MANSFIELD — Despite a challenging five-year tenure as Mansfield Police Chief involving several tragedies in the community, Ken Coontz is moving up the ladder once again. Coontz will be retiring as Police Chief to become the City’s Human Resource Director. As the old adage claims, “You can’t keep a good man down.”
After getting baptized at age eighteen, Coontz decided to serve as a police officer, quickly rising thru the ranks, and receiving valuable advice from seasoned veterans on the police force.
“I had the privilege to work beside some great mentors in the department that really groomed me as a professional. I always say that GOD puts you where He wants you. Everything I went thru from when I first started on the force, to when I was promoted thru the ranks, was all preparation for me when I would later become Police Chief.”
According to Coontz, you also can’t keep a good city down.
When asked if Mansfield is different from other communities, Coontz answered by saying that the City of Mansfield is unique: in adversity, it rose to the occasion, literally.
“Yeah, Mansfield is different from other communities. It seemed ten years ago during that entire anti-police movement that was going on through our country, as different places were having riots and civil unrest, our police department’s partnership and ties with the community did not become strained, they became stronger.”
Coontz says that the relationship between the police department and with citizen and churches the last five years was “extremely important.”
“I gave my cell phone number out to people to let them know that I was available and accessible and I think that really built a lot of trust and transparency.”
When asked if he recalled any seemingly-improbable moments during his tenure that in retrospect gave him goose bumps, Coontz did not hesitate: “the Randallwood Drive standoff– I will never forget that day.”
“We had a guy randomly shooting at people from his house. The plan was for the SWAT Team to go in to dislodge the air conditioning unit to throw a tear gas canister into the garage and diffuse the situation. Four officers approached the house behind a little 2 foot by 3 foot armor shield and with our tactical rescue vehicle approaching nearby. But the AC unit didn’t budge.
“For some reason I felt compelled to go to the other side of the house and take a photograph of the four officers and the team with the rescue vehicle.
Photo taken by Ken Coontz seconds before suspect fired his rifle from basement upwards at officers to far left.
“I took the photograph and several seconds later the suspect fired multiple rounds upwards thru the window well with .223 caliber rifle ammunition from the basement beneath the garage. Two bullets went thru the shield and came within inches of the four officers’ heads and torsos. Unbeknownst to the officers, the suspect was only a minuscule ten feet away from the officers when he began firing.”
When the smoke had cleared, eighty bullet shells were recovered inside the next door neighbor’s house. The turret protecting one of the officers in the tactical vehicle was hit three times.
“It was nothing short of a miracle that none of the officers were killed or maimed that day. This is why citizens should pray for the police department-they are on the front lines and in harm’s way each and every day.”
“It was nothing short of a miracle that none of the officers were killed or maimed that day. This is why citizens should pray for the police department-they are on the front lines and in harm’s way each and every day.”
Mansfield Police chief Ken Coontz
Coontz says faith plays a big role in the community. “A lot of it begins at home, how a family teaches children morality and ethics integrated in faith. We see drug addiction many times in broken families, and without a doubt drug addiction is at the center of violent crimes.”
During the period of national turmoil and the local opiate epidemic, Coontz agrees that he saw GOD work simultaneously in people’s hearts to be proactive in working with the police to safeguard the city.
Detective Rich Miller, the SWAT Commander in the Randallwood standoff shows the bullet holes that pierced the shield.
“We saw several community marches against drugs, the implementation of the Fugitive Task Force, and the Opiate Task Force with Mental Health and faith based groups partnering.
“The ‘We Act’ citizen group has been a phenomenal catalyst with the “Blue Light” and “National Police Week” campaigns, along with the community block parties.
“The churches contributed with their campaigns against marijuana and awareness on human trafficking. A group of clergy helped us shut down a human trafficking center which consequently uncovered a network. It is also helpful when the National Day of Prayer gets officials to come to the square to pray corporately.”
With an engaged community, crime in the city has dropped across the board each year consecutively over the last five years and violent crime has taken a nosedive and is at its lowest level in ten years.
Coontz adds, “It is always great when people that care for the community want to ride along with our officers to see the challenges our officers face. When people realize that the police department and citizens are on the same team, we really can achieve great things together and the city can be a safe place for our children.”
Late in 2018, the motion picture Gosnell stormed into movie theaters across the country. The movie had a limited run, at least in the local theater where I viewed it.
The film, which came out on DVD Feb. 5, ranked at the top in online pre-sales, taking the No. 1 spot for drama DVDs and the No. 3 spot for overall DVD sales on Amazon, according to the Daily Wire.
Greg Jevnikar
It is very unfortunate that the movie did not have a much wider audience. The message of the movie needs to be seen by all Americans. Interestingly, the movie offers an example of the unreliability of the main stream media in how it covered this important murder trial of Philadelphia abortionist Kermit Gosnell.
Gosnell is rated PG-13 for mature thematic content, including disturbing images and descriptions. (Check out Focus on the Family’s “Plugged In” for another Christian review.)
Gosnell centers around the 2011 investigation, trial, conviction and sentencing of the Philadelphia abortionist for the murder of newborns and one woman. While the movie is not produced in a documentary style, the film is based on a true story.
Kermit Gosnell apparently believed that he was doing a good work on behalf of mothers in killing their babies, relieving them of responsibility for caring and nurturing them.
It was not easy to get this film produced or distributed. Hollywood did not want to touch this movie because it went against their pro-abortion and radical liberal ideology. It was difficult in finding a distributor as well.
The makers of this movie used Internet-based funding sources to make the movie. They eventually were able to get the movie distributed.
Dean Cain, known for his role in Superman, was the lead character playing the detective involved in the case investigating Gosnell. Cain did a superb and very believable job of acting.
The movie tells the behind the scenes story of the investigation and the trial that was not brought out in our nation’s predominately fake news media. The main stream media left out major parts of the story in their “reporting.”
Greg Jevnikar
The movie tells the behind the scenes story of the investigation and the trial that was not brought out in our nation’s predominately fake news media. The main stream media left out major parts of the story in their “reporting.”
The movie also gives a glimpse of the negative results and impact on the public’s health, safety and welfare that occur when facilities that do abortion are given preferential treatment and not regularly inspected as compared to other out-patient medical facilities.
The film is worth seeing, either by rental, streaming or purchase. It is educational and gives the world a glimpse of the gruesome underbelly of the highly suspect abortion industry.
Overall Gosnell was well done and worth the time invested in watching.
The underlying message of the movie, to me, was that it dramatizes the need to totally abolish the heinous abortion procedure, because abortion encourages man’s inhumanity to man. Kermit Gosnell was not an anomaly or an outlier, I believe that he is the tip of the iceberg that marks much of the abortion industry today.
I would recommend the movie to anyone and give it 5 of 5 stars .
Greg Jevnikar is a healthcare professional and devoted Christ-follower. As a blogger and activist, he defends the sanctity of human life and traditional marriage .and participates in the Ohio Tea Party movement.
NORTH CENTRAL OHIO — A significant contingent of area clergy representing nine United Methodist Church (UMC) congregations across the Buckeye Bible Belt believe diversity had a contributing factor in the decision to affirm traditional Biblical values for the special meeting on church sexual ethics held by the UMC General Conference in St. Louis last week.
The UMC is the nation’s second-largest Protestant church and has a single global body of members as opposed to separate national church bodies. As a result, UMC members in Africa add a global identity by making up more than forty-percent of all United Methodists worldwide and impacting the denomination with a stronger conservative voice.
Church delegates approved the more conservative “Traditional Plan” by a vote of 438-384. The Plan maintains the denomination’s stance forbidding: homosexuality, same-sex marriage, and the ordination of non-celibate homosexuals. The plan also promises to enforce existing rules of the Book of Discipline, and encourages those who will not obey church prohibitions to find another church home.
All six clergy contacted by Frontlines Ohio agreed that the Traditional Plan was the best course of action and that the practice of homosexuality is “incompatible with Christian teaching.”
“This is an issue the UMC has been dealing with since 1972 and just now our General Conference has taken decisive action,” says Reverend Layton Broome of Paradise Hill UMC. “The UMC believes that the Bible is GOD’s Word and is the primary authority for our faith and practice. The outcome of this Special Session should not surprise anyone, I am glad we finally addressed it.”
