Moody Church Speaker: Francis Chan

By Karissa Martin

            The packed sanctuary at The Moody Church sounded with applause as Francis Chan stepped to the podium. His face appeared on the big screen behind him, giving everyone, mostly young adults spattered with a mixture of middle-aged to older adults, the opportunity to see his pressed suit and welcoming smile as he surveyed the crowd.

            “Man, it is so good to be in this room,” said Francis Chan, 44, founding pastor of Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, Calif., founder of Eternity Bible College, and best-selling author. “There’s just something about being with the Church, with other believers in this room in the middle of this city right here downtown, and I just got fired up.”

            This began Chan’s sermon Wednesday, Feb. 8, at The Moody Church during the evening session of Founder’s Week 2012 for Moody Bible Institute. He was preceded by Keith and Kristyn Getty, Christian songwriters and recording artists, who led the crowd in worship before Chan addressed them with his message.

            Founder’s Week at Moody Bible Institute began in 1901 and was established “to both celebrate the birthday of our founder, Dwight Limon Moody,” and to “provide an opportunity to learn from today’s foremost Christian teachers and leaders,” said Brandon Chism, Conference and Event Coordinator for Moody Bible Institute. Chism said that about 150 to 200 people were involved in the planning and execution of this weeklong event, and the work is never done; planning must start more than a year before Founder’s Week.

            “I gotta do it. I gotta do it. I gotta respond,” Chan said to the Event and Guest Services official count of 5,901 people about God calling him to go beyond his congregation and share the teachings of the Bible.

            The audience members on the first floor and in the balcony were silent under the glow of the high chandeliers and Chan’s passionate voice.

            “The truth is, I hate sharing my faith,” Chan said. He said that it is very difficult to try to tell people about God that don’t really want to hear about Him. But, he said he feels that he has been called to do this.

            “It really affected how I think about my own life and how I really need to take the Bible more seriously and try to put it more into action,” Stephen McElhiney, a graduate student at Moody Theological Seminary, said after Chan’s message. “I really appreciated his truth and honesty.”

            Chan continued by discussing issues that he said he believes the majority of pastors tend to ignore. One such issue involved the Great Flood and Noah’s Ark. Parents decorate their babies’ rooms with pictures of the Ark full of colorful giraffes, elephants, tigers, monkeys, and Noah, all smiling out at everyone.

            “It’s just a minor detail in the story that he killed everyone,” said Chan as the audience laughed at his frankness. He said that all the people drowning are missing from these happy pictures.      

Christians are only friends with other Christians, was another of Chan’s points on Wednesday. He said that it is time for people to venture outside the Church in order to attain more disciples; he directed his comments to the audience, including students and alumni of Moody Bible Institute who attended Founder’s Week as a sort of homecoming event in place of a traditional homecoming.

One of those students, Kristian Chelstrom, a graduate scholar at Moody Theological Seminary, said after the sermon, “He kind of just went around in circles. He didn’t really focus on one main point. Depending on how people listen, it may be harder for them to understand what he was actually trying to get across.”

Chan moved onto his final point and addressed the more mature section of his audience, many of whom were sitting just feet away from the podium.

“I just think the world, the Church is in dire need of elderly people that are living radically for their faith,” said Chan as one of his closing statements. “Some of these young people are dying to come under the tutelage of elderly people that seriously cannot wait to see Jesus and are living that way.”

            The audience applauded and nodded in agreement as Keith and Kristyn Getty, and the band filtered in quietly to lead the crowd of young and old once more in worship. Chan began the closing prayer, and the crowd was silent as he said, “In Jesus’ name, Amen.”