{"id":47,"date":"2007-05-16T03:01:41","date_gmt":"2007-05-16T03:01:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2007\/05\/reflections-on-the-ministry-of-jerry-falwell.html"},"modified":"2007-05-16T03:01:41","modified_gmt":"2007-05-16T03:01:41","slug":"reflections-on-the-ministry-of-jerry-falwell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2007\/05\/reflections-on-the-ministry-of-jerry-falwell.html","title":{"rendered":"Reflections on the Ministry of Jerry Falwell"},"content":{"rendered":"

I just heard the news that Jerry Falwell has died. My first reaction is one of shock. Though I never met him personally, Rev. Falwell has been a fixture in my world for almost my whole adult life, or so it seems. It’s strange to think of the world without him in it.
\nMy second reaction is sadness for his family and for many who knew him personally and loved him. There were many of these people. If you’ve only known Jerry Falwell through his public persona, you might think that we wasn’t especially kind in person. But when I was at Harvard, one of my liberal professors knew Rev. Falwell well and said that he was quite pleasant. All I knew of Jerry Falwell was what I read in the news and saw on TV. In this mode his kindness was often obscured by his self-righteous bluster. Of course the media tended to play up his flirtations with rudeness, making matters worse for Rev. Falwell.
\nWhen Jerry Falwell founded the Moral Majority in 1979, and when he was the leading spokesman for the religious right, I was about as liberal as they come politically. During those days I couldn’t stand Jerry Falwell, either his ideas or his attidudes, and it really bugged me that he was my brother in Christ because I felt guilty disliking him so much. (In fact, Christians are also not to hate non-Christians, but let’s not get confused with the biblical facts here.)
\nYears later, when my political views became more centrist (and often more complex and more confused), I wasn’t quite so horrified by some of Rev. Falwell’s ideas, but I found his pompous pundit persona to be a major turn-off. He always seemed to have a tone that suggested those who disagreed with him were complete idiots.
\nJerry Falwell did say things that seemed foolish to me. No doubt you’ll recall his infamous gaffe on The 700 Club<\/em> following 9\/11, when he said that God had allowed this tragedy as a punishment for America. Then he proceeded to name those who were morally responsible for 9\/11, including: the ACLU, the federal courts, the abortionists, the pagans, the feminists, the gays, the lesbians, and the People for the American way. Curiously enough, Osama bin Laden escaped Rev. Falwell’s tirade unscathed. After mentioning all of bad folk who turned God against the U.S., Rev. Falwell said: “I point the thing in their face and say ‘You helped this happen.'” Later Jerry Falwell apologized<\/a>. Nevertheless, what he had said didn’t exactly endear him to me or make me glad that he was such a prominent spokesman for the church in America. I say a lot of stupid things too, but I try to keep them to myself.
\nGiven all of this, I must admit that I never got warm fuzzies when I saw the Rev. Falwell on Meet the Press<\/em>, or even when I happened to catch a moment of The Old Time Gospel Hour<\/em>, his popular religious broadcast.
\nWith this confession in mind, let me tell you what happened on a Sunday evening a couple of years ago. I was doing some late night channel surfing when I happened upon the broad face of Jerry Falwell. He was preaching, so I thought I’d linger for a moment to see if he was saying anything foolish. (Yes, I know this isn’t a very Christian way to think, but sometimes I don’t think very Christianly.) What I heard, however, was startlingly wise. Rev. Falwell was talking about things he had learned as “a fourth quarter saint,” which I took to mean an experienced, older Christian. There was lots of wisdom here. In fact, some of what Rev. Falwell said about a pastor giving priority to his family actually struck my heart.
\nSo I kept listening to the sermon. As it turns out, it was a message he had delivered at the “SuperConference 2005” sponsored by the Thomas Road Baptist Church. Rev. Falwell was addressing several thousand people, most of whom seemed to be young adults.
\nI didn’t agree with everything in this sermon. But I found myself agreeing with more than I would have imagined, and actually feeling personally challenged and encouraged. Given my negative attitude toward Jerry Falwell, you can imagine that this was an unsettling and humbling experience for me.
\nWhen the sermon was over, I realized that I needed to repent of some of what I had thought and felt about Jerry Falwell. Though I don’t agree with many things he said in his public ministry, I have to admit that he also said and did many very good things as a pastor. (One of those was to challenge me to spend more time with my wife and children.)