Of mainline denominations, the UMC differs from the more liberal Presbyterian USA, Episcopalian, and United Church of Christ denominations who are seeing their memberships decline.
“True love acts in accordance with objective standards. A subjective definition of “love” leads only to moral ambiguity, and can never provide a sound basis for ethical evaluation. Jesus himself affirms this interrelationship between love and law: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” It really is all about loving the LORD.”
Reverend Dewayne Smith
Reverend Thomas Gruver of Woodlawn UMC in Bucyrus, Ohio explains “I am conservative and my congregation is conservative. We believe that the Bible is infallible and that you cannot manipulate the truth. Fortunately the delegates chose not to rewrite the history of over two hundred years of Methodist teaching pioneered by John and Charles Wesley, and chose to remain consistent with a two-thousand-year-old understanding of Biblical morality.”
According to Reverend John Grimm who pastors two UMC congregations in Plymouth and Shiloh, Ohio, he is glad the vote turned out the way it did. “As Bible-believing Methodists, our Church is not against people-we welcome people and offer them hope. The requirements of the Bible forbid the practice of homosexuality, just like it forbids the practice of lying, stealing or murder. I am not clear why some sins get “a pass” in our culture and others do not. In John Chapter 8, we read that Jesus forgave the adulteress and then told her to “go and sin no more.”
Studies indicate if congregations have little requirements for its members and commitment levels are low, church attendance goes into decline. In other words, if something costs nothing, it really is worth nothing.
Reverend DeWayne Smith of Main Street Methodist in Mansfield, Ohio believes many people don’t want accountability. “It seems that those with political power are trying to change what the Bible says. True love acts in accordance with objective standards. A subjective definition of “love” leads only to moral ambiguity, and can never provide a sound basis for ethical evaluation. Jesus himself affirms this interrelationship between love and law: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” It really is all about loving the LORD.”
One Shelby, Ohio Baptist church marquee alongside the road speaks its approval of the UMC vote.
Reverend Joseph Beran pastors outside Fredericktown, Ohio at both Berlin UMC and Batemantown UMC and says the crux of the matter lies with one question “What is sin? With open arms our congregation has welcomed sex offenders and other persons who face struggles with temptations and addictions; everyone is welcome in our pews,” says Beran. “But I will never officiate a same-sex wedding at my church.”
Regarding the ordination of non-celibate homosexuals, Reverend Broome points out: “The Bible clearly states in James Chapter 3 that ‘not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.’ While as a Pastor I am just like anyone else, I am also under more scrutiny since I am leading a flock.”
According to Reverend Jeffrey Coggins of Adario UMC and Ashland Emanuel UMC, “We prayed and believed as a denomination on Sunday, February 24th that GOD would reveal to the delegates His desire for the future of the UMC, and He did. Sadly there are some at the General Conference Special Session that feel GOD did not answer our corporate prayer because they did not like the way He answered it (Traditional Plan).”
This past January, leading clergymen from 150 congregations throughout north central Ohio declared 2019 as “Year of the Bible;” reaffirming that the Old and New Testaments Scriptures pertain to today and that the Word of GOD will endure forever.” Ten of those local congregations endorsing the joint-statement were United Methodist.
The Bottom Line:
The Bible says in Matthew Nineteen, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”
I recently watched the motion picture ” Run the Race ” produced by college football phenom now turned baseball player Tim Tebow.
Greg Jevnikar
The Christian role model’s movie premiered last February 22nd with over $2 million in box office receipts after the first weekend. It is currently showing in theaters this week.
Run the Race is PG-rated, faith-based and a sports-themed movie. (Check out Focus on the Family’s “Plugged In” for another Christian review.)
The movie centers on two high school brothers, David and Zach, who are living on their own after their mother dies and their father abandons them.The story revolves around high school football (of course) and track.
The two brothers are both hard-working athletes who are intent on getting out their small poor rural Southern community. Both are football players. David had a serious head injury earlier and he is one of the team’s managers. Zach is the star quarterback of his high school football team.
The acting is very good and believable. It is a story of dealing with the ups and downs of life, with forgiveness, dedication, love and hope. It is a wholesome movie, in contrast to Hollywood’s decadence.
Run the Race is a fast-paced movie with interesting plot twists and turns. It entertains, uplifts and could be summarized with this verse:
“I have fought well. I have finished the race, and I have been faithful.”
2 Timothy 4:7
I would recommend the movie to anyone and give it 5 of 5 stars .
Greg Jevnikar is a healthcare professional and devoted Christ-follower. As a blogger and activist, he defends the sanctity of human life and traditional marriage .and participates in the Ohio Tea Party movement.
MANSFIELD — Despite the wintry mix last week, twenty-three area pastors met with Mansfield Mayor Timothy Theaker to discuss corporate vision for the city. During the luncheon, the Mayor thanked the clergy for their efforts involving 150 congregations who recently declared the New Year as the “Year of the Bible.”
Mayor Timothy Theaker declares “Jerry Laudermilk Day” for the city of Mansfield. (Submitted photo)
Theaker was pleased to report that crime
in the City of Mansfield is at its lowest levels in twenty years.
“These statistics have a lot to do with
what you do in the faith community and with what all of our collective ongoing
efforts in the community have been able to accomplish,” said Theaker.
To illustrate the ongoing efforts, Theaker
discussed the Opiate Response Team which utilizes team players in the faith
community, in Mental Health and Recovery Services, and in law enforcement who reach
out to incarcerated drug offenders.
With
less crime, Theaker commented that several local investors have publicly stated
they feel comfortable developing in the downtown since they feel the area is
safe. Part of this can be attributed to
the city, in cooperation with the Land Bank, demolishing 700 of the 2,500
structures identified as urban blight.
Also discussed were the prospects of several
local employers who are announcing additional job creation in the near future
and several multi-million dollar investments is expansion plans.
“With an unemployment rate dropping to 4.5 % and a $4 million dollar rainy day fund that has accrued since the City was taken off fiscal emergency in 2014, tomorrow is sure to look brighter than yesterday,”
Mansfield Mayor Timothy Theaker
“With an unemployment rate dropping to
4.5 % and a $4 million dollar rainy day fund that has accrued since the City
was taken off fiscal emergency in 2014, tomorrow is sure to look brighter than
yesterday,” Theaker told the clergy.
Also during the luncheon, the Mayor
delivered a proclamation honoring Reverend Jerry Laudermilk who is moving to
Knoxville, Tennessee to be closer to family and to begin a new chapter in
ministry.
Theaker proclaimed “Jerry Laudermilk Day”
for January 24th “In recognition of the exemplary service Laudermilk has
provided to the citizens of this community and in recognition and appreciation
of his efforts to make this community a better place to live, work, worship,
and raise a family.”
Pastors give farewell hugs to Jerry Laudermilk (Submitted photo)
According to retired Pastor Kim Maurer, Communications
Facilitator of the informal Brown Bag Clergy Group, Laudermilk will be sorely
missed.
“Jerry had so many good relationships
with area pastors in his fifteen years here, he really had a heart for the
community.”
According to Reverend El Akuchie of the
Richland Community Prayer Network, Laudermilk was the chief catalyst behind the
“Light our City” outreach program in the Greater Mansfield area.
“The program was so successful locally;
there were communities in the nations of South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and
Zimbabwe who tried to replicate it.”
Between 2013-2016 the “Light our City” outreach
at its peak involved 300 volunteers and 45 local churches cooperating together
to assist schools, impoverished neighborhoods, city parks and service agencies.
“I will miss working with all of you and
will miss all of the faithful at Abundant Life Tabernacle. There were a lot of good memories here, you
guys (clergy) really have something special in this community.”
As a gesture of support, local
philanthropist Greg Boyd of Modern Woodmen of America provided lunch for the
attending clergy and lunches for the second-shift police department.
Today we are calling on the state of Ohio to revoke the medical license for a medical resident whose anti-Semitic rants and threats against Jews include her saying, “Allah will kill the Jews,” calling Jewish people dogs, and noting that she is “brutally unsympathetic” about the Holocaust. We are joined in this effort by The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA).
