Mike Foster and Jud Wilhite have been influential “impacters of culture” for quite some time. Since 2003 Jud has been the Senior Pastor at Central Christian Church in Las Vegas, which has weekend attendance in excess of 12,000 people. He’s written several books and is a sought after speaker at conferences around the country. Mike Foster is a busy guy. In addition to his day job as creative principal at PlainJoe Studios he is a serial ministerial entrepreneur. He was the founder of XXXChurch.com and Junky Car Club, and is the president of Ethur.

These guys have been long time friends and came together a few years ago and wrote a book entitled Deadly Viper Character Assassins that is about integrity and character in leadership. Their latest movement is called People Of The Second Chance. Ironically this movement that started many months ago with an idea, some bumper stickers, and t-shirts has now become the centerpiece of Mike and Jud’s collaboration due to some unfortunate controversy within some segments of the Asian-American Christian community over the use of Asian culture to sell books. In my personal opinion the issue was overblown and obviously unintentional, but Jud and Mike chose to take the high road, and not only pulled the books from the shelves but also shut down the Deadly Viper website and canceled all further development of the concept.

The leaders of POTSC overnight became not just promoters of second chances but users of second chances. God has an amazing sense of humor and the ability to use all circumstances for good. The controversy over Deadly Viper, which generated a lot of undesired publicity on the internet in certain circles of influence in the evangelical world, also ended up generating a ton of publicity for the launch of People Of The Second Chance. Now the founders of the movement have a personal story of their own to share…about POTSC and its scandalous movement of radical grace in life and leadership. Check out their launch video below.

We can all use a second chance at some point in our life. It is far too easy to condemn the Tiger Woods’ of the world and forget that behind the moral failure of any individual is a broken person in need of a Savior and redemption–a person who might take that second chance and change the world for Jesus (anyone remember someone named Saul, who after his second chance was known as Paul?), and I am grateful to Mike and Jud for their continued work in the field of grace, integrity, leadership, and second chances. What about you?

If there’s a copy of the NIV in your house, or even a copy of Purpose Driven Life, you know  Zondervan, the Grand Rapids company founded in 1931 by Pat and Bernie Zondervan, now owned by HarperCollins.

But even if you don’t, you would have a hard time escaping mention of the company online during the last 90 days, as it’s been a wild ride for company executives, and especially company president Maurine (Moe) Girkins, pictured at right, who seems to be making a public statement on one front or another every week.    Imagine dealing with all this:

• The fall announcement that the TNIV translation would be discontinued in favor of a revised NIV.    This re-sparked old debates over the TNIV’s use of gender-neutral language, with some discussion shifting from the anthropos=mankind argument, to the plural vs. singular argument and the translation vs. commentary challenge of Bible translation.   In the process, very few people considered that the much better-loved NIV — as it currently exists –was also being scrubbed in the process.
  
• The hiring of Flickering Pixels author Shane Hipps by Mars Hill Bible Church in Zondervan’s hometown, brought Hipps under fire from the discernment ministries who already had their guns aimed at Rob Bell.   It also showcases Zondervan’s willingness to promote next generation authors and give a platform to younger voices — bloggers Jon Acuff and Anne Jackson come to mind — and Emergent church, social justice and missional voices like Brian McLaren, Shane Claiborne or Dan Kimball.   But the downside of this is going to be inexperience at minimum, or more severe controversy as in the next item; and even the hint of heresy from some extreme sides could diminish the value of the Zondervan brand in the eyes of conservative Christians.    The company is caught in the race against other publishers to sign “the next big thing in Christian writing” on the dotted line.   With that comes risk.   While there are more and more authors in the marketplace, Donald Millers don’t grow on trees.
• The decision to pull Deadly Viper Character Assasins by Mike Foster and Jud Wilhite was probably not easily made.    Taking a title of out distribution is costly and suggests the company wasn’t carefully considering the full ramifications of the book’s content before the presses started rolling.  Most people agree.   Others would say the company got caught in the tide of political correctness and that the book’s Kung-Fu imagery was a valid literary device to express the authors intent.
• The sale of Youth Specialties to Youthworks was the buzz of the recent National Youth Workers Convention, and it follows the release of Youth Specialties head Mark Oestreicher.   Zondervan will continue to hold the print rights to current and future books and resources.
• The downward spiral in the marriage of Jon and Kate Gosselin.   Zondervan is the publisher of Multiple Blessings: Surviving and Thriving with Twins and Sextuplets. The “story of a young couple who trusted in the ever present hand of a faithful God to provide the strength and courage they needed to face seemingly impossible challenges one day at a time” no doubt pales in the light of their recent separation and Jon’s excesses.    Such is the world of celebrity.   Just ask Thomas Nelson, whose biography of Lynn Spears was put on hold a few years back when Britney’s younger sister became pregnant at a young age.
• The lawsuit filed last week against Zondervan by Thomas Nelson, alleging copyright infringement in its I-Can-Read series book, The Princess Twins which they say is ripping off the Gigi: God’s Little Princess book and series by Sheila Walsh.  The similarity in the visual appearance of the characters is complicated by — but also somewhat explained by — the fact that both books used the same illustrator.  It also raises the issue of lawsuits among Christians.
  
• The September decision to jettison the company’s Pradis Bible software and instead work with other software developers such as Logos, with the result that pastors and seminarians don’t have to have a separate Bible program to utilize Zondervan content.
• The shunning of the Christian bookstore market in favor of developing an entire series of specialty Bibles for retail giant Wal-Mart may have been the last straw for those stores.   The backlash could continue for several years as customers bring those copies to the Christian stores looking to buy “another one like this one” which store staff will have never seen before.   To further complicate things, the Wal-Mart series piggybacks on several existing Zondervan NIV brands.
  
• Uncertainties as to how many copies of the new Glo Bible software will be returned after Christmas.   With four computers in the house — two of them recent — there’s a little concern in our home as to whether or not we can install the program which requires a dual core processor and 18GB of free hard disc space.  My youngest son, who is into gaming, offered me space on his, but it’s hard to find time when he’s not using it.
  
• While it’s not a Zondervan title, the company’s sales reps are promoting parent HarperCollins’ release Going Rogue by Sarah Palin in the Christian bookstore market, because of Palin’s unabashed faith commitment.   But Palin is a wild card, and the company can’t afford any backlash from the independent Christian bookstores that still remain.
• Stuff Christians Like blogger Jon Acuff’s book of the same name is due out from the company in the new year.   The blog is somewhat tame at times — he refused to print two comments by this writer, and I’m not known for being edgy — but takes risks in others.    One of the edgier sections is called “Booty – God – Booty” which frankly discusses the North American penchant for compartmentalizing our lives into the sacred and the profane.    But readers may have to read the section twice to get the illustration, and speaking of illustrations, at least one blogger is upset over this one.

