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Pastor Ed Young Uses Live Lion and Lamb in 'Wild' Sermon Series (VIDEO)
By Stoyan Zaimov ,
Christian Post Reporter
April 11, 2012|1:11 pm
Pastor Ed Young of Fellowship Church in Grapevine, Texas, is leading a controversial sermon series called "Wild" which uses live animals, including lions, as part of his presentation.
Pastor Young's "Wild" sermon series also includes other exotic animals like giraffes and elephants, local television news station WFAA reported. The "Wild" series is part of Fellowship Church's initiative to teach children about animals and their role in God's creation. According to Young, God's use of a lion and a lamb are meant to demonstrate Jesus Christ's role as both animals, as the Bible refers to Jesus as the "lamb of God" as well as the "Lion of the Tribe of Judah."
The Easter sermon presentation, however, has attracted criticism from people wondering about the well-being of the animals, particularly the caged lion, and some who attend Fellowship Church services have suggested that Pastor Young does not need live animals to get his message across.
"I don't feel it's necessary," said Fellowship worshipper Lisa Chatlain. "I think Ed Young has a way of getting his point across without live animals as props, entertainment."
"Thousands and thousands of churches are able to convey the same exact message without using live animals," said Stacy Smith, a member of the Humane Society of Flower Mound, who shot the video used by WFAA in its report. Smith, who attended the Easter Sunday sermon, said handlers appeared to be poking the lion.
The pastor said that the "Wild" sermons will continue for the next five weeks.
"I think it's great to expose our kids, to expose our church to that," Young said. "I think for far too long, the church has stifled creativity."
Grapevine authorities shared with the news station that they are investigating to make sure Fellowship Church is treating the animals properly and has the required licenses for such exhibitions.
A video news report on Pastor Ed Young's "Wild" sermon is seen below:
Traveling evangelist who spoke at Southlake church accused of filming women undressing
http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/2012/04/traveling-evangelist-who-spoke.html/A Mississippi-based traveling evangelist who spoke to several Texas youth groups has been accused of secretly filming women — as young as 17 — undressing in bathrooms, reports the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Samuel Nuckolls was indicted in Mississippi on 13 counts of video voyeurism in February, according to the Star-Telegram. Authorities in DeSoto County, Miss. say Nuckolls filmed as many as 18 women.
Police in Texas and Arkansas told the Star-Telegram that they will also be pursuing charges. One of the churches Nuckolls preached at was in Southlake.
In Arkansas, the wife of a youth minister whom Nuckolls was staying with told the Gosnell police chief that she found a pen camera with a flash drive in her bathroom. When the woman looked to see what was on it, it was her, getting undressed.
A spokesman at Gateway Church in Southlake, told the Star-Telegram that Nuckolls had spoken to youth at the church about six times over three years. A few months ago, after officials at the church learned of the allegations three or four months ago, they and local law enforcement found no evidence of improprieties, the spokesman said.
Nuckolls had passed a required background check, church officials said. Nuckolls admitted to Mississippi police that he had made several videos. According to authorities, all the women identified in Mississippi were under the age of 26. Each of the 13 Mississippi counts carries a maximum sentence of five years and is a registrable sex offense.