Islamist physician Lara Kollab, a first-year resident at the Cleveland Clinic, actually publicly stated that she wanted to “purposely give all the [Jews] the wrong meds.”
Jay Sekulow American Center for Liberty & Justice (Photo courtesy of Twitter)
This behavior is abhorrent and dangerous.
The issue is simple: should a doctor who makes threats about giving Jews the wrong medication with the intent to cause harm to be entitled to practice medicine? The answer is no. The medical license should be permanently revoked. Threats to cause harm must never be tolerated in any setting – including the medical field.
Dr. Kollab has de-activated or deleted all her social media accounts after her tweets went viral.
The Cleveland Clinic, a nonprofit academic medical center, took immediate action by firing her and issued a statement that denounced Dr. Kollab’s hateful comments: “We fully embrace diversity, inclusion and a culture of safety and respect across our entire health system.”
In a formal complaint to the Ohio State Board of Medical Examiners filed today, the ACLJ notes that Dr. Kollab’s “statements and intentions go far beyond the realms of free speech. Allowing her near any patients could literally jeopardize lives. Dr. Kollab is obviously unfit to practice medicine.”
The ACLJ is urging Ohio officials to revoke her license:
“While it is true that Dr. Kollab’s temporary license limits her to practicing medicine at the Clinic and is therefore practically useless for the moment, the purpose of this letter is to officially ask the Board to revoke her medical license permanently, so that no other clinic or medical practice in Ohio might inadvertently hire her, and no other patients will be put at risk.”
Jay Sekulow American Center for Liberty & Justice
The ACLJ is filing the formal complaint in conjunction with the The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) – the oldest pro-Israel organization in the United States. The ACLJ is also launching a national petition to urge officials in Ohio to permanently revoke Dr. Kollab’s medical license.
The ACLJ contends that this case is indicative of the darker, sicker problem of rampant racism and anti-Jewish sentiment spreading across America and around the world, including at the United Nations.
The ACLJ argues it’s sadly not surprising that anti-Semites like Dr. Kollab think they can threaten Jewish people without reprisal, when the U.N. is funding an anti-Israel slush fund, and refused to condemn terrorist attacks on Israel. Further, Dr. Kollab is a proud supporter of the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) movement, further exposing BDS for what it is – thinly veiled anti-Semitism.
We don’t need physicians with such a flippant attitude towards endangering lives – simply because of one’s faith or ethnicity – practicing medicine in the United States.
Jay Sekulow is chief counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), which focuses on constitutional law. He also serves as a member of President Trump’s legal team. Follow him on Twitter @JaySekulow.
View the video below by the ACLJ regarding ethics violations of Dr. Lara Kollab.
CINCINNATI — In a press conference yesterday, the Ohio Christian Alliance (OCA), along with a coalition of religious, family and legal advocacy organizations, called for the FBI and Justice Department to investigate the dangerous threats that were made against the Covington Catholic Christian School students. This week the school was closed by officials and local law enforcement due to security concerns.
Chris Long is the president of Ohio Christian Alliance, a public policy grassroots educational organization.
“The statements and direct threats that were made against this Christian school and its students are alarming and extremely dangerous,” said Chris Long, President of OCA.
“The FBI in the recent past has brought charges and prosecuted individuals who have hurled similar threats against Congressional members.”
One such incident occurred in 2010 when a threat was reported to have been made against then Ohio Congressman John Boccieri. The case was brought to federal court and the individual in question was found guilty and sentenced to prison.
“The hysteria that followed the students from the encounter with protesters at the Lincoln Memorial at the conclusion of the March for Life put them at the center of a generated hate campaign fueled by false media reports and social media. ”
Chris Long, Ohio Christian Alliance
According to Long, “The hysteria that followed the students from the encounter with protesters at the Lincoln Memorial at the conclusion of the March for Life put them at the center of a generated hate campaign fueled by false media reports and social media. “
“Known individuals have called for violence against the students and their Christian school. This in our opinion, is simply an outrage and a watershed moment in which reason, sensibility, and the law must come into play.”
Official seal of the FBI
Long later began to compare the administration of justice that elected officials benefit from with the justice that is still pending.
“The Justice Department stands for justice for all, and everyone equal under the law. Does the well-being and safety of a Congressman outweigh the safety and security of school children? The individuals who made these vicious and dangerous threats against the Covington Catholic School children must be held accountable for their threats against these minors.
“We will make an official appeal to the DOJ and the FBI in writing in the coming days.”
The Ohio Christian Alliance (OCA) is a non-partisan organization dedicated to promoting Judeo-Christian values in American government. OCA provides educational materials, including voter guides and scorecards but does not endorse any particular candidate or political party.
150 area clergymen declare 2019 as the "Year of the Bible" (Photo courtesy of Frontlines Ohio)
MANSFIELD — In a region known for clergy collaborations, faith leaders across North Central Ohio held a press conference January 15th at BibleWalk Museum. Several clergy read a joint statement to area leaders and local media addressing the problem of Bible illiteracy and political correctness.
Pastor Randy Raynes of Mansfield Fellowship Baptist declared “as leading clergymen of one hundred and fifty congregations across North Central Ohio, we formally reaffirm the Bible as being living, active and GOD-breathed; and demonstrating thru history to be the anvil that has worn many hammers out.”
Pastors pictured: Jerry Laudermilk, Steve Brenneman, Mark Cobb & Randy Raynes. (Photo courtesy of Frontlines Ohio)
The statement pointed out “Bible illiteracy is plaguing our politically-correct society, the Bible is being censored by governments and cultural institutions, and that the authority of both the Old and New Testament Scriptures of the Bible are being subverted by some religious circles.”
Prior to the clergy declaration, Reverend Raynes described a study conducted by the Richland Community Prayer Network (RCPN) in 2018 of fifty-eight local Bible-based churches and their respective outreach ministries.
“RCPN found that not only did these churches provide valuable support ministries to their local community between the years of 2014-2017, these goodwill ambassadors (churches) also supported missions to an astounding ninety-three different nations around the globe. It is important to note this generosity occurred when the area was listed as the seventh most economically-challenged metropolitan region in the nation.”
The study discovered significant local volunteerism with church members visiting the elderly, the hospitalized and the incarcerated, and with litter pickups and maintenance of parks improving of quality of life. The labor of love by these Bible-based churches also included the donation of their facilities for neighborhood watches, election polls, community health screenings, and blood drives. Concerts, dramas and sports leagues also provided cultural enhancement.
“This RCPN outreach study really illustrates that good works is the byproduct of following the Bible. This is why we are encouraging Ohioans to study the Bible.”
Reverend Randy Raynes, Mansfield Fellowship Baptist
Other clergy spokesmen included Reverend Jerry Laudermilk of Ontario Abundant Life Tabernacle, Reverend Mark Cobb of Mansfield Providence Baptist, and Reverend Steve Brenneman of Mount Gilead Awakening Christian Center and former Morrow County Sheriff.
According to Reverend Brenneman, “the Bible has played an integral part in American history and that national leaders have historically promoted the study of the Bible.” The Sheriff turned Pastor cited a study by political scientists listing the Bible as the original source and primary influence of the ideas of the U.S. Constitution, accounting for 34 % of the direct quotations by the Founding Fathers.
Ontario Pastor Laudermilk described how the accuracy of the Bible has been verified by archaeological evidence and validated thru fulfilled prophecy. He mentioned the historical discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls and related how eight fulfilled prophecies by Christ illustrate the supernatural qualities of the Bible.
North Central Ohio clergy attending the “2019 Year of the Bible” press conference. (Photo courtesy of Frontlines Ohio)
Reverend Mark Cobb discussed how science is just now confirming truths in nature that the Bible has already disclosed thousands of years prior. “A recent 2018 study surveying the genetic ‘bar codes’ of five million animals confirms the Genesis account of Adam and Eve, of animals being created the same week as humans, and the existence of a world-wide flood,” Cobb asserted. “ It sounds a lot like the first nine chapters of the Book of Genesis.”
