Thursday, October 20, 2011Is Judgment Day Upon Us?
Pastor Hunter talks to Fox 35 (Orlando) about Harold Camping’s predictions that the world will end soon.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011Evangelical Summit Held at the White House With President Obama
Dr. Hunter talks about the meeting between President Obama and the National Association of Evangelicals during the first Evangelical Summit, held at the White House on October 12.
Friday, October 14, 2011Evangelical Leaders Meet President at White House
Christian leaders at the first Evangelical Summit held at the White House Wednesday prayed for President Barack Obama and encouraged him to continue talking about his faith, said Joel C. Hunter, a spiritual adviser to the president.
Obama met with the executive committee of the National Association of Evangelicals, which represents 45,000 churches from 40 denominations across the United States, in the Roosevelt Room.
Religious freedom and the Christian stance on traditional marriage took Read more…
Monday, September 19, 2011USA TODAY: The Truth About Evangelicals
In 1976, skeptical Jews in the Northeast and on the West Coast had to be convinced by their Southern cousins that Jimmy Carter, a “born-again” Georgia Baptist, was not too strange to support as the Democratic nominee for president. For a time, Jews made their peace with this growing American phenomenon called evangelical Christianity.
A good deal has changed since then, especially after conservative evangelicals Read more…
Thursday, August 11, 2011FAITH IN THE PUBLIC SQUARE: INTERFAITH COOPERATION
Part 8 in a series of teachings from Dr. Joel C. Hunter about how to approach today’s issues biblically, respectfully and effectively.
Florida Pastor Joel C. Hunter of Northland Church was named one of the “50 Most Powerful People in Orlando” on Orlando Magazine’s eighth annual list, released in the July issue.
Hunter, who has made the list two other times, is 43rd on the list of Orlando residents, who are selected for their success in the areas of politics, philanthropy, business, and community involvement, said the magazine’s Editor In Chief Mike Boslet.
Serving as one of President Barack Obama’s spiritual advisers certainly helped Hunter, 63, solidify his place on the list, Boslet told The Christian Post.
“[Hunter] has a lot of influence on his church, which is the one of the largest in the area, and the church reaches Read more…
Thursday, July 7, 2011Pastor Joel C. Hunter Named to Orlando Magazine’s “50 Most Powerful”
The magazine says of Dr. Hunter: “You won’t get any fiery sermons out of this pastor. Hunter has a way of reaching people with a message delivered in a plainspoken manner, which may help explain why he has remained a spiritual adviser to President Obama. His high-tech, Internet-wired mega-church also reaches people outside of the area, and not just for preaching. Northland recently dispatched a disaster response team to Pleasant Grove, Ala., to help victims of a killer tornado.”
SEE THE ENTIRE LIST HERE: http://www.orlandomagazine.com/Orlando-Magazine/July-2011/50-Most-Powerful/
Wednesday, June 1, 2011Political Standoff Over U.S. Debt Ceiling Begins: “National Debt Is A Moral Threat to the U.S.,” Say Christian Leaders
President Barack Obama has invited congressional Republicans to the White House for negotiations Wednesday following the defeat of a bill to raise the U.S. debt ceiling. While the House will likely raise the government’s borrowing ability sooner or later, it may not come without deep spending cuts and budget revisions.
Strangely, but not surprisingly, Tuesday’s bill seeking a raise in the debt limit by $2.4 trillion was sponsored by the Republicans who have a majority in the House. The bill’s chief sponsor, Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp, was quoted by the media as saying, “This vote, a vote based on legislation I have introduced, will and must fail.” It failed on a vote of 318 to 97 – far below the two-thirds majority required for passage. Read more…
Monday, May 2, 2011Bin Laden’s Death Brings Healing To Old Wounds
Bin Laden’s death brings healing to old wounds
(CNN) — The hijacked jet planes that roared out of a clear blue sky one sunny September morning ten years ago killed nearly 3,000 people, but the hurt they did spread far beyond the immediate death and destruction at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
The harm was mental, psychological, even spiritual.
