| Rod Parsley |
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He is married to Joni Parsley. They have one son (Austin) and one daughter (Ashton), both teenagers. Rod Parsley is a graduate of Ohio Christian University and holds honorary doctoral degrees from Indiana Christian University and Liberty University . WORLD HARVEST CHURCH In 1977, Parsley's 17-person Bible study formed what became known as Sunset Chapel, and later Word of Life Church in Canal Winchester, Ohio. His church has grown into the current World Harvest Church which now encompasses 400,000 square feet (37,000 m&2) and has a 400-person staff. The church's first facility was built in 1979. That building is now known as Alpha Hall and is one of four buildings on what is now the campus of World Harvest Bible College. In 1986, ground was broken on 57 acres to build what now includes a 5,200-seat sanctuary, Children’s and Youth Ministries, Family Life, Ministry Resource Centers, a Bookstore and Administrative Offices. The church's main property now comprises 132 acres. Harvest Preparatory School, a private Christian prep school, operates on the church grounds. BREAKTHROUGH MINISTRIES ''Breakthrough'' is the television broadcast produced by the World Harvest Church. The show features sermons and bible studies by Parsley as well as segments concerning the Center for Moral Clarity. ''Breakthrough'' is carried on 1,400 stations and cable affiliates, including Daystar Television Network , INSP, Cornerstone Television, World Harvest Television, The Church Channel, Trinity Broadcasting Network , ENLACE (which broadcasts in Spanish to 20 nations), Vision TV (Canada), and Europe 7. POLITICAL ACTIVISM During the Summer of 2004, Parsley openly criticized Sweden for the arrest and subsequent conviction of Ake Green under Sweden's hate crimes legislation. During the same time, he founded The Center for Moral Clarity to address moral issues and influence politics from a Christian point of view. On October 3, 2004, Parsley preached a sermon titled "Uncensored: While Freedom Still Rings," which was in many ways the mission statement for the Center for Moral Clarity. In the two-part sermon, Parsley expressed opposition to the following: the view that there is a Separation Of Church And State in the U.S. Constitution, Same-sex Marriage , Partial-birth Abortion , hate-crimes legislation in California, Canada, and Sweden, Sexual Orientation themes in children's books, racism and poverty. A few weeks before the 2004 election, Parsley encouraged his congregation and those who watch his television program to vote for Ohio's state constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman (which ultimately passed by a wide margin). He also encouraged citizens of other states with similar marriage amendments on their ballots to vote similarly. He was headlined the "Silent No More" tour to register Christian voters. Parsley and the World Harvest Church supported John Roberts ' nomination for the Supreme Court Of The United States . WRITINGS Parsley is an author of several Christianity-themed books, including ''Silent No More'', which was released in April 2005 by Charisma House. The book encourages Christians to participate in the political process, and especially to make sure their votes reflect their values. Concerning poverty, Parsley writes that government should "get out of the way", removing many constraints on capitalism. Parsley criticizes Islam , stating that he "do not believe that our country can truly fulfill its divine purpose until we understand America was founded, in part, with the intention of seeing this false religion destroyed.” (''Silent No More'', as cited in [http://www.newyorker.com/printables/fact/060731fa_fact1 ''Holy Toledo'' by Frances Fitzgerald in the ''New Yorker'', July 31 2006 ) The sequel to "Silent No More," "Culturally Incorrect: How Clashing Worldviews Affect Your Future," was published in June 2007 and soon appeared on the industry's best-seller lists. CRITICISM OF PARSLEY Parsley is identified as a prominent player in the '', URL accessed May 24 , 2006 . Some have also criticised Parsley for his recent book, '' Silent No More '' because of the book's attacks against Islam and the view that the U.S. Constitution provides for a separation of church and state (among other popular social issues), and for his support of Faith Healing . Parsley has identified Islam as an enemy of the United States and Christianity. Author Chris Hedges' 2006 book notes the openly militaristic metaphors Parsley has used, particularly in describing his opponents: The secular media never likes it when I say this, so let me say it twice. Man your battle stations! Ready your weapons! They say this rhetoric is so inciting. I came to incite a riot. ... Man your battle stations. Ready your weapons. Lock and load--for the thrity, forty liberal pastors who filed against our ministry with the Internal Revenue Serice. ... Let the struggle begin. Let it being in your heart today with a shout unto him who has called us to war--not only that, he has empowered you and I to win.Chris Hedges' , {Link without Title} REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS
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