Category: Ministry Integrity

Copyright 2019 Theresa Harvard Johnson Image: Deposit Photos
(This article is a part of an ongoing series entitled, “Denounce the Circus,” based on identifying idolatry in the church.)

Signs of a “Closet” Gossiper:

1. Celebrity junkie. Can tell you everything about celebrities and confuse it with “God showing me.”
2. Excessive commentator. Weighs in on topics that are COMPLETELY IRRELEVANT to the congregation. Has nothing to do with the Lord’s intention.
3. Extremely concerned with what “they believe” the Lord shows them about “others” …and shape that gossip into a “false ministry.” Never in the history of the scriptures has a ministry been built on something like this.
   
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   Ministry Integrity

Image purchased. DepositPhotos.com
Copyright 2019 Theresa Harvard Johnson

In the digital age, entrepreneurs are looking for ways to protect their branding strategies and creative content from theft. This issue not only affects those in book publishing, but people who are releasing content on multiple platforms – whether choreography and music, digital publishing online, learning platforms and blogs.

Technology has simplified the efforts of thieves, making it increasingly difficult to prevent them from violating rights to intellectual property.

This undeniable truth has opened unending ethical conversations in the congregation concerning plagiarism and copyright – especially as it relates to spiritually inspired content in the protestant, charismatic faith. The most obvious way to prevent plagiarism is to educate pastors, leaders and congregants concerning what it is and why it is a problem.

Below are nine additional, practical ways to deter thieves in the fight against plagiarism – the act of taking someone’s work and/or ideas and passing them off as one’s own; and copyright infringement is the illegal reproduction, distribution, performance, and/or publicly displaying work without the permission of the copyright owner.

The two are closely related.

The distinction, however, is that plagiarism is often seen as an academic issue, while copyright infringement is an everyone-else issue. In recent years, however, there has been tremendous effort to raise awareness about the ethical dilemma it presents for the 21^st century, technology driven congregation.

In efforts to help believers whose content is tied to business strategy, here are seven steps they can take to protecting their content:

1. Sign, date and keep originals of critical content. For my books and online articles about the ministry of the scribe, I keep original copies of each file including draft versions that reveal the development process.
2. Obtain copyrights through the U.S. Copyright Office. While this is not necessary for all content, it is necessary for critical content for public distribution. For example, consider placing “copyright and fair use notices” on digital content. Recently, I began including copyright and fair use notices in my PowerPoint presentations at events when I speak – especially when public or private recording is taking place and things are distributed via social media. Contracts may be necessary if those recordings are to be sold, stored, shared or displayed publicly at another date. (People have been known to steal conference material that people have taught and build online schools around that content without their permission!)
3. Obtain a trademark or service mark. Depending on your goals, it may also be affective to obtain ownership of your brand through the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. I trademarked “The Scribal Anointing” over a decade ago. I also had to update that petition to maintain my rights as part of my brand. In a court of law, this could be used to help prevent people from copying the phrase or creating similar phrases in attempts to steal the brand.
   
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   Ministry Integrity

 Copyright 2018 Theresa Harvard Johnson
(March 16, 2018)

It’s shameful.

Sexual abuse allegations have cost the Roman Catholic Church in America nearly $4 billion over six decades in litigation and settlements, according to an in-depth investigation by the National Catholic Reporter. In a separate study, the scandals surrounding the allegations have resulted in lost membership and more than $2.3 billion annually in giving for the past 30 years (NCR).

Although the Catholic church is widely seen as the poster child for sexual abuse, the top three, leading faith-based insurance companies report that the Protestant Christian churches they ensure paid out $87.8 million in claims from 1987-2007 (Denney, Kerley, Gross 2). This data, however, is over a decade old but comes from the three leading insurance agencies that specialize in defending lawsuits against churches. Various reports conclude that the actual costs of the sexual abuse-related litigation and settlements are significantly higher for both Catholic and Protestant churches because they do not include litigation fees, monthly insurance premiums or other associated costs.

Not many will like this message. I do believe, however, that it is one of the most critical messages of the hour for the church. My prayer is that WE LISTEN! I commend this young man for writing what so many people have been pondering in their hearts. I am reposting it as a CRY for pastors and leaders to look at how they are presenting the faith to others. I pray that the “heart” of this message comes through to you as powerfully as it has impacted me. I hope to share a response to this later on my page. I am thankful to Exio Baillou for granting me permission to repost this article on my blog.

Written by Exio Baillou
To see original article click here

I once read an article speaking to a specific sector of Christians called the “dones”. These were individuals over the age of 40, who though being believers were in fact completely and utterly disconnected and disinterested in church. However, I am apart of another emerging “sect” of Christians. I am apart of those who in their 20s & 30s have spent our lives serving the household of faith and being thoroughly engaged in the work of the Lord. Yet, despite all of that; we do not want to be apart of the local church anymore.

My thoughts are mines alone and are not meant to be a railing accusation against established church leaders or to castigate them in anyway. I do not seek counsel, pity, prayer, or help. Rather, I seek to give you what most do not. I want to give you an honest response as to why those who have known Jesus for so long and served you and with you continually, have decided to no longer fellowship with you. I along with others will visit you from time to time. We will hug you, celebrate your progress, and wish you well. However, we have chosen never to be apart of you anymore.