How Christians Might Think About the President's Faith

The 2012 campaign has placed evangelicals in a paradox. A recent PRRI/RNS poll reveals that white evangelicals support a Mormon presidential candidate over Obama by an overwhelming 49% margin, but are simultaneously the religious group most likely to say it is important for a presidential candidate to share their religious beliefs (67%).

While there are plenty of legitimate policy reasons that evangelicals might support Governor Romney, their willingness to overlook their desire for a coreligionist candidate may also have at least something to do with the fact that 24% of them—higher than any other religious group—believe Obama is a Muslim, and even more are unaware (or unconvinced?) he's a Protestant. What if more evangelicals knew Obama largely shares their religious beliefs?

That the true religious identity of the world's most famous, most powerful man could remain a mystery to so many is itself a mystery. Before and especially during his presidency, Obama has been extraordinarily open on matters of faith, providing ample evidence for his repeated claim to be a devout Christian. The evidence may even suggest Obama is our evangelical-in-chief.

In his excellent religious biography of the President, The Faith of Barack Obama, author Stephen Mansfield spends several pages exploring whether Obama has been "born again." Mansfield's interviews with the President's spiritual advisors suggest so.

"I know he's born again," said Joshua DuBois, head of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, in an interview with Mansfield. A pastor's kid who served briefly in a Pentecostal pastorate himself, DuBois has queried the President about his faith and found that he "believes what the majority of Christians believe."

Joel Hunter, pastor of Florida's 15,000-member Northland Church and Obama's closest spiritual mentor, is even more emphatic. "There is simply no question about it: Barack Obama is a born again man who has trusted in Jesus Christ with his whole heart."

These assertions of Obama's "born again" status are instructive but only tell us so much. The Christian experience of spiritual rebirth is internal, subjective, and thus difficult to disprove. Moreover, it constitutes only one dimension of what it means to be an evangelical.

Admittedly, the meaning of evangelicalism is contested, and in the United States the term has become loaded with political baggage. Evangelicalism is an exceedingly diverse and diffuse global movement, lacking a unifying political agenda, institutional structure, or doctrinal basis (that's why the e in "evangelical" is usually not capitalized). Yet we can identify core features shared by evangelicals across all continents.

The most widely accepted definition of evangelicalism comes from British historian David Bebbington. According to Bebbington, an evangelical is a Christian marked by four distinct emphases: "conversionism, the belief that lives need to be changed; activism, the expression of the gospel in effort; biblicism, a particular regard for the Bible; and what may be termed crucicentrism, a stress on the sacrifice of Christ on the cross."

If Obama is an evangelical, we should expect to find him in alignment with at least this minimalist "Bebbington Quadrilateral." Let's look at how he squares with each of the four elements.

Conversionism: Barack Obama has a conversion story, if not an entirely traditional one. In his bestseller, The Audacity of Hope, Obama recounts how he warmed to Christianity, and the black church tradition in particular, while attending Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. One Sunday, Obama writes, "I felt God's spirit beckoning me. I submitted myself to His will, and dedicated myself to discovering His truth." Obama's eventual decision to be baptized "came about as a choice and not an epiphany; the questions I had did not magically disappear."

Only years later would Obama attach salvific significance to his embrace of the gospel. "I believe that faith gives me a path to be cleansed of sin and have eternal life," he told Christianity Today in 2008. His more recent statements sound even more evangelical. At the 2011 National Prayer Breakfast Obama spoke of Jesus, in typical evangelical idiom, as "my Lord and Savior." Still, the President acknowledges that his "faith journey has had its twists and turns"—a testimony that comports with a younger generation of evangelicals who are more likely to conceive of conversion as a process rather than a specific point in time.

Activism: For evangelicals, the experience of conversion naturally spills over into action, both evangelism and social witness. The President has addressed Christian activism on many occasions, and his latest National Prayer Breakfast speech was an extended meditation on how Christian faith compels charity and the pursuit of justice. "The Bible," Obama said, "teaches us to 'be doers of the word and not merely hearers.'We're required to have a living, breathing, active faith in our own lives.And each of us is called on to give something of ourselves for the betterment of others—and to live the truth of our faith not just with words, but with deeds."

Biblicism: Obama begins each day with a brief Scripture reading, and quotes frequently from the Bible. He clearly has a "special regard" for the Bible, though it's unclear if he holds to biblical inerrancy or infallibility. In 2007 Obama told the Chicago Sun-Times, "There are passages of the Bible that make perfect sense to me and others that I go, 'Ya know, I'm not sure about that.'" That was five years ago. More recently, he sounds surer about the Bible. Whereas his first Prayer Breakfast speech in 2009 had just one biblical reference—the Golden Rule, the politically safest biblical citation possible—his 2012 address offered several biblical quotations and allusions, indicating a growing respect for and reliance on the sacred text.

Crucicentrism: Obama has shared his reflections on the cross of Christ at his annual Easter Prayer Breakfast—a new White House tradition he started in 2010. At the 2012 event in April, the President described Holy Week as an opportunity to remember "all that Christ endured," to "give thanks for the all-important gift of grace," and to "celebrate that glorious overcoming, the sacrifice of a risen savior who died so that we might live." That's a summary of Easter all evangelicals can embrace.

We are accustomed to hearing politicians offering guarded generalities about the goodness of faith. It's quite another thing for the President of the United States to personally affirm the atoning death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. If Obama is a secret Muslim, he's really good at making his closet Islamic beliefs sound a lot like crucicentric Christianity.