And that’s just a few major items.   I’d love to be a fly on the wall in the Zondervan conference room.  It’s hard to imagine one Christian publisher dealing with so many varied issues at the same time.

I can’t wait to see what surprises the company has in mind for 2010.

Now,  more in the spirit of blogging:  How significant is the name on the spine of a book to you?  Do you note who the publishers are?   Do publisher imprints matter?   Do you have a favorite publisher?

Pictured below, some graphics from the now off-market Deadly Viper Character Assassins:

While Christian bookstores and national online retailer CBD have complied with Zondervan’s request to pull the book Deadly Viper Character Assassins by Mike Foster and Jud Wilhite, as of 11:00 PM EST Wednesday, Amazon was still processing orders for the title, as were Ingram and STL.

By 5:00 PM EST Wednesday, the pulling of the book had caught the notice of USAToday which reported:

Evangelical publisher Zondervan has pulled a leadership book featuring a kung fu theme after Asian-American Christian leaders led an online protest against its imagery.

The book, Deadly Viper Character Assassins: A Kung Fu Survival Guide for Life and Leadership, and its related curriculum included Asians in ninja garb with the words “character creep” and videos that featured “Caucasians speaking with fake Asian accents,” said the Rev. Soong-Chan Rah, an associate professor at North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago.

“It’s inappropriate to use an ancient culture to simply market the book when it’s not really about martial arts,” Rah said Tuesday (Nov. 24).

He wrote a Nov. 3 open letter to Zondervan and the book’s authors that caught fire on the Internet and prompted criticism from a range of Christian leaders who thought the imagery was offensive.

Continue reading “…Zondervan pulls Kung-Fu book” here.

Zondervan issued an apology which included a link to this image:

which was one of four major issues cited North Park Theological Seminary professor Soong-Chan Rah who called for an apology on November 3rd.  To read the whole of the Christianity Today article concerning Zondervan’s apology, click here.

The article goes on to say that several bloggers praised Zondervan’s decision, though we also found some who thought the whole exercise was a gross overreaction, something with which the seminary professor would obviously disagree.

Did your store receive a request to remove the books along with a return authorization?   If so, does it bother you that Amazon and several distributors are continuing to process orders?

As long as it’s still up, the promo video at YouTube is located here.

This one won’t be taken down, you can read the professor’s article here at Sojourners.

Zondervan, a leading publisher of Bibles and Evangelical books, has recalled a leadership manual after protests by Asian Christians over its use of “offensive” stereotypes. So don’t look for Deadly Viper Character Assassinations at your nearest bookstore. It won’t be there.

Publishers Weeky reports Zondervan encountered “a backlash for what critics called its insensitive use of Asian themes” over Deadly Viper Character Assassinations: A Kung Fu Survival Guide for Life and Leadership, by Mike Foster and Jud Wilhite.

The protest was led by Soong-Chan Rah, author and associate professor of church growth and evangelism at North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago. He was joined by, among others, blogger Eugene Cho, a Seattle pastor and contributing editor to Sojourners Magazine.

My guess is that Foster and Wilhite intended the “Asian” themes in their book as a gloss on Quenetin Tarantino’s Kill Bill movies more than anything else. But that turned out to be a bad idea. The anger incited by their use of common pop Asian stereotypes seethes near the surface in Cho’s original blog post.

“Mike and Jud, you are two white males who are inappropriately co-opting another culture and using it to further the marketing of your book. You are not from our cultural framework, yet you feel that you have the authority to represent our culture before others. In other words, you are using what are important and significant cultural symbols to make a sale or to make your point. It is an affront to those who are a part of that culture.”

To their credit, Zondervan and the authors reacted quickly to the issues raised by Rah. Foster and Wilhite issued an apology (“we deeply regret anything we did to offend our Christian brothers and sisters in the Asian and Asian-American communities”) and cooperated fully with Zondervan’s decision to withdraw the book.

Zondervan took a firm stand: “There is no need for debate on this subject,” said Moe Girkins, Zondervan president and CEO. “We are pulling the book and the curriculum in their current forms from stores permanently.”

Further, Girkins named Stan Gundry as editor-in-chief of all Zondervan products “in order to avoid similar episodes in the future” and emphasized the company’s commitment to products that promote spiritual growth.” She said Zondervan hopes to reissue the book and its “valuable” message at a future date in a “better” format.

Asian Christian leaders, including Rah and Cho, responded with an open letter expressing “a deep sense of gratitude” to Zondervan, Foster and Wilhite for their “willingness to understand the issues, to take responsibility for the errors, and to act so swiftly.”

The letter concludes on a note of reconciliation and hope: “True reconciliation is not a one-time achievement but a lifelong, intentional pursuit. May this be just the beginning of all our continued efforts to deepen our understanding of and appreciation for the diversity of God’s people.”

However you parse it, this is a classic example of political correctness working the way it should. Too often condemned as a hobbyhorse of the left, political correctness has an appropriate function in an evolving multicultural society. It’s no longer a tool wielded only by feminists, tree-huggers, special interest groups or anti-smoking activitists.

And by practicing the traditional Christian virtues of tolerance and accountability, all sides in this controversy have shown that it’s possible to reach a satisfactory resolution without destroying the public image and careers of the offenders.

It’s taken me awhile to finally write a blog post (not that people will read this, haha). I’ve been late to the game and I don’t really have much to add. But here are some of my thoughts and I’m sure these have been expressed already on many other blogs. I’ve been hesitant to write about it for some reason. I don’t claim to be right or have the answers. I have my own blind spots in all of this. But these are some of my thought – for what they’re worth.

I’ve been reading various blogs about the whole situation with Deadly Viper. In some ways I have been encouraged and inspired and in other ways I have been angered and disheartened.

What has been encouraging for me is to see Asian American voices being heard in all of this. I was able to hear from voices I hadn’t hear from before. I was able to talk with people about this in a way I hadn’t before. People were willing to share their pain and were not willing to be silent on this. You could see people writing emails to Zondervan to express their dismay at what was taking place. You could see and feel the empowerment of Asian Americans to speak up. I saw glimpses of an American American voice and presence in the larger Christian community. As the larger Asian American Christian voice is still forming and emerging, it was gratifying for me to see other Asian American Christians willing to engage and participate in this vital issue of race and racism in the larger Christian community. I was also encouraged by non-Asian American voices in the Church willing to advocate and speak out on this issue.

