The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr" or often "Ps."

History[link]

In some countries the term is used in relation to Protestant churches. It can also be used in reference to priests and bishops within the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox churches. The word itself is derived from the Latin word pastor which means "shepherd". The term "pastor" is also related to the role of elder within the New Testament, but is not synonymous with the biblical understanding of minister.

Present-day usage of the word is rooted in the Bible. The Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament) uses the Hebrew word רעה (roʿeh). It is mentioned 173 times and describes the feeding of sheep, as in Genesis 29:7, or the spiritual feeding of human beings, as in Jeremiah 3:15, "Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you on knowledge and understanding" (NASB).

Christ's Charge to Peter by Raphael, 1515. In telling Peter to shepherd his sheep, Christ was appointing him as a pastor.

In the New Testament, the Greek noun ποιμήν (poimēn) and verb ποιμαίνω (poimaino) are usually translated shepherd or to shepherd. The two words are used a total of 29 times in the New Testament, most frequently referring to Jesus. For example, Jesus called himself the "Good Shepherd" in John 10:11. The same words are used in familiar Christmas story (Luke 2) referring to literal shepherds.

In five New Testament passages though, the words are referring to church workers.

• John 21:16 - Jesus told Peter: "Shepherd My sheep" (NASB)
• Acts 20:17 - the Apostle Paul summons the elders or presbyters of the church in Ephesus to give a last discourse to them; in the process, in Acts 20:28, he tells them that the Holy Spirit has made them bishops, and that their job is to shepherd the flock of God among them.
• 1 Corinthians 9:7 - Paul says, of himself and the apostles: "who tends a flock and does not use the milk of the flock?" (NASB)
• Ephesians 4:11 - Paul wrote "And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers" (NASB)
• 1 Peter 5:1-2 - Peter tells the elders among his readers that they are to, "shepherd the flock of God among you" (NASB)

Arguably from the earliest centuries of Christian history, the church had three orders which were considered divinely ordained: bishops, priests and deacons. Each was only considered authoritative and able to administer the sacraments if one had valid apostolic succession (i.e., traceable lineage of ordinations back to the original bishops, the Apostles themselves). However, Protestant communities since the Reformation generally understood the "apostolic" nature of ordained ministry as meaning subscription to the apostolic teaching, that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, proclaimed in the New Testament Bible and hold the notion of a literal "apostolic succession" as extrabiblical if not spurious.

Historical usage[link]

Around 400 AD, Saint Augustine, a prominent Roman bishop, described a pastor's job:

Disturbers are to be rebuked, the low-spirited to be encouraged, the infirm to be supported, objectors confuted, the treacherous guarded against, the unskilled taught, the lazy aroused, the contentious restrained, the haughty repressed, litigants pacified, the poor relieved, the oppressed liberated, the good approved, the evil borne with, and all are to be loved.^[1]

Current usage[link]

Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican[link]

Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican churches typically refer to their local church leaders as "parish priests". The term pastor may be used, in a more casual way, particularly in North America. However, Anglican churches do not formally use the term "pastor"; rather, they frequently use the terms "rector" or "vicar" as alternatives to "parish priest".

Each Catholic parish is normally entrusted to the care of a single pastor, who must be a priest according to the 1983 Code of Canon Law. The associate pastor is called a parochial vicar and also must be a priest. In U.S. Catholic parishes, a lay ecclesial minister who fulfills many of the non-sacramental functions of an associate pastor is often called a "pastoral associate", "parish minister", or "pastoral assistant".

A bishop is canonically given full-fledged pastoral responsibilities within his diocese, and a priest is held to pastoral obedience with regards to his bishop. The term universal pastor refers to the pope, per the declaration Pastor aeternus of the First Vatican Council.

Jesus Christ is commonly referred to as the "Good Shepherd" or "Good Pastor", the former a phrase found in the Gospels.^{[citation needed]}

Protestantism[link]

Many Protestants use the term pastor as a title (e.g., Pastor Smith) or as a job title (like Senior Pastor or Worship Pastor). Some Protestants contend that utilizing the appellation of pastor to refer to an ordained minister contradicts the Protestant doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. United Methodist, for example, ordain to the office of deacon and elder; each of whom can use the title of pastor depending upon their job description. The use of the term "pastor" can also be regional in some denominations, including some parts of the Methodist, Presbyterian, Seventh-day Adventist, American Churches of Christ, and Baptist traditions.