So, is Obama our evangelical-in-chief? When a reporter asked Obama point blank in 2007 if he was an evangelical, the Illinois senator gave a nuanced, noncommittal answer:

Gosh, I'm not sure if labels are helpful here because the definition of an evangelical is so loose and subject to so many different interpretations. I came to Christianity through the black church tradition where the line between evangelical and non-evangelical is completely blurred. Nobody knows exactly what it means. Does it mean that you feel you've got a personal relationship with Christ the savior? Then that's directly part of the black church experience.

Five years later, his answer would likely be more definitive. As President, Obama has surrounded himself with evangelical spiritual advisors and has regularly interacted with the evangelical community. His public statements and private devotions point to a deepening faith—a path commonly tread by American heads of state. Obama's "experience of the presidency," says DuBois, "is strengthening his Christian muscles, making him a calm, confident, certain believer in Jesus Christ."

Hunter explained to Mansfield that Obama's theologically equivocal statements about sin, heaven, and other topics before entering the White House were those of a man with little biblical training. "He would not hold most of those views now," says Hunter. "He is very much in transition."

Hunter's point is crucial. Critics can piece together dated quotes from the President to paint a picture of a hesitant, heterodox Christian. That is unfair as it fails to account for Obama's progression from the highly unconventional, liberationist Christianity of Jeremiah Wright to the more mainstream evangelicalism of Hunter and DuBois.

But what about the President's policies? Hasn't his "evolution" on gay marriage, for example, gone in the opposite direction of his "transition" on faith matters? Obama may have become more conservative theologically, but he is still liberal politically—placing him somewhere on the Christian Left.

Obama's liberal positions don't sit well with most American evangelicals, and for some his views prove the insincerity of his religious claims. But relating Christian faith to public life is enormously complicated, and every believer must continually examine how he applies changeless truths in a changing world. We are all in "transition" to some degree. Obama deserves grace as he continues to work out what his maturing faith means for his policies.

Evangelicals may evaluate Obama's policy record and find ample grounds to give their vote to Mitt Romney. But in evaluating Obama's personal faith no credence should be given to groundless insinuations and graceless mischaracterizations.

Obama is clearly not a secret Muslim or anything other than what he claims to be: a committed Christian. For evangelicals, the commander-in-chief is a brother in Christ.

Judd Birdsall is a graduate of Wheaton College and a Ph.D. candidate at Cambridge University. From 2007 to 2011 he served at the U.S. State Department's Office of International Religious Freedom and was founding chairman of the Forum on Religion & Global Affairs.

The 2012 campaign has placed evangelicals in a paradox. A recent PRRI/RNS poll reveals that white evangelicals support a Mormon presidential candidate over Obama by an overwhelming 49% margin, but are simultaneously the religious group most likely to say it is important for a presidential candidate to share their religious beliefs (67%).

While there are plenty of legitimate policy reasons that evangelicals might support Governor Romney, their willingness to overlook their desire for a coreligionist candidate may also have at least something to do with the fact that 24% of them—higher than any other religious group—believe Obama is a Muslim, and even more are unaware (or unconvinced?) he's a Protestant. What if more evangelicals knew Obama largely shares their religious beliefs?

That the true religious identity of the world's most famous, most powerful man could remain a mystery to so many is itself a mystery. Before and especially during his presidency, Obama has been extraordinarily open on matters of faith, providing ample evidence for his repeated claim to be a devout Christian. The evidence may even suggest Obama is our evangelical-in-chief.

In his excellent religious biography of the President, The Faith of Barack Obama, author Stephen Mansfield spends several pages exploring whether Obama has been "born again." Mansfield's interviews with the President's spiritual advisors suggest so.

"I know he's born again," said Joshua DuBois, head of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, in an interview with Mansfield. A pastor's kid who served briefly in a Pentecostal pastorate himself, DuBois has queried the President about his faith and found that he "believes what the majority of Christians believe."

Joel Hunter, pastor of Florida's 15,000-member Northland Church and Obama's closest spiritual mentor, is even more emphatic. "There is simply no question about it: Barack Obama is a born again man who has trusted in Jesus Christ with his whole heart."

These assertions of Obama's "born again" status are instructive but only tell us so much. The Christian experience of spiritual rebirth is internal, subjective, and thus difficult to disprove. Moreover, it constitutes only one dimension of what it means to be an evangelical.

Admittedly, the meaning of evangelicalism is contested, and in the United States the term has become loaded with political baggage. Evangelicalism is an exceedingly diverse and diffuse global movement, lacking a unifying political agenda, institutional structure, or doctrinal basis (that's why the e in "evangelical" is usually not capitalized). Yet we can identify core features shared by evangelicals across all continents.

The most widely accepted definition of evangelicalism comes from British historian David Bebbington. According to Bebbington, an evangelical is a Christian marked by four distinct emphases: "conversionism, the belief that lives need to be changed; activism, the expression of the gospel in effort; biblicism, a particular regard for the Bible; and what may be termed crucicentrism, a stress on the sacrifice of Christ on the cross."

If Obama is an evangelical, we should expect to find him in alignment with at least this minimalist "Bebbington Quadrilateral." Let's look at how he squares with each of the four elements.

Conversionism: Barack Obama has a conversion story, if not an entirely traditional one. In his bestseller, The Audacity of Hope, Obama recounts how he warmed to Christianity, and the black church tradition in particular, while attending Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. One Sunday, Obama writes, "I felt God's spirit beckoning me. I submitted myself to His will, and dedicated myself to discovering His truth." Obama's eventual decision to be baptized "came about as a choice and not an epiphany; the questions I had did not magically disappear."