And the death of Osama bin Laden at the hands of U.S. special forces may help to start some healing, one of America’s top pastors said Monday.
“There is a sense that justice has been done,” said Joel Hunter, senior pastor of the 12,000-member Northland Church in Orlando, Florida and a spiritual advisor to President Barack Obama.
“There is a Scripture (verse), Genesis 9:6, that says ‘He who sheds man’s blood, by man his blood be shed.’ There is a certain kind of sense of relief that that has been accomplished,” Hunter said.
“This man was symbolic of much that threatened our country and our way of life,” the pastor said.
Hunter also cited the verse promising that “those who mourn will be comforted,” saying they might “find some sort of solace in this event.”
Those verses are much more relevant than Jesus’ admonition to “turn the other cheek,” he said.
“That particular Scripture has to do with insult and not with self-defense,” he said.
The terror attacks that bin Laden authorized are “not even in the category of forgiveness,” so killing him “really is in a category that, for 99.9% of Americans, would be beyond question… the right thing.”
Diana Massaroli, whose husband died in the World Trade Center, certainly has no questions about it.
Michael Massaroli, 38, with a 6-year-old son, was working for Cantor Fitzgerald on the 101st floor on September 11, 2001, when a jet plane slammed into the building below him.
His body was never found.
His widow has been grieving ever since.
But early Monday, at ground zero where the towers once stood, she said she was finally experiencing some catharsis.
“I’m missing him, but I feel that justice has been done,” she said, holding a picture of Michael.
“I feel some overall calm that I haven’t felt in 10 years. I never thought it would happen… never thought it would give me a feeling of closure,” she said. Now, she added, “I feel better… like I can start a new chapter in my life.”
Relatives of the victims are not the only Americans feeling relief Monday morning — American Muslims also hope the death of bin Laden will open a new chapter in history.
The 2001 attacks opened a “wound has never quite healed,” said Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf of the controversial Park51 Muslim community center planned for lower Manhattan, not far from the former site of the twin towers.
“The killing of Osama bin Laden is a major milestone,” he said. “It expresses the sense that there is a sense of healing beginning to take place.”
Far from New York City, American Muslim lawyer Asma Hasan agrees that Osama bin Laden wounded the country’s Muslims, but is not sure his death with heal anything.
“The 9/11 attacks changed my life forever in a very challenging way,” said Hasan, who lives in Denver, Colorado. “It’s 10 years later and people still question us” American Muslims.
“We have all had to become ambassadors for our religion, we have had to condemn every terrorist attack or be labelled a supporter of terrorism,” she said.
“None of us can be a quiet person that just goes to our jobs, we have all had to become multifaith activists who reach out,” said Hasan, the author of “Red, White and Muslim.”
“I don’t think the death of Osama will change that,” she said.
Steve Bernstein, whose older brother, Billy, worked in the World Trade Center, said he was “very elated” at the news bin Laden was dead.
“We have been waiting for this for a long time,” he said. “I felt that it was just a great moment for the country.”
He said the scenes of jubilation across the United States should not be seen as people celebrating somebody’s death, but as a recognition that “everyone feels that capturing bin Laden or killing bin Laden was something that needed to be done.”
Bernstein had another brother who also worked in the World Trade Center but left the building to go to the bank just before the first plane hit.
“He said as soon as he saw it, he knew” Billy was dead, Bernstein said. Unlike some others in the towers, Billy Bernstein did not call to say goodbye, Steve Bernstein said.
“We never heard from him,” he said.
Hunting down bin Laden at last “shows the strength of America, shows we’re not going to put up with it,” he said, adding it would “make the terrorists think twice.”
Bernstein was “a little surprised” bin Laden was buried at sea immediately after his death, he said, fearing it would fuel conspiracy theories.
But in the final analysis, he said, “the world can feel a little bit safer right now.”
Another 9/11 widow, Kristen Breitweiser, said the death of bin Laden would change the world.
“My 12-year-old daughter will wake tomorrow to a safer world, hopefully a more peaceful world. And that brings me a rare sense of relief,” she said in a statement, adding that she was “enormously grateful for the tireless effort and incredible courage and bravery of our counter-terrorism agents.
