Mac explained to his congregation that on Easter Sunday we are taking up a "special offering" to again begin Mac's preaching ministry on a certain Christian TV network. He announced to us that he had been on a Christian TV network for 8 years straight, but that last year he cut that out of the budget and now his sermons are no longer broadcast on the Christian channel.
So Mac is going to raise a "special offering" to put him back on TV...and he said "its not about Mac Brunson, its about reaching people for Jesus Christ."
I submit, it is indeed about Mac Brunson, and as a church we must reject this attempt to misuse money to promote Mac Brunson. Let me explain.
Sunday Mac read several emails from people in different parts of the country that were ministered to by his podcasts. One man in Alabama was saved by listening to Mac's sermon on podcast. He read another email about a man who used to watch Mac on the Christian TV station, and now he can't find Mac because we cut the TV broadcasts out of the budget.
So Mac's proposal? Let's raise money and put him back on TV!
If its not about Mac Brunson, but its about reaching people with the gospel through the ministry of FBC Jacksonville, there is one simple solution: USE THE EQUIPMENT AND RESOURCES WE ALREADY HAVE AND ARCHIVE EVERY ONE OF OUR COMPLETE SERVICES ON OUR WEBSITE. The man who emailed Mac at inlight.org because he couldn't find Mac on TV...if we had archived our services on the Internet we could just email him the hyperlink and he could watch the service if he has Internet. The podcasts? Yes, keep podcasting your sermons Mac on your website. But church we need to maximize our ministry's impact by making available our complete taped services on the Internet, and do it right away.
We absolutely do NOT need to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars in order to reach people around the world. We DO need to raise money if we want Mac on TV. But if we want to have MAXIMUM impact at MINIMAL cost, we will do what we ALREADY SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING THE LAST TWO YEARS, and that is on our FBC Jax website making our services available on our website for viewing at any time. This would be a blessing for people all over the world - including missionaries - who could watch our services and special music and baptisms and baby dedications - a great ministry for which we already have the infrastructure and don't have to be giving money to a network that is mostly filled with heretics and "hair"-etics.
Look at FBC Woodstock - you want to hear Johnny Hunt's sermon last week, and hear the special music at his church? Go to their website and watch it.
So church, please reject this attempt at putting Mac back on TV at this time through a special offering. Besides, if its a long-term, recurring-cost ministry, why use a special offering? If its important enough to do, then its important enough to put into the regular budget. If it was so important, why was it cut in the first place?
So church, please let Mac know that you are against him soliciting funds from our church members to put him back on TV. Email him and call him. And most importantly, don't put any money into the special offering. If you have extra money for a special offering, give it to the building fund or somewhere else, but not to the ministry of putting Mac back on TV.
Questions:
ReplyDeleteThe desired Brunson broadcast: who owns that? Certainly Mac Brunson's private ministry, not FBCJax.
Money raised through the broadcast - donations, sermon sales, book sales etc - who is the beneficiary of that? The private ministy as well?
Who pays to market Mac Brunson to the masses and build his brand? Why, FBC Jax, of course.
Something is a little mixed up here although this is the way all these megapastors do it. If Brunson has a ministry I would like to check his Form 990 just out of curiosity.
A regular reader and, thankfully, not an FBCJax member. Good luck.
Excellent points Anon.
ReplyDeleteIts good to be the king.
He does own the intellectual rights to his sermons, so he does have the right to put his own sermons on his own 501(c)3 website, which he does. Its at www.inlight.org. Wonderful.
Obviously his marketing group, The A-Group in Tennessee has told him that to build the "Mac Brunson" brand he needs to keep his sermon resources separate from the FBC Jax church, so he has the www.inlight.org ministry website. That's his choice. He has the "Brunson Podcast". Great.
Church, let Mac build his own brand image with his own money...and with the donations from those who are blessed by his preaching on TV. If he is blessing people on TV, they can support his TV ministry. If he thinks that his sermons are such a blessing that he needs to be on TV, let him put up his money to start it and let it be funded by the people who are blessed by it.
