Reinventing Juanita Bynum

I was watching “Today with Juanita Bynum” which is her daily show on the cable station The Word Network, while doing my normal morning routine of dishes, clothes, coffee and lunches. There has been many incarnations of her talk/teaching/preaching/infomercial, but for the last few days she has been running edited versions of some of her past sermons, featuring the likes of “No More Sheets,” “When the Righteous Cry” and other sermons which are now considered classics.

While the replay of these sermons is great and allows us the tremendous opportunity to “check her record” as she so aptly puts it. There was one addition to her programming that troubled me. It is not a format problem, I am sort of use to the varying format of the show--and let me state for the record that I consider Juanita Bynum one of my personal spiritual mentors. I love the prophetess’ fire-brand of ministry, and she has made a real deposit in my life and in the lives of many that I am personally aquainted with. I believe that she is a prophet of God called to the nations...but.... I was watching the show and during one of her self-imposed commercial breaks, they showed this 90 second montage designed to let us know in no uncertain terms, how wonderful, how powerful, how admired, and what a genuine women of God, the “Prophetess” really is. I mean this segment, so highly touted the virtues of Juanita Bynum--the minister, the Ambassador, the prophet, the business woman, the recording artist, the author-- I almost didn’t know if they were talking about Juanita or some mythical creature from days of old.

What really bothered me about the promotional piece is that it really reminded me of the kind of promo segment that Michael Jackson would run about himself as the self-proclaimed, “King of Pop.” You know the one I mean-- Michael performing with his much older brothers at the age of 9, the Motown 25 special, the fainting fans, 'Thriller' the biggest selling album ever, world-wide acclaim, multiple Grammys, more screaming fans, and sold out tours. With all of that said and done, with more than twenty-years passing by, we all see where the millions of dollars, and millions of fans got Michael Jackson—a broke and broken shell of his former glory, and a virtual nomad with his three kids in tow. Wow! And now here is Camp Juanita Bynum self-aggrandizing in much the same manner as Michael did, jocking for the position of our new “Queen of the Pulpit and Beyond?” God forbid.

I am sure that with all the negative press that she has received concerning the very public domestic abuse allegations, and her husband Bishop Weeks’ alleged promise to destroy her reputation and ministry, someone in her camp thought that such a video resume would be a wonderful opportunity to remind us of her accomplishments and her greatness. Unfortunately, they are attempting to sell us a bag of goods without the receipt--we don't know if its legit or not!

Instead of reminding us of all of her accomplishments, what should be highlighted is her humanness. Her sense of brokenness, and her connection to the people she is called to serve and guide. We don’t need another ‘she-ro’. We need a real, honest to God, person willing to hear from God, preach His Word, and can carry the mantle of His anointing without self-gratification.

Don't be fooled, this is not, hear me, NOT just a Juanita Bynum problem. This is a Leadership problem which has created a pew problem. I am not bashing Juanita in anyway, but I am concerned about our leaders falling pray to prideful displays of greed, sin, and lust all in the name of image control and "kingdom" building. It is amazing to me that within the last year or two, those in Christ and those of the world have witnessed the fall of some of the biggest PERSONALITIES. Not since the rise and fall of the Bakkers’, and the Swaggerts’ of the last generation have we seen such a shameful display of man's sinful nature. Now we have, Ted Haggard, Richard Roberts (Oral’s son), Paula and Randy White, Creflo Dollar, Carlton Pearson, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, Eddie Long, Joyce Meyers, and Bishop Thomas Wesley Weeks, who has admitted that the “devil made him do it” in reference to his altercation with his wife, Juanita Bynum—I am not a prophet, but I know that God has to be saying, "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH."

Our Christian leaders must return to building God’s Kingdom rather than, building their Christian enterprises, businesses, and marketing endeavors. To all of us, Proverbs 16:17-19 (NIV), reminds us that: “The highway of the upright avoids evil; he who guards his way guards his life. Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud.”