The 3 - March 4, 2018

This week's edition of The 3, highlighting three current and relevant stories to the Christian community, features the story of a Christian minister, politician, and talk-show host that spent less than a day on a board affiliated with the music industry.  Also, Christian communicators gathered in Nashville for NRB, and its leader announced a return to its roots in the area of censorship, which has become a growing concern on social media.  And, the earthly body of the great evangelist Billy Graham was laid to rest in Charlotte this past Friday.

3 - Huckabee resigns from CMA board after backlash

Mike Huckabee is a speaker, author, television host, former governor of Arkansas, an ordained Christian minister - and a musician.  So, it should come as no surprise that he would be selected to be on the board of the Country Music Association Foundation (CMAF), which has education as its "sole issue," according to the Family Research Council, which reports that Huckabee's term was, to say the least, rather short - less than 24 hours, in fact.  According to FRC, there were some in the industry that were opposed to his selection to this education-oriented organization:

Jason Owen and his husband -- both LGBT activists whose Monument Records and Sandbox Entertainment represents some of the genre's biggest stars -- called the selection of Huckabee a "grossly offensive decision. Owen, who counts Midland, Little Big Town, Kacey Musgraves, Dan + Shay, Faith Hill, and others among his clients, claimed Huckabee's involvement would harm the very kids the foundation was created to help. "Not to mention," Owen went on, "how harmful and damaging his deep involvement with the NRA is. What a shameful choice." Others, like Sugarland's manager Whitney Pastorek, accused Huckabee (and the 53 percent of Americans with natural marriage beliefs like his) of "bigotry, racism, and sexism." With breathtaking prejudice, she insists, "While Governor Huckabee's tenure in Arkansas may have resulted in valuable education reform over a decade ago, I find his choice to spend the past 10 years profiting off messages of exclusion and hatred (not to mention the gun lobby) to be disqualifying.

FRC reports that Huckabee wrote a letter to the CMA announcing his resignation (which was published by the Tennessean) saying:

"If the industry doesn't want people of faith or who hold conservative and traditional political views to buy tickets and music, they should be forthcoming and say it. Surely neither the artists nor the business people of the industry want that."

"Until recently, the arts was the one place America could set aside political, geographical, racial, religious, and economic barriers and come together. If the arts community becomes part of the polarization instead of bridging communities and people over the power of civil norms as reflected in the arts, then we as a civilization may not be long for this earth."

2 - Christian communicators gather, NRB announces anti-censorship initiative

Recently, Christian communicators from around the world gathered at the Gaylord Opryland hotel in Nashville for the 2018 National Religious Broadcasters International Christian Media Convention.  High-profile Christian speakers, educational sessions, and more were part of the lineup.

There was an appearance from Vice-President Mike Pence during one of the opening sessions. Other notable speakers included Rick Warren, Greg Laurie, Kay Arthur, and David Jeremiah. The convention's website reported on its paying tribute to the late Billy Graham, and NRB provided convention-goers a chance to see and learn more about the forthcoming film, I Can Only Imagine.

And, according to its website, NRB.org, President and CEO Jerry Johnson shared information on an initiative that was launched late last year.  The website says:

Speaking at NRB’s 75th annual meeting, Johnson said Internet Freedom Watch is the organization’s effort to curtail discrimination against Christian and conservative content on the internet. NRB unveiled the initiative at a December news conference in Washington, D.C., in which the association called attention to censorship by tech companies such as Facebook, Twitter, Google, and Apple.

“[I]f conservative and Christian content is taken off of social media, digital media, the Gospel will be muzzled, the Word of God will be muzzled,” Johnson told the audience in the evening session at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center.

It is the NRB’s job to protect First Amendment freedoms, and the association of Christian communicators “is uniquely positioned” to do so, he said before quoting part of the U.S. Constitution’s initial amendment.

The First Amendment’s “first three elements – religion, speech and press – that’s NRB,” he said. “This is our world, and I want to say to you: If not you, who? If not this, what? If not now – when we are being demonetized, blocked, taken off, and censored – if not now, when will NRB stand for First Amendment principles?”

The article stated that "Internet Freedom Watch marks a return to the reason for NRB’s founding in the 1940s," according to Johnson. The article said that, "The initiative 'is returning to our roots,' Johnson said, citing the NRB’s effort for radio 75 years ago in which it said, 'We’re not going to take a back seat. We want a level playing field. We want a place in the public square. Let’s go to D.C. Let’s go to the Congress. Let’s go to the FCC. And in a few years, Christian broadcasters were back on Christian radio once again.'"

1 - Billy Graham's body, but not his ministry, laid to rest

It was called "Billy Graham's final crusade" - his funeral service at the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte that was held this past Friday, which was attended by almost 2000 people under a tent "reminiscent" to that used in the famous 1949 Los Angeles crusade, according to the website, BillyGraham.org, which stated:

“Today, he’s in Heaven,” his oldest son Franklin Graham said. “On the 21st of February, he was escorted by God’s angels to the throne of God. And I can only imagine what it was like when my father stepped into Heaven, and there was the Lord Jesus Christ to say, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.'”

The website reported that all five children of Billy Graham spoke at the service, including his other son, Ned, plus daughters Gigi, Anne, and Ruth.  Other speakers included Billy Kim of the Far East Broadcasting Company in Korea and Mr. Graham's pastor, Don Wilton.

Michael W. Smith, Linda McCrary-Fisher, and the Gaither Vocal Band were among those providing music.

The article on the website stated:

From start to finish, Billy Graham’s final Crusade lifted up the name of Jesus Christ. And that is the one thing Mr. Graham would have wanted. In fact, he insisted on it.

The heart of Friday’s service may have been summarized best by Robert Cunville, the humble Indian evangelist who helps continue Billy Graham’s global ministry to this day. Cunville thanked God for Billy Graham in a passionate prayer that surely rose above the top of the tent and cut through the cloudless, blue sky.

“We know that it was You, You who brought the countless souls to the foot of the cross,” he prayed. “For this is what your servant would say: ‘Oh, God, not me. Not me, but God did it.'”