At the height of his power, Bishop Eddie L. Long would pack tens of thousands of people into his megachurch in the suburbs of Atlanta.
With his well-cut suits, passion for Bentleys, and dynamic, accessible style of preaching, he quickly climbed the list of the nation’s most powerful religious leaders.
He built his ministry, which stretches to Kenya and other countries, on a strong message of conservative Christianity that included promises of prosperity and attacks on homosexuality.
But life inside Bishop Long’s home had been crumbling. And on Sunday, members of his dwindling congregation…[heard the news that He]… was temporarily stepping away from the pulpit to try to save his marriage
“Conservative Christianity” promises prosperity? I’d better have a talk with my ordaining bishop!
Right, Ian+. Me too.
And someone should tell the Africans about it. They seem to have failed to get the memo.
Alas, the wages of sin is death, as Paul reminds us. And Sin is an equal opportunity employer, happy to bring death and destruction on marriages and ministries alike. And bringing scandal and shame on Protestants and Catholics alike too.
Plus sometimes, it seems, the bigger the minister is, the harder they fall. Thank of Jimmy Swaggart, Jim Bakker,or perhaps, more aptly in this case, Ted Haggart. We all need accountability.
David Handy+
“I fear, wherever riches have increased, the essence of religion has decreased in the same proportion. Therefore, I do not see how it is possible, in the nature of things, for any revival of religion to continue long. [b]For religion must necessarily produce both industry and frugality, and these cannot but produce riches.[/b] But as riches increase, so will pride, anger, and love of the world in all its branches.”
— [url=http://benwitherington.blogspot.com/2007/10/memo-to-mr-osteen-from-john-wesley.html]John Wesley[/url]
Tell it to St. Francis.
The genius of the Protestant Reformation was to take the ascetic discipline of a St. Francis and apply it to craft and industry.
Africa also has to deal with the scourge of the false gospel of prosperity – it is a very enticing one. The Anglican churches in Africa have to guard against losing people to the “health and wealth preachers.”