GCI Update

Politics and the pulpit

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The candidate to oppose President Obama this fall has been chosen and election fever is mounting. I have my own strong opinions about who I want to see occupy the Oval Office for the next four years. I am sure most of you have also. In fact, I am sure most of you reading this, wherever you are in the world, will watch the November U.S. election with keen interest.

The President of the United States is the de facto leader of the free world, and his decisions and policies affect people far beyond U.S. borders. Personally, I believe that any Christian who lives under a system that allows the opportunity to elect their leaders has a duty of stewardship that should not be neglected. We need to use our votes responsibly and, come November, I intend to. However, please notice that I have not mentioned any candidates or parties. Let me explain the point of my letter to you this week.

Every couple of years, we need to be reminded not to use the pulpit for political purposes. Since the run up to the election looks as if it will be more controversial than ever before, we need to be aware of our responsibilities as pastors and ministers. While I encourage the practice of excellence in citizenship and the exercise of our privilege to vote for those who live in free countries, I also need to remind you not to make your church part of the political arena. As C. S. Lewis said, “Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.”

Christians, including ministers, are not barred from political involvement. We have actually had elders who have held some high positions in government. But the pulpit is not the place to advance a political agenda.

Writing to the Christians of ancient Rome, Paul reminded them, “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established” (Romans 13:1). Paul was writing to people who lived under a highly authoritarian government, in which the ordinary person did not have much say. In a democracy, all citizens do have a small amount of authority each time they vote, and it is not a sin for people to use that authority. They are not rebelling against the government even if they are voting against the status quo. On the contrary, they are supporting the government by participating in it. So, don’t misunderstand. Whereas we should not politicize the pulpit, we can use our influence to remind our people of their responsibility as citizens. Remind them to vote, but on no account offer any suggestions about whom they should vote for.

This is especially important for those of us who live in the United States. Since 1954, the Internal Revenue Service has had regulations that prohibit churches from explicitly saying that they support or oppose any candidates by name, although they are allowed to take positions on moral issues.

Over the years, some churches have paid the penalty for violating these IRS regulations. For example, when Jerry Falwell ran afoul of the regulations, his church lost their tax-exempt status for two years.

Some may resent these regulations, but I think, overall, that it is good that they are there. As pastors, we do have considerable credibility and we therefore must be careful to keep a political election in perspective. While we may personally prefer one party or candidate over another, the truth is, none of the political parties or candidates will solve all the national, state or local problems, however persuasive they sound.

In any election, our responsibility is to become as knowledgeable about the issues and candidates as we can and then vote as wisely and faithfully as we can. And when it’s over, regardless of who wins, we should pray that the winners will promote peace, justice and the freedom to worship as we see fit. The church need not and cannot align itself with a party or platform. It has one absolute and fixed loyalty that goes far beyond what any government could hope to offer. We cannot “put our trust in princes” nor in the promises of political parties. What the church has to offer its members are theologically grounded moral guidance and spiritual wisdom to sort out priorities. We can offer our members reminders of the character of God and his purposes which together provide a foundation for individuals to make their political judgments and cast their votes. And having a secure foundation is far more important than even the vote for a particular party platform or a particular candidate in the ever-changing and shifting political landscape of our time. That foundation sheds light not only on politics but on family, vocation, education and finances – indeed, on all of life.

As the election approaches, remind your members of these things. But be careful not to cross the line by even hinting from the pulpit who is the “right” person to vote for. Regardless of how we vote and regardless of the job the winner does, our ultimate trust is in our Savior, who in the end makes all things right.

With love in Christ’s service,

Joseph Tkach

P.S. Please join me in congratulating Randal Dick, my good friend and long-time GCI elder. Randal received his Ph.D. from Fuller Theological Seminary last week. See the details in the article linked at left.

Standing Together visits HQ

Standing Together, a group of evangelical pastors from the Salt Lake City area, recently visited GCI’s home office in Glendora. Standing Together seeks to advance Biblical unity and spiritual transformation in Utah. Their focus is on being a catalyst for uniting the Utah Christian community through relational efforts of prayer, worship and strategic evangelism.

Standing Together’s founder and director, Greg Johnson, befriended Dr. Tkach over ten years ago when GCI was going through its transformation. Dr. Tkach recommended Greg to the National Association of Evangelicals to become an NAE board member. Greg brought several Utah pastors with him on this visit to GCI where they could hear GCI’s story firsthand and learn about GCI’s views concerning how to better interact with alternative religions. The group (pictured below) enjoyed the day together and were mutually encouraged.

Glendora 40th anniversary

With about 170 people in attendance, New Covenant Fellowship, the GCI congregation in Glendora, California recently marked its 40th year as a congregation.

Over its 40 years, New Covenant Fellowship has been a family-oriented, biblically-based church with a strong commitment to youth ministry. Young people from the congregation have gone on to study at the University of Southern California, Azusa Pacific University, Claremont Graduate University and Yale, as well as serving in the Marine Corps and the U.S. Air Force.

The day’s guest speaker, Dr. Jeb Egbert, Provost at West Coast University, was typical of the many coaches and counselors who helped motivate teens and pre-teens in the 1980s when the church met at the Masonic Hall on Valley Center. Since 2001, the congregation has rented space from the Glendora Friends Church. Co-Pastor Judy Shoemaker of Glendora Friends gave the opening prayer for the anniversary service and Curtis May of the Office of Reconciliation Ministries ended with a benediction.