There were also more raucous celebrations going on at ground zero, including groups of young local men waving flags and chanting “USA! USA!”
“It took 10 years, but the fact that it happened today, we’re all rejoicing,” one of them told CNN, adding that “everybody in America” was celebrating the death of bin Laden.
Far away in Oxford, Ohio, Miami University student Mike Chase celebrated by shaving a friend’s hair into the letters “USA” with two red stars.
“The announcement means that when we set out to accomplish something we follow through. It’s a great milestone on the fight against terrorism,” the 21-year-old said.
The Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association hailed the “annihilation” of bin Laden as “triumphant news.”
“I would say, ‘May God have mercy on his hideous soul,’ but I don’t think he had one,” the organization’s president, Jon Adler, said. “As we draw near September 11 and mourn the loss of our loved ones, let this victory remind all that the indomitable American will stands strong and eternal.”
CNN’s Eric Marrapodi, Jason Carroll and Ali Velshi contributed to this report.
Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/05/02/bin.laden.catharsis
(CNN) — The hijacked jet planes that roared out of a clear blue sky one sunny September morning ten years ago killed nearly 3,000 people, but the hurt they did spread far beyond the immediate death and destruction at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
The harm was mental, psychological, even spiritual.
And the death of Osama bin Laden at the hands of U.S. special forces may help to start some healing, one of America’s top pastors said Monday.
“There is a sense that justice has been done,” said Joel Hunter, senior pastor of the 12,000-member Northland Church in Orlando, Florida Read more…
Wednesday, April 20, 2011President Offers Prayers, Thoughts to Tornado Victims at Easter Prayer Breakfast
By Eric Marrapodi, CNN Belief Blog Co-Editor
Washington (CNN) – President Barack Obama offered his thoughts and prayers Tuesday to victims of weekend storms that spawned dozens of tornadoes that cut a swath through the South, killing more than 40 people. Read more…
Wednesday, April 20, 2011FULL SPEECH: President Obama at the Easter Prayer Breakfast
Friday, April 15, 2011Joel C. Hunter Named to Commission on Accountability and Policy for Religious Organizations
WINCHESTER, Va. – Fifteen members have been named to the Commission on Accountability and Policy for Religious Organizations, ECFA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability) has announced.
This commission was formed following a staff report issued in January by U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley that focused on the financial practices of high-profile religious organizations. After releasing the findings of his three-year inquiry of six media-based Christian ministries, the senator asked ECFA to spearhead an independent national effort to review and provide input on major accountability and policy issues affecting such organizations. Read more…
Saturday, April 2, 2011PBS Features Northland Church in Piece “Religion and Social Media”
Many religious groups are using social media to connect with their members and reach out to new audiences. Some question what the impact may be on beliefs, practices, and religious leadership, but many say there’s no going back.
Monday, February 21, 2011GOP Leaders Affirm Obama is Christian, U.S. Citizen
Republican leaders became unlikely defenders of President Barack Obama’s citizenship and religion against skeptics who still question both.
Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin denounced accusations that Obama is a secret Muslim who was born outside of the United States at a New York forum on Thursday, supporting GOP strategist Karl Rove’s call to rebuff conspiracy theorists within the party.
Palin responded to questions of the president’s birth and religion as “annoying” and a distraction. She ended discussion on the questions concluding, “Let’s just stick with what really matters.” Read more…
Monday, February 7, 2011President Obama: “I’m Not Alone in My Prayers”
The president spoke about his prayer life during the 2011 National Prayer Breakfast.
“As I travel across the country, folks often ask me, what is it that I pray for? And like most of you, my prayers sometimes are general. Lord, give me the strength to meet the challenges of my office. Sometimes they’re specific. Lord, give me patience as I watch Malia go to her first dance, where there will be boys.”