Pastor Raynes believes the Bible provokes those people who study the Scriptures to “love their neighbor as themselves, to feed the poor, to protect the weak, and to clothe the naked. “This RCPN outreach study really illustrates that good works is the byproduct of following the Bible. This is why we are encouraging Ohioans to study the Bible.”
Mansfield Mayor Timothy Theaker, Shelby Mayor Steve Schag, and Mansfield Councilman Cliff Mears were in attendance along with members of the press corp.
The clergy proclamation concluded by saying, “We encourage all Ohioans to examine the Bible and to rediscover its priceless and timeless message. In conclusion, we maintain that the following words still resonate in our day: The grass may wither and the flowers may fall, but the Word of our GOD endures forever.”
The Bottom Line:
The Bible says in Isaiah Forty, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of our GOD endures forever.”
View the clergy press conference in its entirety below. (Duration 30 min.)
SHELBY– Two ordinances prohibiting the cultivation, processing, and dispensing of marijuana for medical purposes inside city limits easily passed by a 4-1 margin at the January 7th Shelby City Council meeting.
The lone dissenter, Third Ward Councilman Garland Gates, was originally one of the five sponsors supporting the two measures. Gates voted in favor of the proposed ordinances the first two readings of the ordinances. Then after the third reading on January 7th, Gates opposed both bills.
In an interview with WMFD-TV, Gates stated that he had received an email from Law Director Gordon Eyster saying that doctors, nurses, the Ohio Health Shelby Hospital and pharmacists inside the city could be “criminally liable under this ordinance.”
“I objected vociferously and requested my name be stricken as a sponsor” Gates said. “My protestations fell on deaf ears. My colleagues for, quite honestly, unfounded reasons, went ahead and passed the ordinance. There was an outside group that came into Shelby last year and was pushing for this ordinance,” Gates recalled.
Benjamin Mutti, a local advocate for the prohibition of marijuana and Coordinator with the Richland Community Prayer Network, lobbied Shelby City Council at a June 18th 2018 meeting. He believes Councilman Gates’ concerns are unfounded.
In a prepared statement to Frontlines Ohio, Mutti wrote: “According to Chapter 4731.30 of the Ohio Revised Code, the Ohio State Medical Board specially licenses physicians to prescribe marijuana. With that being said, doctors do not cultivate, process, or dispense cannabis-they can only prescribe. Furthermore, hospitals and nurses are not authorized entities that can prescribe marijuana, only specially licensed physicians.”
“If Mr. Gates read the clergy letter that was presented to him during my public comment on June 18th 2018, he would find that ten of those “outside” signatories have churches located inside the Shelby zip code area. Another pastor from Shiloh endorsed the letter, Reverend Kevin Evans; he happens to be the President of the Shelby Ministerial Association.”
Benjamin Mutti
In Gates’ opinion, several entities and individuals who did not represent the interests of the City of Shelby prompted the creation of the ordinances. In previous city council meetings, various presentations and public comments were heard from concerned citizens in nearby townships and cities who were unsure of the effects the medical marijuana industry would have on their own nearby communities.
Mutti commented, “I find it disheartening that Councilman Gates considers clergymen from seventy diverse Richland County congregations as ‘entities that do not represent the interest of the City of Shelby.'”
President of the Shelby Ministerial Association, Kevin Evans, addressing Council earlier on November 5, 2018. (Photo courtesy of Frontlines Ohio)
“If Mr. Gates read the clergy letter that was presented to him during my public comment on June 18th 2018, he would find that ten of those “outside” signatories have churches located inside the Shelby zip code area. Another pastor from Shiloh endorsed the letter, Reverend Kevin Evans; he happens to be the President of the Shelby Ministerial Association.
“With the municipalities of Mansfield, Lexington, another five townships, the Sheriff, METRICH Commander, County Prosecutor, Community Action for Capable Youth (CACY), and leading clergymen from seventy congregations, all from Richland County taking a unified public position opposing medical marijuana, maybe Councilman Gates is the real outsider. In fact, all of Shelby City Council disregarded his input and overwhelmingly sponsored and passed both prohibition bills.”
The local clergy opposed the prescribing of marijuana based on the addictive nature of marijuana, adverse health effects of marijuana, affiliation between crime and marijuana, and the inevitable illegal diversion of marijuana that will occur.
After just one month in operation, state regulators initiated their first suspension of a patient registration for marijuana. The Ohio State Board of Pharmacy, which operates the patient registry, found “clear and convincing evidence” the patient violated state regulations barring patients from sharing their medical marijuana products with others.
The patient bought medical marijuana twice at Ohio dispensaries since January 16th 2019. In an interview with authorities, the patient said they illegally diverted their marijuana by providing marijuana to their wife, seven-year-old son, the patient’s fifteen-year-old step-son, and a family pet.
The patient also admitted to smoking marijuana and buying marijuana products in Michigan to consume in Ohio. Ohio’s medical marijuana law prohibits smoking cannabis. Federal law also prohibits carrying marijuana across state lines.
The Bottom Line:
The Bible says in James One, “A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.”
Great is thy faithfulness! What an incredible year for the Christ-centered movement in Ohio! There is no doubt because of your support through action, prayer and donating that the Buckeye state has a BRIGHT future.
Aaron Baer, President Citizens for Community Values
Truly God has been faithful to those who have been called according to His name!Here are just a few of the victories of 2018… with some unfinished business to take on next year:
Stopping Issue 1
George Soros and Mark Zuckerburg poured millions into Ohio to push a devastating drug decriminalization Constitutional amendment – Issue 1.
Even though we were massively outspent, people like you partnered with CCV and church leaders rose up to speak out against this dangerous Constitutional amendment. This grassroots movement successfully defeated Issue 1 in a BIG way – 63-37!
CCV traveled the state in our VOTE No! on Issue 1 bus tour.
Stopping Discriminatory HB 160 In the first half of 2018, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce along with Equality Ohio announced a major push to enact HB 160. This bill would have mandated that biological men be allowed in women’s restrooms and private spaces. It also would have penalized Christian business owners who simply wish to run their business in line with their faith.
From Amazon to P&G, some of America’s most powerful corporations were pushing this terrible bill. Yet CCV rose up to oppose it, and we successfully blocked it from becoming law! Religious Freedom in Ohio is preserved another day because we won!
CCV led the campaign to stop HB 160
Proponents of the bill will be back next year, and we will be there make sure this unnecessary bill goes nowhere.
Heartbeat Bill Passes Out of the General Assembly Again For the second time, the Ohio General Assembly put the Heartbeat Bill on Governor Kasich’s desk. Unfortunately, for the second time, the governor vetoed the bill, and we came up one vote short of overriding his veto in the Senate.
Citizens for Community Values, Family Research Council, Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio, and Rep. Christina Hagan host a press conference on the Heartbeat Bill
Yet incoming Governor Mike DeWine pledged to sign the bill next year, and his running mate Jon Husted has also been supportive of the bill. I feel confident that this time next year, Ohio will be a state that prohibits abortion once a heartbeat is detected.
These are just a few of 2018’s victories…but as you can see our work is far from done!
Aaron Baer is President of Citizens for Community Values, in Columbus, Ohio
Should
the government compel a pastor or a religious organization to act in a manner
that violates core tenets of their religious faith? Recent developments around
the nation have had a chilling effect on the First Amendment rights of the
faith community.
Reverend El Akuchie (Photo courtesy of Frontlines Ohio)
As the
Ohio Senate decides on House Bill 36 in the eleventh hour of the legislative
session, several local clergy have voiced their support of H.B. 36 to protect
clergy and to secure religious freedom.
With
40 co-sponsors, H.B. 36 easily won with bipartisan support 59-29 in June. But
with the legislative session coming to a conclusion at the end of the year, the
legislation still has not gotten out of committee and scheduled for floor vote.
Reverend
Brian Phillips of New Beginnings Freewill Baptist Church believes “most Ohioans
support this common sense measure (H.B. 36). We still live in a free country
and people want the government to stay out of people’s personal beliefs. The
First Amendment was designed to provide a wall of separation between church and
state.”