I was also inspired by Asian American leaders in the church willing to speak up for those who feel voiceless. It’s not an easy place for these leaders to put themselves out there because they knew there would be a backlash against them. But the courage they showed in their Christ-like advocacy has been inspiring for me and so many others who felt like they didn’t have much power to say anything.

While there have been things that have been encouraging, there has been plenty that has been discouraging, especially the backlash against the Asian American leaders who spoke out and against the Asian American community at large. I guess I shouldn’t surprised. But it’s still disheartening nonetheless. In this age of Obama, things are scary out there.

I’ve been listening to so many Christians, mostly white, but also other Asian Americans, who are basically telling those who have been offended and who have spoken up that “we need to get over it”. Our problem or our sin is that we CHOOSE to be offended. Everything feels so backward. How did the oppressed get turned into the perpetrator? This has brought up all those all too many times in my life when I was told to GET OVER IT! I need to be thick-skinned and if I was offended I just suck it up and move on. I went through a long period of my life with that attitude. How damaging it was for me to keep all my emotions and anger inside. I will not GET OVER IT! I am speaking up not so I can go through my gripes against white people. It has nothing to do with that. It has to do with my love for greater Christian community that values Christ-like justice, reconciliation, and inclusion.

Many have commented on the way Professor Soong-Chan Rah handled the situation. He’s already apologized for his part. However, much of his reaction was facilitated by the dismissive response by Mike. Had he responded differently, I think Professor Soong-Chan Rah would have acted differently. Had Soong-Chan Rah not called people to action, I don’t think Mike and Jud or Zondervan would have responded.

I know some who claim to know Mike and Jud have said they were trying honor Asian culture and consulted other Asian Americans. However, I have to ask, who were the Asian Americans around them who were giving them counsel that thought this marketing would be culturally sensitive and honoring to Asian culture and Asian Americans?

What may be the saddest part of this whole deal is how this is looking to nonChristian Asian Americans who already think Christianity is an oppressive force and that the Church glosses over issues of race and justice. What kind of witness are we demonstrating to nonChristian Asian Americans with this backlash and justification of cultural insensitivity to the Asian American community?

I have been taken aback by the arrogance of those who confidently state that they have the theological high ground by quoting the same scriptures that purport to devalue race and ethnicity. It just shows the dominant view in the Church through the lens of individualism and reductionism. Like Soong-Chan Rah’s book states, we are witnessing the Western cultural captivity of the Church. Scripture being used to justify ignorance and cultural insensitivity is extremely dismaying to say the least.

I’ve already seen comments on blogs in which there have been white Christians not just discussing the Deadly Vipers incident but also their gripes against Asian Americans and other people of color. It’s sad that it has deteriorated to that point.

Lastly, I’d like to say that it’s not courageous to say you weren’t offended. I’ve seen some blogs by Asian Americans who have proudly stated that they weren’t offended by the marketing of Deadly Vipers and they even have the audacity to apologize on behalf of the whole Asian American community. The Asian American community is not monolithic and they don’t need to apologize on my behalf. I have no problem with Asian Americans stating that they weren’t offended by the material or they thought Mike and Jud were trying to honor Asian Americans. That’s fine. However, those views have implicitly given license to those white Christians who are angry about this to blame the Asian American community for their feeling of “losing” Deadly Vipers and in some way “losing” power. I’ve seen so many of the white Christians who are angry about this justifying themselves by citing various Asian American bloggers who say they weren’t offended. They are called courageous by these white Christians. I don’t think it’s courageous. I think the ones who have been courageous are those who have spoken out against the cultural insensitivity of the marketing of Deadly Vipers even though they knew there would be a huge backlash by many white and some Asian Americans in the Church.

Soong Chan-Rah, Eugene Cho, Kathy Khang, Ken Fong, and Nikki Toyama-Szeto have stated their desire for Mike and Jud to be restored and for their ministry to continue. I hope Mike and Jud come back and get to continue their ministry that has changed the lives of so many. I think they can do that without being culturally insensitive to Asian Americans in the process. Let’s hope the reconciliation process will continue and that all those involved would continue to rely on God for discernment and that we would move a step forward in the elusive place of racial reconciliation.

I hope the three people who read this post enjoyed reading it. =)

The Deadly Viper site is down and Zondervan, the publishers, issued the following letter:

November 19, 2009

Zondervan Statement Regarding Concerns Voiced About "Deadly Viper: Character Assassins"

From Moe Girkins, President and CEO

Hello and thanks for your patience.

On behalf of Zondervan, I apologize for publishing Deadly Viper: Character Assassins. It is our mission to offer products that glorify Jesus Christ. This book’s characterizations and visual representations are offensive to many people despite its otherwise solid message.

There is no need for debate on this subject. We are pulling the book and the curriculum in their current forms from stores permanently.

We have taken the criticism and advice we have received to heart. In order to avoid similar episodes in the future, last week I named Stan Gundry as our Editor-in-Chief of all Zondervan products. He will be responsible for making the necessary changes at Zondervan to prevent editorial mistakes like this going forward. We already have begun a dialogue with Christian colleagues in the Asian-American community to deepen our cultural awareness and sensitivity.

Zondervan is committed to publishing Christian content and resources that uplift God and see humanity in its proper perspective in relation to God. We take seriously our call to provide resources that encourage spiritual growth. And, we know there is more to learn by always listening to our critics as well as our advocates.

It would be unfair to take these actions without expressing our love and support for the authors of this book, Mike Foster and Jud Wilhite. Both gentlemen are gifted writers and passionate about their ministry. We do believe their message is valuable and plan to work with the authors to come up with a better presentation of that message. We will jointly ensure we do our due diligence on the appropriateness of the creative side. This will include reaching out to a broad spectrum of cultural experts.

Finally, I want to personally thank Professor Rah, Ken Fong, Eugene Cho and Kathy Khang for their input and prayers during this discussion. We appreciate everyone’s concern and effort and look forward to working together for God’s kingdom.

Warmly,

Moe

Wow … thanks to Zondervan and the authors for their humility and graciousness as well as their apology, and also to Soong-Chan Rah, Eugene Cho, Ken Fong and Kathy Khang for their advocacy and eloquence in representation. Way to go, Church! (Although, reading some of the comments on those blogs, I’m struck by how much more work needs to happen within the Church …)

Check out more coverage–actually, a lot of it’s the same–on the aforementioned’s blogs, as well as on Angry Asian Man.

