Pastors Praise Tullian Tchividjian for ‘Honesty, Humility and Repentance’

Christian Post Report – Tullian Tchividjian, the grandson of Billy Graham and former senior pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, has been praised by a number of pastors for his “honesty, humility, and repentance” as he continues his recovery from a cheating scandal that shook his ministry.

“Today, Tullian continues an encouraging season of rest and healing as a part of the Willow Creek Church family in Winter Springs, Florida,” writes the leadership team at Liberate Network, a resource ministry founded by Tchividjian in 2011.

“The elders of Willow Creek Church are presently overseeing a care plan for him, one involving routine worship, prayer, fellowship, study, professional counseling, and more. The process is going remarkably well, and we are very encouraged by his honesty, humility, repentance, and commitment to healing,” it adds.

The statement noted that Liberate is being relaunched, with a focus on connecting “God’s inexhaustible grace to an exhausted world through books, conferences, television, radio, social media, and a variety of other mediums.”

Tchividjian resigned from his position as pastor last year after admitting to an “inappropriate” relationship with another woman who was not his wife, and has given his followers a number of updates about his healing process in Orlando.

Earlier in February he revealed that God met him in his darkest moments and has helped him heal.

“I could tell you a thousand stories of the ways God has sweetly met me very specifically in my darkest and most despairing moments, of which there have been many. Through many of you, God has met my guilt with His grace, my mess with His mercy, my sin with His salvation,” he expressed.

The former pastor has been deeply thankful to the Willow Creek team for helping him through the process.

“This place and these people have become a sanctuary for me … a place where I’m getting the help and healing I need and long for, a place where I’m learning to breathe again,” he wrote.

Previously Tchividjian reflected that his affair was short lived, but the consequences of his decision left him devastated.

“It was a short lived thing. It wasn’t a long thing, but it was the worst external decision I have ever made in my life up to this point and I’m wrestling with the aftermath of that. I’m trying to figure out what does life look like from this point forward. I’m trying to evaluate …” he told Vanderbloemen Search Group in August.

Liberate has meanwhile announced a conference for February 2017, focused on God’s “no strings attached” unconditional love for people.

Source : Christian Post

Megachurch Pastor Perry Noble Ready to Tell America: ‘Who I Am Voting for and Why’

Christian Post Report – Perry Noble, pastor of NewSpring Church in Anderson, South Carolina, has confirmed his plans to announce who he is voting for in the 2016 presidential election.

Noble, who oversees a weekly congregation of 30,000, shared his political leanings in a series of Twitter posts, confirming that after personally speaking with former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, former Florida (who suspended his campaign after the South Carolina primary results), Sen. Marco Rubio, and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, he has made a decision on who to vote for.

The megachurch pastor began tweeting about Saturday’s primary voting last week, and has been using the social media platform to thank the presidential candidates for taking the time to speak with him.

“Thank you @SenTedCruz for the FaceTime call! Loved getting to know a little bit more about your campaign! Praying for the best man!” Noble shared last Wednesday.

On the same day, Noble said that he “just had an amazing phone call with @JebBush — love his heart and passion for our country!”

The church leader later added that he “Just had a great phone conversation with @marcorubio — really sharp guy!”

“I have nothing but respect for all three of these men and am thankful that each of them want an opportunity to lead our country,” the pastor noted, saying that while he doesn’t plan to officially endorse a candidate, he “will be sharing who I am voting for and why!”

Noble elaborated on his comments in blog post Thursday, writing: “I’ve wrestled with who I am personally voting for, and whether or not to make it public … and have landed at the following conclusions. … Every evangelical should absolutely vote! [and] ask the Lord to speak to your heart (He will) and then vote according to His leadership.”

The megachurch pastor then encouraged all Christians to pray before they participate in the elections, adding that he plans to support “The person I really feel like (after lots of prayer and consideration) is the best for the job!”

Although Noble has not officially announced who he plans to vote for, it can be assumed that after Bush suspended his campaign on Saturday, he will likely vote for Cruz or Rubio.

Noble has made his distaste for one Republican presidential candidate clear, tweeting a series of criticisms toward businessman Donald Trump earlier this month.

Last Monday, Noble told his Twitter followers that he would absolutely not endorse Donald Trump in the South Carolina primary election.

“Going on the record … Will NOT endorse/support @realDonaldTrump in the SC primary, either Rubio, Cruz or Bush!” the pastor shared, adding that he appreciates Trump “as a person — but behind the scenes his campaign is as nasty as any of any of them out there!”

Trump “is NOT the best choice among the current candidates,” Noble continued, adding that Christians in the southern state should be “#notabouttrump.”

The real estate mogul ended up winning the South Carolina primary on Saturday, with 32.5 percent of the Republican vote. Rubio came in second with 22.48 percent and Cruz third with 22.33 percent.

Source : Christian Post