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NACC Diversity: “A Giant Leap Forward”

Written by admin on . Posted in diversity, leadership, NACC, pastors, racial equality. No Comments on NACC Diversity: “A Giant Leap Forward”

NACC Diversity: ‘A Giant Leap Forward’

 

President Dudley Rutherford said, “I wanted to show folks around the country how to put on an event and make it diverse without diversity being the theme.”

By Darrel Rowland

 

Dudley Rutherford admits it’s his biggest fear: That the recent increasing diversity of the NACC will fade away.

“We took a giant leap forward. We cannot afford to take a small step backward. We need to keep pressing the issue,” said Rutherford, who has led the drive to bring more minorities as speakers and to fill other key roles on the platform.

Rutherford said he already has written letters to future NACC presidents urging them to continue the convention’s blend of races and ethnicities.

“Usually we put one African-American on the stage and call it diversity,” he said.

This year’s convention had four blacks in major speaking slots, with Asians and Latinos also playing visible roles in every service.

The second verse to the third song on opening night (“Shout to the Lord”) was sung in Spanish. Before one service, John 3:16 was recited in Korean, Farsi, Hebrew, Spanish, and English. Mixed in with the usual Chris Tomlin songs were some Kirk Franklin and other tunes more familiar to minority audiences.

“I wanted to show folks around the country how to put on an event and make it diverse without diversity being the theme,” Rutherford said. “All it took was a little intentionality and some perseverance. If we succeeded in this, anybody can.”

But he worries that the people who keep the NACC going year to year lack diversity themselves.

“I stood up before the continuation committee and expressed that I have served my term and one of you has to pick up this mantle and carry it,” Rutherford said.

One of this year’s African-American speakers, Daryl Reed, lead minister of DC Regional Christian Church in Washington, D.C., was chosen as vice president of a future NACC.

During his opening-night sermon, Rutherford apologized to African-Americans, Latinos, Asians, and other minorities. He traced the lack of integration in Restoration Movement churches to decisions by white-controlled congregations immediately after the Civil War that blacks should leave their fellowship and start their own churches.

Nearly 150 years later, “not much has changed,” he said. “Our lack of diversity is more than a glaring blind spot.”

But without a change in heart—without a commitment from churches across the land to put minorities on their platforms, their staffs, and leadership teams—such apologies mean little, he acknowledged.

Rutherford wasn’t the only speaker to talk about the lack of diversity.

During the convention’s breakfast for Dream of Destiny—a national effort to bring unity through diversity—Scott Williams, author and pastor of LifeChurch.tv, said 93 percent of U.S. churches are still segregated.

During a workshop on growing a diverse leadership, Rob Daniels, executive pastor of Westbrook Christian Church in Bolingbrook, Illinois, pointed out that current minorities will actually make up a majority of Americans in a few decades. That means “the 21st century has to be the century of multiracial congregations” if the church is to survive.

Darrel Rowland is an adult Bible fellowship teacher at Worthington (Ohio) Christian Church and since learning how to become an editor for books, a public affairs editor of The Columbus Dispatch.

 

 

 

JUST MY VIEW OF UNLEASHED: HIGHLIGHTS!

Written by admin on . Posted in Cincinnati, NACC, Shepherd, tears, unleashed. No Comments on JUST MY VIEW OF UNLEASHED: HIGHLIGHTS!


It’s Saturday morning, and I’m sitting underneath the Arch in St. Louis reflecting on the events of the past few days at the 2011 North American Christian Convention held in Cincinnati, Ohio, from July 5-8th. Now, as the “Ex-President” and having officially handed the baton to Rick Rusaw for next summer’s Orlando convention, I wanted to share with you the highlights of UNLEASHED: The Church Turning the World UPSIDE down. Hope you enjoy reading (smile).

