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Today’s Buzz: ORU; Pass the Popcorn; Criswell’s Antiques; Halo 3; and Gay Truckers…

Orginally published on Thursday, October 25, 2007 at 7:24 AM
by Todd Rhoades

Today... “Honestly, we’ve been struggling financially.” That's the word from the chairman of ORU's board of regents. Sounds like some tough days ahead for the university. Also today, McLean Bible Church's new campus being held up by the zoning board; 300 pieces of Meissen porcelain antiques from the estate of Dr. W. A. Criswell is on auction at Christies today; more on Halo 3; and sorry Ed Stetzer...

New Report: ORU Struggling Financially; 55 Million in Debt
Oral Roberts University, which is fighting accusations that its president misspent school funds, faces a crippling debt load, the chairman of the school’s board of regents said. Chairman George Pearsons told The Associated Press that maintenance costs and low financial support from donors have put the evangelical university $55 million in debt. University spokesman Jeremy Burton later said the debt is actually $52.5 million. “Honestly, we’ve been struggling financially,” Pearsons said. “Really my goal — and it’s a big one — my goal is to obliterate the debt.” The announcement comes a week after the school’s president, Richard Roberts, took a leave of absence to fight a lawsuit brought by three former professors who claim they were wrongfully dismissed. SOURCE

We Don’t Need Know Stinkin’ Church… Now Pass the Popcorn...
According to the Washington Post, zoning officials have ruled that McLean Bible Church must apply for special permission to operate in an historic movie theater near the nation’s capitol. That process very well could delay the church’s plans to offer services there starting in January. The news cheered opponents of the worship services. They have been lobbying city officials since the church announced in July that it had leased the 800-seat Uptown on Sunday mornings. Even though the theater’s operator has said the weekly worship schedule would not interfere with its movie schedule, neighborhood activists have said they feared the services would change the nature of the Uptown. “It’s the devil we know; it’s the devil we love,” said George Idelson, president of the Cleveland Park Citizens Association. “We would like it to keep running movies. . . . That’s what it’s there for, and that’s what we like about it.” SOURCE

W. A. Criswell’s Antiques are Going Going Gone Today at Christies...
Christie’s, the world famous art auction house, will be selling more than 300 pieces of Meissen porcelain from the estate of W.A. Criswell, longtime pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas. The sale begins Thursday at 9 a.m., Central, in Christie’s saleroom at Rockefeller Plaza in New York City. Christie’s produced a 116-page catalog just for the sale, and it includes a biographical sketch and photographs of Dr. Criswell. Just for fun… you can see all the items up for auction here. Maybe you should get one (although the estimated price for the least expensive of the 209 items I saw was about $600). SOURCE

I In No Way Meant to Call Ed Stetzer a Gay Trucker
Yesterday I made mention of Lifeway’s new research on Alcohol. In doing so, I tried to mention my ‘good buddy’ Ed Stetzer. Turns out, my mind is quicker than my fingers, because I called Ed my ‘good budy’. Later in the day at Ed’s blog, he mentioned that ‘good budy’ is actually urban slang for something else. When I looked it up, it turns out that I called Ed a ‘gay trucker’. Oops… who knew one letter could make such a difference?

More on Halo 3, Free Beer and Porn...
Saw this in a recent issue of The Ministry Report… QUOTE: “If you want to connect with young teenage boys and drag them into church, free alcohol and pornographic movies would do it. My own take is you can do better than that.” —James Tonkowich, president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy, on the popular tactic of drawing youth to church by hosting “Halo 3 nights,” in which teens—mostly young boys—play the violent, M-rated video game. The events, which have received plenty of media coverage following Halo 3’s staggering $170 million opening day, are often used as a recruiting tool to those who normally wouldn’t attend church. “There aren’t as many kids outdoors as indoors,” argues one pastor. “With gamers, how else can you get into their lives?” [seems to me that, while I haven’t played Halo 3, I doubt that it’s the same as inviting a group of young teenage boys to a church party featuring beer and porn… that could be a bit of an overstatement, but maybe that’s just me.]

That’s it for today…

Have a great one!

Todd

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