Strang Report

It’s the political season in what many are saying is the most important presidential election of our lifetime, so I turned to my good friend, Bishop Harry R. Jackson Jr., to be the guest editor for the January/February issue of Ministry Today. You can read the digital issues of the magazine by clicking on the cover images below.

Bishop Jackson has appeared on the CBS Evening News, Fox News’ Special Report, The O’Reilly Factor and The Tavis Smiley Show. Bishop Jackson’s articles have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times.

And why not? He’s Harvard educated and very articulate—something the mainstream media respects. But at the same time Bishop Jackson is a great spokesman from a Christian perspective—he understands the believer’s mandate to bring God’s kingdom to earth. Bishop Jackson has a successful track record of growing churches and discipling believers. He hasn’t strayed into liberal theology, and his integrity is above reproach.

Bishop Jackson also defies stereotypes. An African-American “bishop,” he embodies the best—not the worst—of what that usually implies. He has solid conservative values when many African-American preachers just flow with liberal Democrats. But while conservative Republicans trust him and work closely with him, he doesn’t join their ranks. He’s a conservative Democrat who speaks boldly in the corridors of power about right and wrong, good and evil, and trust and betrayal.

On a personal basis, I have gotten to know and trust him over the years—first at networking meetings of leaders where I became impressed with his verbal contributions. I noticed that like the old E.F. Hutton commercials, when Bishop Jackson spoke, others listened.

Four years ago I was one of the first to endorse Mike
Huckabee for president. He was a former governor of Arkansas who I felt had great leadership—and
he not only shares but embodies our Christian values. But this year I took a wait and see attitude until just a few days before the
Florida primary to be held Jan. 31.

I was interviewed on PBS this week for a show that airs this
weekend. Kim Lawton, the respected correspondent who has interviewed me before
and always reported fairly on the evangelical community, wanted to know whom
I’m endorsing. I told her I’m endorsing Sen. Rick Santorum.

As I arrived at Detroit’s Ford Field to participate in TheCall—a
summons to prayer, fasting, repentance and sacrificial worship that
began at 6 p.m. Friday and ran for 24 hours—I passed a nearby park
where protesters set up an “Occupy Detroit” camp.

As we parked the car, we could see about 35 men, most of them
black, singing “God Loves Everyone” to the tune of “We Shall
Overcome” and marching with a police escort toward Ford Field.

I didn’t wait to hear what they may have said or talk with any of
them. I was too eager to join the prayer service inside. In fact,
despite the national headlines over the Wall Street protests, no one
inside seemed to notice the occupiers were there. The crowd of about
30,000 that gathered at Ford Field had a different purpose: praying
for America.

It was interesting to attend the Republican presidential debate in
Orlando, Fla., last night as a member of the media. Charisma
doesn’t usually cover debates like this, and I wouldn’t have
attended had it not been in my hometown. It was broadcast live on Fox
News and, truth be told, I could’ve seen it better on TV at home.

Even though I took notes on what the candidates said, I knew my
readers either watched the debate or could read more extensive
articles elsewhere. The question I had to ask was: “Where is God in
all this? How does this affect the Spirit-filled community? And how
do I cover it in Charisma?”

The most interesting experience for me was after the debate when
Doug Wead, who is a “senior adviser” with candidate Ron Paul,
approached me in the “spin room” as hundreds of media people
milled around interviewing whoever they could find. I’ve known Doug
since I was a teenager. He’s been a political gadfly for years,
serving in various campaigns and once working in the White House for
George H.W. Bush as a liaison to the evangelical community. In that
role Doug arranged a couple of appointments for me with President
Bush. He also worked closely with the president’s son and had some
sort of falling out that resulted in his being persona non grata
later when George W. Bush became president.

When I felt led to start a small church magazine, I barely knew what
God had in store. That magazine released 36 years ago today, so I
thought it was appropriate to reflect on what’s happened, and more
importantly what is on the verge of happening as we move boldly into the
digital world.

Many of you know Charisma started at a megachurch in central
Florida. I was working full time as a newspaper reporter then. My, how
the media world has changed! The staff found this in the archives: a
black-and-white photo of me holding a copy of The Rock, a youth newspaper that I published before Charisma.
They had me hold an iPad to show the contrast. Back then I could have
never imagined today’s iPad! Yet I dreamed that maybe somehow we’d reach
a million people. Do you know how many trees you’d have to cut down to
print that many magazines?

So from 1975—before the personal computer was invented and a time
when the electric typewriter I used was considered
high-tech—fast-forward more than three decades and now Charisma (and our other magazines) are available in digital format that’s almost beyond belief.

I wish you could have experienced the powerful connections that
took place recently at our headquarters near Orlando, Fla., with high
level ministry and business leaders. It illustrated the “power of
connection,” which to me is important since I am a “networker”
by nature.

Graham Power, a successful Christian businessman from South Africa
who founded the Global Day of Prayer, shared from his rich experience
in the marketplace and in ministry. He taught on principles of
leadership and living out one’s calling as a believer in the business
world in a program he calls “Unashamably Ethical.” Click
here to listen to an interview
with Power.

We also had time to talk in a confidential round-table setting
about some of the opportunities and challenges we were facing in our
different situations, share ideas, offer counsel and of course pray
together. We all left encouraged and equipped. The emails I’ve been
getting have told how much they got as members of the new Ministry21
Network.

M21 Network (as we sometimes call it)
is a relational network bringing together like-minded pastors and
leaders to develop their own leadership skills, connect them with
others, provide needed coaching, continuing education and wonderful
resources.

Rose Cameron Ferrell, 1915-2011

For many, mother-in-law jokes have a ring of reality. But for me
they don’t. I had the perfect mother-in-law—Rose Ferrell who left
us this week. In the 38 years I’ve been her son-in-law, we never had
a cross word. It was well known in the family that she always sided
with the in-laws if there was ever an argument.

She lived with Joy and me for the past 3-1/2 years. She was always
independent and a pleasure to have in the home. She was a godly
woman, and I would hear her praying for her six children, nine
grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.

Now she’s gone. On Monday, at age 96, she breathed her last
surrounded by family and friends. I had spent the night with her in
the hospital on Friday, helping the nurses care for her. I fed her
breakfast and she was doing so well I took off the next morning for
the annual booksellers convention in Atlanta. But she had been
hospitalized for congestive heart failure and Monday morning it was
obvious it was a matter of hours until she died. As soon as I found
out, I immediately flew home from Atlanta and arrived at the
hospital in Altamonte Springs, Fla., an hour before her heart quit
beating.

For nearly 10 years, I’ve been meeting three times a year with 10
business and ministry leaders in a small closed group we call “CEO.” We
gave it that name because you must be a CEO to be invited. It’s for
accountability and for what the Bible calls “iron sharpening iron.” I
can’t tell you how valuable it is to discuss important issues I’m
dealing with both in business and my personal life with men I know care
about me, who have come to understand me and will keep everything in total confidence.

It was my small group experience that gave birth to the idea to start the Ministry21 Network—a
relational network to bring together like-minded pastors and leaders to
develop their own leadership skills, connect them with others, provide
needed coaching, continuing education and wonderful resources. So far, we’ve had several hundred join; most are raving fans and tell me how
some aspect of what they’ve learned has changed their lives.

Next
week, I’m combining the two for a special networking meeting at our
headquarters at 600 Rinehart Road in Lake Mary, Fla. I decided to reach
out to the 35,000 who have signed up for my blog to see if you’d like to
attend on June 16-17.