Only years later would Obama attach salvific significance to his embrace of the gospel. "I believe that faith gives me a path to be cleansed of sin and have eternal life," he told Christianity Today in 2008. His more recent statements sound even more evangelical. At the 2011 National Prayer Breakfast Obama spoke of Jesus, in typical evangelical idiom, as "my Lord and Savior." Still, the President acknowledges that his "faith journey has had its twists and turns"—a testimony that comports with a younger generation of evangelicals who are more likely to conceive of conversion as a process rather than a specific point in time.

Activism: For evangelicals, the experience of conversion naturally spills over into action, both evangelism and social witness. The President has addressed Christian activism on many occasions, and his latest National Prayer Breakfast speech was an extended meditation on how Christian faith compels charity and the pursuit of justice. "The Bible," Obama said, "teaches us to 'be doers of the word and not merely hearers.'We're required to have a living, breathing, active faith in our own lives.And each of us is called on to give something of ourselves for the betterment of others—and to live the truth of our faith not just with words, but with deeds."

Biblicism: Obama begins each day with a brief Scripture reading, and quotes frequently from the Bible. He clearly has a "special regard" for the Bible, though it's unclear if he holds to biblical inerrancy or infallibility. In 2007 Obama told the Chicago Sun-Times, "There are passages of the Bible that make perfect sense to me and others that I go, 'Ya know, I'm not sure about that.'" That was five years ago. More recently, he sounds surer about the Bible. Whereas his first Prayer Breakfast speech in 2009 had just one biblical reference—the Golden Rule, the politically safest biblical citation possible—his 2012 address offered several biblical quotations and allusions, indicating a growing respect for and reliance on the sacred text.

Crucicentrism: Obama has shared his reflections on the cross of Christ at his annual Easter Prayer Breakfast—a new White House tradition he started in 2010. At the 2012 event in April, the President described Holy Week as an opportunity to remember "all that Christ endured," to "give thanks for the all-important gift of grace," and to "celebrate that glorious overcoming, the sacrifice of a risen savior who died so that we might live." That's a summary of Easter all evangelicals can embrace.

We are accustomed to hearing politicians offering guarded generalities about the goodness of faith. It's quite another thing for the President of the United States to personally affirm the atoning death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. If Obama is a secret Muslim, he's really good at making his closet Islamic beliefs sound a lot like crucicentric Christianity.

So, is Obama our evangelical-in-chief? When a reporter asked Obama point blank in 2007 if he was an evangelical, the Illinois senator gave a nuanced, noncommittal answer:

Gosh, I'm not sure if labels are helpful here because the definition of an evangelical is so loose and subject to so many different interpretations. I came to Christianity through the black church tradition where the line between evangelical and non-evangelical is completely blurred. Nobody knows exactly what it means. Does it mean that you feel you've got a personal relationship with Christ the savior? Then that's directly part of the black church experience.

Five years later, his answer would likely be more definitive. As President, Obama has surrounded himself with evangelical spiritual advisors and has regularly interacted with the evangelical community. His public statements and private devotions point to a deepening faith—a path commonly tread by American heads of state. Obama's "experience of the presidency," says DuBois, "is strengthening his Christian muscles, making him a calm, confident, certain believer in Jesus Christ."

Hunter explained to Mansfield that Obama's theologically equivocal statements about sin, heaven, and other topics before entering the White House were those of a man with little biblical training. "He would not hold most of those views now," says Hunter. "He is very much in transition."

Hunter's point is crucial. Critics can piece together dated quotes from the President to paint a picture of a hesitant, heterodox Christian. That is unfair as it fails to account for Obama's progression from the highly unconventional, liberationist Christianity of Jeremiah Wright to the more mainstream evangelicalism of Hunter and DuBois.

But what about the President's policies? Hasn't his "evolution" on gay marriage, for example, gone in the opposite direction of his "transition" on faith matters? Obama may have become more conservative theologically, but he is still liberal politically—placing him somewhere on the Christian Left.

Obama's liberal positions don't sit well with most American evangelicals, and for some his views prove the insincerity of his religious claims. But relating Christian faith to public life is enormously complicated, and every believer must continually examine how he applies changeless truths in a changing world. We are all in "transition" to some degree. Obama deserves grace as he continues to work out what his maturing faith means for his policies.

Evangelicals may evaluate Obama's policy record and find ample grounds to give their vote to Mitt Romney. But in evaluating Obama's personal faith no credence should be given to groundless insinuations and graceless mischaracterizations.

Obama is clearly not a secret Muslim or anything other than what he claims to be: a committed Christian. For evangelicals, the commander-in-chief is a brother in Christ.

Judd Birdsall is a graduate of Wheaton College and a Ph.D. candidate at Cambridge University. From 2007 to 2011 he served at the U.S. State Department's Office of International Religious Freedom and was founding chairman of the Forum on Religion & Global Affairs.

FIND THIS ARTICLE AT: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2012/juneweb-only/barack-obama-evangelical-in-chief.html

Code of Ethics for Pastors

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The National Association of Evangelicals has developed and released a "Code of Ethics for Pastors" document and is asking church leaders across denominational lines to sign and uphold its outlined principles in their lives as ministers.

"This is to remind people who they are in ministry and how important their personal integrity, their personal conduct and lifestyle really are for what they are trying to accomplish," Dr. Joel C. Hunter, senior pastor of Northland, A Church Distributed in Longwood, Fla., told The Christian Post.