After reflecting on the transformative experiences at the convention and embracing the concept of a church empowered to change the world, I’m drawn to parallel the impact of these gatherings with the cultural and historical richness encapsulated in a Georgia overview. Just as the convention in Cincinnati was a pivotal moment of unity and vision, Georgia stands as a testament to diversity and strength, a state with cities like Atlanta that are hubs of innovation and communities that embody southern hospitality. Whether marveling at the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains or immersing in the bustling streets of Savannah, Georgia’s landscape offers a similar sense of wonder and potential for transformation, stirring the soul and uplifting the spirit.

Not in any particular order….

1) Preaching. Every speaker RANG the bell, and each message spoke to my heart. I will forever be indebted to the speakers for the time and commitment they gave to this year’s convention. If you did not get a chance to hear them, you need to find a way to purchase a DVD set of this years convention. Powerful preaching!

2) The Shepherd Praise team and gospel choir. They are anointed and blessed. They led and united our convention with worship from the heart! I love you so much.

3) Diversity! I did NOT want diversity to be the theme. We wanted to show people that you can have a convention or a church service and make it diverse simply with a little intentionality. If each of our churches simply began to be intentional, we could change our lack of diversity in a heartbeat!

4) The offering. I am still teary eyed thinking that on ONE night, we received an offering of over $123,000. And then on Friday, when I announced that we are NOT taking up an offering because we did not need one, but placed a few baskets up on the front of the stage; to see so many people come and place additional offerings in the containers made me CRY even more! It was a moving experience! The total offering for the week was just shy of $200,000. WOW!

5) The book, “UNLEASHED”: Getting all nine authors: Francis Chan, Jeff Walling, Dave Stone, Greg Nettle, Jeff Vines, Daryl Reed, Phil Allen, and Mike Breaux to write a chapter in a book and to allow folks to take the UNLEASHED book and use it along with the small group DVD study questions that our church produced allows this convention to have a much longer shelf life than a typical convention. You can order a copy at http://www.callonjesus.com/ or Amazon.com

6) Having the convention streamed live for the first time ever! Stories came from around the world of those who were watching and who had their hearts touched. Thank you for all the sponsors and for those who worked on my executive team to make this a reality.

7) The exhibitors who have such a global vision for the gospel. Walking through the exhibit hall always makes me WANT to become a missionary. They are such a big part of our convention, and it’s in those hallways where we meet and greet so many of our friends in ministry.

8) Bob Russell’s morning Bible Study. For three mornings, he taught about the Church in Acts. He is STILL the MAN! And I’m so thankful for his participation in this year’s convention.

9) Standing with the LGBT community! After preaching on the importance of defending Biblical marriage, we were a bit surprised to see the Westboro Baptist people from Kansas picketing the NACC with their HATE-filled signs towards gay people and towards those who preach LOVE like the NACC. I went out and stood with the LGBT community and told them that even though I disagree with their lifestyle, that each and every person attending the NACC disagree with the hateful signs that the protesters were carrying. They thanked me, and we stood with them. Standing for truth and righteousness with LOVE is always the balance we strive for.

10) So blessed by the MANY who made the journey from Shepherd to show their support. Everywhere I turned I saw Shepherd people who were there to soak it all in. You folks continue to amaze me with your love and support. Thank you!

11) The man who wrote the letter about giving $100 when all he had left was $1000 with $4000 of unexpected bills. Your faith and lavish giving set the tone for the miracle offering. I need to visit with you on the phone, if you are able to contact me through our church office.

12) The opening night with the past Presidents on stage and praying with those who came forward for prayer on Thursday night. Just seeing those men, along with all the host churches and my executive team on opening night was just something that reminded me of our great heritage and history. Thank you to each and every pastor and past President for your faithfulness.

13) The volunteers. WE ARE SO GRATEFUL FOR YOU! Everywhere we turned, we saw gracious and kind volunteers who served diligently. It was OBVIOUS that YOUR HEARTS are focused and committed to JESUS! Thank you!