The use of the term pastor to refer to the common Protestant title of modern times dates to the days of John Calvin and Huldrych Zwingli. Both men, and other Reformers, seem to have revived the term to replace the Catholic priest in the minds of their followers. The pastor was considered to have a role separate from the board of presbyters. Few Protestant groups today still view the pastor, bishop, and elder as synonymous terms or offices; many who do are descended from the Restoration Movement in America during the 19th century, such as the Disciples of Christ and the Churches of Christ.

The term pastor is sometimes used for missionaries in developed countries to avoid offending those people in industrialized countries who may think that missionaries go only to less developed countries. In some Lutheran churches, ordained clergy are called priests, while in others the term pastor is preferred.^{[citation needed]}

Baptist faith[link]

In most Baptist churches the term for clergy is pastor based on the literal application of Ephesians 4.11-13: 11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. The Greek word here for pastor is poimen - shepherd - which bears the meaning of one who leads the congregation.^{[citation needed]}

Leaving the ordained ministry[link]

Observers such as clergy counselor Rowland Croucher suggest that the numbers of "ex-pastors" roughly equals that of serving clergy throughout the Western world.^[2] This would mean people who have left the ministry number in the six-figures. More pastors and priests may be leaving parish ministry than are lost to most other professions.^[3] Until the early 1990s, there were few cross-denominational ministries serving this group. Croucher collected data-based questionnaires of ministers of Protestant denominations.^[4][5][6]

The first writers to explore this research area used questionnaire surveys to look at factors such as age, education and family relationships as contributing factors to decisions to leave the ministry.^[7] Other writers have explored ex-pastors within particular denominations^[8][9][10] and/or focused on particular related issues such as burnout,^[11][12] stress,^[13][14] marital stress,^[15] sexual abuse,^[16] celibacy,^[17] loneliness,^[18] organisational factors,^[19][20] and conflict.^[21] One common cause of conflict occurs when differing approaches to ministry compete in the minds of clergy, congregation and community, as Norman Blaikie found in Australian clergy from six Protestant denominations.^[22]

For some of the estimated 10,000 ex-pastors from Australian Protestant churches, their transition was a normal mid-career move, voluntarily entered into like many of the role exits described in the classic study by sociologist (and ex-nun) Helen Ebaugh.^[23] Yet for many the transition out of parish ministry was premature. Clergy, churches and training bodies need a solid basis for understanding and action in order to reduce the attrition rate and enhance clergy, congregational and community health. Some denominations experience particularly high rates of attrition.^[24]

Key recommendations to help alleviate stress in clergy exit situations may revolve around the development of professional supervision and continuing education. Professional supervision for ministry is a method of reflecting critically on ministry as a way of growing in self-awareness, cultural and social awareness, ministry competence and theological reflection skills.^[25][26] Supervision that includes an element of peer group work has the potential to facilitate collaborative learning, enhanced group dynamic skills and ongoing supportive networks.^[27] Some denominations are encouraging their clergy to engage in professional supervision, as part of their mandatory requirement of professional standards, but the requirements and standards of clergy supervision are often haphazard or absent.

See also[link]

Christianity portal

• Elder
• Preacher
• Clergy
• Minister of religion
• Pastoral care
• Pastoral counseling
• Rabbi
• Imam
• Murshid
• Herr Pastor
• Dominie

References[link]

• Bercot, David W. (1999). Will The Real Heretics Please Stand Up. Scroll Publishing. ISBN 0-924722-00-2. 
• Dowly, Tim (ed.) (1977). The History of Christianity. Lion Publishing. ISBN 0-7459-1625-2. 

Footnotes[link]

External links[link]

• NewAdvent.org, The Catholic Encyclopedia's entry on the term pastor.
• Gumpoint.com, A Pentecostal view on the term pastor.
• ChristianityToday.com, "Personal Life of a Pastor". The personal life of pastors is often overlooked by their church. This link directs you to a collection of resources about keeping a pastor's personal life vibrant.
• ChristianityToday.com, Pastoral Administration. Articles about a pastor's role as administrator of a church.
• LifeWay.com, Articles to help the pastor in the roles of preacher, missionary, leader, shepherd, and person.
• PaganChristianity.net, George Barna explores the roots of the modern pastorate and some of its effects.

