Perry Noble Apologizes to Gay Community, Says Nashville Statement Did More Harm Than Good
/Sandwiched in between Hurricane Harvey and Labor Day Weekend, Desiring God founder and teacher John Piper released his commentary on the Nashville Statement, authored and approved recently by many leading evangelicals “in the hope of providing a biblically faithful standard in our day” in regards to the “new ethical landscape” of sexual ethics.TogetherLA.net published some of Piper’s piece, including links to the full commentary and statement, not necessarily as a point of editorial agreement, but to provide a platform for conversation. As stated in that post, we strive to be a platform that encourages unity, especially within the Church.In tracking the subsequent wave of reaction I found a Facebook Live post, "My Thoughts on the Nashville Statement," by Perry Noble, founder of The Growth Company and author of Unleash! Noble said he views the Nashville Statement as a wall builder, not representative of the Christian faith, and delivered an apology to the gay community as someone from the evangelical community.“Let me say just for the record and right up front that I am a solid believer in Christian marriage, a man and a woman,” he said. “I believe that with all my heart, however, I believe that the Nashville Statement actually did more harm in regards to Christianity. I believe it did more harm than good because it was a demonstration of how Christians are interested in building walls and not bridges.”After describing how a gay friend said to him after the Nashville Statement was released that he appreciated Noble’s stance on the issue of sexual ethics, but also appreciates that Noble speaks out “on behalf of people like me.”“And he went on to say, ‘I’m thankful for guys like you who are way [more] interested in preserving a relationship over winning the argument,’” Noble explained. “I think that’s one of the problems in Christianity today is that we are way too obsessed with being right and in our obsession with being right we have isolated ourselves from a group of people that we were not called to condemn but rather have a conversation with.“I believe we will reach way more people today if we enter into a conversation rather than condemnation.”Noble said the subject is one that definitely should be talked about in the Church, but it should be preached in compassion, grace, and love “rather than condemning people and saying, ‘You’re evil and shouldn’t be doing that.’”“Why in the world should we be drawing a line in the sand when we should be having a conversation,” he said. “Because, guess what, if someone is gay or someone is transgender they have a story and instead of trying to tell them our story, what if we actually sat down at a table and were willing to listen to theirs?”Addressing people that are gay or transgender, he said, “I want to offer you an apology on behalf of an evangelical Christian (points to himself), who does not believe what those people… I do not adhere to what they said for the most part. I do adhere to Christian marriage, marriage between a man and a woman, but you know what, if you don’t agree with that I can still be your friend. I can still see eye-to-eye with you … I can still sit down and have a conversation with you. You know why? Because Jesus said, ‘Let the one who is without sin cast the first stone’ and I don’t have any rocks in my pocket.“I want to tell you that I am sorry for the way you were treated, but I wanted to tell you that I truly do believe that the gospel is Jesus Christ, crucified on a cross, buried, [and] rose from the dead. That’s the gospel. Period.”