” Most Ohioans support this common sense measure (H.B. 36). We still live in a free country and people want the government to stay out of people’s personal beliefs. The First Amendment was designed to provide a wall of separation between church and state.”
Reverend Brian Phillips, New Beginnings Freewill Baptist
Nonetheless, an Idaho city in 2015 threatened to arrest and fine two ordained ministers for not performing same-sex marriages. The following year the State of Iowa claimed it had the power to regulate what churches can teach about human sexuality and how they operate their facilities.”
According
to H.B. 36 which is being considered, “No ordained or licensed minister or
religious society is required to solemnize a marriage that does not conform to
the ordained or licensed minister’s or religious society’s sincerely held
religious beliefs.”
It
also states that “No religious society is required to allow any building or
property of the religious society to be used to host a marriage ceremony for a
marriage that does not conform to the religious society’s sincerely held
religious beliefs.
It’s no small matter that the State of New Jersey in 2012 forced a privately-owned Methodist Association Boardwalk Pavilion to host wedding ceremonies that contradicted its religious doctrine. This was despite the fact that other facilities were available to host the disputed ceremonies. Prior to the mandate, the clergy pavilion had been dedicated for religious purposes: hosting religious services, revival gatherings, and gospel music programs.
Pastor DeWayne Smith (Photo courtesy of Frontlines Ohio)
Reverend
DeWayne Smith of the Main Street United Methodist Church says congregations
that provide valuable services to the public are being discriminated against
all the time for their religious beliefs.
“Tolerance is a two-way street. People do not forget when the Mayor of Houston in 2015 subpoenaed five pastors for communications between their congregations of religious speech she personally opposed. There is no doubt this was a form of bullying.
“The
First Amendment did not prevent Kim Davis from being thrown into jail by a
Kentucky judge for five days, or Aaron and Melissa Klein from being fined
$135,000 by the State of Oregon and issued a gag order on their religious
speech. Clearly the government has demonstrated a recent record of hostility
towards religion and H.B. 36 could enhance existing guaranteed rights of all
clergy religious views, not just a select few.”
With
the passage of H.B. 36, clergy would be immune from civil or criminal
liability. Neither the state nor a political subdivision of the state could
penalize or withhold any benefit or privilege from the ordained or licensed
minister or religious society, including any governmental contract, grant, or
license.
Both
pastors point out the recent assault of chaplains in the military that
underscores the need for H.B. 36 for Ohio clergy.
Pastor Brian Phillips (Photo courtesy of Mansfield Tea Party/Facebook)
Decorated Army Chaplain Scott Squires faced court martial in 2013 for not participating in a marriage retreat that violated the tenants of his Baptist faith. Similarly, Lieutenant Commander Chaplain Wesley Modder was threatened with removal from the Navy In 2015 because he expressed the beliefs of his endorsing church on faith, sexuality, and the nature of marriage during private spiritual counseling.
According
to Phillips, “Our government is not a theocracy; therefore it should stop
acting like one. Every freedom is on a slippery slope when the government acts
as a board of theology determining orthodoxy.”
“We
hope President Larry Obhof and the Ohio Senate understand the reinforcement
H.B. 36 could provide clergy. Churches initiate countless charitable causes
because of their fundamental faith in the Bible. The way society is trending,
we won’t even have sanctuary in our own churches.”
Reverend El Akuchie is Coordinator of the Richland Community Prayer Network, founded in 1998 and based in Mansfield, Ohio
The Bible is coming to life beyond belief in the heartland of the Buckeye State. Clergymen from Richland County, Ohio are reclaiming the nexus between church and state and proving they are the juggernaut that can bring social change to their region.
Reverend El Akuchie (Photo courtesy of Frontlines Ohio)
Like night and day, this
former “belt buckle of the Rust Belt” is now on the brink of becoming a new
loop of the Bible Belt.
This report supplies
ample evidence of pastors working in tandem, making an eternal difference in
culture. This account also documents tangible blessings that
followed hand in hand after Biblical obedience. One of the most profound
instances of this divine momentum includes a timely signature clergy collaboration
calling for resistance to a federal government which hit below the belt…
Local clergy “Johnny on the spot”….
Bountiful August rains in the midst of a five-month drought in 2016 came at just the right time. This rainfall had a ripple effect, bringing an unusual abundance of milk and honey, and propelling a robust harvest. Despite being the second hottest August on record, milk productivity countywide increased 43 percent from the previous August. Meanwhile, swarms abounded for a bee population still stinging from the colony collapse disorder, with one prominent beekeeper declaring the summer of 2016 as “the best bee season in a decade.”
“Showers of blessing” became new buzzwords to come out of a sticky situation. In spite of the drought, one farmer exclaimed “In seventy-four years of farming, I have never had eighty bushels of soybeans an acre like I did in 2016!” Another farmer proudly boasted of having five cuts of hay that year…. but that’s not all.
This extraordinary turn of events occurred one month after clergy drew national attention for challenging the Washington D.C. establishment. Leading clergymen from over one hundred congregations across Richland County sent a letter to local and state school officials calling for civil disobedience to the Obama restroom mandate.
Clergy at 2018 Religious Freedom Proclamation (Photo courtesy of Frontlines Ohio)
Citing the mandate jeopardized privacy and safety of women and children, these ministers took a bold stand when many were afraid to challenge a hostile federal government. Interestingly, fifty years prior, the county seat Mansfield drew headlines addressing the same issue of public restroom safety when the city permanently closed down and buried underground public restrooms on the city square to stop lewd behavior.
This same month also saw a sudden exodus of witchcraft with two out of the three area psychic stores closing. Legislative efforts to attack religious freedoms were also averted. And despite an infant mortality rate nearly twice the national average, no cases of premature infant deaths were recorded. Last but not least, the clergy’s milestone moment saw no traffic mortalities during the same summer vacation month.
According to the ancient promises described in Deuteronomy 28, simple obedience by pastors became a pivot point to set these wheels of blessing in motion; one act of faith can change a nation.
Repealing the clergy gag order….
When addressing public issues of morality, clergy have the
right of way. 2 Chronicles 26 shows
Azariah the High Priest and eighty other courageous priests confronting the
prideful King Uzziah when he challenged Biblical authority. In this case, taking the moral high ground
did not involve neutrality, it involved championing truthby confronting authority.
Christ regularly confronted politicians. Lively debates are recorded between Christ
and the Sanhedrin over issues like
paying taxes, food requirements, health care on the Sabbath, and commerce
inside the temple. Consequently, when Moses
confronted Pharoh over slavery, their
confrontation impacted the agriculture, public health, transportation, and weather patterns of a
national superpower. These encounters became
defining moments.
Clergy hold press conference opposing casinos in 2007. (Photo by Ruthie Akuchie)
Walking in faith leads to charters of faith….
Throughout recent
times, Richland County clergy have taken well-timed Biblical stands that have
helped define the faith community while simultaneously providing a mechanism to
hold community leaders accountable.
That following year, eight of the nine mayors throughout the county gave pornography awareness proclamations. Also, police shut down a human trafficking brothel in response to a crime tip given by fourteen area pastors. Just one month after clergy sparked this investigation, another brothel by the same name was closed in Lancaster, Ohio.
After the U.S. Supreme Court redefined marriage in 2015, leading clergymen from 66 congregations publicly called Richland County to a day of prayer and fasting. The clergy statement defined immorality Scripturally, took ownership over the community’s sins, and also cited two redemptive case studies of community turnarounds that ensued after each society repented.
Alluding to this crime tip by the clergy, the Mansfield Police Chief in 2018 stated: “we have had unprecedented church involvement for several years. They have been very supportive and have helped uplift the community and helped get involved in solving crime…they have done great things.”
Ministers call for countywide day of prayer and repentance in 2015. (Photo courtesy of Frontlines Ohio)
This is a powerful statement reinforced by the fact that Mansfield has had three consecutive years of declining crime. Consequently, in 2017, several law enforcement agencies have placarded “In GOD We Trust” on all their squad vehicles, a stark contrast to one generation earlier when area law enforcement were enlisting the services of a California psychic to solve crime.