v t e Order of the Divine Service in Lutheranism Preparatory Service Entrance hymn and Trinitarian formula (known as the Invocation) · Penitential Rite including the Confiteor and Declaration of Grace (or Asperges on Easter) Elevation of the host The Service of the Word Introit · Gloria Patri · Kýrie · Gloria · Dominus Vobiscum · Oremus · Collect · Old Testament reading · gradual (or Responsorial Psalm) · Epistle · Alleluia (tract during Lent) · Gospel · Hymn of the day · Homily or Postil (Sermon) · Nicene Creed (Athanasian Creed on Trinity Sunday)  · Offertory · Prayers of the Faithful The Service of the Eucharist Preface (Sursum corda / Sanctus / Hosanna) · Eucharistic Prayer (Epiclesis / Words of Institution / Memorial Acclamation) · Lord's Prayer · Sign of peace / pax (elevation)  · Agnus Dei  · Distribution  · Nunc dimittis  · Postcommunion  · Benedicamus Domino  · Benediction  · Dismissal · Ite missa est Participants Acolyte · bishop · cantor · choir · crucifer · deacon · elder · laity · lector · Pastor (or Priest) · usher Parts of the Sanctuary altar · altar bell · altar crucifix · altar rails · kneeler · piscina · processional cross · tabernacle Candles altar candle · paschal candle · sanctuary lamp · votive candle Liturgical vessels ciborium · chalice · cruet · Liturgical objects collection basket · holy water · incense (use) · paten · sacramental bread (wafer) · sacramental wine · thurible Vestments alb · chasuble · dalmatic · geneva gown · humeral veil · stole · surplice · tunicle · Liturgical books and hymnals Agenda · Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-Book · Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary · Evangelical Lutheran Worship · Lutheran Book of Worship · Lutheran Hymnal · Lutheran Hymnal with Supplement · Lutheran Service Book · Lutheran Worship · Service Book and Hymnal Lutheranism Portal

The neutrality of this article is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved. (November 2010)

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (September 2007)

Creflo Augustus Dollar, Jr. is an American Bible teacher, pastor, and the founder of the non-denominational World Changers Church International based in Fulton County, Georgia.^[1] Creflo Dollar Ministerial Association (formerly called International Covenant Ministries), Creflo Dollar Ministries, and Arrow Records.^[2] Each of these enterprises is overseen by Dollar and his wife, Taffi Dollar.

Biography[link]

In 1984, Dollar received a Bachelor of Science degree in education from West Georgia College in Carrollton, Georgia.^[3] He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity from Oral Roberts University in 1998.^[4]

Dollar indicates that he received the vision for World Changers Ministries Christian Center in 1986.^[5] He held the church's first worship service in the cafeteria of Kathleen Mitchell Elementary School in College Park, Georgia, with only eight people in attendance and successfully receiving over $100 in contributions from those present. Over the years the ministry has grown rapidly and was renamed World Changers Church International (WCCI). As of 2007, the congregation has grown to 30,000 members with $69 million in revenue (gross cash collections) for 2006.^[6] The congregation moved from its original cafeteria location to a modest-sized chapel, adding a weekly radio broadcast and four services each Sunday. On December 24, 1995, WCCI moved into its present location, the 8,500-seat sanctuary known as the World Dome. At a cost of nearly $18 million, it is claimed that the World Dome was built without any bank financing.^[7]

Dollar is also the publisher of CHANGE magazine, a quarterly international publication with nearly 100,000 subscribers and The Max, a bimonthly resource newsletter for ministers and ministry leaders.^[8] Creflo Dollar also frequently speaks at conferences and is a best selling author.^[9][10][11] Dollar and his wife, Taffi, have five children and live in Atlanta.^[12]

Controversy[link]

Dollar is known for his controversial teachings of Prosperity theology.^[9] He has been criticized for his lavish lifestyle as he owns two Rolls-Royces, a private jet, a million dollar home in Atlanta, and a 2.5 million dollar home in Manhattan.^[9] Dollar has refused to disclose his salary and Creflo Dollar Ministries received a grade of "F" for financial transparency by the organization MinistryWatch.^[9][13]

Dollar was subpoenaed during divorce proceedings between heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield and Holyfield's second wife, Janice Itson, after Itson alleged that Holyfield had donated $7 million to Dollar's ministry just before he filed for divorce.^[14] Dollar refused to yield his financial records, but avoided contempt of court charges when the divorce was settled out of court.^{[citation needed]}