In case you hadn’t heard, Zondervan made a major announcement yesterday regarding the Deadly Viper Character Assassins book that was the source of so much anger and controversy recently. Effective immediately, Zondervan undertook the courageous step of permanently removing all the books from stores and discontinuing all related curriculum and products. Quite a bold gesture, and a remarkable example of repentance. Hopefully, the pain and high emotion of the past few weeks can now give way to true healing and reconciliation. This is a wonderful start, but it will not be easy.

The Deadly Viper website and blog were shut down today shortly after Zondervan’s announcement. This is the message that now greets its visitors.

A search for the words “Deadly Viper” on Twitter brings a variety of revealing Tweets. Very common are messages like this one: “Irritated about the whole Deadly Viper thing. irritated. really? ya had to shut them down?” And this one: “The Deadly Viper issue makes my stomach turn. I need to think about something else because I’m getting ticked off.”

There likely will be some backlash against Zondervan’s decision and against the movement of folks, led by our very brave sisters and brothers in the Asian American community, who took a firm stand against the negative stereotypes connected with the DV book and promo video. Many will view this whole episode as the epitome of political correctness and as an unfair attack on two devoted Christian brothers. We need to show patience and grace to those who don’t understand the point of this outcome.

This has especially been a difficult time for Mike Foster and Jud Wilhite, the authors of Deadly Viper. They need our prayers and compassion.

And finally, we need to remember our Asian and Asian American brothers and sisters who have been at the forefront of this conflict. I think of Soong-Chan Rah, Kathy Khang, Eugene Cho, and Ken Fong in particular, but there have been many others who have led the way through their blog posts and comments, Tweets, Facebook updates, and letters of complaint to Zondervan. These women and men have felt the strain and sadness of this epic event.

Though I supported the protest from the beginning, I admittedly was a bit concerned about the overwhelming force of the initial admonishment of the authors. I always felt that Zondervan should be the target of the strongest protest. But blog posts like this one from my dear friend Helen Lee and this one from Soong-Chan helped me understand why the Asian community needed to act so decisively. They were tired of this mess. I needed to be tired of it, too.

Thank God for this good conclusion. I think He makes His church better through conflicts like this one. Let’s pray that it becomes the start of something greater—something profoundly redemptive.

And so we move on to the second of Jud and Mike’s named character assassins…the assassin of zi qi qi ren.

Say what now?

Yeah, I know, I didn’t know what that meant either until I read the chapter!! Tee hee.

Apparently it is chinese (of some sort) for ‘self deception while deceiving others‘

This is an assassin that I’ve actively tried to kick some ass in. One of the most common comments I get about me is that I’m usually really up front and honest about where I’m at. That scares people sometimes.

Transparency scares us.

We got brought up in a culture where we have to ‘keep up with the Jones’s’. I remember my Nana freaking out if anyone came to visit in case they thought her house was a mess (it never was). We go to church with our ‘happy’ masks on even when life isn’t going so great. We don’t want people to find out about the skeletons in our closets.

I spent my teenage years holding on some huge secrets. And huge secret got added on to huge secret.

Did that screw me up big time? Yes.

Did that screw some other people up big time? Yes.

It didn’t help me, and it didn’t help anybody else either. But I kept up my good grades, turning up to school, put my face on for going to work, and being the life and soul of the dance studio and encouraging my friends to drink bacardi.

So who knew? No-one until it all began to fall apart at the seams…

Assassin of Zi Qi Qi Ren had worked it’s magic.

It worked it’s magic again when I became a Christian. Every Christian had such a perfect life. Uh oh. I must not be able to be one then.

Or so I thought.

Until a few of the Christians who I thought were superhuman, always together, had perfect families and perfect lives suddenly went completely off track.

Why? Because they’d been secretly struggling for so long but didn’t want to admit to anyone because they thought it would be a ‘bad witness’ to show that they were struggling with their faith and life. They’d made some bad choices and didn’t want to admit they needed help and support.

Why do we lie? Why do we say ‘I’m fine’ when we’re not?

“Somewhere along this road we have concluded that in order to be liked by others we need to hide our true self…from the beginning of recorded history, humans have been covering mistakes and embarrassments. We once hid our goof-ups with large fig leaves placed in strategic locations. Now we cover ourselves with half-truths, shameless puffery, and exagggerations. We hide our junk, weakneses and frailties in a very large closet in our soul”

Deadly Viper Character Assassins p45-46

I still remember Pete Gilbert speaking at Imagine Scotland. He said if a journalist turned up at his door telling him he was going to reveal the scandalous truth about Pete Gilbert, he wouldn’t be worried. Why? Because he already confessed it to all the people who mattered to him. His wife knew, his kids knew, his pastor knew everything there was to know already.

You want to get the dirt on me? Here’s the people to call: Liz, Jam, Raz, Tanja, Nicola, Gill, Alan, Claire, Jon, Ruth, Adam – people from student cell groups I was part of in Aberdeen. They have all the dirt on me.

And now although I’m not going to confess all my sins on my blog, I try to be as open and honest as possible. We need to create that culture of confession, non-judgment, grace, encouragement…

Sarah who I work with…she is getting to know about my whole self too. We confess our struggles, and we’ll pick each other up on things. We’ve had some pretty frank conversations with each other. It’s important because we’re leading up a Christian ministry together. We’re so aware that there’s a bunch of assassins out for our character trying to undermine our ministry.

I know, I for one, do not like getting into the business of pretending.

So on with making myself increasingly more transparent…day by day.

For more on Deadly Viper Character Assassins go to the Deadly Viper website

Deadly Viper

The character assassins book that I picked up today while not feeling so hot.

So to the first of Jud and Mike’s named character assassins…the assassin of character creep.

It’s basically all about how the small things that cross our moral boundaries can build up and up until you lose your integrity big style.

First of all I have to confess that the first page of the chapter I found a wee bitty ironic…

“We don’t make an entry in our diary one day: Dear Diary, today I plan to commit fraud which will eventually lead to the demise of my career, a nervous breakdown, and ultimately jail.”

Deadly Viper Character Assassins p. 24

Now. I could take the uppity high road on that one, but here’s the thing. I work for a charity. And one of the things that Sarah and I feel really weird about is that we have to write the cheques for our wages. Especially me. I would rather not be tempted to follow in my father’s footsteps and my seemingly constant financial battles definitely put me at high risk to do it unless I’m really careful. How do we act transparent about dealing with the charity’s monies when we could so easily steal money?

We double sign every single cheque. And every cheque is photocopied with the receipt/invoice of what we are paying and why.

