The Back to Church Announcement

June 1, 1999

GOD IS GOING BACK TO CHURCH

The announcement is made during the Operation Save America event at a Presbyterian church in Rochester, NY on April 21, 1999.

"Stand at the gate of the Lord's house and there proclaim this message: 'Hear the word of the Lord … Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place.'" Jeremiah 7: 2-3

April 25, 1999, marked the beginning of our nationwide "God is Going Back to Church" campaign. Once a month, on a Sunday morning, a selected evangelical church (dynamic in its preaching and teaching of Christ) that is within seven miles of an active abortion mill will be presented with graphic pictures of aborted babies, live babies, Scripture signs, and brochures entitled Sing a Little Louder.

For a long time now we have been unwilling to go to this gate. The reason? We wonder who are we (Who am I, Lord?) that we should confront God's church? Secondly, we are afraid that we may cut off all supply and support of our own ministries. But in reality there is no entity more responsible for ushering us into the era of Roe v. Wade than the church of Jesus Christ. We have failed in our responsibility to our God, to His church, to our children, and to our nation. We have allowed an enemy to enter the gates of our cities because he was first allowed to enter through the gates of God's house. "The kings of the earth did not believe, nor did any of the world's people, that enemies and foes could enter the gates of Jerusalem. But it happened because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed within her the blood of the righteous." Lamentations 4:12-13.

Our first church visit was to the Faith Tabernacle in Lockport, New York. Upon seeing the signs and brochures being passed out, Pastor Wayne Dent (a very pro-life pastor) invited Pastor Mike Warren and myself in to preach to his congregation for both of the services. Kristene O'dell was asked to sing and God did an awesome work. We were absolutely overwhelmed at the response as Pastor Wayne called his congregation to the altar. When the Lockport News asked him about the graphic posters displayed in plain view of young children he said, "This is reality - harsh reality! How do you go about dealing with graphic violence …We worry very much about the protection of the children in our lives, but what about the protection of the children in the womb?" He told the Lockport News that this visit by Operation Save America served as a "wake-up call" for him and his congregation. Pastor Dent sent us off with enough money to buy everyone lunch.

See you at the gates,


Flip Benham