VISIT US AT metro kansas city facebook/metrovoicenews Ever Wanted to EDITION or metrovoicenews.com Go to Paris? Kansas City’s best calendar PAGE 11 of family events! Find concerts, conferences, and more! DAVID PHELPS – MAR. 7 | SEE PAGE 14 CELEBRATING FAITH, FAMILY AND COMMUNITY IN KANSAS CITY VOLUME 25 • NUMBER 3 March 2014 FREE– TAKE ONE! Protecting your phone privacy CCanU thLe cThurUch sRurvEive thSe wTindOs ofR chaM nge? Retailers increasingly spying on shoppers by Todd Starnes The culture war may be lost and religious liberty by Kim Komando might not be that far behind, according to a new survey You already know that advertisers are from LifeWay Research. tracking where you go online, even on Seventy percent of senior pastors of Protestant your smartphone or tablet. But did you churches say religious liberty is on the decline in the know that retailers like grocery stores, city United States and 59 percent of Christians believe they governments, airports and other commer - are losing the culture war. Eleven percent consider that cial locations are literally tracking where war already lost. you walk? You might be surprised but The survey results are staggering– indicating grave here’s just a few retailers peeking into your concerns about the moral direction of the nation from phone or smart device: both the pulpit and the pew. National retailers like Walmart, Family "Ten years ago we were talking about who would win Dollar, Cabela’s, Verizon, Gordman’s, the culture war and now we're talking about how will Nordstrom and Home Depot work with Christian rights be protected after the culture war," Ed companies like Euclid Analytics and have Stetzer, the president of LifeWay Research said. "We've devised a method for tracking shoppers in lost our home field advantage. There are going to be their stores. The service identifies shop - some things that are different." pers' smartphones by requests the devices Stetzer said it's a big shift. make for Wi-Fi, even if they aren't con - “And it's a shift I would not have guessed," he told me. necting to the store's network. Over the past few years, I've documented hundreds of "I think it's outrageous," John Soma, instances of religious persecution in the United States. executive director of the University of See CULTURE STORM page 23 Denver Privacy Foundation, told Denver's See PHONE PRIVACY page 23 A hard road leads to KC’s newest Christian radio station by Kharissa Forte | Metro Voice selling drugs, fighting and struggling stations in Minneapolis and Kansas in college. After spending four months City, including KPRS and KMBZ. Composed of genres favorable sleeping in his car among other chal - PRAISE 95 is owned and operated among the urban core, KCPZ 95.3FM lenges, Price decided to give Christ a by Concrete Truth Community Net - officially hits the airwaves on March try. work, a non-profit organization with 15. Price said he knew that running his the goal of bringing about positive 3 The first of its kind, PRAISE 95 will own radio station completely devoted change in the Kansas City area. 6 0 consist of music ranging from holy hip to God-glorifying music was on the Community Network is one-third 4 6 hop and Christian rap to old school agenda for his life. of the Concrete Truth “Just its possibility O gospel and today’s favorite praise and “Ten years ago, I enterprise: Concrete M was homeless,” he Truth Studios and , worship. 4 t gives God glory.” i 1 Station manager Devon Price said said. “This station is Concrete Truth Media e 1 m c 1 i a testimony in itself. It gives hope.” incorporate videos, a magazine publi - m that the station will be an outlet to up - x o u o V “It’s been a long road,” Price said in cation and events that serve as both an S lift the community in ways other sta - B o s r the announcement. “I’ve been in radio encouragement to the lost while also . ’ tions have yet to tap into. t e e O . e “Just its possibility shows God’s since 2003 and now Concrete Truth allowing fellowship for believers. M P L glory,” Price said. owns a radio station.” On Feb. 28, “Access Granted: The Devon Price Before Christ, Price lived a life of Price has worked for several radio See PRAISE RADIO page 5 GET 50% OFF YOUR ADVERTISING! CALL 816-524-4522 OR EMAIL [email protected] 2 • March 2014 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––metrovoicenews.com I facebook.com/metrovoicenews ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Metro Voice church news STUDY: MARRIAGE INFLUENCE WANING Teens losing belief Assemblies of God healing racial in marriage as an wounds with Pentecostal Council institution by Julie Borg (WNS)--Fewer than half of Ameri - can 17 year-olds are being raised by both biological parents in an intact family, the most devastating casualty in the marriage battle raging in America today, according to Patrick Fagan, sen - ior fellow and director of the Marriage and