RIP: The Neutralizing of Preaching Personalities

Alas, it happened again. It came unexpectedly and painted a question mark on my mind that couldn’t be ignored. That question I’ll pose to this illustrious forum.

Today we lost an undeniable ‘preaching’ personality in Pentecost with the passing of Charles Mahaney. He was one of a number of preachers that stormed into the Apostolic movement whose ministry was marked as much by ‘personality' as ‘preaching’. Understand that I’m in no way being critical of that. In fact, I think it was a great ‘plus’ to have people of famed personality among us.

Names that rush to mind when I speak of ‘preaching’ personalities are men like:
* Charles Mahaney (rough as a corn cob but passionate to the extreme).
* Jeff Arnold (the man whose slang makes the starchy among us cringe but whose revelation of truth is remarkable).
* Murrell Cornwell (whose confidence in God and his own ability to reach the lost is sometimes misperceived as obnoxious).
* Murrell Ewing (who weeps his way through life changing sermons and heart altering songs).
* G. A. Mangun (who suffered the critical tongues of men but persevered by living and breathing revival).

Names of those now gone could range from:
* Bishop Morris Golder (the silver tongued preacher who could tell you truth and make you like it).
* Joe Duke (tougher than leather and loved souls).
* Verbal Bean (made you love chewing the carpet in front of an altar).

Doubtless there are many others that you could add to the list but they had one thing in common… they are all ‘preachers’ who are known by their unique personalities. It was the combination of the ‘preaching’ and personality that made them so effective!

But we live in a different day now. We live in a day of ‘non-contradictory’ messages and cookie cutter preachers that have learned the fine art of preaching politically correct sermons that have about as much spiritual value as the plaque on your teeth.

This generation runs to the ‘smiling’ preachers of issue-less, feel good religion. The prominent names that society pushes at us under the guise of ‘successful ministries’ are lackluster and bland in matters pertaining to spirituality. The smiling non-issue hero of Houston or the joke telling comedian of Cajun descent are spiritually bland and morally indistinguishable at best.

Whether we want to admit it or not we have to confess that, in many ways, this appetite for the non-confrontational sermonette has reached even into the sacred boundaries of Apostolic truth. Just one short scan of forums like this reveals the sad truth that there are those whose idea of a ‘preacher’ is little more than a figurehead who looks the part rather than a firebrand that preaches the message.

I sat in my office today and wept like a baby when I surveyed the cult of cookie cutter preachers who would rather be known for filling certain pulpits than to be known for proclaiming God’s ways with a passionate personality. Without those rough, weeping, ‘in your face’ personalities the effective ministries listed above would have been irrepairably crippled.

My question is one that perhaps only time can answer;
* Can this generation ever again lay aside our carnal opinions and allow ‘preaching’ personalities to rise up and make a difference among the Church and the world we’re called to reach?

* Have we reached the point that our fleshly reasoning has forever neutralized preaching personalities?

* Can this generation open their hearts to new faces of those 'John the Baptist-esque' ministries that come looking outdated and disheveled to our keenly 'religious' eyes.

* Have our attitudes towards the ministry become so jaded that we refuse to allow room for ‘preaching’ personalities into our sphere of influence?

We should pray, for our own sake and the sake of a lost world, that’s not the case.

Originally Posted by Steadfast

My question is one that perhaps only time can answer;
* Can this generation ever again lay aside our carnal opinions and allow ‘preaching’ personalities to rise up and make a difference among the Church and the world we’re called to reach?

* Have we reached the point that our fleshly reasoning has forever neutralized preaching personalities?

* Can this generation open their hearts to new faces of those 'John the Baptist-esque' ministries that come looking outdated and disheveled to our keenly 'religious' eyes.

* Have our attitudes towards the ministry become so jaded that we refuse to allow room for ‘preaching’ personalities into our sphere of influence?