Bringing greetings from GCI were GCI’s Superintendent of Ministers, Dr. Dan Rogers with his wife Barbara, and District Pastor Eric Shaw with his wife Pat. Senior Pastor Neil Earle read official greetings from Glendora Mayor Gene Murabito saying “we appreciate the service and ministry of the New Covenant church [as] part of making Glendora a great place to live, work and play.”

As slide-show narrator Rose Neumann mentioned, New Covenant Fellowship has hosted Black History Month and Cinco de Mayo services every year since 1997 as reflections of its ethnic and cultural diversity. “Glendora has always been a welcoming and warm-hearted church,” said Assistant Pastor Roger Lippross, “one has only to look around to see the blend of races and cultures that has given the church a special composition.” The church also is involved in the National Day of Prayer and other civic events planned by the Glendora Ministerial Association. Ongoing outreach activities of the church include support for the Pomona Valley Shelter; the Bengali Evangelistic Association in Bangladesh; and Amigos Sin Frontera, a medical mission to the poorest mountain tribes of Mexico.

Dr. Egbert covered the subject “We’re Getting Older—Now What?” He brought out several points on facing the senior years joyfully, including enjoying the journey, taking care of yourself, doing something meaningful for others, and finding one small area of ministry and making it special.

Filipina culinary expert Maryann Baylosis led the women in serving a catered meal of braised beef and chicken. Margaret Villanova was happy to say that three generations of her family were in attendance. “So good to see lots of old friends,” she added. “You can’t beat that.”

 

Church planting network

Linked below is a video that excerpts comments from GCI pastors in a district meeting in Minnesota. The discussion centers on what their district, led by district pastor Doug Johannsen, is doing to partner together as congregations to plant some new churches in their district, and thus leave a legacy that will stretch into future generations.

http://youtu.be/Y6gHffxEnV8

Charles Shelton

Here is an update on Pastor Charles Shelton (a follow-up to the earlier prayer request).

After losing 30 pounds, Charles’ weight loss has stabilized and he says he’s feeling better. The fluid buildup in his chest has decreased significantly giving Charles and the family encouragement. He faces a final round of chemotherapy on June 25-26, after which he will see the oncologist on July 19 for a new PET scan. He has been able to get out to fish a bit, but has been told to avoid crowds so he hasn’t been able to go to church for several weeks. Overall, he’s encouraged and wants to thank all for their thoughts and prayers.

 

Elaine Elliott

This update is from Steve Elliott concerning his earlier request for prayer for his wife Elaine.

It has been a difficult time for us as a family since January when Elaine was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. The cancer was found early at Elaine’s annual mammogram and for that we are thankful. We immediately went to Stanford University Hospital for further diagnosis and treatment. Now, in early June, she has completed surgery and chemotherapy. The process hasn’t been pleasant, but it hasn’t been as bad as it could have been. Now, all she has left is a couple of months of radiation therapy at the Stanford-Emanuel radiation center in Turlock where we live. So, we are extremely thankful.

We appreciate those of you who knew and prayed, and we will appreciate all of you who pray that there will be a good outcome to all of this.

Indianapolis 50th anniversary

New Life Christian Fellowship, the GCI congregation in Indianapolis, Indiana is celebrating its 50th anniversary as a church on August 19. Here are the details (click on the picture to enlarge):

Tabins arrive in U.S.

As reported in a previous update, the Tabin family was approved by the U.S. government to immigrate to the U.S. where they will be planting a GCI church for Filipinos in Southern California. We’re pleased to announce that they have now arrived and are ready to proceed. Please pray that their transition to life in the U.S. goes well and that their church planting efforts bear much fruit.

The Tabin children with church planters Angie and Sadie Tabin

Randal Dick graduates

Congratulations to long-time GCI elder Randal Dick who graduated last week with a Ph.D. in Cultural Studies from Fuller Theological Seminary, School of Intercultural Studies. His research topic was the impact of patterned behavior in humans on the church and its mission.

Dr. Randal Dick celebrates with his wife Susie
Fuller Theological Seminary president Dr. Richard Mouw congratulates Dr. Dick

Bryce Minke graduates

This update is from GCI-Canada pastor Craig Minke and his wife Debbie.

Allow us to share our joy in the graduation of our son Bryce from Langley Christian High School on June 14. He has worked hard and God has blessed him richly! Here’s what was read by the announcer when he walked up to accept his degree:

Bryce Minke is actively involved in the life of the church he attends, has provided student leadership around LCS for the past few years and is involved in community outreach with Nightshift Street Ministry in Surrey. Bryce will be attending the University of Waterloo for an Honors Mechanical Engineering Co-op Program. He is a recipient of the University of Waterloo’s President’s scholarship, a Dogwood District Award, BC Passport to Education awards, the Modern Language 11 award, and is the winner of both the Calculus and Chemistry departmental awards.

The most exciting moment was at the end of the ceremony when Bryce was presented with the Wes Geransky Memorial Award, which is described as follows:

The Wes Geransky Memorial Award is given to the student who best represents the goals of Langley Christian School. The recipient must show evidence of being a community builder, be serious about academics, be involved in leadership in and outside of the school community, be active in the extra-curricular program, have a heart of service, and must model a mature Christian walk. The award must be used for post-secondary studies and is valued at $4,000.

We are proud of Bryce and his achievements, and look forward to seeing what Christ will do through him in the days and years to come!

Bryce (holding his diploma) and family.