"WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE OF GOOD REPORT... THINK ON THESE THINGS" PHIL. 4:8

Welcome! What a pleasure it is to be in touch with you again. The FMI Report always documents the previous month's activities. We would like to thank all those of you who have been forwarding these messages to your friends and family. 

In This Month's Report:
* Editorial - "The Call to City Hall"
* Feedback - great testimonies of God's power at work 
* March Events - some of the events we were involved with
* March Ministry - our ministry activities over the last month
* Tips and Resources - Barna research shows shocking truth
* Products - order "Crossing the Line!" (see link below)
* Partnership - invest in God's program for the Northeast of America

We would love to hear from you, so send us your feedback today. Don’t forget the ever-popular 'GOD THOUGHTS' at the end of this report. Enjoy! JB

INTRODUCTION
"Condemn Gay Nups - Clergy Thump Their Bibles Outside City Hall." So read the headline of one left-leaning New York newspaper, The Daily News. Sounding like it was composed before the event, it confirms the bias in the media. The truth is, our City Covenant Coalition* sponsored 'Defense of Marriage' Press Conference and Prayer Rally on the steps of New York City Hall was anything but what these headlines suggested.

LARGEST, MOST DIVERSE GATHERING WIDELY COVERED BY MEDIA

This was the largest and most diverse group of religious leaders to gather for a press conference at City Hall in living memory. There was an equal amount of Black, Hispanic, White, male and female clergy represented at the gathering. There were stories in the New York Daily News and the New York Sun. TV news included WCBS News, UPN 9 News and Channel 2. WCBS Radio, WINS Radio and WMCA/WWDJ also reached millions more in the tri-state area.
 

THE STATEMENT

After many hours of editing and consultation, we finally arrived at the following press statement read by Dr. Joseph Mattera, founder and director of CCC. "...City Covenant Coalition is a network of ministers brought together to positively impact our region. As the sponsor of this event, we have invited a diverse group of Metro New York area clergy, collectively representing thousands of congregations, because we are greatly concerned by recent attempts to redefine marriage.

We stand united to affirm the Biblical view of marriage, held since the beginning of civilization: that marriage is only between a man and a woman. Upholding this position is a crucial quality of life issue that will affect future generations to come. This sacred covenant should not be altered to satisfy special interest groups and promote the radical agenda of some public officials. Furthermore, we cannot affirm the recent same-sex marriage ceremonies performed by certain clergy whose actions contradict the historic tenets of their faith.

Rather than redefining marriage, our society needs to do all it can to strengthen the institution of traditional marriage and family as one of the foundational building blocks of all civilizations. We applaud all efforts to ensure that this traditional view of marriage is upheld and protected.

Jesus said "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. (Matthew 19:4-6). In this passage, Jesus, reflecting on the words of Moses in the book of Genesis, reaffirmed the Biblical belief that marriage is between one man and one woman.

We urge all citizens, and public officials to honor these immortal words and not destroy what God Himself has instituted. We love, respect and encourage all people to visit our congregations, especially those with questions regarding marriage."

Following are some key excerpts from news articles in the Daily News and the New York Sun; March 30 2004:

"A coalition of ministers from congregations across the city gathered on the steps of City Hall yesterday in support of the biblical definition of marriage as a union between male and female. They sang hymns and recited prayers to open the press conference, where they spoke about marriage as a “sacred covenant” with specific guidelines set down by God."

"Organizers of the event said the clergy who attended represent thousands of churches across the New York region. Later in the day, hundreds more gathered for a prayer rally next to City Hall Park."

"This was the first public display for the [City Covenant] coalition, which was formed about four years ago, Rev. Mattera said.... The role of New Yorkers in the national debate on gay marriage is escalating as a number of city groups take action on both sides of the issue. The debate intensified a little more than a week ago, when three same-sex couples married on the steps of City Hall to protest criminal charges brought against upstate officials who issued marriage licenses to same-sex couples."

"The country as a whole is embroiled in a larger debate of whether to amend the Constitution to define marriage as an institution between a man and woman. Supporters of gay marriage call a prohibition of gay marriage a violation of their civil rights. But religious groups deny that same sex unions are about basic civil rights. 'This is not about segregation or race even. This is about a choice people make about their lifestyle,' said the Reverend Michael Faulkner of Central Baptist Church on the Upper West Side at the rally. 'You cannot even begin to put that on the same level with how a person is born and the racial discrimination that took place with African-Americans in this country.'"