Turning more serious, he listed ministers he prays with such as pastor Joel Hunter. Read more…
Thursday, February 3, 2011Obama Calls His Christian Faith ‘A Sustaining Force’ in Prayer Breakfast Speech
President Obama called his Christian faith “a sustaining force” in his life in an unusual speech Thursday at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, where he acknowledged persistent questions about his religion and offered perhaps his most detailed comments about his spiritual beliefs and practices.
Obama, who has faced a persistent number of Americans who mistakenly believe that he is a Muslim as well as questions about why he only occasionally attends church, described how he “came to know Jesus Christ for myself and embrace him as my Lord and savior.”
He acknowledged questions about his faith.
“My Christian faith, then, has been a sustaining force for me over these last few years, all the more so when Michelle and I hear our faith questioned from time to time,” he said to a crowd of about 4,000 at the Washington Hilton hotel. “We are reminded that ultimately what matters is not what other people say about us, but whether we’re being true to our conscience and true to our God. ‘Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you, as well.’ ” Read more…
Wednesday, January 19, 2011FAITH IN THE PUBLIC SQUARE: BECOMING COMPLETELY PRO-LIFE
Part 7 in a series of teachings from Dr. Joel C. Hunter about how to approach today’s issues biblically, respectfully and effectively.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011FAITH IN THE PUBLIC SQUARE: CREATION CARE
Part 6 in a series of teachings from Dr. Joel C. Hunter about how to approach today’s issues biblically, respectfully and effectively.
Monday, January 17, 2011Obama Consulted Clergy, Scripture in Tragedy’s Aftermath
WASHINGTON — As President Barack Obama and his aides prepared to memorialize the dead in Tucson, they were dealing with death close to home.
Two days after the Tucson mass shooting, Ashley Turton, the wife of Dan Turton, Obama’s liaison to the House of Representatives, died when her car struck a wall in their garage, igniting a flash fire.
Several members of Obama’s staff went to be with their colleague, and with the couple’s twin toddlers and year-old baby.
The White House was already preparing for another funeral later in the week for diplomat Richard C. Holbrooke.
“I think we’re all searching for meaning here,” said one senior administration official who, like others, described the personal scene on the condition of anonymity.
Obama’s search began hours after he heard of the Tucson shootings. Six people were dead and 13 wounded, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz. One of the first people he reached out to after calling in his speechwriter was a young clergyman on his staff, Joshua DuBois. Read more…
Monday, January 17, 2011President Obama Attends Local Church Service
Since President Obama’s arrival in town two years ago, many local religious leaders have wondered when, or if, the country’s first African American first family might choose a new church home. On Sunday, as the Obamas worshiped at the storied Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church a few blocks from the White House, a not-so-subtle appeal came direct from the pulpit. Read more…
Sunday, January 16, 2011FAITH IN THE PUBLIC SQUARE: IMMIGRATION
Part 5 in a series of teachings from Dr. Joel C. Hunter about how to approach today’s issues biblically, respectfully and effectively.
Saturday, January 15, 2011FAITH IN THE PUBLIC SQUARE: PEACE
Part 4 in a series of teachings from Dr. Joel C. Hunter about how to approach today’s issues biblically, respectfully and effectively.
Thursday, January 13, 2011Faith Leaders Urge Soul Searching
In the wake of the tragedy in Tucson, Arizona, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim faith leaders are weighing in. They are urging a time of reflection and “soul searching” when it comes to political dialogue. It’s important to note that the letter doesn’t suggest that politics or rhetoric prompted the shooter, Jared Lee Loughner, 22, to launch his attack. However, the letter takes advantage of an opportunity to address the issue of civility in public debate.
Bishop T.D. Jakes, pastor of The Potter’s House; the Rev. Joel Hunter, pastor of Northland Church; and the Rev. Sam Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference are among the 50-plus signatories. Read more…
Thursday, January 13, 2011Faith in the Public Square: It’s Your Calling
Part 3 in a series of teachings from Dr. Joel C. Hunter about how to approach today’s issues biblically, respectfully and effectively.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011Faith in the Public Square: It’s All About Jesus
Part 2 in a series of teachings from Dr. Joel C. Hunter about how to approach today’s issues biblically, respectfully and effectively.