Hunter, who is a board member of the NAE and one of several pastors who have already signed the code of ethics, said that the document is an important way to reemphasize that those in ministerial leadership need to live above reproach.

"Personal conduct is as important as any theological knowledge – the medium is the message," he said. "With a lot of people coming into the ministry these days without a lot of training or a lot of growing up in the church, many ministers may not be aware or may have forgotten what the expectations are of someone in ministry. It's a great teaching device as well as a reminder."

The document does not describe specific rules or infractions, but does include five primary admonitions. It suggests pastors should pursue integrity, be trustworthy, seek purity, embrace accountability and facilitate fairness. Bible verses are used to support the principles.

Specifically, pastors who sign on to the document vow to, among other things:

Exalt Christ, not self Interpret the Bible accurately and apply it discerningly Be honest and prudent in regard to personal and ministry resources Avoid sinful sexual behavior and inappropriate involvement Build God's Kingdom in cooperation, not competition, with other local ministries "We don't want to be legalistic. We are not into a bunch of rules," Hunter explained. "What we wanted to do is give people a way to commit their life to holiness and excellence looking to Scripture as their standard."

According to a survey of NAE leaders earlier this year, 71 percent of evangelical leaders are not required to sign a formal code of ethics. NAE states that some evangelical leaders noted in the survey that ethical expectations are implicit in doctrinal statements and other organizational commitments that they sign, but the documents include issues outside ethics and don't expound thoroughly on issues of ethics.

The Code of Ethics for Pastors was developed over 18 months through the work of a taskforce that included ethicists, pastors, editors and denominational leaders. The NAE Board of Directors reviewed the document several times throughout the drafting process and unanimously adopted the NAE Code of Ethics for Pastors on March 8.

It was officially released this week after being endorsed and signed by several leading pastors in the Christian community. Pastors that have already signed the document, include Charles Blake, West Angeles Church of God in Christ; Bill Hybels, Willow Creek Community Church; Tim Keller, Redeemer Presbyterian Church; Max Lucado, Oak Hills Church; John Ortberg, Menlo Park Presbyterian Church; Samuel Rodriguez, New Season Christian Worship Center; and Bryant Wright, Johnson Ferry Baptist Church.

Church strategy consultant Ron Edmondson, who is a co-founding pastor at Grace Community Church in Clarksville, Tenn., told CP that he sees nothing wrong with the document, but is not sure of its impact on pastors and churches.

"It's only going to be as good as the character and the heart of the ones who sign it. But it's a step in the right direction and a good positive move for evangelicals to get behind it. We can all agree with everything that is on the list," Edmondson said. "I don't believe just writing it and signing it is going to necessarily improve some of the struggles that we have right now with defining morals."

However, Hunter believes the Code of Ethics for Pastors will certainly have a positive effect and is encouraging other pastors to sign the document.

"When you understand that a public commitment many times is not only a good thing as far as making your congregation feel like you are being your very best for them, but it is also a way of outwardly reminding yourself that you aspire to the best ministry possible in order to represent the Kingdom in the best possible way. I think it has a personal motivational power that is beneficial," Hunter said. "It tends to hold us to a higher standard instead of if we just have this kind of vague idea that 'Hey, I just want to be a good minister.'"

NAE President Leith Anderson stated that most pastors are highly ethical, but few have signed a written code of ethics.

"This is every pastor's opportunity to know, commit and tell others about a personal and professional standard of biblical pastoral ethics. I invite every pastor and every church board to put this code of ethics on the agenda for an upcoming meeting. Discuss. Adopt. Live these standards," Anderson said.

The NAE plans to commission a similar document on ethics for churches. The Code of Ethics for Pastors is available for download and to sign at www.naecodeofethics.com.

Alex Murashko

FIND THIS ARTICLE AT: http://www.christianpost.com/news/pastors-urged-to-sign-newly-released-code-of-ethics-76624/

Pastor Hunter to Hometown Church: "You’re the Reason I’m In Ministry"

SHELBY -- He is one of the top pastors in the world, and in 2011 was named one of the "50 Most Powerful People in Orlando."

Since graduating from Shelby High School in 1966, the Rev. Joel Hunter also has become one of President Barack Obama's spiritual advisers, but he said little of it would have been possible without the foundation he received from his hometown.

Hunter is senior pastor at Northland Church, in Longwood, Fla., a church where he grew membership from 200 to more than 15,000.

Hunter, who was invited to preach Sunday morning at his home church, The Shelby First United Methodist Church, took the podium around 10 a.m. He started by asking the congregation to excuse him if he happened to cry during the sermon.

Few held back their own tears as he reminisced about his days growing up in Shelby, and shared what the 18 S. Gamble St. church means to him.

"It is so, so good to be back in this church," he said. "Thank you for welcoming me back. This is a big deal to me. A very big deal. I hope you'll all indulge me in a few moments of nostalgia."

"This church is a very big part of who I am. I often talk about the Shelby church in my sermons. I say I went to the First Church in Shelby, Ohio, where all the men wore pin stripes on their suits and all the women wore fruit in their hats."

The whole sanctuary erupted in laughter when Hunter singled out Dwight Somerville, a choir member who has been a church member since 1950.

"I knew Jesus would be here, but I wasn't sure about Mr. Somerville," Hunter said. "This is amazing!"

Hunter said his original goal was never to go into ministry, but that the civil rights movement changed his path in life.

