Is the Church Compromising the Gospel in the Name of Impacting Culture?

When we reported on a live sex show that has parents up in arms a couple of weeks ago, it drove a flurry of #StopSexBox hashtags on Twitter. What we didn’t know then was that a pastor—a pastor who holds a doctorate in counseling and leads a national Christian women’s ministry—is serving as a judge on the show.

Then there’s the pastor’s wife—an ordained minister in her own right—who is reportedly employed as an exit counselor in an abortion clinic because she believes women have the right to abortion and “God is a forgiving God.” Her son also works as a security guard at the location, which means they are effectively both taking blood money.

Are Bible-believing Christians overreacting by questioning the wisdom of a pastor endorsing sex on live TV or a woman of God and her son getting paid by an abortion clinic? You decide.

Should Pastors Endorse Live Sex on TV?

Let’s start with Sex Box, a show that caused the Parents Television Council to launch the #StopSexBox campaign in hopes of having the show removed from the cable bundle.

Sex Box features real-life couples having sex for a national television audience. Participants enter a soundproof box on stage, have sex and then discuss their “intimacy issues” with a panel of so-called experts. WE tv, which hosts the show, calls it “groundbreaking, unprecedented and life-changing way for couples in crisis to heal their sexual and emotional issues.”

“The theory behind the Sex Box is based on a revolutionary, scientifically proven concept: In the first 15 minutes after intimacy, the body is flooded with oxytocins and endorphins enabling people to really open up and reveal the root of their problems,” the show description reveals. “Our couples have sex on stage in front of live studio audience in a specially designed chamber—the Sex Box.”

Pastor Yvonne Capehart serves a judge on the show.

“After I had turned it down the third time the Lord, as he did many times in my life, instructed me that He had prepared me to do the show and my presence would make a difference in being on the show,” she told CBN.

But wait, isn’t Sex Box a little (or a lot) too racy for television? Capehart told CBN there are plenty of shows with intimate scenes already on TV: “Parents should use their judgment to turn the television should their toddlers or teenagers be in the room as with any show.”

Of course, many parents lack judgment—or aren’t even paying attention. Some are questioning this pastor’s wisdom in essentially endorsing a reality TV show that hyper-focuses on sex issues that are better addressed in a therapist’s office. Even if this so-called scientifically proven concept is valid, how does live sex belong on television? Isn’t this just one more example of the Jezebel spirit’s ongoing brazen media campaign? I think so.

Should Pastor’s Wives Work in Abortion Clinics?

The second scenario is a little trickier. Is it wrong to counsel women who have just had an abortion and share God’s love for them? Absolutely not. Many pro-life ministries have sidewalk counselors that work with women before they go into the abortion clinic and after they come out. I thank God for them. They are sowing seeds of love and healing.

Callie Chatman, the pastor’s wife and licensed ordained ministry at New Elam Baptist Church in Montgomery, Ala. who works at the abortion clinic, is correct when she says, “God is a forgiving God.” But what’s troubling is that Chatman is apparently receiving payment from the abortion clinic for her services, according to christiannews.net.

Again, there’s nothing wrong with ministering to women that have had abortions—in fact, we should. But David Day, a Mission Service Corps missionary with the North American Mission Board, told Christian News Network he is shocked when he saw the Chatman’s husband drop her off to work in a Mercedes.

“I was stunned that there is actually a pastor’s wife that works there,” Day said. “I can’t image this pastor whose wife works at the clinic and his people not knowing … .” Sadly, this is a Montgomery pastor dropping off his wife who works at the abortuary. Pray for her soul and the sheep of this pastor.”

What’s your take? Consider this before you answer: This is not really about what these two ministers are doing at the micro-level. Pull back the lens and answer this: Is the church compromising the gospel in the name of impacting culture? Or should we mingle with immorality and murder? Should we ignore these instances of the world getting into the church? Or should we speak out on them?

Jennifer LeClaire is senior editor of Charisma. She is also director of Awakening House of Prayer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and author of several books, including The Next Great Move of God: An Appeal to Heaven for Spiritual Awakening, Mornings With the Holy Spirit, Listening Daily to the Still Small Voice of God, The Making of a Prophet and Satan’s Deadly Trio: Defeating the Deceptions of Jezebel, Religion and Witchcraft. You can visit her website here. You can also join Jennifer on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.