Our accounts are doubly checked – first by an accountant, then by an auditor, then by the Charities Commission (OSCR).

So we would never get away with it. Exactly the way it should be.

And I can say hand on heart that there is definitely too much at stake to lose…

When my Dad got caught out…it destroyed his family. We’ve been very broken in all sorts of ways I never expected possible. His career is totally down the toilet. He will never be allowed to have his own business ever again. And he could have made such a huge difference – he was getting the chance to do that.

I had to apply some ‘kung fu’ action the other week on this assassin.

I’d been ill our last few days in Cornwall, and wasn’t feeling particularly great driving back up. I’d pulled into a service station off the M6 about 4 hours from home. It was pouring with rain, cars everywhere, people running across the car park. As I pulled into a parking space I heard a horrible noise.

A severe lack of spatial awareness had caused me to crash into the side of the car next to me. I got out in the pouring rain to discover I’d scratched it in 2 places.

And not just any car. No, no.

In a car park full of old bangers I could potentially crash into, I had of course crashed into the posh, shiny Jaguar.

Way to go BK.

There goes your 5 years no claims on car insurance. You’ve just used all your remaining cash to go on holiday to Cornwall so that’ll be fun trying to pay damages you’ve just caused.

A thought crossed my mind…I could just leave the service station now, and no one would ever know it was me that crashed into the car. They’d not be able to find me or track me down.

I was shocked that I could even think that. But I did. So I gave myself a talking to, something along the lines of…

“Laura Anne, you are a Christian, and it is completely your fault that their car is scratched up. If you don’t own up…How Jesus like is that? You’ve just been reading about being a leader with integrity…well, time to prove it“

So I sat and waited. And while I waited I tore a page out my diary and wrote my name, address and mobile number down on it.

20 minutes later, a woman and kid appeared at the car. I got out, and asked if it was their car. It was. I began apologising profusely as I explained what I’d done. And handed over my details.

She was shocked that I’d stayed behind until they’d come back or that I’d even admit what I’d done

“Most people would just drive away and not say anything” she said

Gulp. If she knew that had crossed my mind….

Then her partner came back. I repeated the apologies to him. He was equally surprised at my honesty and really nice about it.

A week later he called me to say that he thought the quote he’d got back to fix it was ridiculous (over £1000), and said he had planned to get a paint job next year, and did I just want to give some money towards it so I wouldn’t have to get insurance companies involved?

Guys, that is grace.

They could have been really stroppy and angry. I wouldn’t have blamed them.

But they weren’t.

And I’m thankful that I didn’t do the loser thing of sneaking away hoping no-one would find out. I admitted my huge faux pas, and was repaid by kindness in return.

Now, I’m extra careful and super paranoid about parking anywhere near shiny cars…(well, I try to avoid crashing into any cars, people etc…but especially not the shiny ones as they are more costly to fix)

But being faithful and having integrity in the small things? It counts for sure.

We’re back with a special Veteran’s Day podcast featuring Mike Foster, author of Deadly Viper Character Assassins and all around cool guy. We talk about Mike’s recent project, The ManCave, as well as pose the question: How far does grace extend especially to those in ministry?

To find out more about Mike Foster and the Deadly Viper project, visit deadlyviper.org.

Download the podcast here, listen below, or check us out on iTunes.

Don’t forget to check out our recent interview with Jason Boyett.

Good news regarding the Deadly Viper controversy that has occupied a lot of our attention this week. Here’s the beginning of Soong-Chan Rah’s blog post from this morning:

On Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 4th, several folks gathered on a phone call to talk about the various postings related to the Deadly Viper’s book. The people in the conversation were Mike Foster and Jud Wilhite (Authors), Chris Heurtz (Director, Word Made Flesh), Soong-Chan Rah (Prof., North Park), Kathy Khang (InterVarsity Multi-Ethnic Ministries Director), and Eugene Cho (Pastor, Quest Church). The conversation was facilitated by Nikki Toyama-Szeto (Urbana 09 Program Director).

Check out the rest of the joint statement at Soong-Chan’s blog. And read his reflections on the meeting at Sojo.net. A copy of the joint statement can also be found at the Deadly Viper blog here, where the text is found under a simple but encouraging headline: “Toward Reconciliation.”

Not sure if you’ve seen some of the dialogue happening around this issue, but here’s a quick summary of what the whole ruckus is about.

Zondervan Publishing and the authors Mike Foster & Jud White have a book out, since 2007, called, “Deadly Viper Character Assassins: A Kung-Fu Survival Guide for Life & Leadership”. It’s essentially a book on character building and integrity keeping for Christian leaders, which no one doubts the contents of. But what’s caused a stir is their marketing and apparent exploitation of Asian stereotypes.

Brought to the forefront by Dr. Soong Chan Rah (North Park Theological Seminary), the issue surrounding Deadly Viper’s misuse of Asian stereotypes is alarming. Catch up with the conversation by reading this interaction between Dr. Rah and one of the authors of the book, this open letter to Zondervan & the authors, and this response by Mike & Jud.

I just thought I’d share a few quick thoughts on all this.

some caveats: I don’t know Mike or Jud personally, so please don’t take my remarks as lambasting them and their character. I realize Mike & Jud’s marketing of the book was all in good intention and I scarcely see how they were being racist or are racist. I also recognize that Mike & Jud are brothers in Christ, who share a passion to develop godly Christian leaders.

My surprise with this whole issue is the seeming unawareness of both the authors, Zondervan, and many of the book’s readership. How could anyone overlook the blatant racially charged stereotype of Asians for nearly 2 years since publishing the book? How did it get overlooked for so long? Did it have to take an Asian to point out the obvious flaws? Are we so blind to issues of racial stereotyping? I thought not, but this makes me rethink. I mean, do we really need “Kung-Fu Fighting” as intro music (click on Deadly Viper at Catalyst) to anything remotely Asian? Do we need images like this one to promote a Christian leadership book?

Do we really need random Kanji characters to authenticate our Kung-Fu theme? Don’t we realize that Kanji is a Japanese use of Chinese characters and that Kung-Fu is a Chinese martial art? I wonder how different this would all be if it was a book on character with pictures and themes depicting Native-American Stereotypes, or maybe more poignantly, African-American stereotypes?

It all just confuses me and mostly saddens me. I thought the people of God, the multi-ethnic multitude, were to love and encourage one another, not exploit and sell each other out. It saddens me that in 2009, we deal with issues like this, where there was no obvious malicious intent, but still a lack of awareness of different cultures and peoples. I know we’re all works in progress, especially me, but I hope that we can all work toward a respectful unity that exemplifies the Body of Christ and its beauty in diversity.