"There was a little custodial couple (who used to attend the church) and they didn't have two nickels to rub together," he said. "There were times in seminary when I just wanted to quit because I didn't think I was good enough to do this -- but that was before I learned it wasn't about our goodness but about God's goodness.

"And from time to time I would get a letter in the mail from that couple with a check for $5. Now I know what you're thinking, back in those days $5 was a lot of money, but it really wasn't -- but it was more than they had. And there would be a little note inside saying, 'Joey, we think you'll be a good minister someday.'"

Hunter paused as his eyes welled up.

"And it was just enough to keep me going," he said, his voice cracking. "That's what this place means to me. You're the reason I'm in ministry. I feel the same way about the whole town."

Hunter's sermon dealt with relationships and the importance of human differences.

"Everyone has a different reason for coming to church," he said. "Some come because of relationships or they're looking for relationships, but they all see that God has something for them.

"If you have someone who thinks just like you, one of you is not necessary. Differences are so important. God knew that in order to be a healthy church, we had to be a combination of differences. So as God grew the church he grew us to work together, and he grew us to be a team."

Jeanette Allard, of Shelby, raved about Hunter's speech as the congregation filed out.

"It was absolutely wonderful," she said. "He's such a good speaker. It was very inspiring. It brought tears to my eyes."

Hunter told the congregation no matter where he's preaching and living, the Shelby church will always be with him.

"Every time I walk into the Oval Office and I speak with the president, you're there. Every time I meet with church leaders from other countries, in meetings so secret no one can ever find out, you're with me. I loved listening to the choir this morning. I haven't heard a church choir in I don't know how long, but I miss it. And I loved listening to all the family concerns you shared. With a church of 15,000, if we did that, we'd be here till next week -- but yet we're in the same church. You have strengths and weaknesses my church doesn't have, but we are all the church together."

FIND THIS ARTICLE AT: http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/article/20120528/NEWS01/205280306/Fond-memories-Shelby?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7C%7Cs

Obama's Spiritual Adviser Speaks in Shelby, Ohio

SHELBY -- Last week he was sitting comfortably in the Oval Office, but the Rev. Joel Hunter said returning to Shelby this weekend will be an exciting honor, too. Shelby, his hometown, will keep him busy.

Friday night, the spiritual adviser to President Barack Obama spoke at Shelby High School's graduation. Hunter is a 1966 Shelby graduate. At 9:15 a.m. Sunday, he will preach at the First United Methodist Church, where he grew up.

"I went there every Sunday with my grandmother," Hunter said. "I've been in ministry over 40 years, but always think of myself as a kid from Shelby who has a really good foundation."

When he attended Ohio University in the 1960s, Hunter said he never imagined he'd end up in ministry.

"But I was part of the civil rights movement and when Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, I felt crisis," Hunter said.

He recalled the words of a former pastor of his Shelby church: "Nothing will be right in the world until you take care of the sin in your own heart."

Hunter began attending the chapel at OU and said he felt a calling from God. He eventually changed his college path, went into ministry and became one of the most prestigious pastors in the country. Hunter is senior pastor at Northland Church, in Longwood, Fla., a church where he grew membership from 200 to more than 15,000.

"I don't really know what to attribute it to," he said. "Every day you go in and try to do the right thing, and God arranges the rest."

Hunter has gained national attention through his relationship with the president.

"About four years ago, I was featured in an article in the New York Times," he said. "Following that article, then-Senator Obama called me and said, 'I want to catch up with you.' He wanted to know what I thought was the right relationship between faith communities and government."

The pair met again at a spiritual event. Afterward, Hunter said, an Obama staff member asked if he would pray for the future president.

"I walked out to a hallway and figured there would be 50 pastors there, but it was just he and I," Hunter said. "Since then, he's asked me to pray for him at major events in his life. The night he was elected president, I was on the phone praying for him."

Since his election, Hunter said, Obama has asked him to write devotions for him every week.

"Our relationship isn't political, it's pastoral. I've simply become a pastoral voice in his life," Hunter said. "I'm very aware of his position and where God has put him in life, but a pastor's life is very simple. Our job is to help anyone who needs to get closer to the Lord. That's my job, no matter who you are.

"Here's the most powerful person in America, but the pastor part of me says, 'Here's just another person who wants to get help.'"

Hunter's Sunday speech is open to the public.

The Rev. Tom Snyder said many local people have fond memories of Hunter.

"This is a great way for the older folks to reconnect and for others to hear from a wonderful man of God," he said.

Hunter will attend the service at 22 S. Gamble St. with his wife, Becky.

"I'm going to talk about lifelong lessons learned from Shelby, Ohio," he said. "I'd like to give people a broader perspective of how God uses us in broader ways than we can think."

FIND THIS ARTICLE AT: http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/article/20120526/NEWS01/205260313/Obama-s-spiritual-adviser-speak-Shelby?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7C%7Cs

President Obama’s Other Pastor

A conversation with the Rev. Dr. Joel C. Hunter of Florida about his civil rights testimony, defending President Barack Obama's faith, and the local ministerial response to the Trayvon Martin case.