Scott Burdick, MFT Deputy DirectorDepartment of Children and Family Services, said that the county’s child welfare program recognizes the importance of partnering with churches and the initiative will help make vulnerable children and hurting families a “community issue.”“Churches have been such a foundational support to meet not just some of the physical needs but to meet some of the mentoring [needs],” said Burdick during a 
Dr. Clarke and I joined many in our extended networks in immediately denouncing on social media the violent racism on display last weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia. I am aware that, for many in Fuller's extended network, Facebook is not a primary form of communication, and I wanted to extend to you as well a distillation of our shared perspectives on this critically important issue.The evil of racism so vividly unveiled in Charlottesville last weekend is tragically intertwined with American church history. But it needs to be said that nothing about white nationalism flows from the heart of God. May white—and all—followers of Jesus say and live a resounding NO to any form of white nationalism. As urgent as it is and must be for all Christians to condemn white nationalism, it is also urgent and necessary for white Christians like me to grasp, to repent of, and to turn from the long history by which our Christian faith has been used to accrue to us personal and systemic power and privilege simply because we are white.Events of last weekend in Charlottesville cry out for the need of white Christians to look at this pervasive and insidious evil that subverts the Jesus we claim and profess. By our racial sin, the name of Jesus is scandalized. We recently welcomed Clifton Clarke to Fuller to partner with us in leadership of the Pannell Center for African American Church Studies, and I personally am committed to standing together with Dr. Clarke in this, our shared mission.Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.Mark LabbertonPresident___We need to unequivocally speak in plain terms stating that white supremacist neo-fascist Nazi groups are an evil scourge in this country. White nationalism, white supremacy, white privilege, white silence, and racial fragility all drink from the same pot—the maintenance of white privilege.Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” What we saw in Charlottesville on August 11 and 12 was the hate that hate produces. In the hours immediately after the Charlottesville riots, I called for white evangelical leaders to swiftly respond and for white people of conscience to speak out about white privilege. I thank my brother Mark for his leadership and courage in having already joined me in denouncing the extreme, white supremacist, male-dominated groups in America who are heirs of those hate groups emboldened by the rise of Nazi Germany in the 1930s.The chilling images of hate-filled protesters in 2017 America carrying torches, chanting slogans steeped in the history of bigotry, racism, and anti-Semitism is an affront to our faith in Jesus Christ and the biblical teachings we hold dear. We, the Fuller community, reaffirm our unshakable commitment to diversity, equality, and the value of all people created in the image of God.This partnership is why I came to Fuller, and I am committed to standing together with Dr. Labberton in this, our shared mission.Committed to the love that love produces,Clifton ClarkeAssociate Dean of the William Pannell Center for African American Church Studies and Associate Professor of Black Church Studies and World Christianity
TogetherLA: Describe your initial reaction to the events that transpired in Charlottesville.Erwin Raphael McManus: It was probably a combination of disgust, disappointment, and hopefulness.Disgust because there should be no room for movements of hate such as white supremacy and Nazism. It's astonishing that people can be so ignorant, fearful, and filled with hate.Disappointed because I love this country and expect better from us. The undercurrent and subculture of racism and white supremacy have always been here but now they have been emboldened to go public as they feel their views have been validated and normalized.Hopeful in that this is not a new problem in our society and it has been allowed to thrive in the darkness of denial and silence by the white majority and unjust legal system. Their boldness to go public has brought them to the light and the darkness cannot prevail over the light. I am convinced most Americans- yes even white Americans- are committed to justice and equality for all people. I am convinced that most Americans are disgusted and even ashamed that Nazism is alive and well in this country that fought to defeat its evil ideology.TLA: Your call for the church to respond “NOW!” as you posted on Twitter obviously reflects urgency. Why?McManus: It is inescapable that the Evangelical church is seen as married to the present administration in Washington. Silence in this moment would be perceived as agreement and adherence to white supremacist ideologies.There is no neutral ground here. You either speak against racism or you add credence to their views. I am convinced the Church is the greatest hope for humanity and for creating a new world where everyone is valued and embraced regardless of differences.This is a critical moment in history and