FYI – “Stealth evanglism” in public schools
16 July 2010 by Stardust
“Stealth evangelizing”, (fundamentalist proselytizing) groups are forming all around the country intending to sneak “under the radar” at public school events with the intention of evangelizing to the children once they get in the door.
Stealth Evangelism And The Public Schools by Rob Boston
These groups share common tactics: They approach school officials with an offer of an engaging assembly on a topic that looks secular, such as suicide prevention, drug awareness or anti-bullying strategies.
Speakers may have scant credentials to address these topics. That’s not surprising, because they are really just fundamentalist evangelists looking for a way to preach to a captive public school audience.
Boston reports that “Several fundamentalist Christian ministries seek to bring proselytizing messages into public schools. Here is information about some of those organizations. All mission statements are taken directly from the groups’ Web sites.”
• The Power Team
Headquarters: Dallas, Texas
Budget: $1,522,438
Description: This fundamentalist-oriented ministry relies on a bevy of buff athletes who perform feats of strength such as bending metal bars and ripping up phone books. Led by Todd Keene, the group offers programs on suicide prevention, drug awareness, nutrition and other topics – but there’s no evidence that the presenters are experts in any of these fields.
Mission: “The Power Team, Inc. endeavors to preach and spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. People are motivated and encouraged to live virtuously and righteously by following the teachings of Jesus Christ.”• Sports World
Headquarters: Indianapolis, Ind.
Budget: $1,308,079
Description: Sports World recruits former pro athletes and converts them into proselytizers in the public schools. The ex-athletes give lectures on topics such as suicide, drug abuse and abusive relationships.
Mission: “The vision of Sports World Ministries, Inc. is to have a presence on every available school campus, encouraging and challenging students through the Message of Hope…. Sports World is a seed-planting ministry and always seeks to pass the baton to local groups for discipleship and Christian mentoring.”• Strength Team
Headquarters: Missoula, Mont.
Budget: $499,718
Description: The Strength Team is a sort of poor man’s version of the Power Team. It uses a crew of muscle men who perform feats of strength while offering talks on character and anti-bullying strategies.
Mission: “We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory. We believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful people, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.”• You Can Run But You Cannot Hide
Headquarters: Annandale, Minn.
Budget: $385,670
Description: This fundamentalist ministry uses a rock band to lure youngsters into fundamentalist Christianity. The band, called Junkyard Prophet, claims to be able to address any number of issues. According to its Web site, the band offers an “overall message of responsibility” touching on issues such as “drugs, alcoholism, suicide, sex, media, our country, our Veterans, our freedom, the Constitution, the choices we make, the friends that we have, and more in a language that speaks directly to the heart of this generation.”
Mission: “[To] bring permanent change to the people in your community and to the whole nation.”• Commandos! USA
Headquarters: Katy, Texas
Budget: $169,957
Description: The “commandos” are a team of performers who dress in quasi-military garb while demonstrating feats of strength and engaging in mock battles in loud, high-energy presentations. The events are interspersed with lectures on motivation and character, but the group’s evangelical bias is clear.
Mission: “[Commandos founder Billy Lowery] has a very strong belief that Biblical values are not suggestions, rather solid mandates that assure some degree of civility and success in our culture.”• Team Impact
Headquarters: Coppell, Texas
Budget: $1,865,141
Description: Similar to the Power Team and the Strength Team, Team Impact uses muscle-bound performers to get the attention of young people. According to the group’s Web site, “[Y]our church has the ability to impact your schools with this powerful message. Very rarely do we not couple these effective school outreaches with our local church events.” The ministry claims to address 700,000 students every year.
Mission: “To spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The organization promotes and sponsors programs directed to the youth of America to encourage them to live and grow in life styles which are based on Biblical principles.”• Go Tell Crusades
Headquarters: Duluth, Ga.
Budget: $499,779
Description: Evangelist Rick Gage offers anti-drug and anti-alcohol lectures in public schools, trading on his past experiences as a football coach.
Mission: “To promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”• Todd Becker Foundation
Headquarters: Kearney, Neb.
Budget: No information available
Description: This group was founded by the older brother of a Nebraska high school student who died in a drunk-driving accident in 2005. It purports to offer lectures on the dangers of drunk driving to schools, but critics say its real purpose is to evangelize public school students.
Mission: “The Foundation’s purpose is to motivate young individuals to discover their potentials and ultimately discover themselves through first discovering God’s plan for their life by placing their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.”
Sneaky, sneaky bastards!