FIND THIS ARTICLE AT: http://www.urbanfaith.com/2012/04/the-pastor-the-president-and-civil-rights.html/

The Rev. Dr. Joel C. Hunter grew up in small town Ohio, the son of a widowed mother who loved black jazz musicians. Now he is a spiritual adviser to President Barack Obama and pastor of 15,000-member Northland, A Church Distributed, in Longwood, Florida. “Cooperation and partnership are hallmarks of Dr. Hunter’s ministry,” his church bio says. “Together, he believes, we can accomplish more because of our differences than we would on our own—without giving up our unique identities.” UrbanFaith talked to Hunter about how this kind of cooperation is possible, and about his unique testimony of coming to faith after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., his friendship with the president, and what Sanford area ministers are doing in response to the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

UrbanFaith: You have a unique testimony in that you were involved in the Civil Rights Movement and came to the Lord after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. You also recently wrote an op-ed for Charisma about the Trayvon Martin case. Has racial reconciliation always been a thread in your ministry?

Joel C. Hunter: Yes, it has been. The little town I came from in Ohio didn’t have one ethnicity other than white. I think it was one of those Midwestern towns that had a law about the exclusivity of races. But my mother, who reminds me in some ways of President Obama’s mother, was one of those free spirits who loved everybody and thrived on Jazz: Nat King Cole and all of those great—back in that day they were called “Negro geniuses” with music. And so, when I went to Ohio University, it was a natural thing for me to go to the other end of the spectrum and get involved almost immediately with the Civil Rights Movement. It wasn’t from a faith perspective that that first happened, but when Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, I went to Galbraith Chapel, a little generic chapel at Ohio University, and came to Christ. Caring for those who are left out was at the core of my calling to ministry and that’s always been.

Now that there has been an arrest in the Trayvon Martin case, have things settled down in the Sanford area?

We are in the same county and I’m actively meeting with ministers from Sanford, being led by the African American ministers. We have another meeting scheduled for tomorrow night about how we can take our community toward, not just reconciliation and healing, but toward improvement because of what has happened here. We’ve had ongoing meetings together: prayer meetings and brainstorming meetings. We may have a community memorial service with the Martin family. I’m not sure. The publicity has somewhat died down now, but the ministers and spiritual leaders are much more conversant, active, and cooperative than we’ve ever been. So, I’m thinking God is really going to do something wonderful from this.

As a pastor who comes from a relatively humble upbringing, how do you keep being a spiritual adviser to the president of the United States in perspective?

I don’t know how this happens, but it’s really true: people are people to me. The president is a person. He’s great about this; he has a great sense of humor and he’s very personable, so it’s not like this is a lot of work. I realize that to the world, it’s a long way for a kid from Shelby, Ohio (where the largest buildings literally are the grain elevators for the farmers), but to me he’s a person and the job of a pastor is to help the person in front of him or her to get closer to God. And so, that’s exactly what I do.

I remember a time when I had had a conversation and a prayer with the president and within 24 hours I was back at my church talking to a AIDS-infected prostitute who wanted to get closer to the Lord. It struck me that my conversation with her resembled very closely the conversation I had had with the president less than 24 hours previous. To me, that was the ultimate. That’s what a pastor does. Each person has the same value in God’s eyes. I didn’t count one of those conversations more valuable than the other.

When your five-year-old granddaughter Ava passed away from glioblastoma in 2010, the president called you and prayed with you. How do you respond to criticism of his faith when you’ve been so personally engaged with him on a spiritual level?

The president called me when Ava was first diagnosed and then, of course, he called me when she passed away, so it was very tender and kind thing for him to do. I understand that people are ignorant, that is they lack knowledge about his faith walk. I realize there is some political agenda when people accuse him of not being a Christian. I’m not naïve about that, but the president and the candidate Barack Obama chose—even more after he was president—not to make his faith walk very public because he knew it would be politicized and that’s an area of his life he didn’t want politicized.

I always say that nature hates a vacuum and when you don’t have a lot of information, you will fill it in with your latest email. That’s exactly what happens. I know from personal experience and from many personal conversations that they’re wrong. I know his daily practice of reading Scripture. I write many of those devotions. Our prayer times in the Oval Office, over the phone, and on special occasions have been just as sweet and participatory as you can imagine. Of course, there’s always the defensiveness for a friend. I consider the president a friend and any time a friend is wrongly accused, you want to defend them. But, by the same token, I can’t really go much further, because this is the president and I don’t want to give a lot of information that is not directly related to his role and official duties. So, I have to be very careful about not saying too much.

You were on a press call defending President Obama’s faith around the time the Rev. Franklin Graham publicly questioned it. How do you address other Christian leaders who cast doubt on the president’s faith?

I can and do openly tell them about my personal relationship with the president and my personal knowledge of his spiritual life. Sometimes I say I wish most of the people in my congregation were as attentive to reading the Bible every day, praying every day, and trying to put their faith into practice as the president is. Some of them are really taken aback, because they just don’t have the knowledge. It’s not covered in the media by design. That’s fine. I’m very open about my personal knowledge of his walk.

I heard the president debate Sen. John McCain at Saddleback Church in 2008. He seemed more articulate and comfortable talking about faith than McCain then and continues to sound more comfortable and articulate talking about faith than some other candidates now. Do you attribute doubts about his faith to politics or to his policy positions on issues like abortion?

It’s kind of all of the above. I think a lot of it is politically driven. I also think there’s some racism attached in this. I don’t play the race card, but I do think that because his father was from a different country (not faith, because his father wasn’t a man of faith) and with the hyper-sensitivity about Islam, there’s been an effort to paint this man as being very different because he does come from a unique background.