In response, local veteran realtors stated that the turnaround was “unheard of,” and that they had never seen a real estate market like it before. Suddenly, properties in Richland County became sought after and no longer forsaken; not bad for a county that led the state in foreclosures the previous two years! As a result of the upswing, the Clerk of Courts one year later commented that “foreclosures are down significantly. It’s a huge drop, and I’m not completely sure why.”
While New Age benefited from abandoned buildings as haunts, clergy are taking ownership of their community and the future is becoming more certain: no man’s land is becoming Promised Land.
“In retrospect, some say it (unexplained boom) was the voice of the LORD thundering His approval when the news first broke. I call it GOD restoring thunder back to the pulpit.”
Reverend El Akuchie
Speaking of sorcery, police found marijuana growing on a church roof thirty years ago; but in 2017, clergy led a grassroots effort against local legalization efforts, with 70 pastors sending a policy letter to local government calling for prohibition of medical marijuana. The City of Mansfield, and several villages and townships followed the clergy’s lead prohibiting the dispensing and cultivation of the drug, due to its adverse health effects, affiliation with crime, and inevitable illegal diversion. In fact, the Director of Economic Development pointed to the clergy letter as the “death note” which killed a nearby Ontario City marijuana facility proposal.
Pastors became the talk of the town in 2016 when policymakers were actively considering a local syringe exchange program. Subsequently, a letter written five years prior by 72 area clergy opposing donations to a syringe exchange injected fear and closed the matter from going any further.
This same year the clergy opposed needle exchanges, seven pastors armed with drug treatment ministries confronted the County Fair Board, calling for the cancellation of a fair beer garden. The clergy caused a stir in the community, demonstrating that the beer garden did not meet its revenue goals and brought a bottleneck to security. The very same night the pastors presented their concerns to the board, a mysterious fireball was spotted and made landfall inside county limits. Five government agencies responded to the explosive scene but the incident remains an enigma. For the pastors, these trailblazers that night became the stewards of the mysteries of GOD. No coincidence.
No such word as “coincidence” in Hebrew….
In January 2017, clergy from over one hundred congregations in North-Central Ohio sent an apology letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the position the Obama Administration took in not blocking United Nations Resolution 2334. This anti-Semitic resolution called Israel’s sovereignty of the Promised Land “an international crime.”
Ten days after the apology letter was sent by the Ohio clergymen, a massive natural gas pipeline was approved for construction thru north central Ohio after the project was held up by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The Rover Pipeline Project is more than twice the size of the controversial Keystone Pipeline. With its approval, the 713 mile pipeline brought an economic rebound with hundreds of thousands of dollars to the stagnated local economy at a time when energy projects often go contested.
Participating clergy in the open letter to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu from 2017. (Photo courtesy of Frontlines Ohio)
According to Department of Agriculture numbers, the spring turkey harvest in Richland County saw a dramatic increase from the prior year, whitetail deer harvested was the best in four years, and the cow herd in Richland County, which is estimated in late winter, was measured at its largest size in over thirty years, which is utterly amazing!
The astounding blessings the area experienced from the apology letter aftermath provoked forty-two area clergymen to also request the County Treasurer to invest taxpayer dollars in Israeli bonds.
The day the County Treasurer announced the county government would invest nearly $200,000 in Israeli bonds, was the same meetingthat half a million dollars in unexpected revenue was announced to alleviate a budget shortfall! This clergy apology letter had a snowball effect and sends shivers down your spine to think that the Blessings of Abraham still can impact our generation today.
Almost half a year after these astounding blessings made international news, the Deputy Speaker of the Israeli Knesset visited North Central Ohio in the autumn of 2018 to thank the area for its support of the Zion State. The visit provoked one Israeli journalist to write an article entitled: “Does Rural Ohio Lead the World in Love of Israel?”
For what it’s worth, according to media reports, a loud unexplained boom was heard over Richland County the same day the local newspaper first published the story on the Israeli-clergy apology letter. Power Company officials and emergency responders were scratching their heads trying to determine the source of this strange phenomenon. In retrospect, some say it was the voice of the LORD thundering His approval when the news first broke. I call it GOD restoring thunder back to the pulpit.
To review the referenced footnotes from this article, please click here.
Reverend El Akuchie is Executive Director of the Richland Community Prayer Network, founded in 1998 and based in Mansfield, Ohio
ONTARIO — Lights shone brightly this week along the Lincoln Highway as the area’s second public menorah lighting occurred at Sar Shalom Center for the observance of the eight-day festival of Hanukah.
Rabbi William Hallbrook lighting the menorah. (Submitted photo)
The holiday is a celebration of an
improbable military victory by the Jewish people in 165 BC and a celebration of
the Jewish Temple’s miraculous rededication where a one day’s supply of sacred
oil supernaturally lasted eight days.
According to Rabbi William Hallbrook, “Hanukah
is about making a strong statement by standing for our community and being a
light for the world to see.”
To practice what was preached, the rabbi’s congregation donated one hundred-twenty framed posters to Ontario Schools depicting the national motto: “In GOD we trust” and the state motto: “With GOD all things are possible.”
The
posters were presented during the menorah lighting ceremony to Ontario School
Board Member Heidi Zimmerman who represented the school district.
Accompanying the posters, was a packet the
congregation provided including background information on a 2006 Ohio law
allowing school districts to display the donated posters in classrooms.
Also in the packet was an article discussing 2007 University of British Columbia research finding that “merely thinking about GOD can prompt positive and generous behaviors,” something the congregation hopes to bring to the school district.
” We know in the end, light will ultimately prevail over the darkness.”
Rabbi William Hallbrook Sar Shalom Center
Speaking of giving, the congregation also recognized local men and women in uniform who sacrificially protect the community daily. Pizzas were given on behalf of the congregation to the second-shift police officers and dispatchers in commemoration of Hanukah.
During the ceremony, Hallbrook went on
to say that the center candle in the menorah is called the “shamash” candle.
“The shamash candle is the servant candle and it is larger than the other candles. Scripture tells us that the greatest is the one who serves. If we really want to be called great in the Kingdom, we must be servant lights in a dark world.”
The Bottom Line:
The Bible says inJohn Twelve, “Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light”
MANSFIELD — As families face challenges staying together, two clergy took the opportunity to make a difference during the Thanksgiving season. Each pastor gave out twenty-five free turkeys to the community, one pastor from the north side of town, the other from the south side.
(From L to R) Reverend Mark Cobb and Reverend Randy Raynes (Submitted photo)
“This is the first time we have partnered together in community outreach” said Reverend Randy Raynes of Mansfield Fellowship Baptist, located at 424 South Main Street.
“It is amazing how relational equity occurs
when you have a common mission.”
Reverend Mark Cobb is stepping into a new role as senior pastor of Providence Baptist, located at 112 West Sixth Street. Cobb will officially become the new pastor at a special commissioning service on December 1st at 3:30 PM.
Cobb is also owner of The Blessed and
Anointed Barbershop at 15 East Third Street.
“We have a giving community,” says
Cobb. “While society has a general
apathy for others, in Mansfield we give back to the community and help those in
need,”
“Our hope is that these turkeys we are giving will bring families together to the dinner table. There needs to be face to face family time, thanking GOD for the blessings He has given us. ”
Reverend Mark CObb, Providence Baptist
“Our hope is that these turkeys we are giving will bring families together to the dinner table. There needs to be face to face family time, thanking GOD for the blessings He has given us. Family time is vital and missing in our culture.”
According to Raynes, “One family in our neighborhood recently lost a mother to a tragic illness. They don’t go to church, but we wanted to give them a Thanksgiving turkey to bless them. We want to stand with them in this season of loss and let them know they are not alone.”
Both pastors believe that the GOD who
keeps families together is greater than the cultural forces trying to separate.
Raynes adds, “The Pilgrims came to
America to have religious freedom. This
is a great opportunity (giving free turkeys) to exercise our religious freedoms
during the Thanksgiving season.”
ONTARIO — David Rubin, founder of the Shiloh Israel Children’s Fund and former Shiloh Mayor recently spoke at Sar Shalom Center in Ontario. Rubin is the second dignitary to visit Ontario this fall. Last month, the Deputy Speaker of the Israeli Knesset spoke at an event in commemoration of the seventieth anniversary of the rebirth of Israel.
