Evangelical Pastors, Leaders Come Together to Call Christians to Make 2017 'The Year of Good News'
/'We commit to preach louder than our nation's politics, and we aim to make the message of Jesus Christ transcend the monopoly of our media.'
RIVERSIDE, Calif. — A cross-denominational group of some of America's most influential Evangelical pastors and leaders has come together to call Christians to make 2017 "The Year of Good News."Pastor and Harvest Crusades founder Greg Laurie—who organized the letter—is joined by Evangelist Rev. Franklin Graham, Assemblies of God General Superintendent George Wood, Southern Baptist President Steve Gaines, Author Anne Graham Lotz, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Al Mohler, Family Talk Founder Dr. James Dobson, among others, in signing and publishing the letter urging American Christians to make 2017 the year they "share the message of Jesus with everyone they can at every opportunity they can.""In a time of bad news, distracting news, divisive news, disorderly news, and, sometimes, depressing news we—as Christians and as leaders—want to recommit ourselves to making sure that the Good News of Jesus cuts through it all," says the letter.The letter, which is a strong reminder of the Christian calling to be bearers of good news, was also signed by pastors David Jeremiah, Levi Lusko, Robert Morris, Ronnie Floyd, Skip Heitzig, and James MacDonald, as well as authors Max Lucado, Joel Rosenberg, and Randy Alcorn. Christian leaders such as Eric Metaxas, Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, and O. S. Hawkins also added their names to the letter.Christians everywhere are invited to join the "Year of Good News" with #YearOfGoodNews and to add their names at: goodnews.harvestamerica.com."We need a national miracle to heal our political, racial and cultural divisions, and that miracle is found in the power of Jesus to change our hearts," say the Evangelical leaders. "Therefore, we commit to preach louder than our nation's politics, and we aim to make the message of Jesus Christ transcend the monopoly of our media."The letter in its entirety, with its full list of signatories, is copied below.
The Year of Good News
In a time of bad news, distracting news, divisive news, disorderly news, and, sometimes, depressing news we—as Christians and as leaders—want to recommit ourselves to making sure that the Good News of Jesus cuts through it all. We call upon Christians in America to make 2017 "The Year of Good News."Christians everywhere must share the message of Jesus with everyone they can at every opportunity they can. Pastors must preach the Gospel boldly and pray intentionally for national revival.Despite the divisions and distractions dividing our nation and disorienting our culture, we believe that the Gospel of Jesus Christ remains the hope of the world and is more needed in our nation now than at almost any point in our nations history.This is not to diminish the important good works and example that the Church as a whole provides, but it is to emphasize that Jesus has commanded us to "go into all the world and preach the Gospel" and to "make disciples of all nations."Our message is the Good News that God loved us so much He sent His son to this earth on a rescue mission. Jesus who is fully God and fully man lived a perfect life, died a perfect death and rose again from the grave.We need a national miracle to heal our political, racial and cultural divisions, and that miracle is found in the power of Jesus to change our hearts. Therefore, we commit to preach louder than our nation's politics, and we aim to make the message of Jesus Christ transcend the monopoly of our media. We confess our only hope of unity is on the level ground at the foot of the cross of Jesus, and our only hope of healing is in the victory achieved through his empty tomb.The gospel is the timeless, God-honored, God-ordained message that can change a human heart for time and eternity. We accept Jesus' command to proclaim his message, wherever we are to whomever we are around.Because 2017 is such a critical year for America, it must become the Year of Good News.Signed,Greg LauriePastor, Harvest Christian FellowshipCathe LaurieSpeaker, AuthorFranklin GrahamBilly Graham Evangelistic AssociationAl MohlerPresident, Southern Baptist Theological SeminaryAnne Graham LotzAuthorJames DobsonAuthor, Family Talk with James DobsonJack GrahamPastor, Prestonwood ChurchSteve GainesPresident, Southern Baptist ConventionDavid JeremiahPastor, Shadow Mountain Community ChurchChris TomlinMusician, SongwriterMax LucadoAuthorRussell MoorePresident, Ethics & Religious Liberty CommissionJames MacDonaldFounder and Senior Pastor, Harvest Bible ChapelGeorge WoodGeneral Superintendent, Assemblies of GodEric MetaxasAuthor, Speaker, Radio HostKevin EzellPresident, North American Mission Board (NAMB)Robert MorrisPastor, Gateway ChurchRonnie FloydSenior Pastor, Cross ChurchJoe FochtSenior Pastor, Calvary Chapel of PhiladelphiaBrian BrodersenSenior Pastor, Calvary Chapel of Costa MesaJoel RosenbergAuthorLevi LuskoPastor, Fresh Life ChurchOS HawkinsPresident, Guidestone Financial ResourcesRandy AlcornAuthorWillie JordanCofounder and President, Fred Jordan MissionsRev. Samuel RodriguezPresident, National Hispanic Christian Leadership ConferenceSkip HeitzigFounder and Senior Pastor, Calvary of AlbuquerqueLee StrobelAuthor__________Pastor Greg Laurie serves as the senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California, one of the largest churches in America; is the author of more than 70 books; hosts the nationally syndicated radio broadcast, A New Beginning; and is the founder of Harvest Crusades, a large-scale evangelistic ministry whose next event, Harvest America, will be held June 11 in Phoenix at the University of Phoenix Stadium and broadcast live nationwide. His next book "Steve McQueen: The Salvation of an American Icon" releases on June 13.Photo at top: Jeremy Bishop