In that particular debate with McCain, he said something that didn’t quite come out right; he was a little too flip about it. When questioned about when life begins, he said, “That’s above my pay grade,” or something like that. Because he is such a respectful thinker in terms of religious questions, he won’t give the reflexive responses. When he didn’t say the axiom that “Life begins at conception,” he was hearkening back to something that is not particularly addressed in Scripture. If we don’t come from a particular faith tradition that says this is the dogma of my church and you simply look to Scripture, “Does life begin at conception?” is an open question. And so, part of this is because he is very careful not to give just the patently religious responses, or the religious platitudes. When people don’t get those, then they begin to say, “Maybe he’s not a Christian like others that have given us boiler-plate Christianity.” I would say to that: he doesn’t pretend to be a theologian, but he really does want to search the Scriptures authentically and personally, and it’s because he takes it so seriously and so personally that he won’t automatically give the response that everybody is looking for.

Is there a level of theological illiteracy on the part of the general public that contributes to this kind of misunderstanding?

Absolutely. In cultural Christianity in general there is, but specifically, the more fundamentalist versions of Christianity have shibboleths: “You have to say the right thing with the right accent or you’re not really one of us.” Part of the problem is not his level of sophistication, but ours, not his level of thinking, but our lack of more broad-based responsiveness to the depths of the theology of Scripture. When you don’t come with automatic or dogmatic sound-bite answers, that’s a good thing. That’s a sign of personal engagement. But because we would rather just have a category of correct belief and many people are satisfied with that, then we are the ones making ourselves upset. It’s not because he’s not answered adequately; it’s partially our discomfort at not having simple answers. That’s part of the unease with his particular faith walk.

The president comes down on the side of keeping abortion legal and you are pro-life. How do you, or anyone else, preserve relationships with other believers when there are such deep disagreements over these kinds of issue?

Abortion is probably the premiere issue where we see this. I am pro-life; therefore I think that’s a baby. I don’t happen to subscribe to “It’s a baby at conception,” because I don’t see that in Scripture, but I do believe that soon after that baby is implanted in a womb, it becomes a person. So I think abortion is homicide. Having said that, the way that I want to work with other Christians who don’t have the same theological presumption that I do about the personhood of a developing fetus is to keep my eyes on the goal. My goal is to have no abortions some day, ultimately because no woman decides to do that.

Other people say, “How can we reduce, by practical common sense, the number of abortions?” I’m on board. Every baby that can be saved, I think, is invaluable. And so, if I talk to somebody who is pro-choice and they say, “A lot of abortions come from feeling financial pressure or because people are afraid they won’t be able to complete their education, and if we could relieve that kind of pressure, they would carry their baby to term,” I’m all over that. I don’t have to have an all or nothing. That’s why the president and I, even though we would disagree probably on who should be able to get an abortion, we still can agree on the reduction of abortion as a very important goal together. That’s kind of how I walk that through.

Trayvon Martin: How Can Christians Respond?

Pastor Joel Hunter talks with CBN News about how Christians can respond to this tragedy.

President Obama Addresses Q Conference

President Obama Welcomes Q from Q Ideas on Vimeo.

The White House: Behind the Scenes

President Obama meets with Pastor Joel Hunter and Josh DuBois, director of the White House Office for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, in the Oval Office.

FIND THIS PHOTO AT: http://www.washingtonpost.com/conversations/the-white-house-behind-the-scenes/2012/03/23/gIQAGNCCWS_gallery.html#photo=1

The Pastor and the President: A Tale of Faith

The conventional wisdom is that the political left in America is suspicious of stories of presidential faith and the political right is suspicious of stories of presidential faith that involve Barack Obama. What we often lose in the crush between the two are those tender, endearing episodes that sometimes arise from a presidency and become treasured in American memory.

There is such a tale and it deserves to be told. It does reveal something of the spirituality of the current American president but it will not impact an election or change political opinions. Obama's critics may deny it. His supporters may exploit it. The cynical may doubt it. Yet, the tale is true and it belongs to us.

It begins with Dr. Joel Hunter, the pastor of Northland Church in Orland, Fla., a man unlikely to be part of a story like Barack Obama's. Hunter was a political conservative who had once been asked to head the Christian Coalition, the advocacy group founded by Pat Robertson. Yet, when Hunter responded publicly and favorably to Obama's "A More Perfect Union" speech in 2008, Obama heard of it and sent the pastor a note. "I'd like to catch up with you someday," he said.

A friendship developed. Hunter found himself praying with Obama before a campaign debate and then, later, praying at the Democratic National Convention. When Obama was elected, Hunter also agreed to be on a team of spiritual advisors for the new president. He may not have been entirely aligned with Obama's politics but he knew when he felt God's call and he certainly felt the call to minister to this young leader. Not everyone was pleased. Opposition came. Still, Hunter knew what he was meant to do.

This story, though, is not about Hunter's ministry to Obama. Instead, it centers on Ava, Hunter's granddaughter. In June, 2010, when she was only 5, Ava was diagnosed with a rare form of brain tumor -- glioblastoma multiforme. It is extremely rare in children -- and deadly. Losing Ava became a haunting possibility.

The day after Hunter learned the news, his phone rang. It was the White House operator. "Dr. Hunter, will you stand by for a call from the president."

"Yes."

And then, in a moment, "Joel, this is Barack. I just heard about Ava. I just had to call and tell you that Michelle and I are praying for you. If there is anything we can do we want to do it."

Unable to meet Obama's informality, Hunter replied, "Thank you, Mr. President. That's very kind. We have checked and there is no traditional treatment that has proven effective. We're at a loss. But I appre......."

"No. Stop that." Obama interrupted impatiently. And then, gently, "I really mean it, Joel. Anything I can do I want to do."

Hunter could take no more, and began to weep.