1. God sends preachers, and equips them to do His will. Therefore it is irrelevant what the target society wants or likes or dislikes. In fact, the Bible and history indicate that most God called preachers preached to masses of antagonistic people. "Beware when all men speak well of you." The preacher's ministry and commission to SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE is utterly NOT dependent upon anyone's "allowances".

2. Our "fleshly reasoning" is one of the main reasons GOD SENDS ANOINTED PREACHERS in the first place, to rebuke and correct such carnality. Thus, the sin of man cannot ever "neutralise" anointed and God-called preachers of the gospel truth.

3. This generation better receive a love of the truth, or else it is bound for hell, regardless of what the "label" says. When people prefer personality over prophetic power, they pervert their own souls and end in perdition.

4. Today there are three classes of people in the visible church: Those who have crept in unawares, and whose carnality is spreading like a cancer; Those who are thirsting for truth and who press on into the kingdom; and Those who love the truth but have not yet had their appetites stirred to a holy hunger and thirst for the deep things of God - such people when exposed to the "real deal" recognise the remedy for their soul's ills, and pursue it.

The carnal will not make room for the anointed, for Tobiahs never depart the storehouse willingly. But the Truth marches on, God still sends preachers, and anoints them.

God is calling folks to flee the wrath to come. Those who reject God's way will suffer their fate, deservedly and without excuse, because they preferred their own "tastes" to God's truths. And so they get sealed in their own delusions.

But, we must also beware the false anointing that passes mere personality off for power with God.

We will know them by their fruits.

Originally Posted by Eliseus

4. Today there are three classes of people in the visible church: Those who have crept in unawares, and whose carnality is spreading like a cancer; Those who are thirsting for truth and who press on into the kingdom; and Those who love the truth but have not yet had their appetites stirred to a holy hunger and thirst for the deep things of God - such people when exposed to the "real deal" recognise the remedy for their soul's ills, and pursue it.

I appreciate your post. The point I 'quoted' I find extremely interesting. Your perspective is one that many who haven't dealt with the inner workings of God's Kingdom wouldn't fully understand.

I wonder what the ratio would be if we applied these three categories today? What percentage is consumed with carnality vs. the percentage who love truth but aren't driven by that love to pursue God vs. those that press their way into the flow of God's Spirit?

Again, very interesting post.

As it came up on another thread I'll post it here. It seems to fit into the context of what my original post said:
Could this generation accept the conviction preaching of an O. R. Fauss should a man arise with that kind of personality? Or would we simply turn our noses up and say, "I just don't think we need that kind of preaching anymore."

Have we stripped away the ability of good men with strong personalities to become effective in our own lives?

It would be interesting to hear more Preacher's names who have been strong in personality and in preaching. We could come up with names like...
Stoneking
Godair
Billy Cole

Then again, I don't know if we could make a sufficient list of 'new' preachers who fit into that category. I'm not sure there are many...
Mark Morgan?
Matt Maddix?

[Coonskinner]

How would Verbal Bean be received today?

[Coonskinner]

I honestly am not trying to just engage in carnal emulation here, but one thing I have lamented about long and often is the proliferation of echoes among us and the dearth of voices.

Balance is over-rated.

It is usally men who are extreme in some dimension who make things happen and get things done.

[Ron]

Alas, those wanting more out of the Kingdom and with a desire to change their world and be the conduit for revival, are going to be those who come to an altar of sacrifice and offer themselves at the hands of God's purposes vs offering themselves at the altar of convenience.


JMHO

[Nahum]

This generation runs to the ‘smiling’ preachers of issue-less, feel good religion. The prominent names that society pushes at us under the guise of ‘successful ministries’ are lackluster and bland in matters pertaining to spirituality. The smiling non-issue hero of Houston or the joke telling comedian of Cajun descent are spiritually bland and morally indistinguishable at best.

Whether we want to admit it or not we have to confess that, in many ways, this appetite for the non-confrontational sermonette has reached even into the sacred boundaries of Apostolic truth. Just one short scan of forums like this reveals the sad truth that there are those whose idea of a ‘preacher’ is little more than a figurehead who looks the part rather than a firebrand that preaches the message.