Senate investigation[link]

On November 6, 2007, United States Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa announced an investigation of several ministries by the United States Senate Committee on Finance. Grassley asked for financial information to determine whether Dollar made any personal profit from financial donations and requested that Dollar's ministry make the information available by December 6, 2007. The investigation also asked for information from five other televangelists: Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Eddie L. Long, Joyce Meyer, and Paula White.^[15]

On March 16, 2009, Grassley, now only an individual Senator on the committee, stated "My staff and I continue to review the information we’ve received from the ministries that cooperated, and we continue to weigh our options for the ministries that have not cooperated," noting that two of the ministries, Benny Hinn and Joyce Meyer, gave full financial disclosure. Dollar has contested the probe, arguing that the proper governmental entity to examine religious groups is the IRS, not the Committee on Finance.^[16]

The Wittenburg Door writes, 11/8/2007, "Creflo Dollar is one of six televangelists who has gotten letters from the Senate Finance Committee asking them to send in detailed accounting statements proving they are not converting church money to their personal use. Creflo Dollar is the pastor of World Changers Church International of College Park, Georgia. Presumably he chose that name himself, completely free of fear that it would be soon be better known as Money Changers Church International by the 30,000 members who weekly enrich its coffers and make it possible for Creflo to maintain the two jets—one Gulfstream 3 and one Lear—that he uses to shuttle back and forth between Madison Square Garden (where he does a Saturday night service for an audience of 6,000) and Atlanta (where he does a Sunday morning service), not to mention occasional visits to his offices in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia and Nigeria. Creflo's wife Taffi Dollar—and here we remind you once again that we are not lapsing into fiction at any point during the creation of this article—Taffi Dollar is responsible for the household budget at the $3 million Dollar mansion in Atlanta, and the more modest $2.44 million Dollar condo overlooking Central Park in Manhattan. Asked about the Dollar dollars by CBS News yesterday, Dollar said it was untrue that he had two Rolls-Royces; he claimed that he only had one Rolls-Royce and it was given to him by his congregation as a surprise. He also said he did not give $500,000 of church funds to fellow prosperity gospel evangelist Kenneth Copeland on the occasion of Copeland's 40th wedding anniversary. Accordingly, Dollar's annual budget for his operation was estimated at "about 80 million"(citation needed).

References[link]

External links[link]

	Atlanta portal
	Biography portal

• Official Biography
• Creflo Dollar Ministries homepage
• World Changers Church International homepage
• World Changers Church-New York homepage
• Creflo Dollar Sermons Delivered at Kenneth Copeland Believers Conventions
• National Public Radio story
• Copy of Senator Grassley's letter to Creflo Dollar

Joel Osteen
Joel Osteen at Lakewood Church, December 8, 2007
Born	Joel Scott Osteen (1963-03-05) March 5, 1963 (age 49) Houston, Texas
Occupation	Pastor, author, televangelist
Employer	Lakewood Church
Term	1999 – present
Predecessor	John Osteen
Religion	Evangelical Charismatic
Spouse	Victoria Osteen (m. 1987) «start: (1987)»"Marriage: Victoria Osteen to Joel Osteen" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Joel_Osteen)
Children	Jonathan, Alexandra
Parents	John Osteen (father) Dolores ("Dodie") Pilgrim Osteen (mother)[1]
Website
joelosteen.com

Joel Scott Osteen (born March 5, 1963^[2]) is an American author, televangelist, and the senior pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. His ministry reaches over seven million broadcast media viewers weekly in over 100 nations around the world.^[3]

Biography[link]

Born in Houston, Texas, Osteen is one of five children of John Osteen and Dolores ("Dodie") Pilgrim. His father, a former Southern Baptist pastor, founded Lakewood Church where Osteen is the current senior pastor.^[4] Osteen married his wife, Victoria L. Iloff, on April 4, 1987.^[5] They have two children, Jonathan and Alexandra. His older siblings, Paul, Lisa, and Tamara, and his younger sister, April, are also involved in full-time ministry.^[6] His half-brother Justin does missionary work out of New York.^[7]

After 17 years producing the church's television program, Osteen succeeded his father on October 3, 1999, as pastor of Lakewood Church. He had only preached once in his life, the week before his father's death.^[7] Today, Lakewood Church services, led by Pastor Joel Osteen, are seen in over 100 nations around the world.^[8] Joel Osteen's first book, Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential, was released in October 2004. In December 2006, he was named one of the year's "Ten Most Fascinating People" by Barbara Walters.^[9] Former presidential candidate John McCain has described Osteen as "inspirational".^[10]

The Lakewood Church in Houston.