ANARCHY AWAITS

CCC is currently in discussions with other key leaders from the greater New York area planning an event in the near future where we expect thousands of Christian couples to come together for a mass renewing of vows ceremony at a major city venue. We intend this to be a follow-on 'statement' after the impact created by our recent press conference and prayer rally. Traditional marriage is a foundational building block of any society. If this begins to crumble, anarchy awaits. Much is at stake, so please support us in prayer as we endeavor to stop the rot.

The Church of Metro New York is coming together, united in purpose, and speaking with a prophetic voice into our culture - at last! Stay tuned! #

* City Covenant Coalition is a Coalition of "ascension gift" ministers and ministries that come together in covenant to transform cities and disciple the nations with the "Gospel of the Kingdom of God." I serve as the Chairman of the CCC Regional Leadership Council. (See further report below)
 

"I made arrangements with Jeff Beacham to come and take the services on Sunday, February 22nd, immediately following my return from a ministry trip and visit to family in Europe, warning him ahead of time that I probably wouldn't make the evening service as six hour jet lag still had the better of me. Jeff's message in the morning service was right on the mark for the church. He challenged us with the truth that God's purpose is that we should be fruitful and multiply. Some brethren commented to me that the word stirred them to get up and work again in this affluent suburban area which all too often lulls Gospel workers to sleep.

When the evening service came around I wasn't too tired so I told Jeff I'd come over to the meeting and leave as soon as the waves of sleep hit me. Well, Jeff did part two which was a really good teaching, very personal hands-on instruction concerning sharing our faith and hope in Christ with others. In other words fleshing out the meat of the morning message. Really encouraging. It was so good I didn't have any trouble with jet lag! If you have been thinking about having Jeff come to your church go ahead and invite him, and ask him to share these messages with your people, you won't regret it." Margaret Clark, Pastor, Gospel Fellowship, Plainsboro, NJ.

"Jeff, We want to thank you for ministering to the congregation in Corona Queens. We were all so blessed to have you come. We pray that the Lord will repay you immensely. We are all enjoying your videos and tapes." Pastors James and Rachel Perez, Queens Christian Center, Corona, New York

The New Jersey Faith Alliance (NJFA) Roundtable - NJFA is an expanding apostolic and prophetic network of NJ individuals, ministries and regional networks joining together in practical unity and supportive partnerships to bring maturity to the statewide body of believers and transformation to the culture. NJFA is here to serve related individuals and groups through strengthening, encouraging and building relationships for the ultimate kingdom good of the whole state.

FAITH stands for: F – Fathers and sons in the faith. A – Accountability (horizontal relationships). I – Inspiration, edification and encouragement for all. T – Taking the land the Lord has given us (NJ). H – Healthy ministers and ministries.

The NJFA executive council is comprised of John Price (New Jersey Strategic Prayer Network), Jeff Beacham (Firepower Ministries International) and Walter Healy (The Church of Grace and Peace).

NJFA held a key roundtable meeting at the Harvest Training Center in Cranford NJ on March 15th. After several formative years, at the roundtable we presented a fluid structure to take NJFA to the next level. This was received with tremendous support from those present. For more information, go to www.njfa.org

City Covenant Coalition Sponsors Defense of Marriage Press Conference and Prayer Rally on New York City Hall Steps - "Dear Jeff, thank you for inviting us [to the Defense of Marriage Press Conference] - it definitely was a historic moment. When we stood on those steps I really felt God's approval. This is what God is doing. Love." Pastor Leigh Gonzalez, The Hope Center, Jersey City, NJ

"NEWS UPDATE - In addition to the NY Daily News story (which has a circulation of about 1 million people) in today's paper, also check out the NY Sun which also has a good story and photo. - I also watched the WCBS News story at 6 pm last night and the UPN 9 News story at 10 pm which reached millions more each. WCBS Radio, WINS Radio and of course our dear friends at WMCA/WWDJ also reached millions more in the tri-state area yesterday. We also will have a cover story with photo in the Tri-State Voice and a story in the Love Express. Some of you might not know, getting anything from the Lord's view of truth into the mainstream news in a positive way is difficult. We have been truly blessed. The Lord's message reached millions of hearts and the Holy Spirit is continuing His work with those audiences now. The Lord's Word was the goal and now millions know if they have a question about marriage where to learn more: the Bible. Please give Him the glory! Blessings." Mike Paul, President MGP & Associates PR, New York, NY

For more information, go to www.citycovenant.com