“In 1997 a delegation of area clergy travelled to the Biblical heartland of Judea and Samaria and brought a “key to Shiloh, Ohio” to officials in Shiloh, Israel,” says Rabbi William Hallbrook who hosted the event. “Shiloh is believed to be over three thousand years old and was where the Ark and Tabernacle were once located.”
Under the leadership of Mayor Tim Wireman, the nearby Village of Shiloh established a sister-city relationship with Shiloh, Israel. Rubin became Shiloh, Israel’s Mayor just after the sister-city partnership ensued.
Although Ontario Mayor Randy Hutchinson could not attend the service, he did send a letter welcoming Rubin. “I want to take time to express my warm greetings to you,” the letter said. “On behalf of the City of Ontario, I want to thank you for your visit and to let you know that you are welcome in our city.”
Hutchinson mentioned the recent Pittsburgh synagogue shooting and how victims of both domestic and international terrorism “need help more than ever.” Both Rubin and his infant son survived a terrorist attack in 2001. During the Second Intifada, Rubin was driving his son home from Jerusalem when without warning, Rubin’s car was ambushed by Palestinian terrorists shooting their AK-47 rifles.
“I was in a dire situation: I was shot,
blood was spilling out of my leg, and the car was dead. On top of that, my
three year old son was in the backseat. Before the attack, I was a skeptic
about personal miracle stories, but when the car suddenly started on its own
after several tries, I knew that we were lifted up on GOD’s wings to get us to an
ambulance.”
“It is my hope that your visit to Ontario, Ohio will be a memorable one and that many strong friendships will result. On behalf of the City, I want to thank you for your visit and and to let you know that you are welcome in our city.”
Ontario Mayor Randy Hutchinson
Rubin and his son both sped away and
eventually made it to the hospital; both had been shot.
“The doctor came to me and told me that
the head of media relations for the hospital wished to speak with me. The head
of media relations told me that reporters from all over Israel were amassed
right outside the ward and wanted to interview me since I was the one
thousandth terror victim to be treated at that particular hospital in a year
and a half,” Rubin recounts.
“He said he would protect my privacy if
I so choose but he wanted to give me the choice to talk to them if I wanted. I
had known too many victims in our neighborhood, especially teenagers who had
been murdered by the terrorists. So I
said bring them in here and I will talk to them.”
Rubin is now a frequent commentator on Fox News and Newsmax TV and has written several books, including his most recent book: “Trump and the Jews.”
Rabbi William Hallbrook’s congregation hosted former Shiloh, Israel Mayor David Rubin. (Photo courtesy of Frontlines Ohio)
“I was saved by a series of miracles. I
was shot in my left leg, allowing me to still drive. The bullet that hit my son
missed his brain stem by one millimeter. My son couldn’t lift himself up and he
had total memory loss, but his memory returned a few weeks later. Forty-nine
bullet holes were in the car. When we took the car in to get it fixed, the
mechanic told me that he couldn’t start the car at all. The fact that we were
able to start it was a miracle.”
One of the darkest moments of Rubin’s life has since then helped save the lives of thousands of children from all over Israel. “After trying to help our small child overcome the trauma of the ordeal, I heard ‘the call’ that I was to help other children like my son. What the terrorists intended for evil, GOD turned into good,” Rubin declares. “If they (terrorists) are trying to destroy our homeland, then I was convinced I was going to help rebuild our future- our children.”
Rubin started the Shiloh Israel Children’s Fund which since then has helped thousands of children cope with trauma caused by terrorism. Since its inception 14 years ago, Shiloh has brought relief and closure to victims of terror through its therapy center.
“I felt then, and I still feel it now, that I have a story to tell,“ Rubin shares. “ I have experienced the trauma of terrorism. I feel like I now have a duty to help others.”
The Bottom Line:
The Bible saysin Genesis Fifty, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but GOD meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”
View the video below of the testimony of David Rubin’s encounter with terrorists as Mayor of Shiloh, Israel and his miraculous escape.
SHELBY — Mayor Steve Schag has proclaimed the first week of November in Shelby as “Pornography Awareness Week.” He presented the proclamation to several clergy during a recent City Council meeting.
“Three quarters of the folks I see with marriage issues have pornography issues,” says Reverend Kevin Evans of Ganges Liberty Baptist, located at 1248 Ganges East Road. Evans has been a pastor for 34 years and also serves as a counselor for Come to the Well Counseling.
Shelby Mayor Steve Schag at press conference dedicating fire station. (Photo courtesy of Frontlines Ohio)
The proclamation claims that the pornography industry annually makes more money off of addicts than the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, and Major League Baseball combined. Due to excessive social costs, seven states have officially declared pornography a dangerous epidemic and a public health crisis.
According to Pastor Evans, “The dysfunction pornography brings to individuals is profoundly devastating. The lives of those surrounded by the person with pornography addiction also suffer. As a result, the building block of society-the family, is torn apart and poverty eventually knocks on the door.”
“Do I believe that we have a public
health crisis regarding pornography? Yes I do,” says Reverend Walter Keib of
Shelby First Baptist at 185 South Gamble Street. “Statistics show that rape rates are highest
where laws governing pornography are least restrictive. As a husband of forty-eight years, I have
seen people in the church delivered from this heinous addiction.”
” Something has drastically gone awry when society censors religious content but approves pornographic content. On the whole, churches across this nation have allowed heaven to be censored by hell. “
Reverend Kevin Evans, Ganges lIBERTY BAPTIST
Both pastors believe the “Porn Pandemic” has contributed to the denigration of women, to human trafficking, and to violence against women and children.
Corporate giants like McDonalds, Starbucks and Hilton Hotels now block pornography from their WiFi networks and video on demand in response to public requests. This past year the sex ads website backpage.com was shut down by federal authorities.
According to the proclamation, Pornography Awareness Week started when one Pennsylvania woman heard a sermon against pornography in 1987 and decided to mobilize citizens and churches in her community to combat the pornography industry. Locally the City of Shelby first recognized the week in 2016.
Girls Next Door was Shelby-area strip club shut down in 2008 after the outcry of the Richland Community Family Coalition and citizens following high profile crime incident. (Photo courtesy of Frontlines Ohio)
“Do we have the fortitude to stamp out this scourge that is destroying our families and wreaking havoc on our society?” asks Evans. “Something has drastically gone awry when society censors religious content but approves pornographic content. On the whole, churches across this nation have allowed heaven to be censored by hell.”
Pastor Keib, points out “I remember in 2008 when a strip club one mile away from our church was shut down. It wasn’t until our community said “enough,” that the club shut down. Most certainly, the pornography industry metastasizes when good people remain silent.”
Ten municipalities and thirteen townships inside Richland County passed restrictive laws in 2009-2010 regulating businesses selling pornography that not only provides state indemnification for local governments in the event of litigation, but also include restrictions thru zoning, licensing, isolation distances, and hours of operation.
The Bottom Line:
The Bible says in First Thessalonians, “For this is the will of GOD, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know GOD;”
MANSFIELD — The Richland County Board of Commissioners recently proclaimed October 2018 as “Clergy Appreciation Month,” encouraging citizens of Richland County Ohio to show their appreciation and support for the clergy whose efforts help make the community a better place to live.
Established in 1992, Clergy Appreciation Month recognizes pastors, missionaries and religious workers, and was first observed in North Central Ohio in 2017.
The proclamation was presented to Reverend Jody Odom and Reverend Bruce
Philippi, and describes religion and morality as ”indispensable supports to
political prosperity.” The Commissioners also noted clergy efforts in leading
the community to prayer and preventing social vices from influencing society.
Speaking of
influencing society, there is no question Pastor Philippi’s congregation at
Journey Life Center makes the community a priority.
Located outside Shelby at 2578 State Route 39, the fellowship participates in a drug rehabilitation ministry called “Project One” that sends clients to rehab facilities for several months and helps them find employment as they transition back into society. The church also operates a monthly food bank that feeds hundreds of people. In addition, members do “acts of kindness” several times a year at county events to have a tangible impact by showing the love of GOD.