There is no reason whatsoever that FBC Jax or its faithful, sacrificing members need to now give money so Mac can take his ministry back to the TV - which means IT SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN IN THE BUDGET IN THE FIRST PLACE. FBC Jax is already paying for our local broadcasts to our city, and we can reach the entire world with our music and preaching ministry by archiving and making our services available on the Internet 24/7...for very little cost as compared to purchasing TV time on the "hair channel".
So I say: first Mac before you come holding your hand out for money to get back on TV, first allow us as a church to put your sermons and our entire services on the Internet 24/7....we can see how much of a blessing that is, then consider nationwide TV time.
And why you're at, how about making your 501(c)3 financial records available so we can confirm that "every penny" that comes into that ministry goes right over to FBC Jax...
Brothers and Sisters, Look on Saturday night at TBN, Charles Stanley's Church. Boy, Rodney looks good and the choir sounds wonderful and they look so happy. Choir has grown to 225 members and growing. Certainly different than our choir! Same old- same old robes, for years and years, everyone looks so unhappy and never smiles.Singing same music when Rodney was here. What in the world has happen? And we need to take up money to go live for Brunson? Lets get real here. We need other things in this church. We need to get back to the basics. This church has lost alot of members, and I'm afraid before long, Sunday night service will be closed down like all the other Holidays we have where our Church is CLOSED! We need to all be on our knees praying to God to help our Church and put God back in control. God is the only way. Nahum 1:7 Says The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble: and he knoweth them that trust in him.
ReplyDeleteTo the first anonymous person, you asked 'Money raised through the broadcast - donations, sermon sales, book sales, etc - who is the beneficiary of that? The private ministry as well?'
ReplyDeleteThe answer to that was given by Mac a few weeks prior to him announcing the plan to hold a special offering on Easter Sunday. Mac announced that ALL MONEY COMING INTO HIS INLIGHT.ORG MINISTRY ("EVERY PENNY") GOES INTO THE MEDIA MINISTRY OF OUR CHURCH.
He even announced that someone donted $10,000 to his ministry in the last few months, and "every penny" went to the church's media ministry, as though he was the most generous guy in the world.
But if our church was paying for his TV broadcasts until he "cut it from the budget" as he said this past Sunday, then of course it would only be fair that any money coming into his ministry go straight to the church to offset the money we're paying for his ministry's broadcasts!
I love our pastor but thought it strange how he said "I had to cut it from the budget." Don't we have a budget or finance committee who makes those decisions?
ReplyDeleteI don't think it is wise for him to have such authority over the budget items. I also recall his son donating money to a church in our city to help them out. Did his son donate it, or did our budget committee donate it?
Is it possible that we are paying too much in salaries now so that we have to cut vital and effective ministries from the budget. If so, who is making these decisions? Someone please tell me it is not the pastor.
I for one will give to the special offering. A church our size should be putting our pastors messages out via every media available. Christian network television reaches people that podcasts and internet streams do not. Our church is big enough and wealthy enough to do this its a shame that he has to do it through a love offering.
ReplyDeleteGo ahead and hold on to your money if you want to, I'll happily take a small part in getting my pastors ministry out to the rest of the world.
Anon 2:20, a church your size should be putting out messages via every media possible? Yes, I agree as do most everyone else on this board. However, if I were still a member I would find that very difficult to reconcile giving him money for his ministry when the church media ministry isn't living up to anything it was or could be. When I attended, I gave money to the HD upgrade. Are they in HD now? No! Dr. Vines and many others worked hard to get the late morning telecast back on live. Are they live now? No! In fact, up until a couple of months ago, your services were TWO WEEKS DELAYED. Why?! Maybe I am more media driven then most people, but I feel like that is a complete waste of money God's people gave to FBC Jax.
ReplyDeleteIt is hard for me and many others to really grip the idea around raising money for a national ministry when the one produced locally has apparently been of little importance.
With all of the problems in this world that are directly related to sin, I cannot believe that someone who is a Christian would be wasting thier time blasting a fellow brother.
