others.
Their mission as a local body is to rebuild the broken lives of believers, identify the gifts and callings of each member and disciple them
In continuing with their vision, they deal with the community’s health, mind, body and soul. Abundant Life has brought programs and services to assist the community even with day to day issues. In October of 2014 they sponsored a community health day which included free services to all people. These services, included flu shots, vision screenings, and nutritional information. In 2015 they had
ew beginning, fresh prospective,this is Abundant Life Ministries (ALM), they recently moved to their new home at 6037 Providence Road in Virginia Beach. Under 16000 square feet is where all of ALM’s kingdom work is housed. In addition to the ministry, it houses Transformed Community Outreach (TCO), He Brought Joy School of Ministry, HBJ International Ministries and Apple Tree Christian Academy.
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their annual block party with the theme “Building Bridges for a Better Community” which included a symposium with church, communityleaders, andpolice participation. That session addressed urgent issues in the community such as “at risk youth” and domestic violence. This will also be a networking experiencefor parents and guardians, educators,local businesses, community leaders and muchmore.
we must have conviction and commitment for influencing transformation and kingdom building principles within the body of Christ.”
Dr. Waller is excited about what God is doing within their ministries, but knows that they have much more to do. “We are fired up and ready to go, we have to be like the children of Issachar which had the understanding of the times and godly knowledge of what the people of God should do. For this millennium church, there is also the We know our personal mission which is to Love focus on the youth. They are a precious resource God, Serve Others and Share Our Story and that’s and there must be an avenue of positive character what we will do here and to the nations.” development for them. The Virginia Beach and Norfolk communities have warmly responded to Keep an eye and ear out for Abundant Life Abundant Life Ministries and their programs for Ministries, they are going places and walking youth. They have opportunities to address relevant through big doors that God has opened. issues in these areas, and they have positioned themselves for this purpose. Their music, arts and Services for Abundant Life Ministries dance programs under their collaboration with are as follows: Sundays 11am / Evening TCO have been flooded with children who reside Sacrifice Prayer Mondays 6pm / Bible in low income housing.
Study-Focus Group Wednesdays 6:30pm.
Under the leadership of Dr. Elaine Shouse-Waller, Senior Pastor, the ministry is thriving and making its place in the community it serves. “We have taken the charge and are focused. In these end times
Abundant Life Ministries (757)420-7710 Christian Leaders Magazine | July 2016 - 29
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Body language can tell you all sorts of things. Like someone is having a stroke.
SPEECH DIFFICULTY
FACE DROOPING
ARM WEAKNESS
strokeassociation.org
TIME TO CALL 911
Know the sudden signs.
Spot a stroke F.A.S.T.
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