16 July 2010, on 4:12 pm
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16 July 2010, on 5:48 pm
The pastor of my private school had a commemorative plaque of one of these strong-man (and one woman) evangelical groups in his office, I remember. At the time I thought it was really cheesy. Now I think… it’s really cheesy and a little bit dishonest.
It’s too bad comments close on older articles, as a non-theist trapped in Lynchburg err I mean Liberty University Extended Campus, I have some notes to add to the April article on our lovely little town… namely that it’s true, they feel this city is their personal property. Open Google Earth and zoom in if you don’t believe me… they desecrated the mountainside overlooking the busiest part of town with their ugly initials. It’s visible for miles, halfway into the county. The Falwell clan is deeply integrated into the local economy- one of the two local airports, a construction company, etc., not to mention that little university that thinks it’s so much better than MY alma mater which has been there 75 years longer (what me bitter?)… so they really, truly do have a huge effect on local politics.
And have you guys heard about the scandal with fake Former Terrorist Turned Goody-Goody Dr. Ergun Caner? (I’m only a few months back into your archives so far.) And no-one but a few locals knows about the scandal with their equestrian teacher who’s wanted in something like eleven states for various money-related crimes… yeah, they are quietly replacing her before that one gets out of control like Caner. Apparently Liberty U. doesn’t know about this thing called “background checks.”
16 July 2010, on 6:04 pm
Great post, Stardust. This is a BIG problem. It is a flagrant violation of the Constitution. But supporting these stealth evangelist groups are a lot of stealth Christians who sneaked into public office under false pretenses and now use their position to do everything they can to kick down the wall of separation between church and state. The chief offender in this is Minnesota Representative Michele Bachmann, who is a major supporter of You Can Run But You Cannot Hide International. YCRBYCH is run by Bradlee Dean, a darling of Bachmann’s. He’s a real piece of work. He claims that Muslims are more moral than American Christians because they execute homosexuals, and he says that, at the very least, homosexuals in America should be thrown in prison for their “crimes against nature.” Bachmann attends his fundraisers and lends him support whenever possible. Of course, Bachmann is herself an offender because she and her husband run a Christian “counseling center” that openly describes itself as a religious organization, but it has received $30,000 in state funds since 2007. I wrote about this in one of my posts on this blog:
http://gods4suckers.net/archives/2010/06/05/bradlee-dean-friends-an-american-horror-story/
These stealth evangelists are targeting teens because they’re vulnerable. Bizarre religious cults do the same thing for precisely the same reasons. Of course, the only difference between a cult and a mainstream religion is the amount of real estate owned. This is a problem that will go on unchecked unless people — citizens, I mean, not politicians, who will do absolutely nothing about it because it won’t win them votes — speak up about it, expose it, and work to prevent it in their communities.
16 July 2010, on 6:23 pm
WTF?
Muscle-bound boneheads, and even MORE numb-skull rock bands for Jeebus?
Is it even close to being safe, any more, for kids to go to school; considering all these morons out to grab a hold of their rather naive brains?
I just watched, last night, HBO’s recent documentary about Kevorkian (whom I’ve, personally, long admired for his honest intelligence and unique courage…and I’m Pro-VOLUNTARY Euthanasia.); which also reminded me of the often ignored 9th amendment to the Constitution; which has to do with personal rights. An issue that the right leaning religious Mo-fos in SCOTUS refuse to take up. Like their outrageously stupid, anti-constitutional, acceptance of “Gob” on our money, and the “Under Gob” in the Pledge; it all continues to demonstrate just HOW inanely fucked up this country has been…and is getting progressively, WORSE, it seems…because of all the fucking lying, asinine religious bastards like those in the Post; and all the brainwashed fucktards securely roosting in all levels of the American government.
As has occasionally been suggested by me, and others, here on GifS; isn’t it, perhaps, way past time for us atheists to ORGANIZE into a Political Party; if only to draw more obvious attention to the insidious danger to the ACTUAL principles of the Constitution.
Fuck the lying asshole likes of Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachmann, Glenn Bat-shit/Faux News, and certain elements of the “Tea Party” bullshitters!
After all, we skeptics and atheists are probably very close, these days, to about 20% of the American population; a larger percentage than many other minorities…certainly more than the percentage of Muslims or Jews…and even some significant racial minorities.
IMO, until we have an actual, cohesive, rational/Scientific based, higher profile organization, it remains way too easy for the public and mainstream media to totally ignore us; as if we don’t even exist…or certainly, that we don’t politically matter very much.
Additionally, if a few prominent…and very wealthy…atheists (y’all know the names) joined forces, we atheists could even have a Rational/Skeptic/Freethinker style media outlet…or cable channel? Think of how many fucking religious channels there are.