One of the toughest parts of being the author of a book about racial reconciliation is that when the latest racial incident flares up, everyone expects you to chime in with your two cents. I’m feeling a bit penniless on this current one, but here goes anyway.

The “current one” I’m talking about is the controversy surrounding a new book from Zondervan called Deadly Viper Character Assassins: A Kung Fu Survival Guide for Life & Leadership. The book, which was coauthored by Mike Foster and Jud Wilhite, uses images, symbols, and caricatures of Asian culture as a light-hearted vehicle for getting at the heavy issues of Christian integrity and character. Not surprisingly, the book has upset a fair number of Asian American Christians, as well as many of us who are not Asian but who identify with the pain felt by our brothers and sisters who are offended by the book’s use of stereotypical imagery and caricatures.

The book is clearly meant to be a fun exploration of character and leadership, and it has been praised by many for its fresh insights and clever presentation. But it appears the authors have inadvertently stumbled into thorny and treacherous territory that they did not know existed; they were simply trying to dispense timeless wisdom in a timely and accessible way. Well, now they know.

Ironically, one would think the book’s publisher, Zondervan, would’ve better anticipated the Asian community’s reaction to the book, given an earlier controversy that followed the publication of a book from its Youth Specialties branch. In that episode, Zondervan and Youth Specialities took heroic measures to publicly apologize and correct the offense at a considerable financial cost. Hopefully, this latest episode will have a similarly redemptive conclusion. Yet, I wonder if things could’ve been handled differently earlier on.

My friend Soong-Chan Rah, who has become one of the evangelical church’s most vocal (and effective) activists on these types of issues, inspired this latest movement with his initial blog posts about the Deadly Viper book and a promotional video on Facebook. Soong-Chan’s open letter to the authors and Zondervan is quite provocative. But what’s most fascinating, and perhaps even instructive, is the slew of comments related to Soong-Chan’s posts, as well as an evolving thread over at the Deadly Viper blog.

I must confess that I’m not totally comfortable with the way the protest has played out so far. It’s not that I disagree with the gist of it. I think it’s important to call attention to these types of things, especially when they’re happening within the Christian community. However, my initial impression is that the high level of “shock and awe” that Soong-Chan and others have brought to this issue probably has been a bit overwhelming and confusing for Foster and Wilhite (though I think Zondervan should’ve seen it coming). Maybe I’m just feeling a little squeamish about this necessary phase of protest. I know that hard and unpleasant honesty must often precede genuine dialogue, repentance, and reconciliation. Still, I get the sense that Foster and Wilhite had no clue that their earnest effort to create something entertaining and edifying would be perceived as being wrongheaded and insensitive by so many. I’m sure it wasn’t even on their radar that appropriating Asian culture carried with it an obligation to “take it seriously.” They were simply parroting the stereotypes and jokes that are now so common in American pop culture.

Parodying Asian culture has become so commonplace in America that many of us naturally assume that the Asian community is in on the joke. When I was a child, I would watch Hong Kong Phooey every Saturday morning. Every kid on the playground wanted to be Bruce Lee. The Karate Kid movies ruled in the ’80s. Last year Kung Fu Panda made hundreds of millions at the box office. And fried rice, egg rolls, and sushi are just as “American” as French fries, pizza, and tacos.

We take it all for granted, and I would surmise that many white Americans believe that Asians are now so assimilated into American life that they have no problem with the tongue-in-cheek references to their various cultural heritages. Asians, after all, are a peaceful people. They’re certainly not as hyper-sensitive about race as (for instance) African Americans are. There are no Asian American Jesse Jacksons or Al Sharptons—at least not any who show up on our televisions complaining about something every other night.

So, it must be rather jarring for some people to discover that 21st-century Asians can feel as marginalized and disrespected as other minority groups in America.

But, again, I don’t want to ascribe any ill intent to Mike Foster, Jud Wilhite, and their book. I believe they innocently waded into these choppy waters. As a published author, I know the excitement of coming up with a good idea, toiling over the computer to get the words just right, seeing your publisher get behind your vision, watching as the design team comes up with a great cover and the marketing team develops a winning campaign. Ah, and nothing compares to that day when your finished book finally arrives. Holding it, staring at it, flipping through its crisp pages is pretty much all you’re physically and mentally able to do those first few hours after receiving it. And when it’s a Christian book, featuring a message that you’ve prayed God would use to influence and transform lives, there’s just nothing that compares to this.

Deadly Vipers is a beautiful little book. It’s designed and packaged with superb creativity, and the content is the kind of relevant stuff that Christian leaders and laypeople everywhere need to hear. I’m hoping the outcry against the book’s cultural blind spots will be tempered by grace and humility and empathy. I really resonate with this post at the Next Gener.Asian Church blog.

Think about what Foster and Wilhite must be feeling right now. Over the last year or two, they’ve invested their lives into this little book. They hoped and prayed that it would help others, but now they’re feeling attacked by a passionate movement of folks whom they probably assumed would be on their side. I’m sure this has been an eye-opening experience for them. I’m sure there’s something for all of us to learn.

Update: An encouraging post at Soong-Chan’s blog this morning:

I have heard indirectly, that Mike Foster will be engaging in a direct phone conversation with several Asian-Americans about ways to progress forward.  This is very good news.  As far as I know, this will be the first attempt by Mike Foster to engage in a direct dialogue with those who find the material problematic.  Please be in prayer for this conversation and for ensuing conversations.

Let’s pray for a positive outcome.

Just before I went to Cornwall (and I really do mean literally just before I left for Cornwall…like…within 60 minutes of Family Sweetroot arriving outside my house) a package arrived at my house…

…having travelled all the way from Las Vegas!! Inside was this…

I started reading it while I was in Cornwall, starting some discussion around the dinner table about Kung Fu, Karate Kid and which of the assassin names we liked best (‘The Assassin of Boom Chicka Wah Wah‘ won hands down).

It is a great read. It’s so refreshing to see something that’s been laid out well, is down to earth and not all woosy, feminine and totally cliche. It’s taking something serious with a sense of humour and being honest and real. It takes God very seriously, but doesn’t take ourselves too seriously…does that make sense?

It’s really got me thinking.

I’m beginning to accept that I’m a leader in ministry…even if that’s not ‘church’ in the traditional sense of the word. I’m still a leader with a pastoral responsibility. My desire is to be a leader, flippin’ heck even just a woman, with integrity.

My plan is over the coming weeks to write a little about my thoughts and struggles with each of the assassins.