You know, I get so sick of this type of crud being posted by those who miss the "good ole days".

Truth is, there are many who have "guts" nowadays, and you can't stand them because they don't fit exactly into your ideology. Let someone stand and speak truthfully against a plague of legalism in our movement (at the risk of personal harm), and you would blast them from here to kingdom come.

Get real Steadfast! You don't want some truths to be spoken.
Don't cry for truth and then slap the messenger in the face when he delivers it (figuratively speaking).

It is beyond me why we cater to personality so much anyway.

Steadfast, I am convinced that the desires of the masses do not affect one whit God's raising up of preachers of righteousness.

But those carnal desires DO affect whether an individual will receive the word of God from the one He sends to speak it.

Jesus asked the people regarding John the Baptist - "What did you go out to see? A man clothed in effeminate ("soft") clothing?"

Ezekiel had a similar problem. God told him that he was like a neat musical performer or beautiful instrument to the people - they loved to come hear his preaching but they did not RECEIVE IT INTO THEIR HEARTS. It was entertainment for them.

Eventually, the carnal reach a point where they are no longer entertained by righteous preaching and teaching. The preaching becomes an irritation to them. Finally they turn on the source of that irritation, and reject it, scoff, mock, and if possible persecute.

Jesus had the same issue - crowds came to hear him, including the scribes and Pharisees and that bunch. They found him somewhat of a spectacle. Then they got upset with him. Then they tried to turn people away from him.

Then they killed him.

Now, does the MAJORITY of the visible church world today have a heart to receive whomever God sends?

I think in general we have become selfish, so that we have itching ears. Not merely for doctrinal things that scratch our itches, but for the personalities themselves.

People want a smiley Joel Osteen. They want to hear all about the Sugar Daddy in the sky bending over backwards to bless them in the middle of all their carnality and sin.

They sure don't want to hear about the HOLY one, the JUDGE, and the PURIFIER of the church...

(Speaking in general terms here, just my personal observations.)

BUT I also know that God knows the sins of the people, and sends a Remedy in the form of men of God who preach as though they were hired directly by God and not man, whose paycheck comes straight from God and not a board or Sister Super-tither, who fear no man but God only, and who shun not to declare the whole counsel of God...

Who preach to those who need to hear God's word, whether they want to hear it or not...

God, I believe, sometimes sends preachers who are exactly what people "can't stand" to force them to deny themselves and receive truth for TRUTH'S sake, and not because "the preacher was so nice" or because of any kind of personal pleasure they may have gotten out if it.

Jesus "had no beauty that we should desire him."

John was a wild man, to all appearances.

Paul apparently had a speech impediment of some kind, he certainly had no "powerful preacher persona" or personal charisma... his "bodily presence is weak" they said...

Peter was an "ignorant, unlearned, Galillean fisherman"...

Elisha was bald in a culture that valued a full head of hair and looked upon baldness as nearly a curse...

David was a nobody in the eyes of the carnal...

On and on it goes... God chooses that which is despised by the world and the worldlings to get His job done.

And in the final analysis, it doesn't matter whether anhyone receives the man of God or not, he is commissioned to proclaim the Message of the King. Those who reject that message have their own judgement to deal with. The preacher is not sent to make anyone agree with anything, but simply to SPEAK THE TRUTH.

A preacher is a messenger, nothing more. And therefore, it doesn't matter what anyone "thinks" about his message or his delivery, he doesn't work for them.

[SDG]

I enjoy the colorful personalities ... Stoneking included ... The prophets in OT were a colorful bunch too .... John the Baptist was a pariah ....

Actually I've always had a dream of publishing a brilliant and avante garde coffee table book with pictures and bios of the personalities among us ...

It would be entitled ... The Colorful Personalities of Pentecost

I think God will use whomever for His Glory.

Steadfast ... wax nostalgic ... but God is God and he will raise men ... at this hour to do His bidding.