Has the church lost it’s mind or am I just going crazy.

It was reported today in the AJC that Gospel Today, a magazine was pulled from the shelves today.  Well, I saw it on the news and I was trying to figure out why.

“Smiling women on the cover of a slick magazine. Sold from under the counter. Must request it from store clerk.

That’s not something a buyer would typically find in a Christian bookstore. Not unless it’s one of the more than 100 Lifeway Christian Bookstores across the United States, including about six in metro Atlanta.

Gospel Today, the Fayetteville-published magazine, was pulled off the racks by the bookstores’ owner, the Southern Baptist Convention. The problem? The five smiling women on the cover are women of the cloth — church pastors.

Southern Baptist polity says that’s a role reserved for men.

Teresa Hairston, owner of Gospel Today, whose glossy pages feature upbeat articles about health, living, music and ministry, said she discovered by e-mail that the September/October issue of the magazine had been demoted to the realm of the risque.

 I mean WOW!

Isn’t it amazing that we live in times where because a woman is a pastor and on the cover it’s get demoted to the cheap and tawdry level of a Playboy “I just get it for the articles” magazine.  I’d be very interested to know what other magazines and books that Lifeway Bookstores carries that affirm the full ministry of women.  I’m going out on a limb and saying that there’s prolly at least one book, magazine or something else that has an article or an essay that supports women in ministry.

Sorry, it’s almost a double slap in the face that a) these women are black (except for Sheryl Brady, who puts some black pentecostal preachers to shame cuz she’s just that good) and b) the fact that these women are on the cover.  Is it the curb appeal that really offends the Southern Baptist Church or is it really the theology behind it? C) this is a black publication.

You all know where I stand on such wanton foolishness.  This CLEARLY falls in the category of “I have no words.”

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And if that wasn’t enough, I also got word, during the same 5:30pm news broadcast that there’s a new reality show called “I Want To Be A First Lady” or “I Love Tommy” or some crap yet to be named starring Bishop Thomas “I look ridiculous wearing bowties” Weeks the former husband of Profitess Prophetess Juanita “I didn’t see that fist coming at me” Bynum who’s divorce was finalized today.  Check out this other AJC article:

Weeks will document his effort to open his heart to love again in 10 streaming video “Web Episodes” of his reality show “WHO WILL BE THE NEXT MRS. WEEKS,” which airs at noon Tuesday on his Web site http://www.bishopweeks.com. The idea came after Weeks was flooded with thousands of e-mails and letters from people offering advice about what to look for in his third wife. Some even offered to be his wife.

“There are some very adamant women,” says Weeks’ associate, Minister Guy Reeves of Global Destiny. “A lady from Belgium flew all the way here to meet him. She came to the campus. She wanted to be the next Mrs. Weeks like many others who have approached me about their strong desire to be Bishop Weeks’ wife.”

Weeks is inviting his followers to observe his personal life so they can get a Christian perspective on dating and coping with the desire for intimacy. The Pentecostal pastor will soon release a book about the subject called “Finding Yourself While In Transition.”

Viewers of his reality show can share their opinions on being single and his search for a mate by sending e-mails or chatting live with Weeks.

“What kind of advice would you give me about the new Mrs. Weeks?” he asks on a Web site promo of the episode.

“We will probably find in due time who is that perfect woman for me,” Weeks says. “This time I’m not going to limit it just to the local church … It’s a global ministry. We’ve got to have a global search.”

I guess he’s taking the Jobian principle of getting back “double for your trouble” cuz this prosperity pimp (yeah, I’m not crossing it out this time) is sho’ about to capitalize on the fact that Juanita didn’t see his fist coming resulting in their divorce.

The book–BWAHAHAHAHAHA!  “Finding Yourself In Transition” 

I’m bout to pee on myself….this is absolutely a sham and a mess.

Can you imagine the emails he must be getting?

Discuss this amongst yourselves, because clearly I Have No Words for this ish.

Don’t forget to check out my guest blog Why Paying Kids to Perform in School is a Dumb Idea and show her some love.

Keep it uppity and keep it truthfully radical, JLL