And yes, you should absolutely get a copy of Jud and Mike’s book!

Lori has also sent me a DVD and participant’s guide for a set of studies on Deadly Viper: A Kung Fu Survival guide for life and leadership. I would love to do this with a group of people ‘in-real-life’ who are also seeking to be leaders with integrity!

Muchos gracias to Lori, Jud and Mike for being so generous in sending me this stuff.

Now to finish reading…

Brought to light recently by Angry Asian Man.

A couple years ago, Christian publisher Zondervan released a book about radical integrity, character, grace and leadership. The blurb reads:

Integrity is under attack. Character assassins are on the prowl, seeking to ambush people at their points of vulnerability — in their homes, in their churches, in their relationships. Shredded reputations litter the landscape, ruined by just one or two bad choices.

But everyday leaders, from mothers and fathers to preachers and teachers, can fight back and win. This book equips them with comprehensive, no-nonsense self-defense training to protect their most priceless possession: their character. Working in tandem, this book and DVD curriculum initiate a growing movement of men and women who want to finish strong and live with no regrets.

No psychobabble or clinical discussions — just straight talk from two guys who know the opponents and what it takes to beat them. This book will help untarnished leaders stay untarnished and will show the way out for those mired in the ugly consequences of bad decisions.

Through honest, eye-opening reading and eight interactive small group DVD sessions, this book helps cultivate lifestyles of radical integrity and radical grace.

Character. Integrity. Grace. Leadership.

All necessary components of a living and vibrant faith. And from the DVD clips, it looks like Mike and Jud took an approach to the subject that was honest and insightful.

The problem?

The packaging, the marketing, the form in which the content is presented, is SO racially insensitive I don’t even know what to say. (So you can follow the comment conversations here at Deadly Viper, as well as on Sojourners board member Prof. Soong-Chan Rah’s blog.)

Here’s Prof. Rah’s open letter to authors Mike Foster and Jud Wilhite, and publishers Zondervan — it highlights a number of things that are wrong with the marketing approach that was taken.

Now I’m fairly certain that Mike and Jud — and Zondervan — didn’t intend the book and the accompanying materials to be racially insensitive — and I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt on this — but, well, they are, notwithstanding intention. It does make a difference that the intention was not to cause offense or hurt, but the result remains the same: offense and hurt was caused.

I hope that the resolution of this situation (which is still to be played out) happens so that people can look back at this as an instance of Christians demonstrating humility and unity within the body of Christ, and being examples of apology, repentance, grace, love, and forgiveness. And I hope this experience will be a call to move forward, to grow and mature together.

I prefer to stay away from the arguments that so often characterize  blog-world; don’t we get enough of that in real life?  However, on occasion there are disagreements of substance worth pointing out, ones that have the capacity to teach.

Yesterday Dr Soong-Chan Rah (whose book and blog I’ve recommended before) wrote about a new book by Mike Foster and Jud Wilhite, Deadly Viper Character Assassins: A Kung Fu Survival Guide for Life and Leadership, whose cover and promotional materials he finds offensive.

So the “Kung Fu” part got my attention, as well as the dragon on the cover and the Chinese characters. I guess I was hoping against hope that it was the story of an Asian-American Christian rather than another example of Asian culture being pimped out to sell products.

In a more recent post Dr Rah shares his email exchange with one of the authors.  There’s no need to recap that dialogue here but it does raise an observation.  Rather than defend themselves to Dr Rah and other Asian Americans who’ve taken issue with their use of stereotype and characture, couldn’t the authors listen to the concerns, frustration, and anger that is being expressed?  One friend put it this way on Facebook,

Why do these authors (both are white) feel the need to use a bizarre amalgam of Asian cultures as a means to sell more books? Do they realize how many people (myself included) have been mocked and ridiculed by very similar caricatures and stereotypes that make up the premise of this book?

There are moments like this one when those of us who are white have the chance to learn something about the experience and perspective of those who haven’t shared our privilege.  I probably miss most of those chances because of my defensive instinct, but during those times when my mouth has stayed shut there has always been much to learn.  It would be a pleasant surprise if this turned out to be one of those moments for these authors and some of their readers.

Keep an eye on Dr Rah’s blog for more updates as this story develops.

One final thought.  Stories like these are poignant reminders to those of us committed to the reconciling implications of the Gospel of how gritty the work can be.  How grateful we are that with God all things are possible.

____________________

Update, 11/5

Since first posting this a few days ago there has been a lot of conversation online and, apparently, in person.  This morning Dr Rah posted a nice summary of what sounds to have been a very productive phone conversation between the book’s authors and a few Asian American Christian leaders.  After some initial missteps it appears as though this thing is moving in a redemptive direction.

I’m hoping that a friend will be posting some of his reflections about this here on the blog within the next day or so.  Check back soon.

Apparently even though I am “girly” I have gained entrance to the Deadly Viper Online Mancave. Jud and I, along with Mike Foster, are going to be talking about marriage. So, would love to invite you girly ladies to come and join me in crashing the Online Mancave on Tuesday at 6pm PST. I’ll be there and would love to chat!

… and joining me in crashing the Mancave. More details to come tomorrow!

While you enjoy the trailer for Deadly Viper, let me announce the winners of our drawing:

Thanks to the handy number generator at Random.org, the winners are:

Kevin church planter of Overflow Church in WI.

And brunettekoala crisis-pregnancy center co-leader and Scottish friend. Which means Deadly Viper is about to invade Europe.

So, you guys email or DM your mailing addresses to me, and I’ll get your Viper sets in the mail.

The book is officially out. We’d love it if you would help us get the word out through your corner of web. Thanks!

Deadly VIper Character Assassins releases on Thursday. I’m very excited about it. This is one of my favorite leadership books. Yes, my husband co-wrote it with Mike Foster, so I might be a bit biased. But I’ve lead several small groups through it and I think it is the best things out there about integrity and character in leadership. You can check out their Deadly Viper blog.

Here is the info on the book: Deadly VIper Character Assassins is a kung fu inspired book on leadership integrity. With provocative and honest insights on burnout, out of control emotions, sex, money, transparency, and second chances, Deadly Viper is a must read for every leader looking for sustained success. So whether you’re an executive at a large company, a daring entrepreneur, a gifted salesman, or serving at a church or non-profit, Deadly Viper Character Assassins will engage you in the critical conversations about finding true meaning in life and leadership.

So, since it is coming out, of course I must have a give away. Up for grabs: two Deadly Viper sets. That is the book, DVD and Small Group Guide. I will draw for the winner or the book’s release date, Thursday Oct 1st.

