The problem in America is in the pulpits, not political parties Over four billion babies get murdered by abortion yearly We have little or n
- The problem in America is in the pulpits, not political parties
- Over four billion babies get murdered by abortion yearly
- We have little or no conviction … morals, ethics, principles, and integrity
- America now reflects a Sodom and Gomorrah comes to life again
The state of the Church in the United States of America worries many Christians in the country. The removal of prayers from the school curriculum, transgenderism, the spate of murder by abortion are significant sad issues for them. Lindon Daniel Frost, Senior Pastor, Emmanuel Christian Fellowship in Friendship, Tennessee, USA, who has been in full-time ministry for 38 years, is also bothered. Speaking recently in Tennesse to Bola Adewara, editor of E-life, Frost says Christianity in America has little or no conviction, defined as not having morals, ethics, principles, and integrity, such that over four billion babies are murdered yearly through abortions and the American Church is asleep. Excerpts from the interview…
So many preachers in America keep saying the American Church is far from God and that Christianity is losing out in American educational institutions, politics, morality, etc. What are your views on the reality of Christianity in America?
* Lindon Daniel Frost, Senior Pastor Emmanuel Christian Fellowship in Friendship, Tennessee, USA.
Christianity in America needs to be redefined in the 21st Century. There is still a remnant of the reality of what Christianity is, but the majority, by their fruits, is defined as nothing more than a religious formality and no reality. In short, religious rhetoric.
The problem in America is in our pulpits, not political parties per se, but first and foremost the pulpit, and those who fill our pulpits who don’t walk with nor hear from God.
We are divided, and our political parties have no spiritual influence or input on the people. Our habits decide our future. Compromise, neglect, backslidden in heart as a nation. Little evidence of the called and the anointed.
In the middle of the 20th Century, there was a substitution of the called and anointed for intellect, charisma, a godless educational format. As a nation and in the Church, we have little or no conviction, defined as not having morals, ethics, principles, and integrity. We’ve not been honest with ourselves and the rest of the world. We have failed to judge ourselves in Psalm 26. II Corinthians 13:5.
As a nation, we backslid in the 20th Century, we began to bear inevitable fruit of a country that had backslid, and one of the most reproaching moments came when Maddiline O’hara came and took prayer out of schools.
The judge stated that if one preacher had shown up then, she wouldn’t have won, but no one did. No one was crying aloud to spare not, and today alone, 300,000 black babies alone are aborted in the US.
Thus Roe V. Wade paved the way that today over 4 billion babies a year are murdered by abortion, and the American Church overall sleeps while the blood of these innocent lives cries out.
Now, we are faced with multiple crises in gender identity, homosexuality, and transgenderism. America now reflects a Sodom and Gomorrah comes to life again.
Looking at Christianity around the world, is the Church doing the right thing? Are you happy with the status of evangelism? Are we still winning souls for Christ?
You have a 7.9 billion population as of October 2021. In 2017, it was estimated that there were only 430,000 missionaries. You had 1135 home missionaries, 400,000 short-term missionaries in 2001. You have 6,510 languages, 7.3 billion people in the world, according to the Joshua Project.
Seven hundred forty-eight million are confessed evangelical Christian. Of the 7.3 billion people globally, 3 billion live among unreached people groups globally, and 1.6 billion are completely unevangelised. 90% of foreign missionaries work among unreached people groups. 91% of all outreach evangelism doesn’t target non-Christians, but other Christians.
In the last 40 years, over one billion people have died who have never heard of Jesus. 70,000+ people die every day in the unreached world without Jesus. A foreign mission funding of 87% goes to work among those already Christian. 12% are already evangelised.
For work among the non-Christian, unevangelised and unreached 1%. Only 1% of all Christian giving is directed toward mission efforts in 38 of the most unevangelised countries in the world. 60% of unreached people groups live in countries closed to missionaries from North America. 90% of international students are unreached by ministries while in the United States.
Four hundred thirty thousand missionaries from all branches of Christendom, only between 2 and 3% work among unreached peoples. 54% of evangelical Christians are nonwhite.
The average western missionary only spends 3% of his time involved in direct evangelism. 10-33% of the western missionaries are involved in church planting. Up to half of all new missionaries do not last beyond their first term on the mission field.