I want the church on record and on the right side of history.TLA: How should the church respond?McManus: As they have all weekend after Charlottesville. They must openly, emphatically, and clearly denounce White Supremacy and any ideology associated with Nazism.Then we need to advocate for social justice and reform so that all minorities are protected not only under the law but more importantly by our cultural values and ethic. The law cannot change the human heart. Government is limited in its ability to effect culture. This is the role and responsibility of the Church. Only Jesus can move us from hate to love.TLA: What do you see happening in Los Angeles in regards to church unity? Are they getting together? How?McManus: The Church is not segregated by region or cities. That's an antiquated view of the world. We are united with churches all over the world working towards common goals based on shared values. Mosaic is one of the most racially diverse churches on the planet. Our community and extended church family is global and completely integrated.TLA: What are the ramifications of Charlottesville for the church as you see it?McManus: Perhaps the most significant ramification for many churches is that if your church is racially homogenous it will be essentially irrelevant. The future belongs to those who have the courage to create it. We need a new humanity. We need a new expression of community. We need the Church to bring the world together. This makes me excited. There is so much opportunity here. I'm grateful that Mosaic began creating the new expression of the Church over twenty years ago. We are not reacting to a crisis. We are acting on a conviction and a calling.TLA: Is there something in your new book, The Last Arrow, that ties into how you feel today about current events?McManus: The Last Arrow transcends a moment or an issue. It is a call to move beyond self-indulgence to a life of sacrificial service. In 
Photo: Screengrab of Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesUPDATE 2:25 PM PT
Photo: Edward Padgett
In April, a Justice Rising team went to Syria, "going from house to house meeting with those who suffered from war," Watts writes. "Over a cup of thick coffee and some small cookies we asked many people what their greatest needs were. Without hesitation they all replied, 'When you leave, tell the church not to forget about us. We are watching them from here and we see how many are responding to Syria. But we need them. Tell them this is our greatest hour of need, and we need the help of the global church community.'”In the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, a school recently re-opened after being closed for two years as the result of the conflict, according to Justice Rising. The organization wants to help the school and its students.The school was founded with Christian roots and fights against extreme ideology in a predominantly Muslim context. Some of the best teachers have fled, students are traumatized by the war, money is hard to come by and bombs are a constant reminder that each day could be their last."We as a church have the opportunity to respond and support the 880 students that are currently attending this school," Watts wrote. "Teachers need to be paid, materials need to be purchased and the building needs to be repaired from the bombing."Watts continued, "As the sound of bombs could be heard in the distance, Cassandra (Justice Rising Co-Founder) asked at what point they should respond and become worried. Their response: 'We don’t know. We don’t know when they will strike. When a bomb comes and you feel it hit the house, that’s when it’s a concern. But we don’t know when that will be. So we keep living. All we know is that God is good. Even still. He is our protector.'”Justice Rising team members asked the headmaster of the school why he continued to stay and work in Syria, "surely no one would have blamed him for leaving."“After the war, everything was damaged in a critical way. All the furniture was stolen. We had nothing. But we knew the power of education. That is the greatest tool to end terrorism, building schools. So we restarted and opened up our classes. We are growing a generation that knows what the word ‘love’ means,” he said.Every house we visited we seemed to find individuals who were rising up in the midst of conflict, having a stare down with war and coming out with an attitude that said, “I’m not a victim to this situation, but an architect of it” (Quote by: Simon Sinek).
In Isaiah 58, the prophet Isaiah is commanded by God to confront the hypocrisy of His people and to make clear the pathway to God’s blessing. The people of Israel were divorcing the practical implications of their relationship with God from their spiritual worship toward God. Their delight in the commandments of God was false and manipulative because their actions were oppressive and harmful toward fellow image bearers of God.When our commitment and delight in God are not expressed in our relationships to people, our faith is dead. A pursuit of God in prayer without the pursuit of God in practice is false religion. Often the pursuit of justice and the talk of ethics are put up against the pure Gospel message or ministry of evangelism and making disciples.Ethics and justice aren’t secondary to who God is. Ethics and justice are a part of who God is.... 
