BishopAccountability.org
	Pastor Says Preaching at Schools Didn't Have Church's OK By Mark Barna The Gazette May 16, 2009 http://www.gazette.com/articles/church-54224-school-miller.html The senior pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church says the proselytizing that took place at several Colorado Springs schools last month was done by a handful of zealous teenage members acting without church sanction. "There is an appropriate way to witness," the Rev. Matt Miller said last week. "Our method is going house to house, two by two. I do not condone teenagers or adults approaching kids going to and from school." Miller also said he is implementing safeguards to rein in unsanctioned witnessing by church members. The church came under fire after reports surfaced in April that students on their way to and from Russell Middle School and at least one nearby elementary school were being approached by people trying to engage them in discussions about Jesus. In one case, according to Colorado Springs School District 11 officials, a woman tried to lure a seventh-grader into a church van after school, and the girl went home and told her parents. A few days later, on May 4, a teenager from Cornerstone proselytized to two children, ages 12 and 14, inside a Wal-Mart Supercenter in Colorado Springs. During Wednesday evening's service at the church, Miller told congregants to be "zealous witnesses," but emphasized that it's inappropriate to proselytize on private property and to children, unless a parent or guardian is present. He also encouraged people to respect others' boundaries. "If someone doesn't want to hear it, don't shove it down their throat," Miller told about 200 congregants. "Let's be gentlemen and ladies." Cornerstone Baptist made headlines in the '90s over its methods of "soul winning," as the church calls it, but that was when Miller's father was senior pastor. Matt Miller took over in 2004 and said he wanted to take the church in a "new direction." For the past 12 weeks, Cornerstone members have increased their witnessing efforts, signing up nearly 650 people to attend an event at the independent Baptist church this weekend. Miller speculates that the five or six teenagers proselytizing at area schools may have been caught up in the "soul-winning" fervor when they breached protocol. He also said he and church officials have tried to track down the woman in the van, but have had no success. Miller promises to make sure that church members understand the appropriate way to proselytize, but congregants will still be encouraged to do it, because, he said, that is the commission of Christ. "We will follow our mission to reach the lost and preach the gospel," he said. Even so, Miller has been humbled by the recent controversy. "Anything I can do to mend bridges between us and our community," he said, "I'd be more than happy to do it.'
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.