Pneuma Review Interviews Charisma editor Lee Grady
That’s why we have done so many articles in the past year on reaching the lost. I have sent Christian reporters to interview gay people, punk rockers, the homeless, Mardi Gras revelers, New Age psychics and even UFO enthusiasts. I want our reports on these people to inspire our readers to get out of their comfort zones and reach those who would never visit a church.
You will see much more of this kind of journalism in Charisma in the next few years.
PR: Where do you see the Pentecostal/charismatic movement headed in the future?
Grady: There is no question in my mind that we will witness a global religious awakening in our lifetime. It has already begun in so many parts of the world, and it is increasing in intensity. I am hopeful that we will see this awakening stir this country, and result in mass conversions on the scale of the Great Awakening of the 1700s.
I think this awakening will be most obvious in Asia—particularly in China—and in Latin America in the next few years. But we will see great stirrings in Europe as well—a region that has really been the darkest in terms of spiritual vibrancy. I also think that as the American church is revived, we will see a release of missionary activity as well as mercy ministry aimed at social transformation—helping the poor, caring for the orphan, solving social problems, etc.
So I have a lot of hope for the future. Yes there are serious problems, and most assuredly we have a leadership crisis in the American church. So much of what we see now will most likely not stand the test of time. Many visible leaders in the church today are in place because of a love of position and prominence, or they are motivated by greed. I do not believe that the ministries that are based on money or ego will stand much longer. They have been a blight on the church, and have greatly hindered our witness. When revival intensifies, the holiness of God will surely require us to humble ourselves. Those who refuse to adjust to God’s agenda will be moved out of the way.
PR
Category: Fall 2001, Living the Faith, Pneuma Review
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