ReplyDeleteGod has very obviously given Mac Brunson favor and a gift for the delivering of His word in an understanding and inviting way. Does the Bible not say that to those that many gifts have been given that much will be expected of that person? We as fellow laborers in Christ with Bro. Brunson should not be wasting our time with picking him apart.
GOD will be his judge and GOD will be the best judge of him whether it be favorable judgement or condemning judgement.
I personally am a crazy Pentecostal and thoroughly enjoyed listening to his programs when they were readily available in Dallas.
The Holy Spirit uses his messages to prick the hard hearts of many who are in need of salvation in spite of the legalistic people who call themselves Christian who do more to turn the average unsaved "Joe Blow" on the street from the "church" that our "church" world has created.
The Bible very clearly tells us not to judge our brother, but to pray for him. It embarasses me to see this blog and to know that I called myself a Southern Baptist for many years.
THIS "SO-CALLED BLOG" IS ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING AND A TRAVESTY TO THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF JACKSONVILLE. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE TO ATTACK A CHURCH AND MAC BRUNSON?
ReplyDeleteTHE ONLY CONCLUSION IS THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES THAT THE CHURCH,PEOPLE,MINISTERS OF FIRST BAPTIST ARE MORE INTERESTED IN MONEY AND PERSONAL GAIN, IS QUITE OBVIOUSLY NOT SAVED. WHILE THOSE THAT KNOW I'M SURE ARE PRAYING FOR YOU TO HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THEY HAVE.MAY THE LORD OPEN YOUR EYES TO THE TRUTH.
Here's a simple answer, why don't ya'll pray about it as a church? Acts 1:8 comes to mind. I have DVR'd ya'lls services since September, however, I noticed that your church service is no longer broadcast, needless to say I was very disappointed. The internet is a great way to reach people, however, so is TV. Mac is a very gifted man of God, it would be a shame to silence His voice.
ReplyDeleteI find it quite dishearting that a non-member is trying to set the tone of the church.
As a past member of FBCJax and it's wonderful choir under Rodney Brooks, I must admit I am someone amazed and disappointed it what I have been reading on this site.
ReplyDeleteI was taught from an early age that we should always treat others the way we want to be treated (remember the Golden Rule?), and that includes Pastors. If there are issues arising within FBCJax, there are leaders in responsible roles that can and should deal with them in an appropriate and Christian manner.
One church member approached me stating that the Pator was given estate land in Derrwood to build a home by a church member. If this is true, that is between the church member and the Pastor.
I thought only God can judge our actions, intent and what's in our hearts!
I am speaking as a concerned citizen and a very disappointed follower of the issue at hand: mac brunson is a self-aggrandizing, egocentric, ignorant individual out for solely personal gain and does not merit being recognized as anything more than the average greedy low-life that he truly is. And please note that I AM publishing my name - since it is obvious that anonymity is no longer an afforded privelege thanks to brunson's personal spy task force.
ReplyDeleteMac is a great pastor. He is very detailed in his sermons, he does the research, there is definitely something there that many other pastors do not have. I'm thankful for the few times I was able to sit and listen to him.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said...
"I don't think it is wise for him to have such authority over the budget items. I also recall his son donating money to a church in our city to help them out. Did his son donate it, or did our budget committee donate it?"
About budget items; if the church is not saving the money, or using it improperly, then it is fine. When they decide to not use it for God or save it, then the church will not be blessed how it is now.
Complaining about helping another church is wrong. Not to mention the conspiracy theory of it being the committee and not his son. If you have a problem, ask the pastor, don't talk behind his back anonymously.
I would say more but this comment may not get approved so why bother.
Thanks
Semper Fi
I feel sorry for those of you with hate in your heart toward a servant of our Lord. Do you not know believers are not "to accuse the brethren?" Be thankful to be a part of such a dynamic great fellowship as FBC Jacksonville. It is an offense to the Father for you to be engaging in character assassination of this fine minister of the Gospel. With all of the grave difficulties in our world today, you would spend time with your feet running swiftly to mischief? Many homebound sick people will have their lives changed forever with Pastor Brunson's messages. Don't deprive others of the opportunity to know Christ as Lord.
ReplyDelete