Currently, Osteen and several Lakewood Church personnel travel across the nation, presenting programs in large arenas. The event, titled "A Night of Hope", includes worship music led by the church's music ministry, a sermon from Osteen and a testimony by his mother, Dodie. In 2007, the tour expanded to include stops in several other countries, including Canada, England, Northern Ireland and Israel.^[11] Osteen released his second book, titled Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day in October 2007, which also topped the New York Times Best Sellers List with a first printing of four million copies.^[12][13] Osteen told Larry King the new book will focus more on relationships and not getting stuck where we are in life. "Just my basic message of becoming all God's created you to be," he added.^[14]

Osteen at a Nashville book signing, 18 May 2007

Osteen's popularity led to him being featured as one of ABC News' "10 Most Fascinating People of 2006",^[15] and was named "Most Influential Christian in America" in 2006 by The Church Report.^[16] Osteen is one of five children of John Osteen and Dolores "Dodie" Pilgrim.

Education[link]

It has been widely reported that Osteen attended Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for a two year period without receiving a degree.^{[citation needed]} Likewise, it has been reported that he has no higher level training in religious matters or Bible studies.^{[citation needed]} In an appearance on Piers Morgan Tonight in January, 2011, Osteen mentioned that he had never attended seminary.^[17]

Preaching style[link]

On the December 23, 2007, edition of Fox News Sunday, host Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday brought up Osteen's lack of Scripture reference in his sermons, as well as his hesitancy to discuss sin as an integral part of life. Osteen responded: "And I am ultimately trying to do that, but I'm trying to teach people how to live their everyday lives, and so I do focus on it, probably not as much as some people would like."^[18] Osteen says that he chooses to focus on the goodness of God rather than sin.^[19] Osteen explains that he tries to teach Biblical principles in a simple way, emphasizing the power of love and a positive attitude.^[20]

Osteen's sermons and writings are sometimes reproached for their use of the concepts of prosperity theology, or the prosperity gospel, a belief that wealth and power are rewards for pious Christians.^[21]

Political and social views[link]

Osteen said that he is opposed to same-sex marriage in an interview wth Fox News.^[22] In an interview with CNN, he further said that he believes "that homosexuality is a sin".^[23][24]

In an interview on Fox News in 2008 during the U.S. Presidential primary race, when discussing whether he thought that a Mormons were Christians, Osteen indicated that he believed that they were. He further noted that he had not studied the religion.^[25]

Criticism[link]

On October 14, 2007, 60 Minutes ran a twelve minute segment on Osteen, titled "Joel Osteen Answers his Critics", during which Reformed theologian Michael Horton critiqued his message. Horton told CBS News correspondent Byron Pitts that Osteen's method of teaching is "heresy".^[26]

See also[link]

• Charismatic movement
• Christianity
• Prosperity theology
• Word Faith

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Joel Osteen Ministries

Sean Harris (born 1966, Bethnal Green, London, England) is an English actor, who is best known for his performance as Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis in the film 24 Hour Party People. He grew up in Norwich, Norfolk, where he lived until he was 23.

Career[link]

Trained at the Drama Centre London. He also appeared in the cult horror Creep, in which he played a psychopathic killer stalking the London Underground. Harris appeared in his first British feature film lead in the independent film Saxon, released in 2008.

Other notable roles include serial killer Ian Brady, one of the notorious culprits of the Moors Murders, on ITV1's See No Evil: The Moors Murders, and Nick Sidney in the cult mockumentary Brothers of the Head. Harris played Joy Division singer Ian Curtis in Michael Winterbottom film 24 Hour Party People. He has also appeared in the 2007 film Outlaw and in the television film Wedding Belles by Irvine Welsh and Dean Cavanagh. Harris played the drug dealer Stretch in Harry Brown. Harris played reporter Fred Hale in a new film adaptation of Brighton Rock, released in February 2011. Harris appeared in the British thriller film A Lonely Place to Die previously known as The Grave at Angel's Peak directed by Julian Gilbey.^[1]

Harris appeared in a short film, Native Son, playing a troubled young soldier who returns home to the Highlands from a war overseas but finds difficulty settling back into rural life. The film was written and directed by Scottish director Scott Graham^[2] and premiered the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. He will play Fifield in the upcoming Ridley Scott 2012 sci-fi film, Prometheus.