How do you enter? Just leave a comment (on my blog, Facebookers) with your favorite kung-fu movie. Don’t have one? Tell me why you don’t love a good kung-fu movie.

My favorite is “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.” I also loved “The Crow” in High School. And I will always have a special place in my heart for Daniel-san and his crane kick at the end of “Karate Kid.” How about you?

Hilary Oliver, Fair Trader, Ombersley Rd Methodist Church, Worcester gives apersonal impression of the meeting in Worcester

A colourful, lively and good-humoured meeting took place at St Andrew’s Methodist Church, Worcester, on September 15^th, when Michael Foster (Minister for International Development and MP for Worcester) and Nick Dearden, (Director of the Jubilee Debt Campaign) gave key speeches on Forgiving Debts and Towards Responsibility in the Market Place.

Jubilee Debt Campaign supporters from Birmingham and Worcester were joined by local leaders and representatives from Christian Aid, Trade Justice and many denominations of other Worcester churches. Paul Jackson, (newly appointed to a Chair in Birmingham University’s International Dept,) was also present, as a member of Ombersley Rd Methodist, Worcester, as was another member, Dot Johnson, whose tireless and inspirational campaigning work has recently led to a Christian Aid award.   All combined to make a united, committed and very informed audience.

The meeting was ably chaired by the Revd John Johansen-Berg (International Director of Community for Reconciliation who interspersed stories, examples and particular situations, at relevant times, from his own years of experience.

Nick Dearden mesmerised his listeners with words that freely flowed both with passion and with detailed knowledge. While citing the predicaments of so many developing countries, he acknowledged gratefully his belief that our Government IS convinced of the necessity of Debt Cancellation of unpayable debts. He assured us of the enormous impact of the Debt Relief Scheme and that debt cancellation money has NOT been used to line the pockets of dictators but to increase, for example, the number of teachers and midwives and improve rural infrastructure.

Last January, the Vulture Fund Campaign began and by July, the Government had already consulted JDC on how these could be stopped. (DfID had put pressure on the Treasury.) Nick now wanted to see expansion to countries other than those who also benefit from debt relief.

The Jubilee Debt Campaign still exists, as it has just been a starting point to “address the iniquities of the global economy to the developing world”.

One hundred billion dollars of debt has been cancelled so far, but a further 400 hundred billion is still needed to allow developing countries to achieve the Millennium Development goals for their people. So many are still spending more on repaying debts than on their education budgets and so on.

(A wry note was added here that not so long ago, this would have seemed a colossal sum of money, but is now viewed somewhat differently since the credit crunch and staggering amounts seen re the banking market.  .  .  !!!)

The idea is that debtors and creditors should come together with neutral arbitrators to allow the debtors a voice to find a just, fair method and amount of repayment.

(Again, this last year of debts suddenly faced by ourselves, has clearly shown it’s not the debtors who have necessarily been the irresponsible ones, but those giving the loans in the first place!)

Loans will still continue to be a necessity of course, but with radical restructuring to ensure not ending up back in the first place. Nick cited Norway (with its shipping business) as an example to follow; it has started the ball rolling with 100 million dollars of debt cancellation.  Sustainable development must be the new way to go, he concluded.

Mike Foster picked up on this and agreed that the aim must be fair and sustainable development in the midst of global recession and climate change.  He outlined the Government’s and Department’s policies, targets and recent practices.   At Copenhagen, they will call for a global fund of 100 billion dollars per year to help developing countries through.

But how best to do this?  And how best to empower those on the ground to force a more enlightened and transparent government where needed? Questions from the audience prompted further discussion and comments from both speakers.

Some of the points raised included:

• What about aid delivered via general budget support to corrupt systems?             What happens when it is via the Food Programme instead?

-  Sector-based budget support can direct more specific funding but the problem is, it’s the donors then holding Governments to account, rather than their own people. Except that, of course, the provision of schools, clinics etc may enlighten people and thus lead to more control over the economic and financial workings of their country.)

• Can we have some good news to convince the man on the street and encourage all us “little me”s in the battle to win hearts and minds?

-                     Haiti’s debt relief at last; Ecuador and Bolivia’s participatory budgeting;

-                     The Bank of the South as an alternative to the World Bank

-                     Public attitude to Fair Trade has changed; where once seen as a charity it is now viewed as smart business sense (about 70% of households now make a conscious decision to buy Fair Trade and the F/T label has reached £1 billion of certified income.

-                     All the “little me”s banded together DO make a difference; especially at events like G8 Birmingham human chain and Gleneagles Summit.

-                      The postcard campaigns DO work but individual, personal letters are far more effective. It is much better, for example, to ask your MP to ask the relevant Minister about your concerns, rather than simply demand an Early Day Motion on . . .  (and beware of circular e-mails, especially with “fill in your name here” un-deleted!!)

And so, finally, what now?

Well, we will be watching with anxious interest the outcomes at Copenhagen, the progress of the Government’s stated policies and yes, Mr Foster, we will still be flying the flag with our rainbow scarves (despite another of the MP’s tips, that these would pre-alert any otherwise unsuspecting politician as to the issue with which they’re about to be confronted!!)

Mike Foster and Jud Wilhite with Deadly Viper just continue to amaze me with their insights. They put out great material and thought provoking commentary…Here’s a recent sample…The Problem With The Pastor Title

“My basic point is that I think this whole title thing is stupid. And set up unhealthy situations. In many ways titles can feed a culture of ego, celebrity, and power. I also think it promotes a system that sets a leader above others.” Mike Foster

I grew up as a “preacher’s kid” in a non-denominational Christian Church, which historically has avoided reverential “titles” for their staff. My dad always referred to himself as a minister when someone asked what he did, and he was always just “Frank” when anyone asked who he was. He was, is, and always will be just a man, and never sought glory from a title just because of his position. He chooses to serve and lead by example.

I don’t think there is anything wrong with calling someone “Pastor Whoever”, but what do you think about ministry leaders who insist on being referred to with a title (Pastor, Reverend, Father, etc.)? I’m about to make a sweeping generalization, and I’m sure there are exceptions, but in my experience those who EXPECT to be referred to by the title also usually expect deferential and preferential treatment from others, and feel that they really are a step above other people. I really hate seeing “Reserved for Pastor” on a parking spot right by the front entrance…if Jesus lived in our age he would never dream of having a reserved spot by the front door…he would be parked in the grass overflow parking lot farthest away to save the convenient spots for others.

Maybe this is too much to read into a “simple” thing like a title…what do you think? What’s been your experience?