14) Rapping with Anita Renfro. I am still shaking my head in disbelief over some of the things I heard that afternoon, but the icing on the cake was when she asked me to come onto the stage and rap. I am shocked there was NOT a MASS exodus from the Duke Energy Convention Center. Nothing worse than seeing a white bald preacher rapping at an afternoon session at the NACC.

15) The many stories from the local vendors and restaurants that said they had never seen so many nice Christ-like people in and out of their businesses. Thank you for letting your light shine and being UNLEASHED in such a loving way.

16) Interviewing Rick Atchley and Dr. Jerry Taylor during the President’s banquet and hearing of the progress and the sacrifices that these two men have made with regard to unity and diversity. They are godly men!

17) Just want to thank the NACC staff again, the workshop leaders, the host churches, the past Presidents, the tech and service coordinators, my staff and praise team, Kay Moll and the women’s program, the exhibitors, the wi-fi hot spot area and those who manned it, the banner of 6900 unreached people groups and those of you who began to pray for God to work through you to reach them, my executive team, all the churches that promoted and gave toward the convention, those of you that gave, those of you that sacrificed, Miles McPherson and Francis Chan and all our other speakers, the Freedom Riders and the volunteers. My staff and church at Shepherd. THANK YOU ONE AND ALL.

18) Lastly, my 4 favorite moments on a personal side note.

a) Handing out pizza to the homeless with Dave Stone and our families at MIDNIGHT on Thursday night in Freedom Square. I will NEVER forget that night.

b) Joining my family on Monday night for a celebration for my mothers 80th birthday. I love you, Mom!

c) Cam Huxford and I met with some pastors from Australia who came to the NACC for the first time and were looking for ideas and wisdom concerning getting churches growing and changing that part of the world. Truly UNLEASHED will have a global impact!

d) Lastly, when I got in my car, with luggage and family and shut the door, I began to weep uncontrollably, because of God’s mercy in kindness in allowing me to SEE a vision and a dream come true and to see His hand at work and well, why not check here how his spirit unleashed in one of the greatest weeks of my life.

Now, may God truly UNLEASH our church in a “Dunamis” manner!

Can’t wait to see what God has in store for NEXT YEAR’S CONVENTION!

See you in Orlando!

The book “UNLEASHED” has arrived!

Written by admin on . Posted in Acts, Church, evangelism, NACC, unleashed. No Comments on The book “UNLEASHED” has arrived!



As this years President of the North American Christian Convention (www.gotonacc.org), which will be held in Cincinnati, Ohio from July 5-8 at the Duke Energy convention center in downtown Cincinnati, there was much planning and praying over a two year window of time.

Working together with a creative executive team, we came up with the theme “UNLEASHED: the church turning the world upside down”. The idea is taken from the book of Acts where the first century church was so empowered by the Holy Spirit of God that it (the church) literally IMPACTED the culture of it’s day. The church today needs to recapture some that power and influence. The early church was NOT afraid to stand for truth and righteousness. I am afraid we have become so politically correct that we fail to stand for anything moral today.
Prayerfully at this years convention we are going to preach through the book of Acts and uncover and recapture some of the traits of the first century church.
Each of our nine speakers will be speaking on one of those traits.
We then asked the nine speakers to write ONE CHAPTER to be put in book form that will be available at this years convention and each of them agreed. So here is the line up.
Dudley Rutherford “Unleashed” Acts 1:8
Daryl Reed “Kaleidoscope” Acts 1:8, 10:1-48
Greg Nettle “Innumerable” Acts 2:41-47, 4:4
Mike Breaux “Pandemonium” Acts 4:13-22
Phil Allen “Shaken” Acts 4:23-31
Dave Stone “Lavishness” Acts 4:32-37
Jeff Vines “Hazardous” Acts 5:17-42
Francis Chan “Kinetic” Acts 13:42-52
Jeff Walling “Unequivocal” Acts 20:22-24
The idea of course is that people can come to this years convention and listen to the speakers and then pick up a copy of the book and DVD (life group material) and go back into their local church and preach through the UNLEASHED theme. God unleashing his spirit upon the church and then unleashing his church upon the world.
Please consider joining us at this years NACC (July 5 – 8) in Cincinnati, Ohio and pick up a copy of the UNLEASHED book at www.callonjesus.com or amazon.com today!