Is the Church having the proper response to this Covid 19 pandemic? One wonders why the Church has not been able to pray Covid 19 out of existence. Is this Church powerful enough?
There is division in the Church on Covid-19. Some people believe in the enforcement of the mask and vaccine; some don’t. The Church should have the power to dismantle the germs of Covid 19.
If the prophet Elijah can cause heaven to shut up and heaven to rain, then those who call themselves Christians should have the power to cancel this germ. We, as New Testament Christians, have a better covenant than Elijah.
What do you know or have you heard of Christianity in Africa? If you were to speak to African pastors in Africa, what would you tell them?
I know that Africa is a chosen land, and in past generations, east-west and North Africa have experienced mighty outpourings and undeniable miracles. Ministers like David Livingston were sent to Africa.
In the present day, you have strong men of God that were used, like Reinhardt Bonke. There are many still being used today that are not heard of or seen on camera. To the pastors, I would say “that you are responsible for the souls of Africa, responsible for the unsaved, the unreached.
First and foremost, it is your land, your people, your opportunity, your harvest. African leaders, Christians, are responsible for the great commission.
The essential tool available is prayer. Prayer must come before preaching and teaching. Each leader, Christian, must have a secret place.”
Is the Church doing well on social media? Are we seeing social media as a mission field where we can win souls or just playing along?
Some take advantage of the opportunity, some don’t, some haven’t, and some will never. On the day of judgment, the Church will answer for the opportunities, gifts, tools that they could have used to reach the world.
One of the prayers of Jesus was that His followers may be one. Is there unity in the Church? If no, how can we foster unity in the Church?
The heartbeat of God for the Church is to have unity in the spirit and the faith. In some of Jesus’ last moments, He asked the father that we would be one (17:21-23).
However, the Church is divided. Many believe that we cannot reach scriptural unity. Most leaders will not confront, and most hold onto tradition rather than truth. It’s not about who’s right; it’s about what’s right.
When Jesus returns the second time, He will not come back for a divided church, a church in disunity, no spots, no blemishes. Israel fought as one man (Judges 20:11).
“So all the men of Israel gathered against the city, united as one man of God.” We who have a better covenant build upon better promises are without excuse when we cannot achieve scriptural unity, not tradition.
Tell us about yourself, your family, and your background?
I am Lindon Daniel Frost, born March 3, 1963, to the late Bishop Jack L. Frost and Barbara Frost in Jasper, AL. I am the youngest of two children. I have a sister, who is 19 months older, Sonya Marlette Kendall, who was married to the late Bishop Bo Kendall.
On November 6, 1992, I was married to Monica Davis from Dallas county, GA, USA. Monica and I have three daughters, Anna, 27, Abbie, 25, Alex, 22.
I have four granddaughters and one grandson. I have been involved in full-time ministry for 38 years. I have travelled extensively throughout the US, Africa, Europe, Central America, Caribbean, and presently in my 4th Pastorate.
I am the Senior Pastor of Emmanuel Christian Fellowship, Friendship, TN. I became a Pastor in January of 2017. I will celebrate five years in January of 2022 and then, President and Director of Christ Fellowship International, Friendship, TN.
* With Monica
How were you called into the ministry? Was it clear to you from the beginning that you would end up preaching the gospel? What were the factors in your growing up years that conditioned you for ministry?
I knew at the age of five that the Lord had something for me to do. However, I did not understand the particular office or offices that He would eventually use me. I asked the Lord Jesus to come into my heart at the age of eight.
As time passed from a little boy into my teenage years, I began to realise in my heart that I had work to do. I had a call on my life that I eventually surrendered to God on March 1, 1983.
I am a 4th generation minister; my grandfathers were ministers, two of my great uncles were ministers (one a minister, another a Sunday school teacher), and my father was a minister. I was hedged about with godly influences as a boy till my teenage years.
How did your ministry start? Can you tell us about what God sent you to do in the body of Christ?
Ministry started in August of 1983 as a bible student in Corona Bible college, under the direction of my father, the late Bishop Jack L. Frost.
I was in the evangelistic office, then the pastoral, then years later into the prophetic, and presently the Apostolic. Equipping, training, mobilizing, and networking with ministries around the world.
Discipling and raising leaders for the 21 century, hosting, conducting ministers and missions conferences.
COMMENTS