Month: November 2021

A Faith That Makes A Difference

It was like a dream come true back in 1998. I was asked to lead the National Counseling Center (NCC) of the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN). The NCC was home to the telephone counselors who prayed for viewers who watched the daily 700 Club broadcast.

I recall the day I spoke with a supervisor in one of CBN’s fundraising departments. I shared my vision of being a catalyst for change and a prayer mobilizer at CBN. His response startled me.

He said that’s not me. My role is to work within the established guidelines. He was a man of faith like me; we just saw things differently.

This was a case of a faith that seeks to attain vs. a faith that endeavors to maintain. Let’s go deeper, but first, let me give you the bottom-line up front.

My faith to attain perspective resulted in me being let go by CBN a couple of years after our conversation.  Conversely, my colleague’s faith to maintain outlook resulted in him being employed by CBN a decade after my departure. Which perspective is best? You decide.

I immediately created controversy by lobbying to get medical benefits for full-time telephone counselors. I then secured a pay raise for volunteer counselors. I took several telephone counselors off the phones daily to walk the grounds of CBN to pray for the ministry.

I established a library of prayer references for the counselors and Gospel Light Publications donated several hundred new books to get us started. I brought in 700 Club guests and Regent University professors to speak to and invest in the counselors.

Then a revival broke out in the NCC. I received a word of prophecy during this time: I see you standing before the leaders of CBN talking to them about the future of the ministry.

I was a mid-level manager. Management theorists say you can change a large organization from the middle. I agree if you can outlast your opposition and find a person of influence to support you. I didn’t identify my opposition early enough, and my Vice President (VP) did not have enough clout.

One day I had a random encounter with a senior VP at a building access point. He said, Kevin, whenever I run into you, I get a different impression than what I hear about you. What??!!

It turns out that a couple of NCC members went to the human resources department and complained about my changes. This senior VP told me he heard I was prophetic, which it seems was not good.

He went on to tell me that he thought he heard me say, come on, all you white folks during a chapel service. That remark -which I never made- got me removed from the roster to lead chapel services at CBN. I could play the piano and lead worship, but that was it.

Some weeks later, CBN leadership placed a new VP over my department. Within a week, he occupied my office, moving me into a closet-sized space. He took over leadership responsibilities and gave me administrative tasks.

In his first six months, the new VP terminated the employment of the two longest-tenured staff members, followed by a third shortly after that. The reason provided for their removal was reorganization.

I kept pursuing my vision for a year and a half, and then something unusual happened. I kept having these seemingly chance, one-on-one, meetings with the most senior leaders at CBN. I found myself talking to them about reenergizing prayer, the need for diversity in leadership, and the future of CBN.

Inevitably, the day came when my employment was terminated-a long story. I made a final request. I asked the CBN President if I could speak to Pat Robertson and thank him for his years of ministry. 

The words just came out of my mouth. I wondered why I made this request, but I figured it wouldn’t happen. A couple of days later, I received a call from Pat’s secretary to set up a meeting. What was I going to say to the founder of CBN?

I had a great conversation with Pat Robertson. I talked to him about reenergizing prayer, the need for diversity in leadership, and the future of CBN. He was very gracious. I left his office believing my mission at CBN was complete.

How did I do pursuing my vision to be a catalyst for change and a prayer mobilizer at CBN?

During the heat of the controversy surrounding me, CBN leadership elevated a Director to become the only black VP in the ministry. After I left, a black co-host became more visible on the 700 Club. Perhaps this was just a coincidence; perhaps not.

Our counselors did not receive medical benefits, but the volunteer counselors kept their pay increase. I just heard from an individual last week who told me how the revival in the NCC was the foundation of her life and ministry today.

In the end, perhaps the words I spoke to senior leaders at CBN had the most enduring impact, but I have no way of knowing that.

Success does not always leave you feeling victorious. I felt like I had been beaten with many stripes towards the end of my time at CBN. After meeting with Pat, I drove home to my wife and four children with no job and no immediate prospects.

However, two months after my release from CBN, I landed a new job and a $14K pay increase that became a $25K-plus increase within a year of my departure.

God is looking for those willing to practice a faith of radical risk and vulnerability. Change is unlikely to take place otherwise. Do it! God will make up to you whatever price you have to pay. Incidentally, it was a great privilege to work at CBN. God Bless! Press On!! Kevin

Confessions of A Victim of Faith Reality TV

Reality TV is a genre of entertainment that became popular in the early 2000s. It has become a mainstay in our times. The Collins online dictionary defines it as:

A type of television programming that aims to show how ordinary people behave in everyday life, or in situations often created by the makers, which are intended to represent everyday life.

Critics argue that the shows don’t reflect reality. The participants are coached, exploited, and the situations are artificial. 

I’ve noticed that perceptions about what is real, genuine, great, and mediocre change over time. Villain’s become martyrs. Sinners become saints, and rebels emerge as heroes. The unimaginative become genius, and throwaways become masterpieces. 

It’s all a matter of time, interpretation, and perspective. I had an older friend named Roscoe who passed about four years ago. Roscoe was very active until age 90. He always said living for many years enabled him to sort out what was true and real. 

After 40 years of interest in the subject of faith, I wonder what prompts me now to study the end of the book of faith- the final verses of Hebrews Chapter 11?

I don’t want to make excuses, but the televangelists and radio preachers I came to admire as a new believer did not talk about the end of the Chapter.

There is an anonymous saying, When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. Perhaps my desire to have a broader understanding of faith prompts the Teacher -the Holy Spirit- to bring these passages to my attention.

What things? It’s not what but who. It’s the host of people enshrined in the Faith Hall of Fame right along with Abraham, Moses, David, and the others. Who are these people? Well, that’s a big part of it; their names are not provided. 

What exploits got them enshrined in the Hall ? Glad you asked. Let’s take a look. They were those who: 

Our perspective on faith is incomplete if we fail to take these individuals into account. Faith is not just about those who kill the giant, build empires, raise the dead, and triumph in battle.

To ignore these suffering Hall inductees renders our understanding of faith incomplete. To teach on faith uninformed by their heroism is misleading. 

Sad to say, but I have been watching a lot of Faith Reality TV over the years.

The stories of these unnamed heroes expand our understanding of who is faithful. I believe I know people who await enshrinement in the Faith Hall of Fame.

Not just those who ascend to the mountaintop are enshrined. You can labor in the valley and enter. 

You don’t have to be the chief architect building Solomon’s Temple. You can be a bricklayer or a seamstress, a day laborer, or a surveyor in the process.

I’ve encountered many unsung heroes who labor in obscurity. They manage the pain of deferred dreams. They suppress heartache and show up with a smile. They have suffered loss but continue serving. They step up when needed!

Many unsung heroes occupy the Faith Hall of Fame paving the way for others. God has special things in store for them. 

Think about your circle of influence. I am sure you know those who will enter. Seek these heroes out and encourage them.

Please understand that I am not talking about entering heaven. All of the redeemed will enter, but the Hall is reserved for those deemed worthy by their exploits of faith.

Our suffering faith elders do not detract from the positivity of our faith because we serve the God of all hope. We should be the light in dark places. 

God is not restricting access into the Hall of Faith. There is an enshrinement ceremony awaiting you and me. Let’s embrace a broader understanding of what it means to have faith in God. God Bless! Press On!! Kevin