Then began the reversal. The man who had pastored the president now sat silently in tears as the president became, for a few moments, the pastor Hunter needed. "Joel, I want you to remember that God has got you here. He's not going to let you go. He will walk all the way through this with you. You remember this. God isn't going to let go of you. We've got to hold on to our faith in God." This continued for many minutes and then, finally, Obama said, "Please tell your family that Michelle and I are praying for them and our heart goes out to them."

"Thank you, Sir," Hunter said, and the two hung up.

What followed were some of the worst weeks of Joel Hunter's life. His granddaughter underwent a grueling surgery to remove the tumor. There was hope for a season and then the tumor grew back larger than before. On Sept. 4, the little girl died. Hunter was undone.

That same day the phone rang. "Dr. Hunter, will you stand by for a call from the president." The pastor was surprised. He was sure the president could not already know.

"Yes, I will stand by," he told the operator.

Soon, the president came on the line, obviously brokenhearted. "Joel, this is Barack. I've just heard. I'm so sorry. You will be in my prayers. Michelle and I are with you. We are trusting God to go through this with you."

"You are so kind, Mr. President. Thank you. This means a great deal to me."

Then, as before -- as Hunter's words failed him -- the president began to encourage. Again, the bits of scripture and assurances of God's grace. Again, the faith of a president offered to his friend.

Finally, "Your concern touches me, Mr. President. Thank you for calling."

"We are praying for you, Joel," Obama said before hanging up. "I am with you in this. You are not alone."

Hunter was grateful for what had been said, grateful that it helped to lift the pain. He would never forget how a president became, for a moment, a pastor and a grieving pastor could only receive and the lines between the political left and right were dissolved by the greater force of faith.

It will not impact an election or change political opinions, but it is a story we ought to know.

FIND THIS ARTICLE AT: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephen-mansfield/president-obama-pastors-joel-hunter_b_1311348.html

Jim Towey Is Wrong About President Obama, by Dr. Joel C. Hunter

The summer before Senator Obama was elected president, he invited 30 Evangelical and Catholic leaders to meet with him in Chicago. The purpose of the meeting was transparency about his faith journey. All of us, including Franklin Graham, heard him share his testimony of how he had come to trust Christ as his Lord and Savior.

Months before that, in a personal conversation with Senator Obama, he asked me what I thought was a good direction for faith communities when it came to government activities. He knew that I am a pro-life evangelical that believes the less need for government the better. That’s why he was talking to me. I said, “The faith communities of this nation have way more resources and relationships than are being engaged right now to address our nation’s problems.” He agreed. He said, “But there are certain problems that are too great for the faith communities to solve.” I agreed.

After what I assume were many more conversations with other faith leaders, the newly elected president decided to expand the Office of Faith-Based Initiatives started by President Bush and transform it from a fair-funding administrative program to an effort engaging religious communities via their counsel and their service to our citizens.

Cynical people have interpreted this as political positioning, such as Mr. Towey who has called the president's faith-based office a “farce.” Let me tell you why I am of the opposite view.

As a member of the inaugural Advisory Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, we had a unique opportunity to advise the president in how to best move forward in creating successful faith-based and community partnerships. The president and his staff have gone out of their way time and again to consult with religious leaders and advisors with whom they do not always agree. The Advisory Council was just one example of that.

I have been thrilled to see thirteen agencies in this administration through their Offices of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships seek the input of and partner with faith communities to serve those in need. Through these efforts the administration has taken significant strides to partner with faith-based communities to assist people most in need, such as helping local congregations put their social capital to work by establishing and expanding employment ministries or “job clubs.”

They have also launched a new program to get faith-based and community groups engaged in disaster response, the first time the government has a comprehensive strategy in this area, effectively teaming with faith groups to provide aid to victims and rebuild communities.

Additionally, the administration has vastly expanded efforts to engage faith-based communities as partners in feeding hungry kids in the summer, when so many who rely on meals they get at school struggle to meet their nutritional needs. The Partnership Center at USDA has boasted of adding 200 additional summer feeding sites at congregations around the country literally feeding tens of thousands of kids due to their efforts.

Recently we were honored to host First Lady Michelle Obama at our church along with over 4,000 diverse faith and community leaders to celebrate the anniversary of the Let’s Move initiative. Through this effort congregations around the country are fighting to reverse the trend of childhood obesity and increase health and wellness activities.

These are just a few of the many examples of engagement and partnership under the Obama administration’s Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnership Initiative.

Many persons during an election season judge the faith of leaders simply by their policy stance. And there always will be issues upon which we disagree.

However, demonizing the president, implying a nefarious conspiracy, and ignoring the tremendous advancement that has taken place in faith communities partnering with the government in answering people’s needs is mis-informed and incorrect.

Just a few months after President Obama was elected, he invited me to write devotions (a passage out of the Bible with a brief explanation) for him every week. I am a pastor, so I am delighted whenever there is an opportunity to help someone more personally engage the Bible and know the Lord better. I have prayed and talked with our President consistently, always privately and without publicity. When we are together, we do not talk about politics or policy. We talk about his life, his family, his faith and serving others.

I can tell you that what President Obama is doing through his Administration’s Offices of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, is not about promulgating support for a specific policy initiative or political agenda, instead it is a testimony to his belief in the importance of partnering with religious institutions to improve the lives of families and communities across the country. And that is exactly what his faith-based office is doing.

FIND THIS ARTICLE AT: http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/healthcare/212255-jim-towey-is-wrong-about-president-obama