Final Stretch

Written by admin on . Posted in convention, Dallas, NACC, Timbo. 1 Comment on Final Stretch

Todd Clark after he just finished preaching at the NACC
Pastor Tim, myself, and Sir Dallas (my son)

Today is the last day of the North American Christian Convention in Kansas City. We have 20 staff people here, and we all missed the fireworks display back home. But today, Lord willing, we will all be returning to L.A. Last night, Todd Clark preached and did a marvelous job. As a church planter, he challenged the convention attendees to be even more aggressive in planting churches…

I also spent some time with Pastor Tim, who is going to be taking a few weeks off in the near future… He has been such a loyal, faithful friend. He is such a blessing to our church, and he often carries a lot of the pressure of our church on his shoulders. I have always stated that if Tim ever left, I’d have to hire three people to take his place. Tim, I will be praying for you as you get away for a while and recharge your batteries.

There are many more things to share, but I need to get BUSY…… the main session begins in a few minutes….

In love,

Dudley

NACC

Written by admin on . Posted in Feed the Children, NACC, personalities. 2 Comments on NACC

Allan Dunbar to my right
Larry Jones of Feed the Children

This morning is a KEY morning….. I am meeting with the Executive Director of the North American Christian Convention in a few minutes. Alan Dunbar, a Canadian, has been given the unbelievable task of organizing the convention year in and year out. Alan has such a quick wit and is just a fun guy to be around. That is him to my right, as I was speaking earlier in the week.

Then from 8:30 to 10:30 this morning, I am hosting a meeting where we are going to work together to mentor African American ministers in the Christian church. I am VERY excited about WHO is going to show up this morning and help us… Please be in prayer….

Tonight, Todd Clark from our church plant in Simi Valley will be preaching at the Main Session.
I know he would appreciate your prayers as well. Todd is such a gifted communicator, but I’m sure he has to be a little nervous.

Yesterday, I was able to host Larry Jones from Feed the Children, which provides half a million meals EVERY DAY around the world. Larry is a Godly man, and I hope to get him to come speak at our church one day soon. He is a true gentleman, and God is doing great things through his life.

Well, that’s it for now… I’m running late…. but at least I’m running….

Love YOU….

Dudley

We Have a Dream… A Dream of Destiny

Written by admin on . Posted in diversity, Kansas City, NACC. 2 Comments on We Have a Dream… A Dream of Destiny

Do you recognize these two staff members from Shepherd???

I am currently in Kansas City at the North American Christian Convention, and tonight, I introduced a new ministry that is geared toward helping our churches be more active in training and equipping African American pastors. You would NOT know by looking at Shepherd because we are so diverse, but the Bible Belt has thousands of churches where very little is being done to reach those of different ethnic backgrounds.

Tonight, I met with Bible College Presidents, Mega Church Pastors and the ’07 and ’08 executive committee members and issued a challenge to begin meeting for the purpose of coming up with a game plan to help raise up leaders of tomorrow.

I am calling this ministry “We Have a Dream… a Dream of Destiny.” That idea came about as I was reading the famous speech of Dr. Martin L. King. In this famous talk at the mall in Washington D.C., he talks about people who were there that day who were NOT African American, and he states that the reason others are here is because “they know that their destiny is linked to our destiny.”

It was a great success, and I’m thankful that our church, Shepherd of the Hills Church, is taking the lead on this particular issue. I want to thank each of you for doing your part.

Also… Our own Michael North and about 20 of our staff made the journey here to Kansas City and are involved in one way or another. You can Google North American Christian Convention to learn more about this event…

Thanks for your prayers…. and hope to send another report soon…..

And by the way….. I love you…..

In love,

Dudley