Over the years, reaching men with the gospel has been an important but challenging effort. From the early days when Edwin Louis Cole launched the Christian Men’s Network, to Coach Bill McCartney’s Promise Keepers, hundreds of thousands of men have been transformed, and yet momentum has been difficult at best.
But now, a local pastor with a national media ministry is turning “men’s ministry” on its head. G. Allen Jackson, pastor of World Outreach Church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, has taken his experience leading one of the largest churches in America and re-thought exactly what it means to reach men in the 21st century. That strategy is culminating in the “Mighty Men Conference” featuring G. Allen Jackson and Angus Buchan in Nashville on November 23. I had the opportunity to discuss the subject recently with Pastor Jackson, and here’s what happened:
Phil Cooke: What we call “Men’s Ministry” is alive and well, but it’s not in the headlines much anymore. In the 1980’s and 90’s it exploded and culminated with Promise Keepers, which was one of the biggest movements of its time. What going on today?
Allen Jackson: Promise Keepers seemed to be a “God initiative.” I know many worked hard to see Coach’s vision become a reality, but the outcome exceeded imaginations. I believe it served a purpose for a season, calling men to an awareness of their roles as men of faith. Ultimately the church must be awakened to this message because events alone will not sustain the momentum.
PC: Have you always placed a priority on reaching men through World Outreach Church?
AJ: We have always recognized the significance of men engaging with faith. As our congregation has grown, the expressions of that idea have changed consistently. For too long men imagined their primary role in church to be a decision maker/committee member. The activity of ministry was often not imagined to be of sufficient significance to attract the focus of capable men. We recognized men needed to be invited towards a meaningful, challenging interaction with God and His people. Faith demands results. Men will respond to this awareness.
PC: What do you see happening in the culture today that gives you an urgency to reach men with the gospel?
AJ: We live in a cyclone of confusion—confusion regarding ethics, life objectives, morality, faith, our place in the world; many things. Godly men make a difference. Godly men choose to develop character, not just be a character. Godly men provide leadership for younger generations. Duty, honor, responsibility and sacrifice are concepts required for healthy homes, churches and cultures. Permanent adolescence is not fulfilling; it is avoidance. We are created as image bearers of Almighty God, to make a difference for His Kingdom in our world.
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SOURCE: Charisma News
Phil Cooke
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