When most people go to church, they expect the same handful of basic things. They expect to hear hymns and worship songs. They expect to listen to a sermon and hear or read Bible verses. They expect a cross, an altar and prayers. Most people do not expect to see their pastor zip lining on Sunday morning. That, however, is exactly what Pastor Bartholomew Orr of Brown Baptist Church in Mississippi did one Sunday morning.<\/p>\n
Orr entered the church using a slow-moving zip line while asking his congregation, \u201cAre you ready? Are you ready for His return?\u201d The video of his dramatic entrance went viral and earned Orr the nickname \u201cThe Flying Preacher.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t expect [the video] to go viral,\u201d Orr said. \u201cI come out and someone tells me, \u2018You know what, it\u2019s at 250,000 views.\u2019 We are like, \u2018Huh!\u2019\u2026 Now seven million folks, if nothing else, have heard the message, \u2018Are you ready for His return?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
The response to Orr\u2019s use of the zip line, perhaps unsurprisingly, has been divided. One comment on the video of Orr\u2019s entrance read, \u201cProps are for stage acts and shows, not for getting [Christ\u2019s] message out. I guess [Orr] will walk on water next.\u201d Other commenters worried that the zip line had been bought with tithes and offerings. Orr, however, defended his use of the zip line. \u201cIt fit with the message I was preaching,\u201d Orr said. \u201cWhat better way to say, \u2018He is coming back, [and] are you ready for His return?\u2019 I am a prop preacher anyway, so I have used props. \u2026 It just goes to show you [that] you never know what the Lord might use to get His message out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Orr is not the only pastor to have ended up at the center of a social media debate over the use of unusual props, unorthodox actions or even gimmicks in churches. There has been no consensus among Christians on the matter, but perhaps this is an issue that does not need one. What works for one congregation, after all, may not work for another. With regards to those who find such dramatics unpalatable, well, there are plenty of other churches that one can attend.<\/p>\n