Isn’t it way past time to start kicking their lame asses.
HBO?..Showtime?…wake the fuck up, smell the brains perking, and…erm…
“Get with the Program!”…?
And…(pardon a little GifS ass-kissing?)…
“May I introduce you to Mr. Ray Garton…who’ll be your most excellent atheist tour guide!”
[Am I kidding?]
After all that…I think I need a nap!
16 July 2010, on 6:39 pm
Ha! Thanks, Chuck! I’m blushing. I agree about tapping wealthy atheists and putting our money where our mouths are. Believe me, I’m working hard on it.
16 July 2010, on 7:46 pm
It’s really sick how much duplicity these people will engage in to recruit others into their lifestyle.
16 July 2010, on 8:02 pm
Sneaky, sneaky bastards!
Absolutely! Thanks for the heads up.
16 July 2010, on 8:58 pm
And have you guys heard about the scandal with fake Former Terrorist Turned Goody-Goody Dr. Ergun Caner?
abadidea, thanks for commenting and welcome. No I am afraid I haven’t heard of him, but I did some reading up on this dude and seems to be a lot of controversy surrounding the inconsistencies in his background claims about his life, and supposedly being an ex-Islamic terrorist-turned-Xian, etc. Unfuckingbelievable that even after all the allegations and questions, Liberty university is keeping him on their staff. Guess they don’t want to lose a great con artist!
16 July 2010, on 9:10 pm
These stealth evangelists are targeting teens because they’re vulnerable.
Coincidentally, we were first-hand witnesses to some moron pastor proselytizing to three teenagers in a local Mexican restaurant my husband went to for dinner tonight. Three teens, two girls and a boy were sitting behind us. While they were sitting there a man approached them and started being friendly, said he was Pastor Bill with such-and-such church. We didn’t catch the name of the church. But then he asked if he could sit down and with not yet learning the art of recognizing a con man, and not having yet developed the ability to tell pesty evangelizing asshats to fuck off, the one guy scooted over making room for this clown. He started telling them all sorts of lies and fairy tales. Making up sappy stories about miracles he has witnessed and had them in awe for a few minutes, then he started in on politics. He asked them if they were interested in politics and then he started in about the “evil socialist agenda”…my husband said out loud and quite audible to that whole table “OH COME ON!” and started laughing loudly. The kids looked over our way. Then the fool kept talking to the kids, saying that he doesn’t know how any Christian could vote for Obama and all his “socialist” programs and Jon said “Christianity is socialism, how can you be against it”. My husband figured that since the man was talking so loudly he must have wanted everyone to join in the conversation. Well, finally one of the girls snapped out of the trance and said “You can still be a Christian no matter who you vote for.” And then they started giving him a hard time, and then he finally left, turning around to GLARE at us as he walked out of the restaurant. The kids started talking about what a kook he was. The guy who said he was a pastor then walked back in to glare at us one more time. My husband is a very big and tall guy and looked back at him like, “you want something?” and then the man took off.
We feel a wee bit of satisfaction, I must say.
16 July 2010, on 9:27 pm
In the early 70’s We had a xian rock band come to our high school. This stealth bullshit has been going on a long time. They were kind of a sucky band as well so they didn’t get too far with anything. Maybe 5 minutes of “hey want hear about Jesus?”
They probably have some marketing genuises working for them to keep current so that they can keep their finances coming in.
17 July 2010, on 1:28 pm
Stardust: heck, he probably has some dirt on the other higher-ups, and keeping him salaried is a mutual vow of silence. At the very least, everyone I know at Liberty has purged him from their class schedules.
I forgot to add that Liberty U opened a ski slope and bought a strip mall just outside of their campus which includes businesses I like to patronize. More and more of the town’s economy is feeding into their “ministry” money. Now when I go out for pizza, I feel guilty knowing that the restaurant is paying rent to these people.
I have a lot to say. A lifetime of confusion and resentment has bubbled up all at once.
19 July 2010, on 10:20 pm
And they recon gays have an agenda! Same sort of stuff happens here in Australia. These sleazy fundamentalists sneak into state schools on the pretense of contributing something of value and end up herding…(weren’t the early xians herders? Goat herders)…immature young minds into a life of death worship and guilt. Their ’sell’ breaks every rule in the book. The product does not work. It never will. Why are they allowed anywhere near schools? In this country, the catholics run the second biggest education system in the nation. These poor students, being shovelled into these schools to be told an endless stream of lies and bullsh*t that if affected, will influence their lives for years. Education by deluded idiots. Education is supposed to teach, not indoctrinate.