I believe that ultimately, the transformative work of advancing God’s Kingdom in a diverse yet deeply divided mission field is the way forward. A holistic and biblical understanding of missions can bring evangelism, discipleship, leadership development, church development, and Christ-centered justice to bear upon the racial and class division which still exist today. This is why World Impact exists to empower urban indigenous Christian leaders today.World Impact as an urban missions organization was originally birthed during the Watts Riots of 1965 (pictured) and was given even greater clarity of mission and purpose during the LA Riots of 1992.In the last couple of years we have once again seen protests and riots in cities all across this country. The cries and even the unfortunate violent acts of some of the poor, marginalized, and oppressed among us is a continual call to the Church to remember its true mission in alignment with the public ministry, death, and resurrection of Christ.The church still today at even greater levels must be a force of transformative truth, new life, reconciliation, justice, and empowering love. Where there is violence and riots, there must be love, redemption, empowerment, and transformation.The above commentary was originally published at 
He was just another inmate asking for a Bible. I had only small-print Gideon Bibles with me and he was hoping for larger print and a more readable version. So, I took time to search the Chaplain’s office and returned with a large print, Life Recovery Bible. The inmate thanked me for it, and I went on my way—something that has happened countless times at the jail.At the reception, Sean told his story to a dozen men who either had taken or taught our ministry training classes at the jail. As a teen, he had followed every rebellious urge, indulging in drugs and alcohol, which led to trouble with the law. When he turned 21, he decided that he would change his ways and transform himself into a model citizen.At his first honest job, however, he suffered an accident and the tragic loss of his leg. He thought, “How could God allow this to happen?” Sean’s “faith” in his ability to earn God’s favor turned to doubt, then to a return to his rebellious ways and soon back to jail.Here in California, many jails and prisons now offer our TUMI ministry training classes. In one of these classes, Sean heard the Good News of God’s grace and mercy in Christ. For the first time in his life, he experienced forgiveness and began his journey toward genuine life recovery!As he finished his testimony that evening, Sean held up his Life Recovery Bible and reminded me that I was the one who had given it to him at the jail.At that moment, I felt as if a window from heaven had opened, showing me how our willingness to serve in small ways is multiplied by our great and awesome God.Let us “not get tired of doing what is good,” because “at just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” (Galatians 6:9 NLT)
The New Frontier Chronicle, The source of news and networking for The Salvation Army, reports:
However, when it comes to actually preventing human trafficking in the first place, there is room for improvement. That is where MSAT comes in.The idea is threefold:• To stand at or near trafficking hotspots to raise awareness in communities where trafficking is happening so those communities will engage in the fight against it as well.• To stand as witnesses against the perpetrators in those communities who are paying money to have sex with trafficking victims (many of them underage...or were when they were coerced into it).• To provide a first experience and next steps for men who want to get involved in this battle but have traditionally been on the sidelines, or worse, the main perpetrators.The actual process of a stand involves gathering men for a brief introduction to the issue of sex trafficking and how they can fight it. They then grab some signs (e.g. Men Standing Against Trafficking, Real Men Don’t Buy Girls, etc.), go to an intersection, and stand as a silent witness for an hour and 18 minutes. The timing is specific to remind the men why they are there — to stand for the victims of CSEC (Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children), kids 18 and under. They have flyers available for people who want to know more, and they are usually well-received. There have been incidents with people countering the groups, but even more examples of people who have been inspired, educated, and blown away by this grassroots movement.The initial stand was in June 2015 at MacArthur Park. For the first year, it gained momentum with numbers and circle of influence, moving from hotspot to hotspot monthly: Hollywood, Long Beach, South LA, Pomona, Pasadena, Van Nuys, and Santa Ana. Eventually, the organization came to a point where it could multiply — meeting at various geographies in the same month.Currently, there are five MSAT sites which meet quarterly: Pasadena, Orange County, Pomona, Long Beach, and South LA.If you are interested in starting a new MSAT in your community, please contact Bryan Cullison at bcullison@worldimpact.org or visit the following websites to learn more:
Headline banner photo: Toviah Photography/Albert Halim.
Mata said he was at L.A. First Church of the Nazarene, where he was on the pastoral staff, when the verdict happened. “It was a Wednesday in which the news came out about the verdict and then you had that Florence and Normandie (intersection where Reginald Denny was brutally attacked) explosion of incredible anger, frustration, which had been building up for awhile. It was almost inevitable.”
Upon his return to his church he discovered that on day two of the riot, hundreds of people were in the church parking lot looking for help. 