Television[link]

Harris's television credits include Channel 4's drama series Cape Wrath as Gordon Ormond, the BBC series Ashes to Ashes as Arthur Layton, the Waking the Dead episode Pietà as former Serb war criminal Radovan Sredinić and as the corrupt Inspector Bob Craven in Channel 4's critically acclaimed Red Riding series. In the recent BBC TV drama Five Daughters, he played Brian Tobin, co-founder of The Iceni Project, a drugs treatment facility based in Suffolk, England. He currently appears as the assassin Don Miguel "Michelotto" de Corella in The Borgias, a historical television series created by Neil Jordan.

Notable appearances[link]

• Music video for Mark Ronson's 2007 single "Stop Me".
• Svengali, an Internet comedy series written by Dean Cavanagh. Harris played photographer Anton Blair.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Sean Harris at the Internet Movie Database

James David Manning (born February 20, 1947)^[1] is chief pastor at the ATLAH World Missionary Church on 123rd Street in New York City. Manning grew up in Red Springs, North Carolina, born to an African American family, and has been at ATLAH since 1981. ATLAH stands for All The Land Anointed Holy, which is Manning's name for Harlem.^[2] His congregation, "ATLAH Worldwide Missionary Church" is the former Bethelite Missionary Baptist Church. The church is also the site of the ATLAH Theological Seminary, which offers classes on preaching and prophecy.^[3]

Manning is fiercely opposed to the gentrification of Harlem^[4] and calls for its residents to boycott its shops, restaurants, doctors, banks and churches.^[5] That action, combined with a general rent strike, would force all property owners out of Harlem, he said, leaving the neighborhood to its rightful inheritors: black people.^[2][6] Manning calls his plan "No Dew, Nor Rain," after Elijah's warning to Ahab, king of Israel, of a coming drought. "When there's no dew, no rain, there's a drought – there's all kinds of suffering," said Manning. The whole of Harlem, he said, is to be a "drought zone."^[5][7]

Biography[link]

Manning graduated from Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York where he was awarded a Master of Divinity.^[8] Manning also holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree from his own ATLAH Theological Seminary, an unaccredited educational institution.^[9]

As a younger man, Manning burgled homes, mostly on Long Island. He spent about three and a half years in prison in New York and Florida for burglary, robbery, larceny, criminal possession of a weapon, and other charges before his release in 1978. While in prison, he became a devout Christian.^[2]

According to Manning, he attended the Oxford Round Table in 2004.^[10]

2008 presidential election[link]

Manning came to public attention in the 2008 presidential election after ATLAH posted several sermons of his that were harshly critical of Democratic candidate Barack Obama on the website YouTube.^{[11][dead link][12]} Among other accusations, he called Obama's mother "white trash" for becoming pregnant by a black man out of wedlock,^[13] an issue he discussed during a press conference at the National Press Club on December 8, 2008.^[14]

"It is common knowledge that African men, coming from the continent of Africa—especially for the first time—do diligently seek out white women to have sexual intercourse with. Generally the most noble of white society choose not to intercourse sexually with these men. So it's usually the trashier ones who make their determinations that they're going to have sex."^[14]

Manning defended his sermons in an interview on Fox News, saying that "we also have to talk about his character."^[15]

The sermons drew the attention of the Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which filed a complaint with the Internal Revenue Service objecting to alleged violations of laws granting tax-free status to churches on condition that they refrain from certain forms of political activity.^[8]

Views on Barack Obama as President[link]

Manning has continued his criticisms of Obama after the election, comparing him to Hitler and frequently calling him a criminal and "long-legged mack daddy." He produced a video in summer 2009 in which he predicts that there will be a white backlash against Obama, complete with riots,^[16] and attending one of the first "birther" events.^[17] In an interview with Israeli radio station Arutz Sheva, Manning asserted that Obama had chosen to befriend Muslims instead of Jews; he also offered praise of Meir Kahane.^[18]

In responding to a comment by Bill O'Reilly, a commentator on Fox News Channel, calling birther lawyer Orly Taitz a "nut", he and Taitz organized a protest outside Fox News headquarters in New York City in November 2009, which drew an estimated 15 to 20 attendees.^[19]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Website of ATLAH World Missionary Church