\nBut when the sermon was over, I also felt sad, sad that a preacher with a good chunk of biblical wisdom and a genuinely caring heart had said so many things in his public ministry that were unkind and, in my view, unwise. Now I think Jerry Falwell was right to bring his religious convictions into the socio-political realm. We need Christians of all theological persuasions to extend the kingdom of God into all facets of our world. But I also think Rev. Falwell, as a preacher, overstepped some appropriate bounds, thereby weakening his impact and undermining his message. Honestly, I’m not sure I can define precisely where these appropriate bounds lie, but I think this issue deserves serious attention from any preacher before holding forth in the public arena.
\nI am not saying that preachers shouldn’t deal with political topics. I don’t think we can truly preach God’s Word without getting into matters political. After all, the Bible has plenty to say about matters of justice. But I do think preachers need to think very carefully about what and how we speak when it is explicitly political and partisan. I think we need to discern what we should say as preachers and what we should say only as private citizens. I also think we need to distinguish carefully between what we can say on the authority of God’s Word, and what we can’t say without lots of input from our personal political, economic, and social philosophy. It’s too easy for us to jump from A (God opposes poverty) to Z (the Congress should vote for or vote against this particular legislation) without realizing that many of the letters from B to Y aren’t taught in Scripture so much as in poli-sci and economics classes.
\nFinally, we preachers are a talkative lot. Mostly this is good. But it seems to me that preachers, and all Christians, for that matter, should work hard to speak the truth as we perceive it in a Christ-like way. To do otherwise is to contradict the message by the media.
\n(Note: much of this post once appeared in a series I did on Churches, Elections, and the IRS<\/a><\/em>.\u00a0 There you can find more of my reflections on faith, preaching, and politics.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I just heard the news that Jerry Falwell has died. My first reaction is one of shock. Though I never met him personally, Rev. Falwell has been a fixture in my world for almost my whole adult life, or so it seems. It’s strange to think of the world without him in it. My second…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-tributes"],"yoast_head":"\nReflections on the Ministry of Jerry Falwell - Mark D. Roberts<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2007\/05\/reflections-on-the-ministry-of-jerry-falwell.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Reflections on the Ministry of Jerry Falwell - Mark D. Roberts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I just heard the news that Jerry Falwell has died. My first reaction is one of shock. Though I never met him personally, Rev. Falwell has been a fixture in my world for almost my whole adult life, or so it seems. It’s strange to think of the world without him in it. My second…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2007\/05\/reflections-on-the-ministry-of-jerry-falwell.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Mark D. Roberts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2007-05-16T03:01:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.markdroberts.com\/images\/Falwell-Jerry-4.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mark D. Roberts\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Reflections on the Ministry of Jerry Falwell - Mark D. Roberts","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2007\/05\/reflections-on-the-ministry-of-jerry-falwell.html","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Reflections on the Ministry of Jerry Falwell - Mark D. Roberts","og_description":"I just heard the news that Jerry Falwell has died. My first reaction is one of shock. Though I never met him personally, Rev. Falwell has been a fixture in my world for almost my whole adult life, or so it seems. It’s strange to think of the world without him in it. My second…","og_url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2007\/05\/reflections-on-the-ministry-of-jerry-falwell.html","og_site_name":"Mark D. Roberts","article_published_time":"2007-05-16T03:01:41+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.markdroberts.com\/images\/Falwell-Jerry-4.jpg"}],"author":"Mark D. Roberts","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2007\/05\/reflections-on-the-ministry-of-jerry-falwell.html","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2007\/05\/reflections-on-the-ministry-of-jerry-falwell.html","name":"Reflections on the Ministry of Jerry Falwell - Mark D. Roberts","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2007\/05\/reflections-on-the-ministry-of-jerry-falwell.html#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2007\/05\/reflections-on-the-ministry-of-jerry-falwell.html#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/www.markdroberts.com\/images\/Falwell-Jerry-4.jpg","datePublished":"2007-05-16T03:01:41+00:00","dateModified":"2007-05-16T03:01:41+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2007\/05\/reflections-on-the-ministry-of-jerry-falwell.html#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2007\/05\/reflections-on-the-ministry-of-jerry-falwell.html"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2007\/05\/reflections-on-the-ministry-of-jerry-falwell.html#primaryimage","url":"http:\/\/www.markdroberts.com\/images\/Falwell-Jerry-4.jpg","contentUrl":"http:\/\/www.markdroberts.com\/images\/Falwell-Jerry-4.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2007\/05\/reflections-on-the-ministry-of-jerry-falwell.html#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Reflections on the Ministry of Jerry Falwell"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/","name":"Mark D. Roberts","description":"Mark D. Roberts: Thoughtfully Christian Reflections on Jesus, the Church, and the World","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73","name":"Mark D. Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}