Presently, outreaches for youth and senior adults are taking place in a five-thousand square foot church in Crestline that was recently donated to Journey Life. Where Journey Life Center leaves off, Pastor Jody Odom’s Ambassadors for Christ Church picks up.
Ambassadors for Christ conducts weekly Bible outreach classes at Harmony House homeless shelter. Reverend Odom also serves as a chaplain in area county jails. This past summer Pastor Odom had a second book on marriage published entitled “I’m Fit to Handle my Marriage, Now Bring It.” Pastor Odom says that the companion book “gives insight on how to handle a spouse with love and how to cover your spouse in prayer.”
When visiting
Ambassador for Christ Sunday services at 152 Cline Avenue, occasionally Pastor
Odom can be seen painting on a canvas while preaching his sermons. According to
Pastor Odom, “Life is a gift, living is an art form, and I connect art with the
Bible.”
“In my thirty-six years as lead pastor, I have never seen a time where people are expecting MORE from pastors than ever while CONTRIBUTING LESS to the church and its ministries.”
PASTOR BRUCE PHILIPPI
Both Pastor
Philippi and Pastor Odom agree that discipleship and mentorship is vital to
develop leaders for the next generation.
“When I was a
young man, one role model that made a real impression on me was Bishop Norman
Wagner,” says Reverend Odom reminiscing. “I knew him for sixteen years and he
always had a passion for GOD and to disciple other leaders. Bishop Wagner was a real statesman for his
community.”
Pastor Philippi, who led efforts to bring the “March for Jesus” movement in Mansfield in the early 1990’s, is a chairman of a Sabbatical Support Team for his denomination which encompasses two hundred and forty churches. According to Philippi, “In my thirty-six years as lead pastor, I have never seen a time where people are expecting MORE from pastors than ever while CONTRIBUTING LESS to the church and its ministries. Without a doubt I have seen an increase in ministry stress and burnout.”
Both Odom and Philippi agree wholeheartedly that there are many great clergy who shepherd Richland County and that now is a good time to recognize their efforts.
The Bottom Line:
The Bible says in the Book of Hebrews, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account.”
ONTARIO — This past weekend Sar Shalom Center hosted a “Stand with Israel” assembly sponsored by the Richland Community Prayer Network and the Israeli Leadership Institute (ILI). One of five scheduled events in the state, the gathering celebrated the seventieth anniversary of the rebirth of Israel and raised funds to support the ILI based in Sderot, Israel.
ILI Founder & President Mr. Eeki Elner told the two hundred attendees: “I travel extensively throughout the States and I have never seen anyone like Ohio, more specifically, North Central Ohio, who loves Israel more.”
The Stand for Israel event was held at Sar Shalom Center in Ontario.The event raised $7,000.(Photo courtesy of Frontlines Ohio)
Keynote speaker for the event was the Deputy Speaker of the Israeli Knesset, Mr. Hilik Bar.
According to the Deputy Speaker, “Ohio is truly the greatest friend to Israel in the United States, no doubt about it. Ohio is an emerging force in support of Israel’s future.”
Recent examples of the strong friendship between the area and the Jewish state include a clergy letter sent by leading clergymen from over one hundred congregations supporting Israel’s sovereignty over its land, and the county acquisition of Israeli bonds by the County Treasurer at the request of the clergy.
“I travel extensively throughout the States and I have never seen anyone like Ohio, more specifically, North Central Ohio, who loves Israel more.”
Eeki Elner, Founder of Israel Leadership Institute.
Besides area religious leaders publicly showing strong support for the relocation of the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, the Ohio Legislature is considering a resolution making Ohio the first state to recognize Jerusalem as capital of Israel.
Mr. Bar credits the Bible for giving the nation of Israel the spark of hope it needed to pursue its rebirth after two thousand years of being in exile. When Israel announced the establishment of the new Jewish state in 1948, it was attacked by seven neighboring Arab nations but defeated the coalition despite a small military where only half of the troops had guns.
Pictured: Reverend El Akuchie, Deputy Speaker Hilik Bar, Amie & Benjamin Mutti (Photo courtesy of Frontlines Ohio)
As second in charge of the one hundred-twenty member Israeli parliament, MK Bar meets with many diplomats across the Middle East and says he asks Israel’s enemies one question: “Do you want to live in the Middle East next to us or instead of us? Because if you want to live in the Middle East next to us, the Nation of Israel has an obligation to find a route to have peace with you. But if you want to live in the Middle East instead of us, Israel will take every measure to protect its people.”
The day before arriving in Ohio, the
Deputy Speaker was in Guatemala speaking to five hundred clergy.
Nine clergy along with County
Commissioners Darrell Banks and Marilyn John, Judge Ron Spon, Magistrate Andrea
Clark, School Board Member Martin Gottschling, retired Judge James DeWeese, and
retired State Senator Dick Schafrath attended the commemoration.
The Stand for Israel event celebrated the 70th anniversary of the rebirth of Israel. (Photo courtesy of Frontlines Ohio)
Deputy Speaker Bar invited those in attendance to visit Israel saying they had an open door to the Knesset. “On behalf of the Knesset, I want to thank you for having this celebration to support Israel and thank you for demonstrating your love and your commitment to the Nation of Israel,” said Bar. “I am honored to call you my friends. Just come on in. ”
In 2015, MK Bar visited the Ohio Statehouse to support legislation opposing boycotts of Israel. After addressing a joint session of the Legislature, he received the “Key to the State of Ohio,” an honor that has previously been bestowed upon former President George W. Bush, former Israeli President Shimon Peres, and U.S. Senator John McCain.
Ohio became the fourteenth state in the nation to pass an Anti-Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Act.
The Bottom Line:
The Bible saysin Isaiah 66, “Who has ever seen things like this? Can a land be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children.”
View the slideshow from the Stand for Israel event hosting Israeli Knesset Deputy Speaker on October 6th, 2018.Photos courtesy of Frontlines Ohio.
Rabbi William Hallbrook hosted the Stand for Israel event. (Photo courtesy of Frontlines Ohio)
Eeki Elner, Founder of the Israeli Leadership Institute. (Photo courtesy of Frontlines Ohio)
Attenders arrive early to get seats at Sar Shalom Center in Ontario. (Photo courtesy of Frontlines Ohio)
Hilik Bar pictured with County Commissioner Marilyn John and her husband Kevin John. (Photo courtesy of Frontlines Ohio)
Stand with Israel event was held at Ontario Sar Shalom Center. (Photo courtesy of Frontlines Ohio)
Mr. Bar credits the Bible for giving the nation of Israel the spark of hope it needed. (Photo courtesy of Frontlines Ohio)
Rabbi William Hallbrook was one of the area clergy supporting the relocation of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. (Photo courtesy of Frontlines Ohio)
Stand with Israel event was held at Ontario Sar Shalom Center. (Photo courtesy of Frontlines Ohio)
Orville Pastor Jerry O’Brien pictured with Hilik Bar. (Photo courtesy of Frontlines Ohio)
Amie Mutti discusses support of Israel. (Photo courtesy of Frontlines Ohio)
Stand with Israel event was held at Ontario Sar Shalom Center. (Photo courtesy of Frontlines Ohio)
Eeki Elner, who resides in Sderot, Israel, describes relationship between Ohio & Israel. (Photo courtesy of Frontlines Ohio)
Mr. Hilik Bar, is second in charge of the Israeli legislative body. (Photo courtesy of Frontlines Ohio)
Benjamin Mutti gives history of local efforts to support Israel. (Photo courtesy of Frontlines Ohio)
Deputy Speaker Bar says it makes sense for Jews and Christians to worship in the same house. (Photo courtesy of Frontlines Ohio)
Stand with Israel event celebrated the 70th anniversary of the rebirth of Israel. (Photo courtesy of Frontlines Ohio)
Area clergy pictured with Deputy Speaker of the Israel Knesset. (Photo courtesy of Frontlines Ohio)
View the video below produced by Sar Shalom Center of the “Stand for Israel” event on October 6th, 2018.(Duration 71 min.)