Religion Research Institute. Fagan discussed the state of the American family is weakened, all of society suffers. skills because they are never modeled. George O. Wood, (left) general superintendent of family and released the Fourth Index of The war on the family is no accident, While the problem can only be the Assemblies of God, with Church of God in Christ Family Belonging in a webcast hosted Fagan said. A battle against marriage solved on an individual basis, the com - Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake Sr. by the Family Research Council. has been going on for at least 100 years. munity and even the state can help The study calculated the percentage The Marxists who came to the United strengthen the family, Marshall said. On Dr. George Wood, general superin - tendent to make a phone call. of 17 year olds in the States when Hitler an individual basis, she recommends tendent of the Springfield, Mo. based "That has been followed by about United States raised “When the family is came to power in Ger - married couples mentor young people Assemblies of God, says the denomi - four years of dialogue back and forth, by both biological many brought their in an environment where marriage nation has taken steps to reunite with where we have had wonderful times of parents in an intact weakened, all of belief that marriage skills can be caught. States can the United Pentecostal Council of the fellowship [and] obviously apologized family since birth. The was an opponent to be strengthen marriages through policy- Assemblies of God. and asked for forgiveness for that ter - regional index ranged society suffers.” destroyed. Now, Fagan making, offering temporary assistance "It's a group of African-American rible instance in our past, which does - from a high of 50 per - said, some American to families in need and promoting mar - churches that in 1919 had a division n't reflect where we are at today," cent in the Northeast to a low of 42 per - cultural and thought leaders are de - riage resources to help couples enter from the Assemblies of God because of Wood shares. "As the Assemblies of cent in the South. The Asian voted to the destruction of marriage. and sustain healthy marriages, Marshall racism in the Assemblies of God at the God, I think we're 40 percent minor - community had the most teens living And they’ve succeeded, to a certain said. time," Wood said. "Their leader was ity." in intact families, 65 percent, while extent. Since the women’s liberation Although the panelists who spoke denied permission to go to Africa as a Though this step does not mean a African-Americans had the fewest, 17 movement and the sexual revolution, last month pointed to policies and missionary" because his skin was black. merger, it does represent a step toward percent. the path to marriage is a lot more com - talked about fighting for the family, But about four years ago, Wood re - full reconciliation and partnership. Marriage is the foundational piece plex, said Jennifer Marshall, director of couples themselves must choose to stay ceived a letter from the presiding elder Wood adds that his denomination domestic policy studies at The Heritage together, Fagan said. who had recently been elected. He was is excited about what the move might for every other aspect of society, Fagan Foundation. When the culture does not The battle for marriage it is not seeking reconciliation with the larger mean for the future, as the healing said. Strong, healthy marriages produce body, and that prompted the superin - process has already begun. strong, healthy families. Strong families have a high view of marriage, young about going to war, it is about love. produce healthy churches and strong couples are left to devise their own stan - Teenage boys need to realize their chil - schools. dards. Marriage skills are more caught dren need fathers married to mothers A well-educated population mani - than taught. for the rest of their lives. “The people fests a strong economy, and only a When more than half of all adoles - who will win this battle are those who strong economy can support a strong cents grow up without an intact family, will love,” Fagan said. government and nation. When the they are less likely to catch marriage Helping kids by keeping state-aid out of strip clubs by Travis Perry The vendor manages the actual transactions of Kansas’ Electronic Ben - OSAWATOMIE, Kan. — Could efit Transfer cards, also known as Vision Kansas kids be going without necessi - cards. ties because one or both of their parents Freed said that Fraud Navigator not were using state benefits to gamble? only will block inappropriate TANF That’s what a Kansas Watchdog inves - electronic transactions at the cash reg - tigation uncovered–public welfare dol - ister, but also will prevent recipients lars ending up at strip clubs, casinos from withdrawing cash from ATMs at and liquor stores.